7.1 Adding Actions by Using ZENworks Control Center

The following sections contain information about the actions you can configure by using ZENworks Control Center:

7.1.1 Action - Create / Delete Directory

The Add Action - Create/Delete Directory dialog box lets you create or delete a directory on the managed device and define the specific requirements that a device must meet for the action to be executed on the device.

You can access this dialog box in any of the following ways in ZENworks Control Center:

  • As part of the process of creating a Create/Delete Directory Linux bundle by using the Create/Delete Directory bundle category. For more information, see Section 6.2.1, Using ZENworks Control Center to Create a Bundle.

  • Click the Bundles tab, then click a Linux bundle in the Bundles list. Click Actions > Install > Add, then select Create/Delete Directory.

    The dialog box contains two tabs that allow you to specify options and requirements for the action.

General Tab

The General page lets you specify the name, the action type, and the executable security level options.

  1. Specify a name for the action in the Action Name field.

  2. Select the action type:

    Create directory: Creates a directory on the managed device when the action is performed.

    Delete directory: Deletes a directory on the managed device when the action is performed.

  3. Specify the complete path of the directory you want to create or delete on the managed device. This path must be resolved by the device on which the bundle is run.

  4. Specify the executable security level options:

    Run as logged in user: The action is executed as the user logged in to the display :0 (zero) terminal. For example, if you select this option while creating a directory, the directory created is owned by the user logged in to display :0 at the time when the action is executed.

    Run as root: The action is executed as the root user.

  5. Click OK to create the action.

Requirements Tab

You can specify the requirements that a device must meet for the action to be enforced on it. For information about the requirements, see Adding System Requirements for a Bundle in the ZENworks 11 SP2 Software Distribution Reference.

7.1.2 Action - Display Message

The Action - Display Message dialog box lets you specify a message to display on devices when the action is performed. For more information on this action, see the ZENworks 11 SP2 Software Distribution Reference.

7.1.3 Action - Edit Text File

The Add Action - Edit Text File dialog box lets you specify a file and configure the list of changes to be performed on the file. For more information on this action, see ZENworks 11 SP2 Software Distribution Reference.

7.1.4 Action - File Removal

The Add Action - File Removal dialog box lets you specify files or directories to remove from the device. For more information on this action, see the ZENworks 11 SP2 Software Distribution Reference.

7.1.5 Action - Install Bundle

The Add Action - Install Bundle dialog box lets you browse to and select the bundle to install on the device. For more information on this action, see the ZENworks 11 SP2 Software Distribution Reference.

7.1.6 Action - Install Directory

The Add Action - Install Directory dialog box lets you browse to and select the directory to install on the device. For more information on this action, see the ZENworks 11 SP2 Software Distribution Reference.

You can access this dialog box in any of the following ways:

  • As part of the process of creating a Install Directory Linux bundle by using the Install Directory bundle category. For more information, see Section 6.2.1, Using ZENworks Control Center to Create a Bundle.

  • Click the Bundles tab, then click a Linux bundle in the Bundles list. Click Actions > Install > Add, then select Install Directory.

The dialog box contains two tabs that allow you to specify options and requirements for the action.

General Tab

The General page lets you specify the directory to be installed and its destination path, the permissions for the directory, the ownership, and the option to copy the directory. You can also use this page to install the Novell File Upload extension, which lets you browse for directories.

Installing a file or directory uploads the file or directory to the ZENworks content repository before it is distributed to assigned devices. When you install a file or directory, the file or directory is cached on the managed device.

Installing an executable file does not launch or execute the file. To launch or execute the file, you must add a launch executable action (Launch Linux Executable) to the bundle.

  1. In the Source Directory field, click Browse icon to browse to and select the directory you want to install on the device.

    If you have not installed the Novell File Upload extension on this device, you must do so before you can browse to and upload directories to be installed. For more information, see Novell File Upload Extension.

  2. Specify the destination directory on the device where you want to install the directory.

  3. Configure the permissions and set the access for the directory that you have installed:

    Mode: Select this option and enter a three-digit octal number to specify the permissions for owner, group, and others.

    Owner: Select this option and set the access for Owner, Group, and Others.

  4. Select to whom to provide the ownership:

    Root: Select this option to provide ownership to the root user.

    User: Select this option to provide ownership to a particular user. You can also specify the group of the user.

  5. Select a copy option from the list:

    Copy Always: Copies the directory regardless of whether the files currently exist on the workstation.

    Copy If Exists: Copies the directory only if the directory currently exists on the workstation.

    Copy If Does Not Exist: Copies the directory only if the files do not currently exist on the workstation.

    Copy If Newer: Copies the directory only if the modified date and time of the file is newer than the existing directory’s date and time, or if the files does not currently exist on the workstation.

    Copy If Newer and Exists: Copies the directory only if it already exists on the workstation and the existing directory has an older modification date or time.

    Copy if Newer Version: Copies the directory only if the internal version of the directory is newer than the existing directory’s version (if version information is present).

    Request Confirmation: Prompts the user to verify if the directory should be copied.

    Copy If Different: Copies the directory if the creation date, creation time, or size is different than the existing directory's date, time, or size.

  6. Click OK to create the action.

Requirements Tab

You can specify the requirements that a device must meet for the action to be executed on the device. For information about the requirements, see Adding System Requirements for a Bundle in the ZENworks 11 SP2 Software Distribution Reference.

7.1.7 Action - Install Files

The Action - Install Files dialog box lets you specify the file to copy to the content server and from content server to the device, the destination directory and filename, and the copy options.

You can access this dialog box in any of the following ways:

  • As part of the process of creating a Install Files Linux bundle by using the Install Files bundle category. For more information, see Section 6.2.1, Using ZENworks Control Center to Create a Bundle.

  • Click the Bundles tab, then click a Linux bundle in the Bundles list. Click Actions > Install > Add, then select Install Files.

The dialog box contains two tabs that allow you to specify options and requirements for the action.

General Tab

The General page lets you specify the file to copy to the content server and from the content server to the device, the destination directory and filename, and the copy options.

  1. Click Add to display the Select Files dialog box.

  2. In the File panel, click Add, then click Browse to browse for and select the files you want to copy to the device.

    If you want to select multiple files at a time, you must have installed the Novell File Upload extension on this device. For more information, see Novell File Upload Extension.

    The Packaging column displays how the content is packaged before it is distributed to assigned devices.

    If the Do not compress or encrypt uploaded content option in the Select Directory dialog box is not selected, the value of Packaging option is initially displayed as Auto as the content is in the process of being encrypted and compressed. After the content has been encrypted and compressed, the value of Packaging option changes to Compressed, Encrypted.

    If the Do not compress or encrypt uploaded content option in the Select Directory dialog box is selected, the value of Packaging option is displayed as None because the content is neither compressed nor encrypted.

  3. Specify the complete path of the destination directory where you want to install the files.

  4. Specify the permissions to be applied to the files that you have installed:

    Mode: Select this option and enter a three-digit octal number to specify the permissions for owner, group, and others. The standard file permission is 644.

    Owner: Select this option, then select the check box next to the permissions you want for Owner, Group, and Others.

  5. Select an option to provide the ownership:

    Root: Select this option to provide ownership to the root user.

    User: Select this option to provide ownership to a particular user. You can also specify the group of the user.

  6. Select the Unpack option to indicate that files that are compressed in gzip, bzip2 or zip formats should be decompressed and extracted to the device where you want to install them

  7. Select a copy option from the list:

    Copy Always: Copies the directory regardless of whether the files currently exist on the workstation.

    Copy If Exists: Copies the directory only if the directory currently exists on the workstation.

    Copy If Does Not Exist: Copies the directory only if the files do not currently exist on the workstation.

    Copy If Newer: Copies the directory only if the modified date and time of the file is newer than the existing directory’s date and time, or if the files does not currently exist on the workstation.

    Copy If Newer and Exists: Copies the directory only if it already exists on the workstation and the existing directory has an older modification date or time.

    Request Confirmation: Prompts the user to verify if the directory should be copied.

    Copy If Different: Copies the directory if the creation date, creation time, or size is different than the existing directory's date, time, or size.

  8. Click OK to create the action.

Requirements Tab

You can specify the requirements that a device must meet for the action to be executed on the device. For information about the requirements, see Adding System Requirements for a Bundle in the ZENworks 11 SP2 Software Distribution Reference.

7.1.8 Action - Install RPMs

The Action - Install RPMs dialog box lets you enable the install options and add packages. You can also specify parameters such as Freshen and Install Type for the files.

You can access this dialog box in any of the following ways:

  • As part of the process of creating a Install RPMs bundle by using the RPM application bundle category. For more information, see Section 6.2.1, Using ZENworks Control Center to Create a Bundle.

  • Click the Bundles tab, then click a Linux bundle in the Bundles list. Click Actions > Install > Add, then select Install RPMs.

The dialog box contains two tabs that allow you to specify options and requirements for the action.

General Tab

The General page lets you roll back the device to its original state, enable install options, and list the default property values for packages.

  1. Select the Rollback on Failure option to roll back the device to its original state (before the package was installed). The software package will be uninstalled, leaving the server as if the package had never been installed, except for any changes that might have been made to the server in using the installed application.

    By default, this option is not selected.

  2. Select the Enable Install Options check box, then select the options you want:

    Allow Removal of Conflicting Packages: This check box is selected by default. Leave this check box selected to allow the ZENworks agent to automatically remove any conflicting packages while installing the packages of the action. If you do not select this check box and if there are installed packages that conflict with the packages of the action, the conflicting packages are not removed, and the package installation for the action fails.

    Ignore Dependencies: If you select this check box, the RPMs are installed without checking for dependencies. This means that the dependent packages are not installed while installing the package.

    This option is useful if you have already installed the dependent RPMs of a package before installing the package.

  3. In the Packages panel, do any of the following tasks:

    Task

    Steps

    Add a package

    1. Click Add.

    2. Select whether you want to upload an RPM or import the file from a repository.

      If you select Upload RPM, the Upload File dialog box is displayed. Click Browse to browse for and select the file to be uploaded to the packages list.

      If you select Import from Repository, the Package Import dialog box is displayed. Select the files that you want to import from the repository and add to the list.

    Set an action

    1. Select the check box next to the files for which you want to set actions.

    2. Click Action.

    3. Select an action.

      The following actions are available:

      Set Freshen: Checks if the previous version of the package is installed to upgrade the package to the newer version. Selecting this action displays Yes in the Freshen column of the selected package.

      Unset Freshen: Installs the newer version of the package along with the dependent packages without checking for the older versions of the package. Selecting this action displays No in the Freshen column of the selected package.

      NOTE:If the version of the package that is installed on the device is later than the version of the package in the bundle, the installation of the package in the bundle is skipped during bundle installation.

      Set Auto Type: Installs or upgrades the package. This operation is similar to the operation performed when you run the rpm --upgrade or the rpm -U commands.

      Set Install Type: Installs the package. The package installation operation is similar to the operation performed when you run the rpm --install or rpm -i commands. With rpm -i, multiple versions of the same package can be installed simultaneously. However, if there are conflicting packages, the rpm -i command displays an error, but the ZENworks agent forcibly installs the package, similar to the rpm -i --force command.

      When multiple versions of the package with conflicting files are installed, the RPM indicates that multiple versions are installed, but only the files of the package that was last installed is available on the device. Therefore, it is not advisable to set the Install Type to Install unless you are sure that multiple versions of the package can coexist. For example, two different versions of kernel packages or two different versions of Java packages can coexist with each other.

      For most of the packages, multiple versions of the same package cannot coexist.

      Set Upgrade Type: Installs or upgrades the package. This operation is similar to the operation performed when you run the rpm --upgrade or the rpm -U commands.

      NOTE:The Has Delta column displays Yes if the subscription has downloaded the delta packages. Click Yes to view the delta RPM details.

    Remove a package

    1. Select the check box next to the files that you want to remove, then click Remove.

Requirements Tab

You can specify the requirements that a device must meet for the action to be executed on the device. For information about the requirements, see Adding System Requirements for a Bundle in the ZENworks 11 SP2 Software Distribution Reference.

7.1.9 Action - Launch Bundle

The Action - Launch Bundle dialog box lets you specify the bundle to launch on the device. For more information on this action, see the ZENworks 11 SP2 Software Distribution Reference.

7.1.10 Action - Launch Java Application

The Action - Launch Java Application dialog box lets you configure a Java program to be executed on the managed device. For more information on this action, see the ZENworks 11 SP2 Software Distribution Reference.

7.1.11 Action - Launch Linux Executable

The Action - Launch Linux Executable dialog box lets you specify the filename, parameters to run, security level, and environment variables that are required to launch the Linux executable.

To access this dialog box, click the Bundles tab, then click a Linux bundle in the Bundles list. Click Actions > Install > Add, then select Launch Linux Executable.

The dialog box contains two tabs that allow you to specify options and requirements for the action.

General Tab

The General page lets you specify the filename, parameters, security level, and environment variables.

  1. Specify the absolute filename of the Linux executable.

  2. Specify the parameters that you want to run while launching the executable.

  3. Click Show Options to specify the Linux executable’s security level.

    You can choose any of the following options and configure the executable:

    Run normal (as logged in user): If there is any user logged in to display :0, the executable is launched as that user.

    Run as root: The executable is launched in the ZENworks Management Daemon context irrespective of whether the root user is logged in or not. However, if the application is a graphical application, a user must be logged in to display :0 to successfully launch the executable.

  4. Specify the wait time before proceeding to the next action after launching the Linux executable.

    No wait: Select this option to immediately perform the next action in the list.

    When action is complete: Select this option to perform the next action in the list after the launch action finishes.

    Wait for _ seconds: Select this option to proceed to the next action after the specified number of seconds.

    Terminate action if wait period is exceeded: This check box is enabled only if you select the Wait for _ seconds option. Select this check box to terminate the action if the action is not performed after the wait time exceeds the specified number of seconds.

  5. In the Environment Variables panel, do any of the following tasks:

    Task

    Steps

    Add a variable

    1. Click Add to display the Add Environment Variable dialog box.

    2. Specify the name and value of the environment variable you want to add.

    3. Select the Add to existing data check box to append or prepend the environment variable to the existing data.

      Append: Adds the environment variable at the end of the existing data.

      Prepend: Adds the environment variable at the beginning of the existing data.

      Use Separator Character: Specify a character to separate the appended or prepended environment variable from the existing data.

    Remove a variable

    1. Select the check box next to the environment variables you want to remove, then click Remove.

    Edit a variable

    1. Select the environment variable you want to edit, then click Edit.

    2. In the Edit Environment Variable dialog box, specify the new value for the variable.

Requirements Tab

You can specify the requirements that a device must meet for the action to be executed on the device. For information about the requirements, see Adding System Requirements for a Bundle in the ZENworks 11 SP2 Software Distribution Reference.

7.1.12 Action - Prompt User

The Action - Prompt User dialog box lets you specify that a prompt displays on the device and lets you configure its settings. For more information on this action, see the ZENworks 11 SP2 Software Distribution Reference.

7.1.13 Action - Reboot/Shutdown

The Action - Reboot/Shutdown dialog box lets you specify the reboot or shutdown action for the device. For more information on this action, see the ZENworks 11 SP2 Software Distribution Reference.

7.1.14 Action - Run Script

The Action - Run Script dialog box lets you configure a script to be executed on the managed device. For more information on this action, see the ZENworks 11 SP2 Software Distribution Reference.

NOTE:For Linux bundles, you can add Run Script actions in the Distribute action set. These Run Script actions are executed every time a bundle is installed, launched, or verified. While adding the Run Script actions in the Distribute action set, you should write scripts so that there are no errors even if the scripts are executed multiple times.

7.1.15 Action - Start/Stop Service

The Action - Start/Stop Service dialog box lets you specify the service that you want to start or stop. For more information on this action, see the ZENworks 11 SP2 Software Distribution Reference.

7.1.16 Action - Uninstall Bundle

The Action - Uninstall Bundle dialog box lets you select a bundle to remove from the device. For more information on this action, see the ZENworks 11 SP2 Software Distribution Reference.

7.1.17 Action - Uninstall RPMs

The Action - Uninstall RPM dialog box lets you select the RPM packages that you want to remove from the device.

To access this dialog box, click the Bundles tab, then click a Linux bundle in the Bundles list. Click Actions > Install > Add, then select Uninstall RPMs.

The dialog box contains two tabs that allow you to specify options and requirements for the action.

General Tab

The General page lets you select an RPM to be removed from the device.

  1. In the Packages panel, click Add to display the RPM Details window.

  2. Specify the details of the RPM that you want to remove, then click OK to list the RPM in the Packages panel.

  3. Select Remove Dependency Packages to remove any dependent packages of the RPM, then click OK.

Requirements Tab

You can specify the requirements that a device must meet for the action to be executed on the device. For more information on this action, see the ZENworks 11 SP2 Software Distribution Reference.