Document revision date: 30 March 2001

This chapter defines some key terms and concepts. You should read this chapter before starting to create your installable kit.

This chapter describes the following topics:

• The product database
• The format of software product kits
• Software product name conventions
• Version identification format
• Software product name examples
• Logical names
• Managed objects

If you are already familiar with the POLYCENTER Software Installation utility terms and concepts, begin with Chapter 3.

2.1 The Product Database

The product database (PDB) is a set of binary files located in SYS$SYSDEVICE:[VMS$COMMON] with a file extension of .PCSI$DATABASE. The POLYCENTER Software Installation utility automatically creates the PDB the first time a product is installed or registered on the system, such as when the OpenVMS operating system is installed. Once created, the utility simply updates the database as operations are performed to install, reconfigure, register, or remove products.

The PDB is the single source of information about operations performed on products using the POLYCENTER Software Installation utility. Information includes a history of operations performed, which products are installed, which files and other managed objects are owned by each product, software dependencies among products, and so forth.

The PDB consists of three permanent files:

• PCSI$FILE_SYSTEM.PCSI$DATABASE
• PCSI$PROCESSOR.PCSI$DATABASE
• PCSI$ROOT.PCSI$DATABASE

A product specific database file is created each time a product kit is installed or registered, and deleted when the product is removed. For example, the layered product TNT V3.0 for OpenVMS VAX might have a database file named DEC-VAXVMS-TNT-V0300.PCSI$DATABASE.

As a software provider, you can use PDL statements to query the product database to dynamically determine the version of an installed product. The following example illustrates how installation choices are made based on the installed version of OpenVMS on an Alpha system:

if (<software DEC AXPVMS VMS version minimum V6.2> AND <software DEC AXPVMS VMS version below A6.3>) ; file [SYSEXE]TNT$SERVER.EXE generation 5 source [000000]TNT$SERVER_V62.EXE ; file [SYSEXE]TNT$UTILITY.EXE generation 1 source [000000]TNT$UTILITY_V62.EXE ; file [SYSTEST.TNT]TNT$SERVER_IVP.EXE generation 5 source [000000]TNT$SERVER_IVP_V62.EXE ; end if; if (<software DEC AXPVMS VMS version minimum V7.0> AND <software DEC AXPVMS VMS version below A7.1>) ; file [SYSEXE]TNT$SERVER.EXE generation 5 source [000000]TNT$SERVER_V70.EXE ; file [SYSEXE]TNT$UTILITY.EXE generation 1 source [000000]TNT$UTILITY_V70.EXE ; file [SYSTEST.TNT]TNT$SERVER_IVP.EXE generation 5 source [000000]TNT$SERVER_IVP_V70.EXE ; end if;

OpenVMS users can use the DCL command PRODUCT SHOW either to query the product database to show what products are installed and the dependencies between them, to list the files and other objects that make up each product, or to show the history of installation and upgrade activity.

If your installation procedure or the OpenVMS user removes a product, information about the files and objects associated with the product are removed from the database. However, the history of the product's activity from installation to removal is retained in the database.

2.2 Software Product Kit Formats

The installable kit (also called a "software product kit") you create can be in one of two POLYCENTER Software Installation utility formats:

• Sequential format. In this form, the PDF, the PTF, and all files that make up the product are packaged in a single container file with the file extension .PCSI. You can ship this .PCSI file either on a random-access device, such as a CD-ROM, or on a sequential access device, such as a magnetic tape. Most layered products are distributed in sequential format.
• Reference format. In this form, the PDF, the PTF, and all files that make up the product are placed in a directory tree on a random-access device, such as a CD-ROM. The directory tree mirrors the directory structure of the product on the user's disk after installation. The top-level directory contains the PDF and PTF. OpenVMS is distributed in reference format on a CD-ROM.

Figure 2-1 shows how the package operation uses the PDF, PTF, and product material to create a product kit in reference or sequential format.

Figure 2-1 Package Operation

The POLYCENTER Software Installation utility adheres to the following file naming conventions when either creating a software product kit or processing PDF and PTF files.

2.3.1 Sequential Format

A software product kit created in sequential format is a single file whose name is in the following format:

producer-base-product-version-kittype.PCSI

For example:

DEC-AXPVMS-DWMOTIF-V0102-6-1.PCSI

Note that the file name is constructed of components delimited by hyphens (-). The version component is further divided into subfields and includes an additional hyphen as explained in Section 2.3.4.

2.3.2 Reference Format

A software product kit created in reference format consists of a directory tree populated with product files used during installation. The directory structure mirrors the directory structure of the product on the user's disk after installation. The top-level directory contains the PDF and PTF. The presence of the PDF identifies this as a kit in reference format. There is no .PCSI container file for a kit in reference format. The PDF and PTF are named:

producer-base-product-version-kittype.PCSI$DESCRIPTION producer-base-product-version-kittype.PCSI$TLB

For example:

DEC-AXPVMS-DWMOTIF-V0102-6-1.PCSI$DESCRIPTION DEC-AXPVMS-DWMOTIF-V0102-6-1.PCSI$TLB

2.3.3 What Do the Fields in the Name Mean?

The fields in a kit name are position dependent and provide useful information about the kit. There are a few general naming rules:

• Each field in the file name is separated by a hyphen.
• The length of the file name string (including all required hyphens) cannot exceed 39 characters.
• The producer-base-product portion of the string must uniquely identify the software product.

The fields are defined as follows:

• producer is the legal owner of the software product. For Compaq software products this part of the PDF or sequential kit file name might be CPQ.
• base denotes the hardware and operating system combination that the product requires. For OpenVMS Alpha systems, use AXPVMS; for OpenVMS VAX systems, use VAXVMS; for products that can be installed on either OpenVMS Alpha or OpenVMS VAX, use VMS.
• product is the name of the software product. For example, DWMOTIF.
• version identifies the version of the software product expressed in tmn-ue format. For example, V0102-6 denotes V1.2-6. See Table 2-1 for more information.
• kittype identifies a kit type specified as a value from 1 through 7, as shown in Table 2-2.

The POLYCENTER Software Installation utility uses the version field to determine which kit is the most recent and therefore which kit supersedes another kit for the same product. The version field is in the format tmn-ue. This format is described in Table 2-1.

Table 2-1 Format of tmn-ue Version Identification

t	The type of version (a single uppercase alphabetic character A through V; the letters W, X, Y, and Z are reserved for use by Compaq). Evaluated by ascending ASCII value. Usually pre-release versions of a product begin with the letters A through U and V is used to indicate the formal release version.
m	The major version number (decimal integer 01 through 99).
n	The minor version number (decimal integer 00 through 99).
-	The hyphen is required in all cases. When both update level (u) and maintenance edit level (e) are omitted, the version string will end with a hyphen and the file name will have a double hyphen (- -) preceding the kit type.
u	The update level (decimal integer 1 through 999999999). Optional. If not present, the utility evaluates this component as 0.
e	The maintenance edit level (up to 16 alphanumeric characters beginning with an alphabetic character). Optional. If not present, the utility evaluates this component as a null string.

When the utility compares the file specifications of two kits for the same product to determine the latest version of the product, it examines the version strings as follows:

1. Compares the components of the version field in the following order:
   1. major version number (m)
   2. minor version number (n)
   3. update level (u)
   4. maintenance edit level (e)
   5. version type (t)
      It is important to note that version type (t) is the last component to be evaluated. Because it indicates the delivery status (internal, external, beta, and so on) of the product in the development cycle, it is considered the least important component.
2. Stops when it finds two components that are not equal, or determines that all five components are equal.
3. Evaluates alphabetic characters and numbers in ascending order.

Once you use an update level (u) or a maintenance edit level (e) in the product version field, that component must be carried throughout the release cycle of the product to ensure proper evaluation by the utility.

For example, if you release a test version of your product called E7.3-10 (expressed as E0703-10 in tmn-ue format) and then drop the update number in the final version V7.3, the utility will not recognize V7.3 as the latest version. This is what happens:

• The utility stops the comparison after it finds two components that are not equal. In this case it stops at the update level.
• Because the update level is not present in V7.3, it is evaluated as 0. Ten (10), the update level in E7.3-10, is greater than zero (0).
• Since version type is evaluated last, it is not a factor here.

Once the update level is established, as in E7.3-10, do not omit it (causing it to default to zero (0)) until you increase the major or minor version. Any of the following examples of version numbers would supersede E7.3-10:

• D7.3-10A, because A is greater than the null string.
• V7.3-10, because V is greater than E.
• A7.3-11, because 11 is greater than 10.

The tmn-ue format used in file names is very similar to the format used to display versions to OpenVMS users, or as entered by the OpenVMS user with the /VERSION qualifier.

However, when the POLYCENTER Software Installation utility displays a version to the OpenVMS user:

• Leading zeros are omitted in m and n.
• If neither u nor e is present, the hyphen (-) is omitted.

The following version information is contained in the OpenVMS System Manager's Manual. However, it is worth repeating the information here to make sure that you know how the product version is interpreted:

• If a hyphen is present and the first character after the hyphen is a digit, then the leading digits after the hyphen are the update level. If nondigit characters are present, the maintenance edit level consists of the first nondigit character and all following characters. If nondigit characters are not present, the maintenance edit level is blank.
• If a hyphen is present and the first character after the hyphen is a nondigit character, the update level is zero (0) and the maintenance edit level consists of all of the characters after the hyphen.
• If no hyphen is present, the update level is zero and the maintenance edit level is blank.

The POLYCENTER Software Installation utility supports the seven kit types described in Table 2-2.

Table 2-2 PDF Kit Types and Values

Value	Type of Kit	Description
1	Full	Layered product (application) software.
2	Operating system	Operating system software.
3	Partial	An upgrade to currently installed software that replaces or provides new files. Installation of this kit changes the version of the product.
4	Patch	A correction to currently installed software that replaces or provides new files. Installation of this kit does not change the version of the product.
5	Platform	An integrated set of software products (also known as a software product suite).
6	Transition	Product information used to register (in the POLYCENTER Software Installation database) a product that was installed by VMSINSTAL or other mechanism. This kit includes only a PDF and (optionally) a PTF; it does not provide product material.
7	Mandatory update	A required correction to currently installed software that replaces or provides new files. Installation of this kit does not change the version of the product. Functionally the same as a patch kit.

2.3.7 Looking at Software Product Name Examples

The following examples show how the format is used for a sequential format kit and a reference format kit:

• A sequential format kit for Compaq Softwindows for OpenVMS VAX that requires a double hyphen has the following format:

  DEC-VAXVMS-SOFTWIN-V0101--1.PCSI

  
  This format shows that the producer is DEC (Compaq), the base is VAXVMS (OpenVMS VAX), the product is SOFTWIN, and the version is V1.1. The type of version is V, the major and minor version numbers are each 1. There are no update or maintenance edit levels. The kittype is 1 (full).

• A product description file in a reference format kit for OpenVMS Alpha has the following format:

  DEC-AXPVMS-VMS-V0602-1H2-2.PCSI$DESCRIPTION

  
  This format shows that the producer is DEC (Compaq), the base is AXPVMS (OpenVMS Alpha), the product is VMS, and the version is V6.2-1H2. The type of version is V, the major version number is 6, the minor version number is 2, the update level is 1, and the maintenance edit level is H2. The kittype is 2 (operating system).

Although you provide the product description file (PDF) and the product text file (PTF) as input to the package operation, they also exist in modified (output) form in the kit you create. You need to be aware that two versions of these files do exist and they perform specific tasks.

You create the input version as input to the package operation, and the POLYCENTER Software Installation utility creates the output version for its own use.

The package operation changes the format of the output PTF file. For more information, see Section 4.2.

The output PDF is in the same format as the input PDF, but the package operation may modify statements in the output PDF. For example, the package operation adds the size option to file statements in the output PDF.

2.4 User-Defined Logical Names

When installing your product, system managers must specify a location where the software kit resides and a location in which to install the software. Two methods are available for identifying these locations:

• Defining logical names
• Specifying /SOURCE and /DESTINATION qualifiers on the command line

The system manager can also define logical names, and then override them by using the /SOURCE and /DESTINATION qualifiers.

PCSI$SOURCE defines the location of the software kits to install. By default, the user's default device and directory are used. PCSI$DESTINATION defines the location in which to install the software.

If the system manager does not define PCSI$DESTINATION or use the /DESTINATION qualifier, the utility installs the software product in SYS$SYSDEVICE:[VMS$COMMON] and directories under it. If this is not appropriate for your product, make sure that your installation instructions describe how to specify the /DESTINATION qualifier, or how to define the PCSI$DESTINATION logical name.

Several Product Description Language (PDL) statements execute command procedures in the context of a subprocess. The POLYCENTER Software Installation utility defines the logical names PCSI$SOURCE, PCSI$DESTINATION, and PCSI$SCRATCH for use by these command procedures. Note that these logical names are accessible only within the subprocess and do not interfere with similar names that the user may have defined. Note also that the user's definition of PCSI$SOURCE is not the same as that defined by the utility for the command procedure. See the PDL statement definitions for additional information.

2.6 Managed Objects

Managed objects are the files, directories, accounts, network objects, and so forth that support the proper functioning of your product. The POLYCENTER Software Installation utility must directly create them.

As an example, if you use a PDF file statement to create a file, that file is considered to be a managed object.

However, if your product creates directories, files, and so forth after the installation is completed, the POLYCENTER Software Installation utility has no way to know about those files or directories and cannot manage them. For example, if your product dynamically creates an error log as a result of a specific error condition, the POLYCENTER Software Installation utility will not be able to manage (for example, remove) this log file. This means that if the OpenVMS user uses the POLYCENTER Software Installation utility to remove your software product, the user would have to delete the error log manually.

In addition, if your PDF includes command procedures in execute statements that create files, directories, accounts, and so forth, the POLYCENTER Software Installation utility has no way to know about these objects and cannot manage them.

2.6.1 Creating Managed Objects

How do you create managed objects? Using PDL statements, you can specify the names and properties of the managed objects that are necessary for your product. At installation time, the POLYCENTER Software Installation utility uses your product description file (PDF) to create the managed objects for your product and records information about these objects in the product database.

For example, you use the directory, file, and module statements to specify directory, file, and library module managed objects, as shown in the following example:

directory [SYSTEST.FORTRAN] ; file [SYSTEST]FORT$IVP.COM ; file [SYSHLP]TNT030.RELEASE_NOTES release notes ; file [SYSHLP]HELPLIB.HLB generation 40069227 release merge ; module [000000]CPQC.CLD type command module CC ;

When the POLYCENTER Software Installation utility removes a software product, it uses the data in the product database to delete managed objects from the system.

Use the PRODUCT SHOW OBJECT command to display the names of objects installed on a system. For example:

$ PRODUCT SHOW OBJECT *COPY* ----------------------------------------------- ----------------- ----- OBJECT NAME OBJECT TYPE STATUS ----------------------------------------------- ----------------- ----- [SYSEXE]COPY.EXE file OK [SYSHLP.EXAMPLES.DECW.UTILS]COPYRIGHT.H file OK COPY module OK

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