CIC Offline Setup in Client Automation

Products

CA Client Automation - IT Client Manager CA Client Automation

Issue/Introduction

CIC can be setup offline if the Client Automation's Domain Manager server does not have direct access to the Internet.

This document provides a walkthrough of significant steps involved in setting up and operating the CIC in OFFLINE mode.

Environment

Client Automation - All supported versions

Resolution

Process Diagram:

Staging Machine (ONLINE/Internet connected)

Processing Machine (OFFLINE)

The following diagram shows a flowchart pictorial representation of the outlined procedure.

To setup/install CIC in the OFFLINE mode:

The content import process involves two major tasks, first staging the content and second processing the content. The machine on which CIC is to be installed in Offline mode is the Processing Machine that processes the content.
In the Offline mode, content staging needs to be delegated to another machine known as the Staging Machine. It has CIC installed in the online mode to download content from the content server (contentupdate.ca.com).
Initially, the Processing Machine prepares a staging request in the form of a OfflineStagingRequest file. Subsequently, this is used by the Staging Machine to execute the Content Staging and generate the compressed staging output file.
The staging content file is then fed as an input to the Processing Machine in order to execute the content processing and import the staged content into the MDB.
Note: CIC can run only as a console application in the OFFLINE mode.

Instructions: Please follow the procedural steps below to install CIC Offline. The text highlighted in color at the starting of each instruction specifies whether it is executed on a processing or a staging machine.

[Processing Machine (OFFLINE mode)]: Run the Setup.exe to start the installation process for the import Client. Select the setup language of choice for installation and proceed to the Connection Configuration dialog. Choose the option "Internet Offline, Database Connected" as shown below.

Note: Database can be selected from the drop down list as per your requirement.
[Processing Machine (OFFLINE mode)]: The Offline mode needs the MDB Database details for configuring the MDB. Please provide the relevant details as depicted below in the dialog box.
[Processing Machine (OFFLINE mode)]: Proceed to the License Configuration dialog shown below and provide the license information and the application Id for the required products (SWCM, UPM etc.).
```
Application Name : DSM
License Key      : PMDSM-00000-00000-00001
Application Id   : B1B13849-08D1-4DA6-91EA-2D278E5F00CC
MDB Role         : ca_itrm_group
```
Note: The same information is also required to be set up while installing CIC in online mode on the Staging Machine.
[Processing Machine (OFFLINE mode)]: After the CIC is successfully installed, open the command prompt and change directory path to < CIC install Dir >\bin.

Note: <CIC install folder> value can be found in "Install Folder" of the KEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ComputerAssociates\CIC Registery key.
- If the baseline folder was specified during the installation, run the following command.
  
  Run.bat -p
  
  This will download the content from baseline into MDB and deletes the baseline folder.
[Processing Machine (OFFLINE mode)]: Execute the following command.

Run.bat -r

This creates an OfflineStagingRequest file in the < CIC install Dir >\staging path as shown below.

[Processing Machine (OFFLINE mode)]
[Staging Machine (ONLINE mode)]: Install CIC and choose the option "Internet Online, Database Disconnected" as shown below for staging.
[Staging Machine (ONLINE mode)]: Copy the OfflineStagingRequest file from the Processing Machine (generated in step 5 above) into the < CIC install Dir >\staging path of the Staging machine. If the staging folder is not available, create one.
[Staging Machine (ONLINE mode)]: Run the following command to configure the staging filename. CIC uses this configuration to create a compressed staging output file in the given path.

Util.bat -S stagingdirname [offlineverification] [stagingdirectorycompressedfile]
E.g. Util.bat -S "../staging" true staging
[Staging Machine (ONLINE mode)]: Run the following command enable CIC to import content from the Content server (contentupdate.ca.com). It creates the compressed staging file as shown below.

Run.bat -s
[Processing Machine (OFFLINE mode)]: Run the same util command specified in step (8) above to configure the staging file path.
[Processing Machine (OFFLINE mode)]: Copy the staging file from the output of the staging machine and drop it in the processing machine path as specified in the util command.
[Processing Machine (OFFLINE mode)]: Run the following command to enable CIC to extract the staging file into the staging directory and process the content into MDB.

Run.bat -p