This discussion has been locked. The information referenced herein may be inaccurate due to age, software updates, or external references.
You can no longer post new replies to this discussion. If you have a similar question you can start a new discussion in this forum.

Manual package download behaviour

This may be known or expected behaviour, but it caught me out so i'm going to put it up here.

Scenario: You need to download the content of a package that DOES have a direct download link. Your PM server does NOT have internet access, so from another PC you have to download the required files to the network somewhere. Then you have to edit the package in PM to pickup the downloaded file from where you saved them on the network.

emoticons_angry.png Editing the package this way does NOT work.
1. Edit the package and click Next twice to get to the Select Package screen

2. Select "I already have the content ...."

3. Browse to the downloaded package file and click Open.

4. Click Next four more times.

5. The package is saved.

6. Check the package for Content and there is none.

7. The Download icon indicates the exe file has NOT been downloaded.

emoticons_happy.png Editing the package this way DOES work.
1. Edit the package and click Next twice to get to the Select Package screen

2. Select "I already have the content ...."

3. Browse to the downloaded package file and click Open.

3a. Copy the path of the downloaded package file from the "Package:" box and paste it into the "Download URL:" box

4. Click Next four more times.

5. The package is saved.

6. Check the package for Content and there it is.

7. The Download icon also indicates the exe file has been downloaded.

  • Good information, Phil.

    But it begs another question ... if your Patch Manager server does not have Internet access .... how are you synchronizing the Patch Manager 3rd party updates catalog?

    And just to clarify... both the Package field and the Download URL field must have valid values. The Package field will display only the installer filename; the Download URL should normally contain the URL of the vendor's official repository of that installer file. For a package that has a directly downloadable file, that would be the same URL that is populated in the "I do not have the package content" option's Download URL field. However, if you're working from a disconnected server, or with a locally generated binary file, then the Download URL can also specify a UNC pathname.

  • Yes, I have observed this behavior also, but from a Patch Manager server that is connected. If I have to edit the package from Solarwinds to point to our network location, I had to change the location in both boxes. I am using drive mapping to specify location rather that UNC pathing.

  • Yes, I was avoiding the detail for the sake of the lesson learned.

    My infrastructure team (bless them) have very strict ideas about their servers and the internet.

    I was able to get approval for synching and for downloading from certain sites which have rules set in our proxy.

    The pain of trying to get other sites approved is so great that I think its easier to just download them to my PC and then manually attach the file to the patch.