7
Silent and Non-Interactive Installation

This chapter guides you through silent and non-interactive installation of Oracle Collaboration Suite.

This chapter contains these topics:

• Introduction to Non-Interactive Installations

• Installation Requirements

• Selecting a Response File

• Editing the Response File

• Specifying a Response File

• Error Handling

• Deinstallation

• Using Configuration Assistants in Non-Interactive Mode

Introduction to Non-Interactive Installations

Oracle Collaboration Suite features two non-interacting methods of installation:

• Silent Installation

• Non-Interactive Installation

Silent Installation

Silent installation of Oracle Collaboration Suite is accomplished by supplying Oracle Universal Installer with a response file and specifying the -silent flag. Oracle Universal Installer uses variables and values contained in a text file, called a response file, to provide answers to all of its user prompts. You include responses for all of the prompts in the response file. Silent installation displays no graphical output.

Use silent installation of Oracle Collaboration Suite when you want similar installations on more than one computer. Additionally, use silent installation when performing the Oracle Collaboration Suite installation from a remote location using the command line. Silent installation eliminates the need to monitor the Oracle Collaboration Suite installation because there is no graphical output and no input by the user.

Non-Interactive Installation

Non-interactive installation of Oracle Collaboration Suite is accomplished by supplying Oracle Universal Installer with a response file, but without specifying the -silent flag. Oracle Universal Installer uses variables and values contained in a text file, called a response file, to provide answers to some or all of its user prompts. Oracle Universal Installer provides graphical output. If you have not provided responses to all of its prompts, then you may need to enter information during the installation.

See Also: "Specifying a Response File" for information on executing a response file

Installation Requirements

For a complete list of installation requirements, refer to Chapter 2, "Preparing for Installation".

Selecting a Response File

The Oracle Collaboration Suite CD Pack provides the Oracle Universal Installer response files for the three installations shown in Table 7-1.

Table 7-1 Response Files

For This Installation...	The Filename Is...
Oracle9iAS Infrastructure	infrastructure.rsp
Oracle Collaboration Suite Information Storage This installation also includes response files for Oracle Network Configuration Assistant (netca.rsp) and Database Configuration Assistant (dbca.rsp).	storage.rsp
Oracle Collaboration Suite This installation also includes a response file for Oracle Files Configuration Assistant (FilesCA_silent.rsp).	midtier.rsp

Response files are located in the \response directory located at the root of the first CD-ROM in the CD-ROM set of each of the three installations. You must edit the response file to satisfy your silent or non-interactive installation requirements. To use a response file, first copy it from the CD-ROM to your system.

For example:

1. Go to the \response directory (for example, on the first CD-ROM of the Oracle9iAS Infrastructure installation CD-ROM set).

2. Copy the infrastructure.rsp file to your system hard drive.

Editing the Response File

Use any text editor to edit the response file to include information specific for your system. The response file text identifies information that you must provide.

You must specify values for variables in your response file. Each variable listed in the response file is associated with a comment. The comment identifies the variable type. For example:

string = "Sample Value"
Boolean = True or False
Number = 1000
StringList = {"StringValue 1", "String Value 2"}

The values that are given as <Value Required> must be specified for silent installation.

Remove the comment from the variable values in the response file before starting the Oracle Collaboration Suite installation.

Specifying a Response File

Before you specify a response file, ensure that you have properly configured the file. Refer to the previous section for more information.

See Also: "Editing the Response File" "Non-Interactive Configuration of Oracle Files" "Starting Oracle Universal Installer" "Installation Session Log Files"

To make Oracle Universal Installer use the response file at installation time, specify the location of the response file as a parameter when starting Oracle Universal Installer:

C:\> setup.exe -responseFile absolute_path_and_filename

To perform a completely silent installation session, use the -silent parameter:

C:\> setup.exe -silent -responseFile absolute_path_and_filename

To install multilingual support:

C:\> setupNLS.bat [-silent] -responseFile absolute_path_and_filename

The success or failure of the non-interactive installation is logged in installActions.log. The success or failure of the silent installation is logged in silentInstall.log. The log files are created in the SYSTEM_DRIVE:\Program Files\Oracle\Inventory\logs directory during installation.

Important: During installation, these response files may be copied to subdirectories under ORACLE_HOME in order to install some Collaboration Suite components. When the installation completes successfully, these copies are removed. If the installation fails, however, these copies may not be removed. If you have provided passwords or other sensitive information in your response files, it is recommended that you delete any copies of the response files that remain in your file system.

Error Handling

The success or failure of a silent or non-interactive installation is logged in the silentInstall.log file. This file is created in the oraInventory directory.

The results of either your silent or non-interactive installation are recorded in the \Program Files\Oracle\Inventory\logs directory.

Values for variables that are of the wrong context, format, or type are treated as if no value were specified. Variables that are outside any section are ignored.

If you attempt a silent or non-interactive installation with an incorrect or incomplete response file, or Oracle Universal Installer encounters an error, such as insufficient disk space, the installation fails.

If you attempt a non-interactive installation without specifying a response file, the installation fails.

Deinstallation

If your silent or non-interactive installation fails, you must completely deinstall any files remaining from your Oracle Collaboration Suite installation attempt.

See Also: Chapter 8, "Deinstallation"

Using Configuration Assistants in Non-Interactive Mode

To use a configuration assistant in non-interactive mode, do one of the following:

• Configure an Oracle Universal Installer response file to start the non-interactive configuration assistant.

• Run the configuration assistant in standalone mode using the following command format:

  prompt> assistant_name [-silent] -responseFile filename
  
  

  where assistant_name is the configuration assistant that you want to run and filename is the response file for that assistant.

If you perform an Oracle Collaboration Suite Information Storage installation in non-interactive mode, then Oracle Net Configuration Assistant does not configure your system at the end of the installation. After the installation, run the Oracle Net configuration with the Oracle Net Configuration Assistant by executing the netca command from the Oracle home directory or use the netca.rsp response file.

Note: Oracle Universal Installer or a configuration assistant fails if you attempt a non-interactive session without configuring a response file. See "Response File Error Handling" for more information on troubleshooting a failed non-interactive installation.

See Also: "Non-Interactive Configuration of Oracle Files" Oracle Universal Installer Concepts Guide for more information on preparing and using non-interactive installation and configuration assistant response file scripts. This manual is available on Oracle Technology Network at http://otn.oracle.com OracleMetaLink Web site if you are an Oracle Support customer. You can find new bulletins and responses to questions about non-interactive installation and configuration at the following Web site: http://www.oracle.com/support/metalink

Response File Error Handling

Oracle Universal Installer or the configuration assistant validates the response file at runtime. If the validation fails, the non-interactive installation or configuration process ends. Oracle Universal Installer treats values for parameters that are of the wrong context, format, or type as if no value was specified in the file. Variables that are outside any section are also ignored.

Information about a failure is recorded in the installation session's log file.

See Also: "Installation Session Log Files" for information on the log file that Oracle Universal Installer creates to keep an inventory of components that it installs on your system