TLP Analysis Loop

The analysis Loop is central to the TLP process. It runs for each client system in the data center. After you have installed TLP, you can choose to set up a cron job that starts TLP automatically, once per week. The TLP Client will utilize PatchPro to analyze the target system. The output of all the target systems are collected on the TLP server. The TLP server then compares the output with the installed baseline and creates a patch list. TLP automatically adds or removes patches from whitelist or blacklist configuration files. These files enable you to add or remove patches, if necessary. Whitelist and blacklist files are manually configured. Note that some systems require special patches, such as when an application requirement exists. For more information on maintaining whitelist and blacklist configuration files, see How to Customize Whitelists and Blacklists. In addition, TLP checks the WITHDRAWN patches list and removes any bad patches from the baseline. You can modify this list by using the TLP CLI commands, or by setting up a cron job. You should plan to update the WITHDRAWN patches list on a weekly basis. For more information on working with the WITHDRAWN patches list, see How to Update the WITHDRAWN Patches List.

The TLP tool then takes the resulting list and checks for patch dependencies. If any missing patches are found, the tool attempts to download these patches from the SunSolve web site. Note that Internet connectivity is required to complete this task. In addition, you need a login and password to access the SunSolve web site to download patches.

The new SunSolve web site allows the downloading of patches with arbitrary revision levels, which is contrary to the old method. This capability is necessary for the proper working of the TLP tool.

If no Internet connection exists, you need to manually install any missing patches. After the patch dependencies are resolved, all of the patches are put in the correct order. At this time, the tool removes any patches that cannot be installed automatically. In addition, all firmware and OpenBoot^TM PROM patches that require special treatment are stored in a separate directory for manual installation at a later time. The result is a final patch set that is placed in a dedicated directory. For ease of use, TLP does the following:

• Checks all the patch README files

• Collects all of the special instructions

• Stores the collected information in a single file

• Creates installation scripts

• Automatically updates the HTML and text reports

The last step in this process in the installation of the patch sets. This step is a separate task that you perform after the TLP tool creates the patch sets for your systems. For more information on the patch set installation process, see How to Install a TLP Patch Set.