Many product components require some degree of installation-time configuration. The extent of installation-time configuration you are required to perform depends on which product components you select and which installation type you choose.
The following configuration types are available in the installer:
Configure Later. During installation, you enter only the minimum values that are necessary for installing, then perform postinstallation configuration.
Configure Now. During installation, you configure product components that permit installation-time configuration. The information you specify might be just a few common parameters (common server settings), or it might include detailed component-specific parameters (product component settings).
It is important to keep track of the configuration information values as you proceed through installation-time configuration or postinstallation configuration. Many of the product components rely on the specifics of other component configuration parameters in order to function correctly. At the end of a Configure Now installation, you can view the configuration parameters that were specified by examining the Installation Summary.
Common server settings are parameters that multiple product components use. For example, most product components require that you specify an administrative ID and password. By setting these common values, you are setting default values for all product component administrative IDs and passwords.
Product component settings are parameters that apply to a particular product component. These settings are requested during installation only if you have selected the Configure Now type. Some of these settings are populated from the common server settings.