Deploying custom patches and scripts through VMware Update Manager

[changlinn]

Hi, I am trying to work out if there is a way I can deploy patches to VMware guests from other vendors for custom software (usually an exe or MSI that allows silent install) and also deploy and run scripts (Batch VBscript and shell) via update manager. It looks like it could be do-able, ie we download the patch manually then make an edit to a table in the SQL database.

I can see the VCI_UPDATE_BASELINES table, and the VCI_PACKAGES table so I assume simply adding an entry to one or both of these will add the update, but how do I control the switches passed to the exe's and I assume the batch and other scripts need to pass back some error level to be verified to being installed.

Maybe I am just dreaming, but this would be an awesome way to deploy custom updates and broad sweeping changes to our systems.

[petkom]

Hi,

probably it might be disappointing but I think that there is no option for VUM 4.0 to work with custom patches or software of your own

thanks,

Petko

[harkamal]

It is possible to import custom patches or delta patches only if those have been provided to you by vmware with an update_metadata.xml file.

The xml file is key to patch import. Once you have that,you can run update manager update import util to import it

[changlinn]

I want to deploy to the guests, not to the hosts.

I was more after a kludgey (hack) way to do it as we have a few applications that we need to keep updated that VMware don't provide those files for. Eg our virus signature updates, 3rd party software updates to all machines. I guess this was more a want to have than a have to.

I was thinking more of a way to write your own update_metadata.xml files and import them, but they are gpg signed.