Changing the update sites preference

By default, Rational® Product Updater uses URLs that are embedded in each installed Rational software development product to connect to an IBM® update server through the Internet and search for and download product updates and new optional features. There are cases, however, where you may need to redirect Product Updater to search for and download product updates and new optional features from an alternative location (such as an intranet site).

For example, your organization might require you to redirect Product Updater to use a local copy of the update server on your intranet. Or, if you downloaded an update or feature as a ZIP file, you will need to redirect Product Updater to install the update or feature from the downloaded file.

In order to change the default update sites that are searched, you must provide the Product Updater tool with an update policy file. The update policy file specifies the locations to search for product updates and new optional features.

See Update policy control and policy files for the file syntax and other information.

In the case where you must redirect Product Updater to use a local update site on your intranet, your administrator would ideally provide you with a URL for a location on your intranet where the policy file has been made available to all users. (The policy file can also be stored on your own system.) In the case where you have downloaded a ZIP file of an update or feature, a policy file designed to redirect Product Updater to install the update or feature would be included in the ZIP file.

To change the update sites:

  1. To redirect Product Updater to use a local version of the update site on your intranet, ask your administrator for the URL where the policy file is located. (Or, store the policy file on your system).

    To redirect Product Updater to install an update or feature from a downloaded ZIP file, refer to the instructions provided with the ZIP file for the location of the policy file.

  2. Start Rational Product Updater:
    • On Windows® operating systems, click Start > Programs > IBM Rational > Rational Product Updater.
    • On Red Hat Enterprise Linux® 3.0, open the main menu and click Programming > Rational Product Updater.
    • On SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 9.0 (GNOME desktop environment), open the main menu and click Applications > Programming > Rational Product Updater.
    • On SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 9.0 (K Desktop Environment), open the main menu and click IBM Rational > Rational Product Updater.
    An inventory of installed products is displayed.
  3. Click Preferences > Update Sites.
  4. Enter either the URL or the path and file name (it will be an .xml file) of the update policy file and click OK.
Related concepts
Update policy control and policy files
Rational Product Updater overview
Related tasks
Creating a local version of the Rational Software Development Platform update server
Finding and installing product updates
Running Rational Product Updater from a command line
Configuring Rational Product Updater to use a proxy server
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