KEEP_NOMATCH - UPIMERGE configuration option

Description

The KEEP_NOMATCH option instructs UPIMERGE to comment out any option in DESTINATION_FILE that does not exist in SOURCE_FILE.

The primary purpose of KEEP_NOMATCH is to prevent the introduction of new values for existing configuration options during a product upgrade.

For example, the typical sequence of events for an upgrade is as follows:

  1. The install program archives a product's current configuration file to a well-known location.
  2. The install program places a new configuration file from the distribution package into the well-known Universal Agent configuration file directory.
  3. The install program passes the name of the archive file to UPIMERGE as SOURCE_FILE.
  4. The install program passes the name of the newly-installed configuration file to UPIMERGE as DESTINATION_FILE.

If the archive file contains no value for a given configuration option - MESSAGE_LEVEL, for example - that means the corresponding program currently runs with the application-defined default. If the newly-installed configuration file were to contain an entry that sets MESSAGE_LEVEL to audit, and UPIMERGE kept this option by default, the result would be a change to the application's behavior (assuming the application-defined default for the option is something other than audit).

Note

As an additional precaution against a product upgrade changing an application's behavior, packaged configuration files have most options commented out. This approach allows product upgrades to "announce" the availability of new options while preserving an existing configuration.

On the other hand, a situation may arise after the install where it is desirable to introduce new options and/or values into a product's configuration. In this case, simply execute UPIMERGE with KEEP_NOMATCH set to yes.

While the discussion above focused on configuration files, UPIMERGE uses the same approach with component definition files.

Usage

Method

Syntax

IBM i

HP NonStop

UNIX

Windows

z/OS

Command Line, Short Form

n/a






Command Line, Long Form

-keep_nomatch option



(tick)

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Environment Variable

UIMKEEPNOMATCH=option



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Values

option specifies whether UPIMERGE should "keep" or comment out any setting contained in DESTINATION_FILE that has no match in SOURCE_FILE.

Valid values for option are:

Default is no.