COF (Container Order File) Format

The container order file, COF (.cof), is divided into the following sections:
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The container order file, COF (.cof), is divided into the following sections:
Locale Container Name= Password= Type= Transaction= OrderedBy= CreationTime= ManagerAddress= ResultDirectory= NumberOfJobs= NumberOfLibraries= BackgroundProcess= ShowProgress= Status= StatusMessage= CompletionTime= Secure= Validate= Hash= UserName= DomainName= Job_1 Library_1
  • Locale
    • codepage=
      This parameter is optional. If codepage is not specified, Secure Container sets it to 3.The possible values are as follows:
      • 1=ANSI
      • 2=OEM
      • 3=UTF8, or any code page supported by the current system. For example, 850
  • Container
    • Name=
      Name of the container for log and output. The name is, by default, the COF file name.
    • Password=
      The password is used to protect the COF file. The parameter is optional. If given, the value is encrypted, when executing the SecureContainer command.
      The parameter can also be supplied using the command SecureContainer with the optional - p: argument. In that case, the value in the command overrides the value supplied here.
    • Type=
      This parameter denotes the container type. Valid values are as follows:
      • 0 No Linkage
      • 1 Reserved
      • 2 Batch
        Default
        : 0
    • Transaction=
      This parameter denotes if transaction is used or not for the jobs in the container. This parameter is only applicable to Software Management (SM) batch containers. Valid values are as follows:
      • 0 False (not used)
      • 1 True (used)
        Default:
         0
    • OrderedBy=
      This parameter is optional and provides an account name, for example, DomainX\UserY.
      Default: Current user running the SecureContainer command
    • CreationTime=
      (Optional) Specifies the create date and time for the container in the format
       
      YYYY-
      MM-DD hh:mm
      , where 
      YYYY
       is the year, 
      MM
       is the month, 
      DD
       is the day, 
      hh
       is the hour, and 
      mm
       is the minute.
    • ManagerAddress=
      (Optional) Provides the address to the domain manager. If no value is provided, the default value is taken from “currentmanageraddress” in the Common Configuration. This parameter is used to replace the $csa
       
      macro.
    • ResultDirectory=
      This parameter is optional and provides the full path to the output directory. The Output Directory parameter value can override this parameter while running ExecuteContainer from the command line.
    • NumberOfJobs=
      This parameter is required and provides the number of job sections to follow in the COF file.
      The default value is 1.
      If the value is 1, ensure that only one Job section exists, Job_1. If the value is 2, ensure that two sections exists, Job_1 and Job_2, and so on.
    • NumberOfLibraries=
      This parameter is required and provides the number of library sections to follow in the COF file. The default value is 1.
      If the value is 1, ensure that only one Library section exists, Library_1. If the value is 2, ensure that two sections exist, Library_1 and Library_2, and so on.
    • BackgroundProcess=
      This parameter states if jobs are to be processed in the background. Valid values are as follows:
      • -1 Use the value in the associated procedure
      • 0 No
      • 1 Yes 
        The default value is -1.
        If the $#bg macro is used, value in the associated procedure is background. or not background if no macro is supplied.
    • ShowProgress=
      This parameter states if the progress dialog is to be shown or hidden. Valid values are as follows:
      • 0 No
      • 1 Yes
        The default value is 1.
    • Status=
      This parameter denotes the status of container execution. Valid (ENU-) values are:
      • 0 OK
      • 1 At least one job failed.
      • 2 Not processed.
      • 3 COF in progress.
      • 4 Reboot initiated.
      • 5 Log off initiated.
      • 6 No COF file.
      • 7 General error reading the COF file, the file might have been tampered with.
      • 8 Password supplied is invalid.
      • 9 The COF file is not secured.
        OUT; that is, the parameter value is output in the file *.crf in the supplied results directory.
    • StatusMessage=
      This parameter provides status text, like a native OS message. The value corresponds to the value of the Status parameter.
      OUT; i.e., the parameter value is output in the file *.crf in the supplied results directory.
    • CompletionTime=
      This parameter denotes the job container completion time. It has the structure YYYY-MM-DD hh:mm (year-month-date hour:minute), for example 2001-04-09 15:34:52.
      OUT; i.e., the parameter value is output in the file *.crf in the supplied results directory.
    • Secure=
      The value of this parameter is set to 1 by executing the sd_acmd SecureContainer command. OUT; i.e., the parameter value is output in the file *.crf in the supplied results directory.
    • Validate=
      Encrypted value used to validate COF password. Created by sd_acmd ExecuteContainer and removed when processing is finished.
    • Hash=
      Only valid in conjunction with -v. Forces the change to the configuration, if SDPing should fail.
    • UserName=
      This parameter will be inserted when running ExecuteContainer. It provides the currently logged on user.
    • DomainName=
      This parameter will be inserted when running ExecuteContainer. It provides the domain to which the current user logged on, if any.
    • Job_n
      For details, see description of Job section.
    • Library_n
      For details, see description of Library section.
Example of COF Files
The following examples of cof files are the smallest possible, using all default settings.
COF file for use of network library
[Container] NumberOfJobs=1 NumberOfLibraries=1 [Library_1] Type=1 Path=\\THE_SERVER\SDLIB [Job_1] SoftwareName=SuperOffice for Win2000 SoftwareVersion=7.1 ENU (I386) ProcedureName=InstallSO
COF file for use of CD library
[Container] NumberOfJobs=1 NumberOfLibraries=1 [Library_1] Type=2 Path=Lib Label=001229_1045 [Job_1] SoftwareName=SuperOffice for Win2000 SoftwareVersion=7.1 ENU (I386) ProcedureName=InstallSO
A template file, template.cof, is present in the CONF directory (%SDROOT%\ASM\CONF for Windows environment, $SDROOT/asm/conf for UNIX).
There can be more than one Job and Library type section of .In such case these sections are labeled Job_2, Library_2, and so on.
When you are using a text editor to create the COF you need to choose the appropriate coding when saving the COF. That is, you have to check if the current code page of your computer supports all the character you have used. If not choose the appropriate one with the codepage= parameter. For example, if you use German umlauts, you have to choose UTF-8 (assuming codepage 3). If codepage is not specified, Secure Container will set it to 3.
COF Section Locale
  • codepage=
    This parameter is optional. If codepage is not specified, Secure Container will set it to 3. The possible values are as follows:
    • 1=ANSI
    • 2=OEM
    • 3=UTF8, or any code page supported by the current system for example 850.
COF Section Job
There is one (Job_1) or more sections (Job_2 and so on) with this name in the COF file. It contains the characteristics of an individual job in the job container.
  • Name=
    This parameter provides names of the job for logging and output. The default values are SoftwareName and ProcedureName.
Example:
SW:SuperOffice for Win2000 Proc:InstallSO
SoftwareName=
This parameter provides the name of the software package (as found in properties for the software).
Example:
SuperOffice for Win2000
SoftwareVersion=
This parameter provides the version of the package (as found in properties for the software).
Example:
7.1 ENU (I386)
ProcedureName=
This parameter provides the name of the procedure (as found in properties for the procedure) used for the job.
  • UserParameters=
    This parameter value is used if the $up macro is present (enabling setting UserParameters here) in the associated procedure. It is optional. The default value is an empty string.
  • BootBefore=
    This parameter specifies whether the target computer is to be rebooted before the job activation, and at what level this should be done.
    Valid values are as follows:
    • -1 Use procedure default
    • 0 No
    • 1 Reboot
    • 2 Logoff
      The default value is -1.
      This parameter only applies to Windows NT / 2000 and Windows 9x / ME.
  • BootAfter=
    This parameter specifies whether the target computer is to be rebooted after the job activation, and at what level this should be done. Valid values are as follows:
    • -1 Use procedure default
    • 0 No
    • 1 Reboot
    • 2 Logoff
    • 4 Reboot after the last job
    • 8 Log off after the last job
      The last two values are only of relevance if several jobs are linked together in a job container.
      The default value is -1. This parameter only applies to Windows NT / 2000 and Windows 9x / ME.
  • ExecutionTimeOut=
    This parameter specifies the timeout value for job processing (in minutes). Valid values are, by default, in the range 1 - 71582. The default value is 120.
  • ExecutionTimeoutAction=
    This parameter specifies the action to take if the timeout value above elapses. Valid values are as follows:
    • 0 No action
    • 1 Kill process
      The default value is 0.
  • PromptRemovable=
    This parameter specifies whether a prompt for media should occur, if the media is not inserted. The parameter is only valid if the Type parameter in the associated Library section has the value 2.
    Valid values are as follows:
    • 0 No (try next library if the device not present)
    • 1 Yes
      The default value is 0.
  • LogonShield=
    This parameter specifies whether the logon shield should be activated.
    The parameter is only applicable if the agent policy is set to “per job” (that is, the logon shield procedure Enable per job has been executed in advance on the target computer). 
    Valid values are as follows: 
    • 0 No
    • 1 Yes
      The default value is 0.
      This parameter only applies to Windows NT / 2000.
  • LibrarySearchOrder=
    This parameter specifies a comma-separated list of indexes that identifies the library section search order. This parameter is optional. If no value is supplied, the search order is, by default, 1 if there is only a Library_1 section. It is 1,2 if there are Library_1 and Library_2 sections, and so on.
  • CompletionTime=
    This parameter denotes the job container completion time. It has the structure YYYY-MM-DD hh:mm (year-month-date hour:minute), for example 2001-04-09 15:34:52. OUT; i.e., the parameter value is output in the file *.crf in the supplied results directory.
  • ExitCode=
    This parameter stores the exit code supplied by the executable file referred to by the procedure. OUT: the parameter value is output in the file *.crf in the supplied results directory.
  • ReturnCode=
    This parameter stores the exit code supplied by the executable plug-in SD_JEXEC. Valid values are:
    • 0 OK
    • 1 Error
    • 2 Not executed
      OUT: the parameter value is output in the file *.crf in the supplied results directory.
  • ErrorMessage=
    This parameter stores the error text provided. It could be, for example, a native OS message. OUT: the parameter value is output in the file *.crf in the supplied results directory.
  • ResultFileIn=
    This parameter stores the desired name of the result file, which is generated automatically if the $rf macro is used in the associated procedure. The path to the file will be the path that is specified by the ResultDirectory parameter in the Container section.
  • ResultFileOut=
    This parameter stores the full path with file name to the output/log file, which is generated automatically if the $rf macro is used in the associated procedure. OUT: the parameter value is output in the file *.crf in the supplied results directory.
  • Reinstall=
    This parameter specifies whether the job should be a reinstall job or not.
    Valid values are:
    • 0 No
    • 1 Yes
      Default
      : 0
COF Section Container
There is one section with this name in the COF file. It contains the characteristics of the job container.
Name=
Password=
Type=
Transaction=
OrderedBy=
CreationTime=
ManagerAddress=
ResultDirectory=
NumberOfJobs=
NumberOfLibraries=
BackgroundProcess=
ShowProgress=
Status=
StatusMessage=
CompletionTime=
Secure=
Validate=
 
UserName=
DomainName=
COF Section Library
There is one (Library_1) or more sections (Library_2 and so forth) with this name in the COF file. It contains the characteristics of the library to which the COF file refers.
Type=
Password=
Example COF Files
The following examples of cof files are the smallest possible, using all default settings.
COF file for use of network library
[Container] NumberOfJobs=1 NumberOfLibraries=1 [Library_1] Type=1 Path=\\THE_SERVER\SDLIB [Job_1] SoftwareName=SuperOffice for Win2000 SoftwareVersion=7.1 ENU (I386) ProcedureName=InstallSO
COF file for use of CD library
[Container] NumberOfJobs=1 NumberOfLibraries=1 [Library_1] Type=2 Path=Lib Label=001229_1045 [Job_1] SoftwareName=SuperOffice for Win2000 SoftwareVersion=7.1 ENU (I386) ProcedureName=InstallSO
A template file, template.cof, is present in the CONF directory (%SDROOT%\ASM\CONF for Windows environment, $SDROOT/asm/conf for UNIX).
Examples of COF Library Sections
[Library_1] ;local [Library_2] ;network [Library_3] :removable media Type=0 Type=1 Type=2 Path=c:\lib Path=\\server\lib Path=\lib Account=eunt-a01\xylzw01 Label="Master CD" Password=xyWtUG...