CA API Gateway 9.1

9.4 9.1

Manage Solution Kits

The Manage Solution Kits task adds, removes, or upgrades Solution Kits on the gateway.
gateway91
The
Manage Solution Kits
 task adds, removes, or upgrades Solution Kits on the
CA API Gateway
.
A Solution Kit adds new functionality to the 
API Gateway
. Built-in conflict resolution helps you resolve any conflicts between an incoming Solution Kit and existing functionality.
Certain functionality, like the CA API Management OAuth Toolkit, are delivered as Solution Kits and require separate licensing. Be sure to consult the documentation accompanying your Solution Kit for specific installation instructions.
The Solution Kit Installation Wizard guides you through the necessary steps.
To access this task:
Tasks > Extensions and Add-Ons > Manage Solution Kits
(1) Reconnect the Policy Manager after installing a Solution Kit to ensure that all the new entities are visible. (2) Alternatively, you can install Solution Kits using the REST Management API, bypassing the graphical user interface.
Prerequisites
Ensure that you have:
  • A .
    sskar
     file for the Solution Kit being installed; ensure that it is not the unsigned ".skar" version
  • License files for the Solution Kits being installed (if the Solution Kit requires separate licensing).
Security
This task requires the 'Administrator' role. 
Main Dialog Box
The Manage Solution Kits dialog lists the Solution Kits that are currently installed on the API Gateway.
  • Select a table row before using any of these actions:
    Uninstall, Upgrade, Properties
  • You do not need to select a table row for this action:
    Install
Restrictions for Browser Client:
 The following operations are
not
 available from the browser client version of the Policy Manager:
Install, Upgrade, Properties
. To run these operations, you must use the desktop client instead.
Wizard
The Solution Kit Installation Wizard runs when you select the
Install
 or
Upgrade
 actions.
Step
What you should know...
1
Select a Solution Kit installation file to install or to be used for the upgrade. These files have the 
.sskar
 extension.
2
If the installation file contains multiple Solution Kits, select which ones to install. If only one Solution Kit is present, it is automatically selected.
Required:
 Click
Manage Licenses
 to upload license files for any Solution Kit name prefixed with "(Unlicensed)". This prefix is removed once the licenses are installed. For help on installing a license, see Manage Gateway Licenses.
Optional:
 Click
Set Instance Modifier
 to specify a string to add to the names of all the items within the Solution Kit. This string keeps the names unique.
Tip:
 The instance modifier is required when installing multiple instances of the same Solution Kit.
The instance modifier is added as follows for the various entities ("v1" in the following examples):
  • As a prefix URL pattern to all service names (example, "/v1/my_query")
  • As a prefix to all policy names (example: "v1 My Policy Name")
  • As a suffix to all folder names (example: "My Folder Name v1")
  • As a prefix to encapsulated assertion names (example: "v1 My Encass Name")
  • As a prefix to scheduled tasks names (example, "v1 My Scheduled Task Name")
  • As a prefix to policy-backed service names (example: "v1 My Policy-Backed Service Name")
  • As a prefix to policy-backed identity provider names (example: "v1 My Policy-Backed Identity Provider Name") 
  • As a prefix to listen port names (example: "v1 My Listen Port Name")
The Solution Kit author may implement additional custom controls. Contact the author for instructions on how to use these controls.
3
This step is displayed after the wizard checks for conflicts.
This step lists the entities and actions for the Solution Kit. If errors exist (see Error Type column), resolve them before continuing:
  1. (Optional)
     Select the tab corresponding to the Solution Kit to check.
  2. Double-click anywhere within the row or use the
    Resolve
     button to display the Resolve Entity Conflict dialog.
  3. Review the entity details and then select a replacement from the drop-down list.
    Tip:
     If the entry you need is not displayed, click
    Manage
     to define it now.
When a conflict is resolved, the Resolved column changes to 'Yes'. This column must contain all 'Yes' or '---' before the wizard can finish.
Upgrading a Solution Kit with Deleted Entities
You cannot upgrade a Solution Kit if any of its entities are missing. For example, an encapsulated assertion installed by the Solution Kit was deleted accidentally. You will see an error during upgrading. To respond to this error, cancel the upgrade and do one of the following:
  • Uninstall and reinstall the original Solution Kit, then run the upgrade again. You will lose any customized entities using this method.
  • Reinstall the same Solution Kit with a unique instance modifier, then run the upgrade again. The advantage of this method is that you have access to the original Solution Kit entities, as reference for any customizations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question
Answer
Why is the wizard not letting me finish when I click 'Finish'?
Unresolved errors are present. Ensure that you have resolved all errors showing in the Error Type column before clicking [Finish].
Tip:
 If multiple child Solution Kits are involved, be sure to review all the tabs for errors.
Why must I reinstall a Solution Kit before upgrading?
This is necessary only if entities originally installed by the Solution Kit have been deleted. All entities must be present before upgrade can occur. The system will warn you if entities are missing.
Can I install the same Solution Kit more than once?
Yes. The instance modifiers allow you to install the same Solution Kit multiple times. Installation cannot continue if there are not unique instance modifiers.
Why do some Solution Kits show "(Unlicensed)" even though I installed the license file?
A parent Solution Kit may contain many child Solution Kits. The license you obtained unlocks the functionality meaningful to you, which may not include all solutions kits within the parent.
Less commonly, this may indicate that the Solution Kit license is not compatible with the license installed on the Gateway.
Why am I asked to manually remove entities after an uninstall?
Solution Kits should uninstall cleanly most of the time. You see this message only if the Solution Kit did not include the proper deletion logic. Contact the Solution Kit author for a list of the entities to uninstall manually.
When I uninstall a Solution Kit, what is removed?
Uninstalling a Solution Kit removes everything that was installed, including added entities such as encapsulated assertions and policy endpoints. If there is policy logic that relies on an uninstalled entity, you must manually edit that policy afterwards to remove the references.
Is it possible to simply disable Solution Kit to re-enable later?
No. You cannot disable a Solution Kit; only uninstall is supported.
What does a "409" error mean?
This error indicates there are conflicting records on the Gateway or that creating or updating a record will cause a conflict. Examples of conflicting fields include: Name, GUID, or Host/Port combination.
I discovered my Server Module File functionality is disabled. Does this affect my Solution Kits?
If the Solution Kit contains assertions and the server module functionality is intentionally disabled (using the
serverModuleFile.upload.enable
 cluster property), these assertions are uploaded into the database. However, they are not available until you re-enable the cluster property and restart the Gateway node. 
Why are some of the entities behaving "oddly" after I install a Solution Kit?
This could be because the Solution Kit author has designated some entities as "read only" to prevent accidental changes or deletions.
Signs that an entity is read only:
  • The Assertions Tool Bar for policies or policy fragments is disabled. 
  • Text fields that are normally editable cannot be edited.
  • Buttons such as [Delete], [Remove], and [OK] on dialog boxes are disabled.
  • An "insufficient permissions" error is displayed when you attempt to edit an entity.
Read only entities cannot be altered, even if you have Administrator privileges.

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