Update Center Usage Metrics

The Image Packaging System software used by the following tools may collect certain data and transmit it during interactions with package repositories. This page provides specific information on the uses and types of data transmitted:

• Update Tool GUI
• Software Update GUI
• pkg command line tool

The collected data provides important feedback to the organization that manages the software package repositories associated with the software that you have installed.

Since the information described below is transmitted when you use these tools, you have the following options to either avoid transmittal of this information overall or to reduce the occurrences of when the data is transmitted:

Degree of Transmitting Data	Action
Completely avoid transmitting the data	Do not use the tools listed above.
Avoid automatic, periodic transmittal of the data	Disable automatic update checking using the Preferences feature of the Update Tool GUI. Access Preferences -> Updates and set the frequency to "Never". Taking this approach will result in the transmittal of data only when you choose to use the tools listed above.
Avoid sending unique product installation identifier	Follow this procedure: Stop the Notifier by entering this command: updatetool -n --shutdown Exit all running Updatetool and Software Update UIs. Edit the defaults.cfg file, setting the value of the optin.usage.reporting property to false: optin.usage.reporting = false This file resides in a platform-specific location: On Unix: ~/.updatetool/defaults.cfg On Mac OS: ~/Library/Application Support/updatetool/defaults.cfg On Windows: \Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\updatetool\defaults.cfg In each application image directory, enter this command: bin/pkg set-property send-uuid False (Tip: A list of application image directories appears in the defaults.cfg file.)

Who sends information to the organization that manages the repository?

Information under this program is collected and sent for all supported operating systems. It may be sent for any users who download and/or install the software distribution and use the tools listed above. If the customer does not have an Internet connection while running the Update Tool client, installation data will not be transmitted to the organization running the repository.

How is information sent to the organization that manages the repository?

Information is sent as part of the HTTP requests used to download lists of packages (catalogs), software packages and other metadata associated with package installation, update and removal operations.

When is information sent to to the organization that manages the repository?

Information is sent in following situations:

1. When a user starts the Update Tool GUI, it checks for available software and updates.
2. Whenever a user uses any of the tools listed above to browse, download and install available software or updates.
3. When automatic checks for available updates are performed according to the preference described above.

What information is sent to the organization that manages the repository?

Some or all of the following information may be sent to Sun depending on the type of function being performed through the tools listed above:

Data	Description
Product Installation ID	Unique installation identifier associated with your installation of the application or product. This UUID is not the same as the UUIDs of any other software installed on your system. For example, if your operating system installation includes a UUID, it will not be the same as the UUID used in the Update Center tools. If you have also chosen to register your product installation with Sun, then this installation ID may be the same identifier as used in the registration of your installation instance of the product.
IP address	Client IP address
Operating System information	Operating system name, version, and processor architecture
JRE version	Java Runtime Environment version when the Java API of the pkg(5) system is used.
Package information	Names of packages being browsed, removed, installed and updated.

For more information or if you have further questions about this program, please contact update-tool-data@sun.com

This page (revision-15) was last changed on 09-Oct-09 08:35 AM, -0700 by Ckamps.
This page was created on 14-Jul-08 16:13 PM, -0700 by Ckamps.

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