Feature Packs and customizations
The system setup is almost comparable to the setup that is described for localizations and extensions in Feature Pack development. The main difference lies in the fact that Feature Packs for the parent standard product are now installed in an update VRC with PMC. Another differentiator is the fact that Feature Packs are cumulative, meaning that Feature Packs also contain all preceding Feature Packs.
When upgrading a customization to a higher Feature Pack level, having a VRC that only contains the net changes of a Feature Pack of the standard parent product can be handy. Suppose you must create a customization on top of Feature Pack 1 for a parent standard product. Feature Pack 1 is installed in the B61U_a1_stnd update VRC and a new VRC B61W_a1_cusA is developed on top of the Feature Pack.
The customization is built on top of the standard Feature Pack and is delivered as a Feature Pack in PMC. No master media must be created for the customization. When Feature Pack 0 for the customization is available, then the Feature Pack is installed in the maintenance VRC B61M_a1_cusA.
Solutions for Feature Pack 1 of the parent standard product are installed in the B61U_a1_stnd VRC. When you scan solutions for the parent standard product, you can also print a customization report. The customization report provides an overview of which components must be updated in the B61M_a1_cusA VRC. When you install the standard solution, you can merge the changes to the B61M_a1_cusA VRC and create a corresponding PMC solution for the customization.
The approach for subsequent Feature Packs:
Install Feature Pack 2 for the parent standard product in the B61U_a2_stnd VRC, that is derived from B61_a VRC. Copy the contents of the B61M_a1_cusA VRC to the B61W_a2_cusA VRC. All maintenance changes you create on top of Feature Pack 0 of the customization until the copy action become available in the B61W_a2_cusA VRC. After the copy, you must port all maintenance changes in the B61M_a1_cusA VRC to the B61W_a2_cusA VRC. Feature Pack 2 for the standard product is cumulative. It means that all changes that are implemented in Feature Pack 1 are also present in Feature Pack 2. Create an overview of all components that were changed in Feature Pack 2 as compared to Feature Pack 1. These components must be present in the customization. You can use the session to achieve this.
This table shows the values that you must specify:
| VRC 1 | B61U_a1_stnd |
| VRC 2 | B61U_a2_stnd |
| Where Software Components present in VRC | B61W_a2_cusA |
With these settings, you can create a net overview of customized components to be compatible and updated with the Feature Pack 2 of the parent standard product. You can then merge all changes that are implemented in Feature Pack 2 of the standard product from the B61U_2_stnd VRC into the B61W_a2_cusA VRC. Next, you can build Feature Pack 1 for the customization, based on the contents of the B61D_a2_cusA VRC. See this diagram:
You can repeat this procedure for an unlimited number of Feature Packs. In addition, you can develop and maintain multiple customizations in parallel on various levels of the standard parent product.
If multiple customization VRCs are derived from, for example, the B61U_a1_stnd VRC, then for every customization, an additional update VRC layer B61U_a1_std is required between the customization VRC and the B61U_a2_stnd VRC. You can use the additional update VRC layer to install additional solutions of the parent product, which you must port to the customization. You must use the session to populate the PMC registry for the B61U_a1_std update VRCs. Installation of additional solutions in the B61U_a1_stdA update VRC only impacts the B61M_a_cusA VRC and does not influence the B61M_a1_cusB VRC.
