Gulf Breeze Software Partners is the first IBM Jaguar Hotspot in the US

Mark Poulson gave a great presentation on our company and what this achievement means. Click here to view the PDF of that presentation.

Exporting and Importing TEPS WorkSpaces

Exporting and Importing TEPS WorkSpaces

I have never had great success with exporting and importing workspaces that I have custom built.  I spent some time last night to work through a process that appears to work well.

The key item I have found it is to import the workspace without the queries in place.  This requires you to import any custom queries in advance though.  This allows the IBM provided queries you used to not be touched.

#Admin and Author mode setup for my user on both TEPS servers

#Export WorkSpace with the queries

tacmd exportWorkspaces -x GBS_LZ_HealthCheck_RealTime.queries -w GBS_LZ_HealthCheck_RealTime -t lz -q

#Export WorkSpace with NO queries

tacmd exportWorkspaces -x GBS_LZ_HealthCheck_RealTime -w GBS_LZ_HealthCheck_RealTime -t lz

#Determine Custom Queries

cat GBS_LZ_HealthCheck_RealTime.queries |grep "query name"

    <query name="G_LZ_DiskUsedPercent" type="candle.fw.model.PBasedModel">

    <query name="System Statistics" name_key="Klz:KLZ6828" type="candle.fw.model.PBasedModel">

    <query name="CPU" name_key="Klz:KLZ6802" type="candle.fw.model.PBasedModel">

    <query name="VM Statistics (623)" name_key="Klz:KLZ6844" type="candle.fw.model.PBasedModel">

    <query name="G_LZ_ProcessTop10" type="candle.fw.model.PBasedModel">

#NOTE:  All of the queries I built start with G_ (so they are easy to find)

#Export the Cusom Queries:

tacmd exportqueries -x G_LZ_DiskUsedPercent -q G_LZ_DiskUsedPercent -t lz

tacmd exportqueries -x G_LZ_ProcessTop10 -q G_LZ_ProcessTop10 -t lz

#Transfer Files to the other TEPS

scp * <user>@<host>:/tmp/workspace

#Import the Queries

tacmd importQueries -x ./G_LZ_DiskUsedPercent

tacmd importQueries -x ./G_LZ_ProcessTop10

#Import the WorkSpace without the Queries

tacmd importWorkspaces -x ./GBS_LZ_HealthCheck_RealTime

IBM SmartCloud Application Performance Monitoring 7.7 highlights

This is a short summary of the key new features and capabilities available in SCAPM 7.7.

These are are a view of the highlights we have found so far.

SCAPM 7.7 Overview:
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/tivihelp/v63r1/index.jsp?topic=%2Fcom.ibm.apm.doc_7.7%2Fic-homepage.html

What I know so far:

1.  NO APM UI 7.7 yet that I can find.  

2.  ITCAM for Transactions 7.4

http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/tivihelp/v24r1/topic/com.ibm.itcamt.doc_7.4.0.0/common/introduction/whatsnew.html

Keys: 

1.  RPT 8.3  support.  

2.  Client Response Time is out.

3.  Rational Robot is out, RPT is the future.

4.  New WRT functions 

5.  ITM 6.3 is officially supported.

          6.  The agents have been updated to support SDA.

3.  Updated ITCAM for Applications 7.2.1

http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/tivihelp/v24r1/topic/com.ibm.itcama.doc_7.2.1/offeringguide/newinthisrelease.html

Keys: 

1.  ITCAM for SOA Message Broker and ITCAM for Transactions are sharing the same data collector.

2.  The J2EE Agents have not been updated yet.  They are still sitting at the 7.1 version.

          3.  Numerous FixPacks are now eGA which makes for the faster deployments. 

IBM Information:

 Capability Updates for this new Release: 

• SOA Infrastructure : Enabling Line of Business Service Reporting in a Multi-tenant Datapower Infrastructure.           
• End-user experience management  : Visibility to end user experience with proprietary applications, featuring custom decoder plugin capability for Transaction Tracking.
• Extended Transaction Tracking capability to CICS TX.
• Enhanced Transaction Tracking support for Websphere MQ to Message Broker.
• Improved Diagnostics platform currency (JBoss 5, & 6, Tomcat 7, WebLogic 12, NetWeaver 7.1, WAS 8.5.5, WXS 7 & 8, WSRR 8.0.2)

               
- Currency Updates :

• Rational Functional Tester 8.3, Rational Performance Tester 8.3, Message Broker 8, ASP.NET 4, SAP NetWeaver 7.31 and 7.4 & Siebel 8.1.x and 8.2.x. SAP NetWeaver 7.3.1/7.4, SAP NetWeaver PI 7.3.1/7.4, SAP  Solution Manager 7.1
• Support for the new architecture (MAI) of SAP Solution Manager 7.1.

Future :  Shortly we will be announcing our new open beta program which will cover the following capabilities:  

• Reduces application downtime by putting lightweight deep-dive diagnostic capabilities into the hands of application developers, making it practical for them to perform production-like monitoring in test and development environments, as well as obtaining that same deep level of visibility in production.
• Expands Application Performance Management platform coverage to include new cloud technology capabilities for application resources.
• Extends traditional application performance capabilities beyond the data center into self-service public and private clouds.
• Dynamically recognizes new instances of rapidly provisioned applications, and automatically expands and contracts the Application Performance Management infrastructure to respond to fluctuations in demand.
• Accelerates problem resolution through rapid analysis of structured and unstructured application data.

Rational Performance Tester - Verification Points and Custom Code

The following article was posted to IBM DeveloperWorks:

Summary:

• How to record a RPT HTTP Test in the Test Perspective.
• How to upload the RPT script to the AMC.
• How to create a Profile and deploy the RPT script.
• How to test and setup Content Verification Points in the RPT Test Perspective.
• How to use Custom Java Code to perform variable substitution in an RPT script.

Article Link --> 

Rational Performance Tester - Verification Points and Custom Code

Using a Single SSL/TLS Certificate in IHS for Multiple Virtual Hosts

IBM HTTP Server does allow a single SSL/TLS certificate to be presented for multiple virtual hosts. It allows this capability by supporting Server Alternate Names (SANs) on certificates rather than by supporting TLS Server Name Indication (SNI). (Just to be clear - no versions of IHS support SNI as of IHS version 8.5).

This article defines this capability: IP-Based Virtual Hosting must be used if configuring multiple SSL Virtual Hosts, but it does it in a VERY confusing way, with an even MORE confusing title. The meat of the solution is in the following text from the above article:

Exception Note: If the Keyfile uses a SAN Certificate (support for multiple domain names) 
Name-Based virtual hosting can be used instead. When using a SAN Certificate the first SSL VirtualHost will be used for the SSL handshake. After the handshake completes the SSL Virtualhost used for the HTTP request processing is determined by the ServerName directive that matches the host header supplied in the client request

NameVirtualHost 1.2.3.4:80
NameVirtualHost 1.2.3.4:443

<VirtualHost 1.2.3.4:80>
ServerName www.CompanyA.com
ServerAdmin webmaster@CompanyA.com
DocumentRoot /www/html/CompanyA
ErrorLog /www/logs/CompanyA/error_log
TransferLog /www/logs/CompanyA/access_log
</VirtualHost>

<VirtualHost 1.2.3.4:80>
ServerName www.CompanyB.com
ServerAdmin webmaster@CompanyB.com
DocumentRoot /www/html/CompanyB
ErrorLog /www/logs/CompanyB/error_log
TransferLog /www/logs/CompanyB/access_log
</VirtualHost>

<VirtualHost 1.2.3.4:443>
SSLEnable
SSLClientAuth none
ServerName www.CompanyA.com
ServerAdmin webmaster@CompanyA.com
DocumentRoot /www/html/CompanyA
ErrorLog /www/logs/CompanyA/error_log
TransferLog /www/logs/CompanyA/access_log
</VirtualHost>

<VirtualHost 1.2.3.4:443>
SSLEnable
SSLClientAuth none
ServerName www.CompanyB.com
ServerAdmin webmaster@CompanyB.com
DocumentRoot /www/html/CompanyB
ErrorLog /www/logs/CompanyB/error_log
TransferLog /www/logs/CompanyB/access_log
</VirtualHost>

SSLDisable
Keyfile /usr/lpp/HTTPServer/keys/Keyfile.kdb
SSLV2Timeout 100
SSLV3Timeout 1000


In this case, your keyfile (Keyfile.kdb) would only contain one server certificate.

You can view information on SAN Certificates here: http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21444027

And in case you were wondering, I'm pretty certain the above will NOT work for the Tivoli Enterprise Portal Server (TEPS) because of multiple specifications of the host name and/or IP address that must all match correctly.

APM UI - Part 2 - Thresholds and Propagation

As a continuation of my previous post, we'll expand upon our GBS Supermarket Agent Builder data in the APM UI to incorporate thresholds and status propagation.

If you looked closely at the end of part 1, you'll notice that the "Resources" icon next to GBS Supermarket contained a grey question mark.

To resolve this with most APM UI widgets, you simply click on Resources, click on Edit at the upper-right, then click the gear icon on the widget you wish to adjust.

Next click on the [Thresholds] tab.

Unfortunately, our Thresholds tab is blank.  That's because we never defined thresholds within our custom JSON files.

Let's fix that and import a new version of the GBS Supermarket into APM UI.

Click the title or here to read more.

Netcool Omnibus Event Integration Facility

 Event Integration Facility (EIF) events date back to the days of the Tivoli Enterprise Console.  This event mechanism is robust and reliable, and still used today as a means to transport event information between ITM (and many other Tivoli products) and the EIF Probe for Omnibus.

The Netcool Omnibus Event Integration Facility is a software toolkit or SDK that can be used to send and receive EIF formatted events from within an application.  These EIF based applications are referred to as adapters.  The EIF toolkit provides many services to the adapter – some of these services include adapter configuration, event transport, event caching, automatic failover, and encryption via SSL or FIPS 140-2, to name a few.

You may be saying to yourself about now, well that’s cool, but with all the monitoring solutions out there and command line capabilities, why would I need to write my own adaptor?  That is a good question, and while the Omnibus EIF reference says:

The Event Integration Facility is a toolkit that expands the types of events and system information that you can monitor. You can use it to develop your own adapters, tailored to your network environment and to your specific needs.

I have found a useful feature to be receiving events rather than generating them. 

It’s not uncommon to find a company looking to replace both a legacy monitoring tool, and it’s event management system with IBM Tivoli Monitoring and Netcool Omnibus.   Many times the deployment of the ITM monitoring solution can be delayed while work is being done to implement automation and new processes within the new event management system – Netcool Omnibus.  This is usually a people/process delay not a technical one, but still delays the time to value of the overall solution.  

In some of these cases, use the EIF toolkit to develop an EIF receiver adapter, to “catch” ITM EIF events and then forward appropriate events on to the legacy event management system, can allow the ITM deployment to move forward.   Later, as the teams and processes are ready to begin transitioning the event management system, the adapter can be updated to forward only certain events to the legacy system and others to Omnibus, or perhaps to both for a period of time.  Ultimately the entire event flow is transition to Omnibus and the adapter eliminated from the environment.

I’ve used the Event Integration Facility toolkit a number of times in scenarios similar to this and for other things, and it can be a great tool to have in your tool belt.

For more information, see the Event Integration Facility Reference Manual, part of the Omnibus documentation set.  You can also find sample code shipped with the SDK, which is available for download with your Omnibus license.