The automated event flow for a self-describing agent differs
if the agent is connected to a hub monitoring server or
a remote monitoring server.
Self-describing agent connected to the hub monitoring server
The following steps
outline the event flow of a self-describing agent connecting to the hub monitoring server:
- The self-describing agent manager of the hub monitoring server determines whether or not
the version of the application support for the product is already
installed on the hub monitoring server. If the
application support version for the product is not already installed,
the hub monitoring server retrieves the support
files from the agent.
- The hub monitoring server begins the self-describing
agent product installation and dynamic refresh of the monitoring server
internal product definition structures. The completion status of the
installation of this hub monitoring server self-describing agent is
recorded in the following locations:
- The local Tivoli Enterprise Monitoring Server application
properties table.
- Tivoli Enterprise Monitoring Server audit log facility.
- Tivoli Enterprise Monitoring Server MSG2 log facility.
- Tivoli Enterprise Monitoring Server RAS1 log.
- On distributed Tivoli Enterprise Monitoring Server platforms,
the self-describing agent installation program log files are installsdsupport_*.trc and installsdsupport_*.log.
On Windows computers, the logs are located in the Install_dir\logs directory.
On Linux and UNIX computers, the logs are located in the Install_dir/logs directory.
- After the hub monitoring server product
installation has completed successfully, any Tivoli Enterprise Portal Server process that is running and
connected to the hub monitoring server is notified
of the new or updated product support.
- The Tivoli Enterprise Portal Server performs the
same basic steps as performed by the hub monitoring server. It determines if the version
of the product is already installed on the Tivoli Enterprise Portal Server. However, it retrieves the
product support files directly from the hub monitoring server and not from the connected
agent.
- The Tivoli Enterprise Portal Server begins the self-describing
agent product installation and dynamic refresh of the portal server internal product definition
structures.
- The Tivoli Enterprise Portal Server notifies any
running Tivoli Enterprise Portal Browser Client and Tivoli Enterprise
Portal Desktop Client that new or updated product support is available.
The completion status of this Tivoli Enterprise Portal Server self-describing
agent product installation is recorded in the following locations:
- Tivoli Enterprise Portal Server audit log facility.
- Tivoli Enterprise Portal Server RAS1 log.
- The Tivoli Enterprise Portal Server self-describing
agent installation program log files installsdsupport_*.trc and installsdsupport_*.log.
On Windows computers, the logs are located in the Install_dir\logs directory.
On Linux/UNIX computers, the logs are located in the Install_dir/logs directory.
Self-describing agent connected to the remote monitoring server
The following steps
outline the event flow of a self-describing agent connecting to the remote monitoring server:
- The self-describing agent manager of the remote monitoring server ensures the product was first
installed on the hub monitoring server.
- If the product was not first installed on the hub monitoring server, the remote monitoring server tells the hub monitoring server to install the product first.
- After the hub monitoring server installation
is complete, the remote monitoring server determines
if the product is installed locally on this monitoring server.
- The remote monitoring server product installation
occurs in the same way as described for the hub monitoring server.
- If the hub monitoring server product installation
fails for any reason, the remote monitoring server will
not install the product.
The monitoring server does not allow
all other failed self-describing agent installation requests to be
retried until the existing monitoring server error
condition has been corrected and the failed self-describing agent
product installation records are removed from the monitoring server application properties table.
For more information, see Self-describing agent install errors.
Note: - The availability of the self-describing agent feature on a hub monitoring server can influence the availability
of the feature on a remote monitoring server. An
error message is displayed when a self-describing agent error on a hub monitoring server causes the self-describing
agent feature to be disabled on the remote monitoring server connected
to that hub. For more information on the error messages, see the IBM Tivoli Monitoring Troubleshooting Guide.
- After the self-describing agent error is fixed on the hub monitoring server, the remote monitoring server detects, at the next reconnection
to the hub, that the self-describing agent feature is available on
the hub. As a result, it re-enables the self-describing agent locally
on the remote monitoring server.
Changes detected by the monitoring server at startup
The Tivoli Enterprise Monitoring Server detects the following information
during startup:
- Products that have been manually installed, for example applications
that were not installed by using the self-describing capability.
- Manual updates (catalog and version file changes) to installed
products, for example user-initiated product changes that happen outside
of a self-describing agent installation.
- Failed self-describing agent installations.
The Tivoli Enterprise Monitoring Server makes adjustments
and corrections based upon the changes detected in installed products.
Only products that have a valid monitoring server version file (VER
file) are detected during startup. This process happens automatically
when the self-describing agent installation manager is enabled on
the monitoring server (KMS_SDA=Y). This function helps to maintain
an accurate inventory of installed products and versions. If the self-describing
agent install manager is not enabled, this function does not run.