Custom settings lost for MSSQL agent during upgrade

Body

During the upgrade of the ITCAM SQL agent from version 06.31.01.00 or 06.31.02.03 to 06.31.13.00, we discovered that the agent is no longer overriding settings for CTIRA_HOSTNAME, COLL_COMPUTERNAME, etc... in the agent configuration.

There are several possible explanations:

* in case there are multiple [Override Local Settings] sections in the INI file, this problem can occur. This can happen if you manually updated the INI file, instead of using the MTEMS application. Using the MTEMS application to update the settings should prevent this problem. Check this APAR:

http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg1IV81509

* you modified the agent template (koqcma.ini) instead of the agent specific INI file. Check this APAR:

http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg1IV69741

The modified koqcma.ini file will be replaced by the file from the new installer during the upgrade. This is expected behavior,  and customized variables from this file will be lost after upgrade.

It is recommended that the variables are not added in koqcma.ini files but are present in instance specific .ini file.

One way to add to this file is using MTEMS->Advanced->Edit Variables.

If these variables are added using proper steps, they will be added in the instance specific ini file (KOQCMA_InstanceName.ini) under "Override Local Setting" and will be retained after upgrade.

However there is one known issue : when the configured instance is reconfigured (irrespective of upgrade) by double clicking  on the "Template" in MTEMS window the newly added variables (i.e. variables in Override Local Settings of the instance specific ini)  are removed from the registry.

To work around this, you can reconfigure the instance by using same instance rather than template  i.e.  Right click the configured instance on MTEMS and say Reconfigure

The recommended steps of adding the environment variables are:

1) Open Manage Tivoli Enterprise Monitoring Services (MTEMS) window on Agent machine.

2) Stop the configured Instance from MTEMS Window

3) Select the 'Monitoring Agent for Microsoft SQL Server <instance name>' in the MTEMS window. Here instance name is the configured one.

4) Select the menu 'Actions' > 'Advance' > Edit Variables.

5) The window, having caption 'Monitoring Agent for Microsoft SQL Server: Override Local Variable Settings' will appear.

6) Add the variables, by clicking 'Add' for respective variables.

  E.g. Variable = 'COLL_DBCC_NO_LOCK',       Value = '1'

7) Click Ok button.

8) This will add the variables under [Override Local Settings] section in instance specific .ini file

Hope this helps.