No, it’s not the latest gossip from the local high school; it is the exciting news that our Fix Level Recommendation Tool (FLRT) now supports JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) format for our primary functions.

JSON has rapidly overtaken XML as a common format for exchanging information between web applications. Numerous JavaScript-based platforms like Node.js, Node-RED, AngularJS and others have made JSON data formats a staple of modern web development. Now, accessing JSON data from FLRT is just as easy.  This blog will review the primary functions in FLRT where JSON is enabled and provide examples of using this data.

What FLRT functions return JSON data?

Numerous FLRT functions can return JSON data. Here are some examples and when you might want to use them:

• Power Systems Recommendations
  • FLRT’s primary fix level recommendation report allows you to specify power machine type and model, firmware, HMC, VIOS, operating system and software levels and receive recommendations on the current recommended levels for each of those items.
• PurePower Recommendations
  • Full stack recommendations for PurePower
• Power Hardware Prerequisites
  • A new feature in FLRT that allows you to get information on base prerequisite levels for every feature code on your Power system
• Live Partition Mobility (LPM) Reports
  • LPM reports are similar to fix level recommendations, but provide specific recommendations for LPM issues as well.
• FLRT Lite Data tables
  • Download all levels for a variety of components and see current recommendations for each component. FLRT Lite data tables also provide firmware level recommendations for many IBM Storage devices as well.

How to get JSON data

There are two primary ways to access JSON data for FLRT functions:

Using the FLRT website, run a report as you normally would, specifying the data applicable to your system. When the report runs, click the JSON button at the top of the report to view the information in JSON format. However, who is really going to read JSON in this manner? As you know, it is designed to be read by an application.

The more practical application of using JSON data in FLRT is to access the FLRT report programmatically. We recently blogged about all the ways you can access FLRT programmatically.  You simply need to specify JSON format as your return format.

You can use these methods together by first “discovering” the FLRT URL you want to use as a base by navigating the website the website and then using the programmatic functions to alter the URL and pull data. Here’s an example:

1. Access FLRT at https://www.ibm.com/support/customercare/flrt/
2. Select Report tools, Power Systems
3. Enter your MTM, Firmware, HMC and Operating system levels
4. On the reports page, click the JSON button
5. Select the URL for that report and use it as a guide

For example, my URL is https://www-304.ibm.com/support/customercare/flrt/report?pageNm=home&reportType=power&plat=power&p0.mtm=8286-42A&p0.fw=SV860_103&p0.hmc=V8+R860&p1.parnm=Partition+1&p1.os=aix&p1.aix=7100-04-02&format=json. Yours may differ depending on what you selected but let’s break it down.

https://www-304.ibm.com/support/customercare/flrt/ - the FLRT base url

report?pageNm=home – specifies we are running a report from the home page

&reportType=power – report type

&plat=power&p0.mtm=8286-42A – host system machine type model. The p0 indicator specified the host system rather than a partition

&p0.fw=SV860_103 – system firmware for host system

&p0.hmc=V8+R860 – HMC version for host system

&p1.parnm=Partition+1 – Specifies the name of the first logical partition

&p1.os=aix&p1.aix=7100-04-02 – OS and version of partition

&format=json – Format to return

Additional examples of various URLs and product codes can be found on the FLRT blog and the FLRT product codes page.

JSON examples

Now that you have the JSON data, how can you parse it? Every JavaScript platform has a variety of ways to parse JSON format. Many other programming languages have similar functions as well. The examples below provide a guide to access the data, but you will need to parse the data according to the specifications of the programming model you are using.

Power Systems Recommendations

Example JSON output

Base element: flrtReport contains array of partitions

Array element 0 is always the “System” partition, base element System, can contain the following elements (depending on what you provide):

• mtm
• fw
• hmc
• vios

Array elements 1 through 254 can be the logical partitions you specify. Each partition can include the operating systems and software.

Recommendations:

Each section that provides recommendations has the following format:

• Information about what was input (name, key, code, etc)
• Input levels including the end of service pack support for that level if available
  • As part of the input element, the latest element shows the absolute latest version for this component/product
  • As part of the input element, the notes element provides links to downloads and other relevant notes
• Update information is provided in an update element
  • As part of update element, the latest element shows the recommended update for this component/product. The element contains the version, releaseDate, url, and any applicable HIPER and Security APARs
  • As part of the input element, the notes element may provide additional links to other downloads packages and other relevant notes
• Upgrade information is provided in an upgrade element
  • As part of upgrade element, the latest element shows the recommended upgrade (if available) for this component/product. The element contains the version, releaseDate, url, and any applicable HIPER and Security APARs
  • As part of the input element, the notes element may provide additional links to other downloads packages and other relevant notes
• For software and operating systems, an apars element may be associated with the input, update or upgrade elements listing HIPER and Security APARs associated with this component
• Additional details may be available for a variety of elements including a reboot flag indicating whether a reboot is required for this update or upgrade.

Variations from this pattern:

• Note that for IBM i recommendations, the suggested PTFs are listed in the notes element of the input level.
• Linux update and upgrade recommendations will generally not include links. Please access those updates from your preferred Linux repository.
• PurePower reports contain only a single system element with all stack recommendations
• Live Partition Mobility reports contain a source system and target system element and all information is associated under these elements.

FLRT Lite data tables

Example JSON output

Base element: results contains an array of values

Each value element contains the same data in the FLRT lite tables including:

• Input level
• Input url
• Update level
• Update url
• Upgrade level
• Upgrade url
• General availability data of the input level
• End of Service Pack support date of the input level

Variations from this pattern:

The Systems Storage FLRT lite data table contains these elements:

• Product name
• Brand
• Machine Type Model
• Installed level
• Minimum recommended level
• Minimum recommended level url
• Recommended level
• Recommended level url

Updates to JSON formats

Please be aware that the FLRT team continually tries to improve the format and usability of our reports responding to customer feedback. That means that the structure and content of these reports may change occasionally. The FLRT team will strive to keep the same format as much as possible to ensure compatibility with existing applications that use FLRT data, but the format may change, new elements may be added, or existing elements may be relabeled or reorganized. The FLRT team will post updates when such changes are made, but it is a best practice to regularly check your running scripts or applications for parsing errors.

Feedback

As always, we value your feedback!  Please use our feedback tool to submit a feature request, bug report, or suggestion directly to the developers at: ibm.biz/FLRT-FEEDBACK.

You may also follow us on Twitter @IBM_FLRT for the latest updates.

The FLRT and FLRTVC team

John Goodson is an IT Architect for Electronic Support in Austin, TX. John has designed numerous support sites in his 17 years at IBM including the IBM Support Portal and IBM Call Home Web.

Joel Ruiz is an IBM Electronic Support developer in Austin, TX. He developed FLRTVC and the FLRT Beta website, and welcomes your feedback.

Morgan Tong joined IBM in 1998. During his 17+ years with IBM, he has worked in many of the IBM divisions and product teams as a software engineer.

Ron Theriault is the primary developer of FLRT and some other support tools. He has spent many years in academia, developing software on various Unix/Posix platforms, and has been using Java since 1995.

 Laurie Kruger is a project manager with IBM Electronic Support.  She monitors several IBM Electronic Support twitter accounts and various feedback mechanisms and looks forward to your input.