Limitations and restrictions

Limitations and restrictions of a provisioned Maximo® SaaS Flex (PROD, NON-PROD) Application. It should be noted that Enhanced Access DEV environments with less restrictions can be provisioned.

System Properties
Several categories of system properties are pre-configured. Notable among them are the Attached Documents configuration properties and a subset of the Integration Framework configuration properties. These properties cannot be modified by the customer as they reflect configurations on the file system of the application server. Consequently, they are read-only in the System Properties user interface through a security configuration.
Logging
Maximo SaaS Flex customers can define loggers and control log levels. To access the log files they must submit a ticket through the IBM® Support Community requesting that access via SFTP be granted. It should be noted that Maximo Enhanced Access DEV environments access log files via RDC (Remote Desktop Connection).
Database Configuration
Maximo SaaS Flex customers can define new objects, attributes, indexes and other structural elements of a Maximo data dictionary using the Database Configuration application. To apply such changes, the Admin Mode functionality should be utilized. Customers do not have access to the command-line configdb tool (enhanced access DEV).

For custom objects and attributes, please note there is no IBM SRE or Product support for debugging or troubleshooting custom classes. This the customer's responsibility. For field validations, automation scripting Attribute Launch Point should be utilized.

Application Designer

Maximo SaaS Flex customers can modify presentations using the Application Designer tooling. They can download and upload presentation XML using the Import Application Definition and Export Application Definition actions available in the application. However, customers are responsible for tracking changes made to the presentation XML and maintaining revisions of the XML. Once a customer modifies a presentation, the recommendation is to export the XML and place an appropriate comment in the exported presentation XML file and check it into a version control system.

Actions
The action type ‘Command Line Executable’ and ‘Custom Class’ are not supported by IBM SRE / Product Support from a debugging / troubleshooting perspective.
Cron Tasks
Custom Cron Tasks that require a Java™ class are not supported by IBM SRE / Product Support from a debugging / troubleshoot perspective.
Web Service Library
Only product web service (Axis) deployments are supported.
Migration Manager
Note: Database to database distribution of a package is not recommended or supported.

In support of package distribution a target called ‘TARGET’ can be created in Maximo SaaS instances pointing to a fixed folder on the server file system called /MigrationManager.

This can be requested via case ticket submission by the customer in the IBM Support Community Portal. This definition should not be modified or deleted.

Object Structures
There is no IBM SRE or Product support for Java customization of Object Structures with inbound or outbound processing classes. Support, debugging, troubleshooting is the responsibility of the customer. Customization can be done using Jython or JavaScript automation scripting.
Report Development

Report development is the design of reports using BIRT Report Designer. This is an Eclipse-based tool with specialized BIRT plug-ins. A report development environment is necessarily Windows-based and must have a live connection to the Maximo database in order to test reports from Eclipse. Upon request, and for additional fees, a replicated database can be provided in read only mode for Report development purposes.

For the purpose of enabling report development, a Report Developers Guide has been put together by Maximo architects. This guide provides instructions on setting up an Eclipse-based report development environment. The guide is available at the link below:

http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21498572

Review the Installation and Configuration chapter for full understanding of the report development procedures and pre-requisites.

In order to enable report development, customers must provide an on-premise Windows workstation or server that will constitute one end of a virtual private network (VPN) point-to-point tunnel to the Maximo SaaS environment running in the IBM Cloud®. Customers interested in doing this should submit a ticket through the IBM Support Portal.

The remainder of the System Configuration, Administration and Integration applications are all available for use in the Cloud environment.

Maximo SaaS Flex Flex customers who have an Enhanced Access DEV environment can have BIRT Report Designer installed by IBM SRE in that environment after it has been provisioned. This can be requested via case ticket using the IBM Support Portal.

Integration Limitations and Restrictions

Integration limitations and restrictions can be broken down into several categories:

Email Integration

Outbound email notification capability is available to IBM Maximo SaaS Flex customers. At the operating system level, a localhost mail daemon is pre-configured to spool and deliver email to IBM Cloud’s SMTP servers. In the Maximo instance, the mail.smtp.host property always will be set to ‘localhost’ and read-only. Customers can define communication templates and utilize them in a number of different contexts to send email to intended recipients.

Inbound email processing (through Email Listener) can be configured to connect to a customer’s mail account using the available pop3 and imap protocols. Secure (SSL) based protocols are recommended and may require a site to site VPN to support connectivity.

Maximo LDAP Authentication
LDAP Authentication with a customer’s existing LDAP repository can be configured for Maximo using a site to site VPN. Customers (or their implementer) who wish to enable LDAP authentication for Maximo SaaS should submit a ticket through the IBM Support Community Portal.
External Integrations with Integration Framework

Maximo Enterprise Adapters for SAP and Oracle are not included with Maximo SaaS Flex. They are available, but must be ordered separately.

From an Integration Framework perspective, the following are limitations:
  1. Integration using Interface Tables is only supported for remote interface tables, not local. Writing to remote interface tables requires the configuration of an outbound VPN similar to the LDAP integration. If a customer wishes to configure and use interface tables, the customer should submit ticket through the IBM Support Community Portal. Once VPN connectivity is established, remote interface tables can be written to or read from.

  2. Only the product-based container web services are supported. WebSphere®-based container web services are not supported. Consequently, the System Property mxe.int.containerdeploy is pre-configured to 0.

  3. For web services and the REST API (Native and OSLC), all communications take place over HTTPS only. HTTP protocol is not supported.

  4. OSLC UI-based interactions with another product instance in SoftLayer® (for example, Maximo integrated with SCCD or with a Rational® product) is not currently supported. ?Remove

Customization

Customization is primarily the authoring of Java code that will execute against application extensions. Maximo provides several event-based and callback-based Java APIs. Customers can create custom java class file extensions and deploy them in IBM Maximo SaaS Flex environments, but IBM does not support debugging or troubleshooting of customer class files. This is the responsibility of the customer.

The disposition of common customization points is shown below:

Java Alternatives
MboSet None
Mbo Can use Jython or JavaScript automation scripting to a limited extent
Field Validation (MboValueAdapter) Can use Jython or JavaScript automation scripting
Database Events (EventListener) Can use Jython or JavaScript automation scripting to limited extent; pre-save events only
Actions (callable from Escalations, Workflow, UI button) Can use Jython or JavaScript automation scripting
Condition Expressions (security) and Workflow Conditions Can use Jython or JavaScript automation scripting
Custom Cron Tasks Can use Jython or JavaScript automation scripting
Object Structure processing Can use Jython or JavaScript automation scripting
Publish Channel, Invocation Channel, Enterprise Service processing Can use Jython or JavaScript automation scripting
End-Point processing New Handlers can be created by using automation script - no support for HTTP End-Point customization.
User Interface Bean class implementation None

Other Limitations

Command-line Maximo tools are not available in IBM Maximo SaaS Flex PROD and NON-PROD environments. These include:
  1. maxinst
  2. Updatedb

  3. TDToolkit

  4. Integrity Checker

  5. Configdb

  6. IBM Installation Manager

Note: IBM Maximo SaaS Flex Enhanced Access DEV environments have the preceding access, except for IBM Installation Manager.

Custom help authoring and deployment is not supported.

Questionnaire

A questionnaire is available to assist sales in determining the size and scope of potential IBM Maximo SaaS Flex offerings and services for prospects. It is highly recommended to have the appropriate questionnaire that is completed before engaging with IBM SRE staff. To see the current questionnaire for Maximo SaaS Flex, see Customer questionnaire for IBM Cloud migration.

End of Marketing for Maximo EAM SaaS Flex offering

On Tuesday April 12th, 2022, IBM announced the End of Marketing (EOM) for the Maximo EAM SaaS Flex offering. In this announcement IBM is also announcing the End of Support (EOS) for Maximo EAM 7.6.1.x versions. The official announcement can be found here:https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/end-support-announcement-eos-maximo-761 What does this mean for existing Maximo SaaS Flex Customers: For existing Maximo SaaS Flex customers, the service continues as is without change.

All clients will be supported through to the end date of their current contract. Existing clients will also be able to expand their use and order additional users or environments as required to meet their changing needs through to the end of their contract date.

The IBM strategic direction is the Maximo Application Suite. Clients should begin discussions with their IBM Sales Representative about the upgrade and migration to the Suite and what it means for them.

IBM also has Maximo Application Suite Dedicated (MAS-Dedicated) and Maximo Application Suite as a Service (MAS-SaaS) as deployment options for clients to use for their Maximo Application Suite. Both of these offerings are supported and delivered by the same team currently operating the Maximo SaaS Flex offering.

IBM is ready to work with each client to understand what delivery option best meets their requirements. Extensions at renewal time for clients need to be discussed with your Sales representative and exceptions approved. The SRE team (Formerly CDS) is ready to work with our customers to help them migrate to the Maximo Application Suite and should be engaged along with your sales representative.

For further information on migrating from Maximo SaaS Flex to MAS, see the migration section of the MAS-MS Wiki:https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/mas-ms?topic=mas-ms-migration-from-maximo-saas-flex-or-on-premise