Driver installation prerequisites

To ensure that the system on which you are installing the drivers is compatible, there are a number of requirements.

Netcool Configuration Manager

Ensure you have installed Netcool Configuration Manager before installing the drivers.

If drivers are to be installed centrally, then a Java Runtime Environment is required; otherwise the JRE included with the Netcool Configuration Manager installation is used.

Netcool Configuration Manager installation examples use the default directory path of /opt/IBM/tivoli/netcool/ncm. You can override this with a path appropriate to your own requirements.

Unix utilities

Ensure that the Unix sort utility is present on the UNIX server.

Driver installer space requirements

There can be issues installing the Drivers if there is not enough free disk space. In addition to the core Netcool Configuration Manager requirements, ensure that you have 40 GB of free disk space for driver installation.

Driver installer directory requirements

The driver installation copies scripts to, and executes scripts from, the /tmp directory. Ensure that the /tmp directory is not mounted using the noexec flag, or else driver installation fails.

Driver installer Java requirements

From Drivers 23 onwards, Netcool Configuration Manager must be in a Java 1.8 environment. Perform either of the following two upgrades:

Upgrade Netcool Configuration Manager to version 6.4.2.8 or later. See Upgrading Netcool Configuration Manager to version 6.4.2.0.
Upgrade the Websphere Java SDK to version 1.8, using the following procedure.

Upgrading Websphere Java SDK to version 1.8

Upgrade IBM WebSphere Application Server version to 8.5.5.9, if it is currently at a lower version, otherwise the SDK upgrade fails with an error.
1. Download and install IBM WebSphere Application Server 8.5.5.9 from the following link: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/586313
2. Select IBM WebSphere Application Server version 8.5.5.9 from the list in IBM Installation Manager.
Stop Netcool Configuration Manager by running the following command:
```
NCM_Home/bin#./itncm stop
```
Check the available and enabled Java versions by running the following commands in the WebSphere_install_directory/WebSphere/AppServer/bin/ directory:
1. Run the ./managesdk.sh -listAvailable command to view the available Java versions associated with IBM WebSphere Application Server. The following example output shows that there are three Java versions available with the installed version of IBM WebSphere Application Server:
```
CWSDK1003I: Available SDKs: 
    
    CWSDK1005I: SDK name: 1.8_6 
    
    CWSDK1005I: SDK name: 1.6_64 
    
    CWSDK1005I: SDK name: 1.7_64 
    
    CWSDK1001I: Successfully performed the requested managesdk task
```
2. Run the command ./managesdk.sh -listEnabledProfileAll to show the current IBM WebSphere Application Server Java version used by Netcool Configuration Manager. The example output below shows that Java SDK 1.7 is enabled and that Netcool Configuration Manager is running on the same Java SDK 1.7:
```
CWSDK1004I: Profile JazzSMProfile : 
    
    CWSDK1006I: PROFILE_COMMAND_SDK = 1.7_64 
    
    CWSDK1008I: Node JazzSMNode01 SDK name: 1.7_64 
    
    CWSDK1009I: Server server1 SDK name: 1.7_64 
    
    CWSDK1001I: Successfully performed the requested managesdk task.
```
Download and install the IBM WebSphere Application Server Java SDK version 8.0.5.27 from the following location: https://www.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/swg/downloadFixes?parent=ibm~WebSphere&product=ibm/WebSphere/WebSphere+Application+Server&release=8.5.5.9&platform=All&function=fixId&fixids=8.0.5.27-WS-IBMWASJAVA-part2,8.0.5.27-WS-IBMWASJAVA-part1&includeRequisites=1&includeSupersedes=0&downloadMethod=http&source=fc
During installation, select IBM WebSphere SDK Java Technology Edition (Optional) version 8.0.5.27 to upgrade the Java SDK to 1.8.
After upgrading, point the symlink of the Netcool Configuration Manager JRE, which is in the NCM installation directory, (by default, /opt/IBM/tivoli/netcool/ncm) to Java 1.8:
1. Back up the existing symlink by renaming the existing directory. For example, ln -s /opt/IBM/netcool/WebSphere/AppServer/java_1.7_64 jre_1
2. Remove the original symlink by removing the jre folder from the Netcool Configuration Manager installation directory. For example, use the following command: rm -rf jre.
3. Create a new symlink that points to the Java 1.8 SDK from the NCM installation directory. For example, ln -s /opt/IBM/netcool/WebSphere/AppServer/java_1.8_64 jre
4. When the new symlink is created successfully, remove the backup symlink that you created in step 6.a.
Enable the JAZZSM profile to point to the Java SDK 1.8 by using the following command.
```
./managesdk.sh -enableProfile -profileName JazzSMProfile -sdkname version -verbose 
```
Where version is the Java SDK 1.8 version, for example, 1.8_64.
Start Netcool Configuration Manager.

Check the Java version that Netcool Configuration Manager is using by running the following commands:

/opt/IBM/JazzSM/profile/bin/managesdk.sh -listEnabledProfileAll -verbose

/opt/IBM/tivoli/netcool/ncm/jre/bin/javac -version

If the Java version on the standalone server is 1.8, you must update the unlimited jurisdiction policy files:
1. Rename the local_policy.jar and US_export_policy.jar files in the path /opt/IBM/tivoli/netcool/ncm/jre/jre/lib/security/.
2. Copy the Unlimited jurisdiction policy files from the presentation server for which you upgraded the SDK version to 1.8, in the path /opt/IBM/tivoli/netcool/ncm/jre/jre/lib/security/policy/unlimited/.
3. After replacing the jar files, restart the standalone Worker server.
For a distributed system, verify the Java version used by Netcool Configuration Manager. If it is not using Java 1.8, contact IBM support.