Fix pack 1 release notes

IBM Tivoli Netcool Configuration Manager 6.4.2 fix pack 1 is available. Fix pack installation, fixes and known limitations are described here.

New features documentation

New topics were added and existing topics updated to document the new Golden Configuration Compliance capabilities.
New 'golden configuration' topics
Managing golden configurations
Creating compliance definitions using a golden configuration

Installing

To install the IBM Tivoli Netcool Configuration Manager Version V6.4.2 fix pack 1, you download the ITNCM Installation Manager repository, and any other files as determined by your system setup, such as DB2 or OOBC.

Attention: Netcool Configuration Manager is available only as 64-bit version. Only the OOBC component remains as 32-bit.
The following files are available for download:
Table 1. Netcool Configuration Manager fix pack files
File Description
ITNCM_x86_64.zip

Netcool Configuration Manager fix pack 1 for AIX and Linux

Also includes the ITNCM DashBoard Components.
Note: This is only required when your system is integrated with Network Manager, and is not required for stand-alone Netcool Configuration Manager installations.
oobc_<os>.zip Out of band change installers for AIX and Linux
Before downloading Netcool Configuration Manager Version V6.4.2 fix pack 1, perform the following steps:
  1. Backup the Netcool Configuration Manager database. Consult with your database administrator.
  2. Ensure that your system has at least 1.5 GB available in the Netcool Configuration Manager installation directory and at least 2 GB available in the directory to which you will untar the fixpack.
  3. Review the Flashes and open Authorized Problem Analysis Reports (APARs) on the Netcool Configuration Manager product support Web site at the following location: http://www.ibm.com/support/entry/portal/Overview/Software/Tivoli/Tivoli_Netcool_Configuration_Manager
  4. Read the entire contents of the fix pack release notes, including any documented limitations section.
  5. If you have customized any entries in the rseries.properties file, a Netcool Configuration Manager upgrade may overwrite some of those changes. Make a list of any customized values prior to performing the upgrade. Once the upgrade has been completed, you must manually make those changes again in the rseries.properties file.
    Tip: To help you perform a comparison and restore your custom settings, the rseries.properties file is backed up during the upgrade process to the following location: <NCM_INSTALL_DIR>/backup/preupgrade.<datetimestamp>/preupgrade/config/properties/rseries.properties
    Important: Do not completely replace the entire new rseries.properties file with the backed up one as this may erase the new variables introduced in V6.4.2.1.
Restriction: Netcool Configuration Manager V6.4.2 fix pack 1 can only be applied to Netcool Configuration Manager versions V6.4.2.0 or V6.4.1.4.
Important: During upgrade of Netcool Configuration Manager, do not accept the default DASH username of smadmin. Your installation might continue, but fail later. Use the DASH credentials that were originally used when Netcool Configuration Manager was installed. The default username was Intelliden.
Note: This fixpack needs to be executed on all presentation and worker servers.
  1. Before installing the fix pack, stop all running instances of Netcool Configuration Manager by running the following script:
    <install>dir>/bin/itncm.sh stop
  2. Download the fix pack from fix central.
  3. Extract ITNCM_x86_64.zip

  4. Perform one of the following steps.

    • Perform an interactive installation:
      1. Start Installation Manager.
      2. Add the new ITNCM V6.4.2.1 repository to Installation Manager.
      3. Select Upgrade on the Installation Manager homepage.
      4. Review the license terms and conditions.
      5. Follow the on-screen prompts. Do not deselect the selected components on the Installation Manager screens, as that would uninstall them.
      6. Select Upgrade.
        Note: If your deployment has more than one Netcool Configuration Manager instance per server, make sure to execute the Upgrade individually.
    • Perform a silent installation:
      1. Start Installation Manager in CLI mode: 
        <IM Installation Dir>/eclipse/tools/imcl -c
      2. Add the new ITNCM V6.4.2.1 repository to Installation Manager.
      3. Select Upgrade on the Installation Manager homepage.
      4. Review the license terms and conditions.
      5. Follow the on-screen prompts. Do not deselect the selected components on the Installation Manager screens, as that would uninstall them.
      6. Select Generate a response file.
      7. Execute the response file at any time with the following commands:
        imcl -s -input <Fully qualified Path to your response file>/yourResponseFile.xml
      8. Add -acceptLicense to the above command if you are willing to accept the license.
  5. Upgrade the database schema to the latest version on the main presentation server only, by running the following command:
    install_dir/bin/utils/database/upgrade/upgradeDBSchema.sh version
    Where version is the current version of the product that you are upgrading from. For example: 
    /opt/IBM/tivoli/netcool/ncm/bin/utils/database/upgrade/upgradeDBSchema.sh 6.4.2.5
    To verify the current version, run the following command:
    cat <install_dir>/config/rseries_version.txt
    In the following example output, the version is 6.4.2.5:
    6.4.2.5-27052019062220-01-f8a8c49b816
After installing Netcool Configuration Manager V6.4.2 fix pack 1, you might need to perform these steps depending on your deployment:
Clear the browser cache
After upgrading, clear the cache on any browsers that you use to work with Netcool Configuration Manager.
Reapply any previously made rseries.properties custom settings.
Specifically, if you are an Oracle database user and have commented out the HADRErrorCodes=-4498 key/value, the upgrade process will remove the hashtag (#). Therefore if you require that this value be commented out, you need to do so again after upgrading.
Remember: You can use the rseries.properties backup file to review and restore your custom settings: <NCM_INSTALL_DIR>/backup/preupgrade.< datetimestamp >/preupgrade/config/properties/rseries.properties.preupgrade

APAR fixes

Table 2. Netcool Configuration Manager V6.4.2.1 APAR fixes
ALM APAR Description
ALM00315799 IV70965 Sync Operation not saving Actual OS to DB
ALM003317317 IV73539 SSH Connection to device failback from ssh2 to ssh1 when connection attempt failed.
ALM00319574 IV77574 Up arrow doesn't work on Device Terminal
ALM00319199 IV76679 Docs: Add note about custom Columns Feature
ALM00319912 IV78337 High Level Filtering of events
ALM00320331 IV79052 Documentation changes regarding NCM Upgrades
ALM00321437 IV78826 MTAS native config diff too slow
ALM00321437 IV81133 Service UOWs do not complete and stay in hung state
ALM00321535 IV81527 Failed Rollback
alm00322371 IV83054 NULLPOINTEREXCEPTION WHEN SUBMITTING A SERVICE USING NSM API ON NCM 6.4.2
alm00319285 IV76830 COMPLIANCE GUI DOESN'T RESPECT (TIME-RELATED) CHANGES FOR SCHEDULED PROCESSES

Limitations

Table 3. Netcool Configuration Manager V6.4.2.1 limitations
Activity ID Area Description Workaround
5030 TCR Reports Executing the Policy Compliance Score and Summary Report from NM Network view shows incorrect data in the bar chart. Run the report from the standalone TCR reports.
4139 Installation Erroneous errors are generated by Install Manager during a CLI installation. The errors are related to numbering the CLI options. No work around needed, as the errors have no impact on the installation.
4749 TCR Reports An extra line is generated at the bottom of the report none
5139 Integration NcKL rules have a typo preventing the MTTrapd probe from starting after their application. An up to date version will be available from fix Central to download and use.
4440 ITNCM Core When running the configuration archive utility, scoping by date units may result in some configurations on the same day not being included for archiving. Run the utility again on the following day. To ensure consistent results, run the utility at the same time each day.
5759 PolicyExport.sh/PolicyImport.sh will not work for Golden Config Role Based Compliance The tools effectively export and import a set of policy/ rule/ definition/ evaluation based tables, prior to golden config the columns did not contain internal id values (except for realm which is regenerated on import. For golden config a column was added to the definition table with the resource id of the golden config device. No workaround
5691 Customised smtp server is being overwritten and set to default when upgrading The initial smtp server set in IM is not updated during an update and reverts to the initial value set during the initial install. Update smtp server after Update
5662 NCM Dash Components error on upgrade When “Save files for Rollback” is not selected during the initial install (selected by default in IM File -> Preferences -> Files for Rollback) an error will occur during the update/uninstall process. Uninstall the NCM Dash Components and install the new version this time ensuring Save files for rollback is installed to allow for easier updates in future.
5651 Compliance Recurring Schedule always shows unscheduled when selecting edit the process schedule The Oracle JRE does not ship Xalan and this causes and error to occur on checking schedules through the local client. Install Xalan locally on your machine to resolve the issue.
5796 ITNCM Core openjpa exceptions in the Server.err log on a standalone worker server None, as this only affects the product on shut-down and does not impact functionality.