FAQs

watsonx Assistant for Z

How does watsonx Assistant for Z work?

IBM watsonx Assistant for Z is a platform for creating, deploying, and operating AI agents in IBM Z (mainframe) environments. It brings together conversational AI, retrieval‑augmented generation (RAG), and AI‑driven automation to enable users to interact with IBM Z systems using natural language. Users can ask operational and technical questions, retrieve accurate information from an IBM Z‑specific knowledge base, and securely execute real system actions on the mainframe.

Responses are context‑aware and trustworthy, grounded in a zRAG knowledge base trained on IBM Z documentation such as manuals, Redbooks®, and enterprise‑specific content, rather than relying solely on generic large‑language‑model outputs. This ensures accurate, explainable responses aligned with IBM Z operational practices.

IBM watsonx Assistant for Z includes a portfolio of prebuilt AI agents designed to integrate with key IBM Z software and tooling. These include system insights agents for IBM Z OMEGAMON, IBM Z System Automation, IBM Z NetView, and IBM Z Workload Scheduler; agents for middleware technologies such as CICS®, Db2®, and IMS™; and product‑embedded agents for offerings such as IBM Concert for Z and IBM Z IntelliMagic Vision.

In addition to prebuilt capabilities, the platform provides comprehensive tooling for developing custom AI agents using low‑code or pro‑code development kits. This enables organisations to create agents tailored to their specific operational needs, integrating securely with their own APIs, data sources, and workflows.

How do I transfer entitlements from IBM Passport Advantage (PPA) to the IBM Container Software Library?

To obtain Red Hat Enterprise Linux and OpenShift Container Platform licenses as well as IBM Container Software Library entitlement keys, customers must complete several steps that occur as part of the sales and procurement process. This procedure is designed to guide customers through obtaining access to the required Passport Advantage entitlements, linking Red Hat subscriptions, and retrieving the necessary keys for deployment.

Note:

• Entitlement keys are assigned based on your access to the Passport Advantage (PPA) site associated with the software purchase. Ensure that your IBM ID is linked to the correct PPA site and that you can view the entitlements in My IBM or locate them through the IBM Container Software Library.
• If you cannot see the entitlements in My IBM or receive an error when attempting to retrieve them from the library, it means your IBM ID has not been granted access to the site. You can resolve this by logging into the Passport Advantage Online customer portal.

Follow these steps to link your Red Hat order to your IBM Passport Advantage Site entitlements:

1. Go to the PPA site.
   1. Click the Passport Advantage Online dropdown and select PAO for customers.
   2. Click Customer sign in and log in with your IBM ID.
      Note: If the Self‑nomination page appears, it indicates that you do not currently have access to any sites. If you can log in but do not see the relevant site listed, you will need to request access, which must be approved by your Site Administrator.
2. Under Software download and media access, select Software Download.
3. Search for IBM watsonx Assistant for Z.
4. Click View Product.
5. Click Continue.
6. Select Link with Red Hat Order No. xxxxxxxxxx, then click OK.
7. On the Red Hat login page, log in with your existing Red Hat account or create a new one.
   Note:

   • A Red Hat account is required for access to the OpenShift Cluster Manager.
   • A paid Red Hat subscription is not required for IBM offerings.
8. On the Review Order Summary page, verify that the details are correct and click Next.
9. On the Link Your Red Hat Account page:
   1. Select Assign the Red Hat subscriptions to this Red Hat account and link my IBM order
   2. Accept the Enterprise Agreement.
   3. Click Confirm.

A confirmation message appears stating that your Red Hat account is now linked to your IBM order. For assistance, you can contact Passport Advantage Support at paonline@us.ibm.com.

To retrieve your entitlement key, follow the steps under Retrieve your entitlement key in Update global pull secret.

Once your Red Hat subscription is successfully linked:

• Your OpenShift entitlement is associated with your Red Hat account.
• You can use your Red Hat account credentials to sign in to the Red Hat Customer Portal.
• From the portal, you can:
  • View and manage your Red Hat subscriptions
  • Access the OpenShift Cluster Manager
  • Retrieve the OpenShift Pull Secret, which you will need when deploying your OpenShift cluster

How to apply the global configuration changes?

To apply the global configuration changes (IBM Cloud ROKS only), reload (or replace) all worker nodes in your cluster.

1. Retrieve the IDs of all worker nodes in your cluster by running:

   ibmcloud oc worker ls -c <cluster_name_or_ID>

2. For Classic clusters, reload each worker node by running:

   ibmcloud oc worker reload -c <cluster_name_or_ID> -w <workerID_1> -w <workerID_2>

   You may reload multiple nodes at the same time by specifying multiple -w options. Ensure that enough worker nodes remain running to prevent application outages.

3. For VPC clusters, replace each worker node instead of reloading by running:

   ibmcloud oc worker replace --cluster <cluster_name_or_ID> --worker <worker_node_ID>

   Before you begin, verify that your cluster has sufficient remaining worker nodes so that pods can be rescheduled and continue running without disruption.

   For more information, see Step 6 in Setting up a cluster to pull entitled software in the Red Hat OpenShift on IBM Cloud documentation.

Why does the passticket server fail with the “Can’t load IRRRacf64” error?

The passticket server fails during passticket provisioning when the Java runtime cannot load the required z/OS RACF native library. Although the passticket server starts successfully, passticket generation fails at runtime because the RACF native library is not available in the Java library path.

This issue occurs when the JVM library path does not include the directory that contains the RACF native shared library. It can also occur if the RACF native library is missing on the system or if the passticket server is running on an unsupported Java runtime.

This error indicates that the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) cannot locate the RACF native shared library libIRRRacf64.so. In most z/OS environments, this library is located in the /usr/lib directory. If this directory is not included in the JVM library path, the passticket server cannot load the library.

To resolve the issue:

1. Ensure that the directory containing the RACF native libraries is included in the JVM library path.
2. Update the passticket server startup command to explicitly set the java.library.path property.

   $JAVA_DIR/bin/java \ -Djava.library.path=/usr/lib \ -Dserver.port=$PORT \ -Dserver.address=$ADDRESS \ -jar token-exchange-mtls.jar > app.log & 

Important: The passticket server must run on the IBM Semeru Runtime for z/OS. Using an unsupported Java runtime can result in native library loading failures.

Why does every service instance or tenant require the cpdadmin user?

Every service instance or tenant must have the cpdadmin user configured as one of the administrators. This is a mandatory security requirement for the following reasons:

• Authentication: The tenant UI and ingestion UI authenticate against the Cloud Pak for Data administrator.
• Security Compliance: This requirement ensures proper security controls and access management across all service instances.
• Initial Setup: The cpdadmin user serves as the initial administrator account for bootstrapping tenant configuration and management. The ZRAG agent is not visible by default when a tenant is created unless cpadmin is part of that tenant.

Important: Ensure that the cpdadmin user is properly configured during the initial setup of each service instance or tenant to maintain compliance with security requirements.

What happens when I create an external agent in watsonx Orchestrate?

For every external agent, watsonx Orchestrate creates a native collaborator agent. Both agents are visible in the UI, but the native agent is read-only. You cannot perform operations on the native agent through the wxa4z Tenant Manager.

After installing v3.3, do agents deployed on the common namespace appear?

No, this is expected behavior. Deploying in the common namespace wxaz-zad is not valid and is not restricted. watsonx Orchestrate continues to show the agent, but Tenant Manager does not support it.

watsonx Orchestrate

For FAQs related to watsonx Orchestrate, see watsonx Orchestrate FAQs.