IZ95382: CALLS TO GETINSTANCES.VBS FROM OS AGENT NEVER TERMINATE

IBM Tivoli Monitoring 6.2.2 Fix Pack 8 (6.2.2-TIV-ITM-FP0008)
IBM Tivoli Monitoring 6.2.2 Fix Pack 9 (6.2.2-TIV-ITM-FP0009)
IBM Tivoli Monitoring 6.2.2 Fix Pack 6 (6.2.2-TIV-ITM-FP0006)

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• The watchdog script getInstances.vbsrequires CANDLE_HOME
  to be set when it is invoked from the OS agent.
  There appears to be a problem/limitation on Windows that the
  environmentvariable is not passed to the script from the
  environment after a new ITM install is done, until the machine
  is rebooted. The calls to the script hang and do not terminate
  The same problem occurs with the getstat.vbs script, which is
  called less often.
  

Local fix

• There are several workarounds, just one needs to be selected:
  1.  Reboot the machine and then restart that OS agent.
  2.  Temporarily disable Watchdog:
        - Move all files under %CANDLE_HOME%ﾇTMAITM6ﾇCAP to a
          backup location.
        - Restart the agent
  3.  Hard code the value for %CANDLE_HOME% in the script.
        - Make a backup copy of %CANDLE_HOME%ﾇTMAITM6ﾇgetInstances
  .vbs
        - Edit the file and in the following line replace
  %CANDLE_HOME%
          with the value of the directory.  FOr example change:
             const CinfoExec  = "%CANDLE_HOME%ﾇInstallITMﾇkincinfo
             -o"
          to
             const CinfoExec  = "C:ﾇIBMﾇITMﾇInstallITMﾇkincinfo
             -o"
        - Save the file.  Verify the script works by invoking it
  directly:
        > cscript //Nologo
  %CANDLE_HOME%ﾇTMAITM6ﾇgetinstances_new.vbs 2 nt
          Primary
        - There is no need to restart the agent, it will use the
  updated
          file on next invocation.
        - The same change should be done for getstat.vbs.
  

Problem summary

• The Watchdog component of the OS Agents for Windows calls two
  .vbs files to query kincinfo for obtaining instances and running
  agents. On a machine that has a new install of Windows OS Agent,
  if the machine has not been rebooted after the install, then the
  calls to the scripts do not terminate. This results in multiple
  getinstances.vbs or getstat.vbs processes running.
  

Problem conclusion

• The scripts expect the %CANDLE_HOME% environment variable to be
  set in the environment to call the kincinfo utility. There is a
  problem/limitation with the Windows Service Manager that it is
  not passing in the environment variable to the scripts until a
  reboot is done.
  
  The code has been updated to determine the path to KinCInfo.exe
  relative to the location of the .vbs scripts so %CANDLE_HOME%
  does not need to be set.
  
  
  The fix for this APAR is included in the following maintenance
  vehicles:
      | fix pack | 6.2.2-TIV-ITM-FP0005
      | interim fix | 6.2.2.4-TIV-ITM_WIN-IF0001
  

Temporary fix

Comments

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  ITM AGENT WINDO

• Fixed component ID

  5724C040W

Applicable component levels

• R622 PSY

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