ITCAM for Transactions 7.4 - ISM : Best practices, pitfalls (PART 2)

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Here is the continuation of my ISM blog, "Best practices and commonly encountered pitfalls", while using Itcam for transactions and its Internet Service Monitoring ("ISM", ITM product code 'is') agent.

This is part 2 now...

1)

I cannot start the ISM Configuration GUI from the IBM Tivoli Monitoring Tivoli Enterprise Portal client, but the error message reported in a pop-up window is :                                      
"Load Failed"                                                           
Database locked Locked by <USER> on <HOST> at <DATE/TIME>               
                                                                        
This issue was documented in previous version, ITCAM4Tx V7.3 troubleshooting guide, where it was saying:                                     
Database locked error                                                   
The problem:                                                            
You attempt to run more than one instance of the Internet Service Monitoring Configuration user interface or Internet Service Monitoring  Configuration command line interface simultaneously and encounter the following error message:                                                
Database locked: Locked by username using GUI|CLI on host at time       
The solution:                                                           
To unlock the Tivoli Enterprise Portal Server database, try the following steps:                                                        
Wait for the process to finish and try again.                         
If the process is no longer available, use the releaseLock command.   
See the Internet Service Monitoring Configuration command-line interface section in the Administrator's Guide for further information            
                                                                        
And the releaseLock command is documented here:    
https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/SS5MD2_7.4.0.1/com.ibm.itcamt.doc/ism/dita/ag/reference/kis_configcli_cmds_db.html 

                                                                       
So for such above issue, here is what you can try to use:                              
                                                                        
To release the lock, run the 'ismconfig.sh -releaseLock' command on the Tivoli Enterprise Portal Server ("TEPS") agent ("cq") system, while it's UP and RUNNING:                                                
                                                                        
Example on a  Linux TEPS

                                                 
[root@itcamft1 lib]# ./ismconfig.sh -releaseLock                        
Internet Service Monitoring Configuration                               
Copyright (c) IBM 2011                                                  
Version: ITCAM_ISM_7.3_0230        

Example on a Windows(tm) TEPS

C:\IBM\ITM\CNP>dir ismcon*
 Volume in drive C has no label.
 Volume Serial Number is 84D1-7074

 Directory of C:\IBM\ITM\CNP

05/07/2017  12:04             6,209 ismconfig.cmd
13/07/2017  12:02             2,013 ismconfig.props
05/07/2017  12:04             1,895 ismconfig.props_default
               3 File(s)         10,117 bytes
               0 Dir(s)  22,450,151,424 bytes free

C:\IBM\ITM\CNP>ismconfig.cmd -releaselock
Internet Service Monitoring Configuration
Copyright (c) IBM 2011, 2016
Version: ITCAM_ISM_7.4.0.1_0622

                                 
                                                                        
If the same error still occurs, then manually remove the lock from the 'TEPS' database.                                                               
                                                                        
The required SQL command is:

'DELETE from KIS.LOCK'                    
                                                                        
Example on Linux system where TEPS database on DB2 server is stored:                                                     
db2 => connect to TEPS  user itmuser                                    
  Database Connection Information                                       
Database server        = DB2/NT 9.5.0                                   
SQL authorization ID   = DB2INST1 ...                                   
Local database alias   = TEPS                                           
db2 =>  DELETE FROM KIS.LOCK                                            
DB20000I  The SQL command completed successfully.                       
db2 =>   

2)

What is the latest version of ISM agent available?

The best source to answer this question is :

"Itcam for Transactions 7.4 - Interim fixes and fixpacks" article

see: /support/pages/node/709739

When this chapter was written, it's ISM 7.4.0.0-TIV-CAMIS-fp0002 that is or was the latest available for ISM agent; it's available for download from IBM Fix Central web site, see its readme :

https://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=0&uid=isg400003438

its build number is : 0311

The ITM kisagent logs show that the Release ID of this fix pack is: ITCAM_ISM_7.4.0.2_0311

After you installed it on Windows OS for example, kincinfo -t command shows :

PC  PRODUCT DESC                                                            PLAT      VER             BUILD         INSTALL DATE

IS  KIS(32-bit) CMA/ITCAM for Transactions: Internet Servic  WINNT  07.40.02.00  0311            20170807 1535

This ISM 7.4.0.0-TIV-CAMIS-fp0002 is particularly recommended if you have installed ISM agent on Linux OS, AND you have upgraded ITM framework (ax component) to v6.3.0.7. This causes ism agent not to start anymore, and this issue is adressed by APAR # IV93927, included in 7.4.0.0-TIV-CAMIS-fp0002