Step four: Extending the solution

With the successful endpoint installation, we can now extended the functionally of this solution. For example, from the previous step, we took an inventory snapshot of the node. Using IBM Tivoli Configuration Manager, we can determine what packages or software is missing from the node and distribute accordingly. Other possibilities may include a distributing monitoring profile. See Chapter 6, “Extending the solution and best practices” on page 137 for more information.

2.5.1 Creating a software distribution package

In our testing, as you will see in Chapter 4, “Installation, configuration, and administration” on page 51, we used the IBM Tivoli Configuration Manager prebuilt software packages to make our distributions. In the scripts, we included the command or commands we used to make the distributions. If you want to use this functionality, please follow the customization options for including your software packages. We followed recommendations from All About IBM Tivoli Configuration Manager Version 4.2, SG24-6612.

All About IBM Tivoli Configuration Manager Version 4.2, SG24-6612 discusses the following topics and best practices for building software packages.

It provides generic guidelines, best practices, and hints and tips for using IBM Tivoli Configuration Manager as part of an enterprise-wide deployment process. The following Software Distribution business processes will be involved in the overall change management process that applies to your specific environment: 򐂰 Naming standards 򐂰 Software packaging 򐂰 Endpoint control 򐂰 Lenient distributions 򐂰 Endpoints as depots 򐂰 Activity plans 򐂰 Pristine installations 򐂰 Security

If you are going to build software packages, we found it useful to define the package as lenient. This simplifies the scripting somewhat, mainly because you do not have to subscribe the endpoint to a profile before making the distribution.

2.5.2 Distributing a software package using Activity Planner

As with inventory distributions, you can use either Activity Planner or the command line interface, if you do not have Activity Planner installed, to install your software packages. As discussed in Chapter 4, “Installation, configuration, and administration” on page 51, we used Activity Planner to make our software package distributions.

The following are some recommendations for configuring activity plans.

We recommend keeping your plans simple. When dealing with a large number of packages and distributions, it is sometimes complex to track the number of on-the-fly plans and their statuses. When possible, we recommend assigning one software package per activity plan. In addition, we recommend using naming standards for your activity plans so that you can easily track them.

Note: Lenient distributions. If you define a software package as lenient, there is no need to subscribe endpoints to the profile to be able to distribute it. In this way, we avoid an operation, such as subscribing and unsubscribing endpoints in our Tivoli Management Region. Usually, this is very helpful when dealing with large numbers of endpoints and distributions. Typically, the target list of endpoints can be built based on grouping endpoints by machine roles in RDBMS. We strongly recommend choosing this option as part of your default software package definitions.

Please refer to the redbook All About IBM Tivoli Configuration Manager Version 4.2, SG24-6612 for information about configuring Activity Planner.

2.5.3 Distributing a software package using the command line

interface

We also provide the command line syntax to make a software distribution using the winstsp command. You will need to alter the script to incorporate your packages. See Chapter 4, “Installation, configuration, and administration” on page 51 for more information about customizing the script.

We used the winstsp command for making the distributions. To familiarize yourself with the use and syntax of the winstsp command, see Tivoli Software Distribution Reference Manual Version 4.1, GC32-0716.

2.6 NetView Integration Module for Configuration

Manager

Chapter 5, “NetView Integration Module implementation and scenarios” on page 85 explains the implementation, customization, and administration of the IBM Tivoli NetView Integration Module for Configuration Manager Version 4.2, or simply NetView Integration Module.

The NetView Integration Module for Configuration Manager Version 4.2 component integrates NetView and Tivoli applications to provide combined systems and network management. You can use NetView Integration Module to catalog all the network devices in your enterprise. Importing the NetView discovery of Tivoli Management Region members into the Inventory database helps you maintain and diagnose the Tivoli environment.

The NetView Integration Module provides you with network device inventory data, reporting functions, and other Tivoli desktop functions from the NetView console. After you have run the schema setup scripts, your Inventory database is ready to be populated with Network device data. There is also an additional task library script that needs to be run in order to build the necessary queries for the network inventory data. NetView Integration Module for Configuration Manager (formerly called Tivoli Integration Pack for NetView, TIPN) uses the NetView object database to populate the additional tables in your Inventory database. To configure this product, the following prerequisites need to be met:

򐂰 Running a schema script (needs to be run to make the necessary changes to the Inventory repository).

򐂰 Supported and configured database management system.

򐂰 Tivoli NetView Enabler 7.1 for Windows NT (if you are running NetView on Windows).

These are explained in more detail in Chapter 5, “NetView Integration Module implementation and scenarios” on page 85.