ITM 622FP2 Centralized Configuration Facility& tacmd putfile/getfile

Tivoli North Central User GroupAugust 26th, 2010

Agenda

• Introduction to Centralized Configuration Facility (CCF)• What is it good for?• Deploying CCF

o Scenarios where CCF may be usefulo Pre-requisiteso Planningo Installation / Configuration

• tacmdputfile/getfile• Live Demonstration• Optional Environmental Variables / Keyword Substitution• Lessons Learned & Best Practices• Troubleshooting• Resources

What is the Centralized Configuration Facility?

• The Centralized Configuration Facility (CCF) is a new feature introduced in ITM622 FP2

• Provides a central location for agent configuration and other operational artifacts

• Takes advantage of TEMA-based agent’s HTTP sessions to remotely deploy configuration files

CCF Overview

Benefits of CCF

• Consistency - Consistent installations and configuration

• Efficiency – Update thousands of configurations automatically

• Maintainability – Updating configuration requires changing only one file for many servers

Common Usage Scenarios

• Distribute configuration files for agents that require them

• Widely distributed operational files

• Distributing silent installation files

• Highly effective in distributing supporting files for an Agent Builder environment

• “Poor Man’s” software distribution system

CCF Pre-Requisites

• ITM 622FP2 based agent and/or web server

• (Optional) Environment setup for tacmdputfile/getfile

• (Optional) itmpwdsnmp for password encryption

Planning and Installation

• Setting up directory structure– Default location is ITM_HOME/localconfig– “Common” folder for multi-use files– “Product Code” folder for product-specific files

• Creating load list files

• tacmdputfile for sending initial load list file

Load List Flow

Central Server Loadlist

<ConfigurationArtifact><ConfigServer Name="CENTRAL-CONFIG-SERVER"

URL="http://tw3g10:1920///system.tw3g10_nt/system.tw3g10_nt/" User=“Administrator" Password="{AES256:keyfile:a}qNf3u5TzYsiNXRacS4/sXQ==" />

</ConfigurationArtifact>

Bootstrap Loadlist

<ConfigurationArtifact><ConfigServer Name="CENTRAL-CONFIG-SERVER"

URL="http://tw3g10:1920///system.tw3g10_nt/system.tw3g10_nt/" User=“Administrator"

Password="{AES256:keyfile:a}2fhfCvELPHKm94/OkbOjyw==" /><ConfigFile Server="CENTRAL-CONFIG-SERVER"

Name="cnfglist.xml“Path="@PRODUCT@”

Disp="CNFGLIST”Activate="YES" />

</ConfigurationArtifact>

Product Specific Instructions

<ConfigurationArtifact><ConfigServer Name="CENTRAL-CONFIG-SERVER"

URL=“http://tw3g10:1920///system.tw3g10_nt/system.tw3g10_nt/" User=“Administrator" Password="{AES256:keyfile:a}2fhfCvELPHKm94/OkbOjyw==“

<ConfigFile Server="CENTRAL-CONFIG-SERVER" Name="myfile1.sh“Path=“@PRODUCT@“

LocalPath="@ITMHOME@/tmp" /></ConfigurationArtifact>

Base Loadlist

<ConfigurationArtifact><ConfigServer Name="CENTRAL-CONFIG-SERVER"

URL=“http://tw3g10:1920///system.tw3g10_nt/system.tw3g10_nt/" User=“Administrator" Password="{AES256:keyfile:a}2fhfCvELPHKm94/OkbOjyw==" />

<ConfigFile Server="CENTRAL-CONFIG-SERVER" Name="bootstrap_cnfglist.xml“Path="common“

Disp="CNFGLIST“Activate="YES" />

</ConfigurationArtifact>

tacmdputfile / getfile

• New tacmd command line options introduced in ITM622FP2

• Utilized ITM infrastructure for file transfer

• KT1_TEMS_SECURE=YES

• Example tacmdputfile –m linuxhost:LZ –s C:\IBM\ITM\localconfig\common\file –d /opt/IBM/ITM/localconfig/file

Demo

Demo

Optional environmental variables

• IRA_SERVICE_INTERFACE_CONFIG_INTERVAL

Specifies how often the agent attempts to check with the central configuration server for updates. Specify the interval in minutes. One day is 1440 minutes; one week, which is also the maximum, is 10080 minutes. Default: 60 minutes.

• IRA_SERVICE_INTERFACE_CONFIG_BYPASS_TIMESTAMP

When set to N, the agent downloads and replaces only the configuration files that have a newer UTC time stamp than that of the local version. Default: N. Setting this parameter to Y instructs the agent to bypass the timestamp and always download the file after every interval.

• IRA_SERVICE_INTERFACE_CONFIG_HOME

If an agent is being used as a configuration server, this setting can be used to override the default central configuration repository location. The default location used to place files to be served by the central configuration server is: Install_dir/localconfig.

Keyword Substitution

• @PRODUCT@• @ITMHOME@• @MSN@• @TASKNAME@• @VERSION@• @HOSTNAME@• @IPADDRESS@• @OSTYPE@• @OSVERSION@• @SYSTEMID@

Best Practices

• Use a base_cnfglist.xml to send with tacmdputfile

• Use a bootstrap cnfglist file

• Make use of backup files when things go horribly wrong

Lessons Learned

• Note: Be careful with the published documentation on how to install/configure CCF – there are a number of significant problems with the configuration examples

• itmusersgroup must have access for file locations

• Replacement of initial loadlists

• DISP (File Disposition)

• Time synchronization

• Make sure you have 622 FP2 installed

Troubleshooting

How to turn logging up• Error(UNIT:kraasic ALL)• Lines to look for *ASI-INFO: Configuration file status

message <Access Authorization Group Profile download from server http://tw3g10:1920///system.tw3g10_nt/system.tw3g10_nt/ Successful>

Conclusion

• The Centralized Configuration Facility (CCF) is a great addition to ITM

• This is the first rev of CCF – expect the find v1.0 issues

• tacmdputfile /getfile is a good alternative for now

Resources

• ITM CCF Administrator’s Guide http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/tivihelp/v15r1/topic/com.ibm.itm.doc_6.2.2fp2/centralconfig_intro.htm

• ITM tacmd CLI Reference Guidehttp://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/tivihelp/v15r1/topic/com.ibm.itm.doc_6.2.2fp2/tacmd.htm#tacmd

• blog.bluemedora.com