Certification guide series ibm tivoli netcool webtop v2.0 implementationsg247754

Front cover

Certification Guide Series:
IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop
V2.0 Implementation
Detailed architecture and components
discussion

Installation and configuration
processing

Dynamic Web-based
interface

Budi Darmawan
Thomas Boiocchi
Andre Ricardo Cavalcanti de Araujo
Mario Schuerewegen
Phillip Stanton

ibm.com/redbooks

International Technical Support Organization

Certification Guide Series: IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop V2.0 Implementation

September 2009

SG24-7754-00

Note: Before using this information and the product it supports, read the information in
“Notices” on page vii.

First Edition (September 2009)

This edition applies to Version 2, Release 0, Modification 0 of IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop (product
number 5724-S51).
© Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 2009. All rights reserved.
Note to U.S. Government Users Restricted Rights -- Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP
Schedule Contract with IBM Corp.

Contents

Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
Trademarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii

Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
The team that wrote this book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
Become a published author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi
Comments welcome. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xii

Chapter 1. Certification overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.1 IBM Professional Certification Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.1.1 Benefits of certification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.1.2 Tivoli Software Professional Certification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.1.3 Growth through skills. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.2 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 test objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.2.1 Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.2.2 Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1.2.3 Configuring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
1.2.4 Performance tuning and performance determination . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
1.3 Certification achieved . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
1.3.1 Tivoli Netcool Core V3.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
1.3.2 Tivoli Fault Management Solutions 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
1.3.3 Tivoli Performance Management Solutions 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
1.3.4 IBM Service Management Network and Service Assurance 2009 . . 25
1.3.5 IBM Service Management Data Center Management and
Transformation 2009. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
1.4 Recommended study resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
1.4.1 Classroom courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
1.4.2 Web resource . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Chapter 2. Planning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
2.1 Webtop architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
2.2 Installation prerequisites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
2.2.1 Supported platforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
2.2.2 Web browser requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
2.3 Licensing for IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
2.4 Deployment considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
2.5 Security planning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
2.6 Customization requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2009. All rights reserved. iii

Chapter 3. Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
3.1 The installation overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
3.2 License server setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
3.2.1 License server setup on UNIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
3.2.2 License server setup on Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
3.3 Security Manager installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
3.3.1 Security Manager installation on UNIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
3.3.2 Security Manager installation on Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
3.4 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
3.4.1 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop installation on UNIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
3.4.2 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop installation on Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
3.5 Netcool/GUI Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Chapter 4. Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
4.1 Basic IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
4.1.1 WAAPI configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
4.1.2 Data sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
4.1.3 SSL configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
4.1.4 Additional IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
4.2 Security settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
4.2.1 User configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
4.2.2 Group management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
4.3 Visual components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
4.3.1 View creation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
4.3.2 Filter creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
4.3.3 Entity definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
4.3.4 Chart definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
4.3.5 Map definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
4.4 Navigation components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
4.4.1 Tool definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
4.4.2 CGI program definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
4.4.3 Menu items definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
4.5 HTML file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
4.5.1 Maintaining HTML and other files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
4.5.2 Working with IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Chapter 5. Performance tuning and problem determination. . . . . . . . . . 147
5.1 Startup problem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
5.2 Checking user sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
5.3 Login failures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
5.4 Performance issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
5.5 Connection to ObjectServer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
5.6 Backup configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

iv Certification Guide Series: IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 Implementation

5.7 Security Manager performance issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

Appendix A. Sample test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Answer key. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

Abbreviations and acronyms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

Related publications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
IBM Redbooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Other publications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Online resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
How to get Redbooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Help from IBMIBM Support and downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

Contents v

vi Certification Guide Series: IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 Implementation

Notices

This information was developed for products and services offered in the U.S.A.

IBM may not offer the products, services, or features discussed in this document in other countries. Consult
your local IBM representative for information on the products and services currently available in your area.
Any reference to an IBM product, program, or service is not intended to state or imply that only that IBM
product, program, or service may be used. Any functionally equivalent product, program, or service that
does not infringe any IBM intellectual property right may be used instead. However, it is the user's
responsibility to evaluate and verify the operation of any non-IBM product, program, or service.

IBM may have patents or pending patent applications covering subject matter described in this document.
The furnishing of this document does not give you any license to these patents. You can send license
inquiries, in writing, to:
IBM Director of Licensing, IBM Corporation, North Castle Drive, Armonk, NY 10504-1785 U.S.A.

The following paragraph does not apply to the United Kingdom or any other country where such
provisions are inconsistent with local law: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
PROVIDES THIS PUBLICATION "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF NON-INFRINGEMENT,
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Some states do not allow disclaimer
of express or implied warranties in certain transactions, therefore, this statement may not apply to you.

This information could include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically made
to the information herein; these changes will be incorporated in new editions of the publication. IBM may
make improvements and/or changes in the product(s) and/or the program(s) described in this publication at
any time without notice.

Any references in this information to non-IBM Web sites are provided for convenience only and do not in any
manner serve as an endorsement of those Web sites. The materials at those Web sites are not part of the
materials for this IBM product and use of those Web sites is at your own risk.

IBM may use or distribute any of the information you supply in any way it believes appropriate without
incurring any obligation to you.

Information concerning non-IBM products was obtained from the suppliers of those products, their published
announcements or other publicly available sources. IBM has not tested those products and cannot confirm
the accuracy of performance, compatibility or any other claims related to non-IBM products. Questions on
the capabilities of non-IBM products should be addressed to the suppliers of those products.

This information contains examples of data and reports used in daily business operations. To illustrate them
as completely as possible, the examples include the names of individuals, companies, brands, and products.
All of these names are fictitious and any similarity to the names and addresses used by an actual business
enterprise is entirely coincidental.

COPYRIGHT LICENSE:

This information contains sample application programs in source language, which illustrate programming
techniques on various operating platforms. You may copy, modify, and distribute these sample programs in
any form without payment to IBM, for the purposes of developing, using, marketing or distributing application
programs conforming to the application programming interface for the operating platform for which the
sample programs are written. These examples have not been thoroughly tested under all conditions. IBM,
therefore, cannot guarantee or imply reliability, serviceability, or function of these programs.

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2009. All rights reserved. vii

Trademarks
IBM, the IBM logo, and ibm.com are trademarks or registered trademarks of International Business
Machines Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both. These and other IBM trademarked
terms are marked on their first occurrence in this information with the appropriate symbol (® or ™),
indicating US registered or common law trademarks owned by IBM at the time this information was
published. Such trademarks may also be registered or common law trademarks in other countries. A current
list of IBM trademarks is available on the Web at http://www.ibm.com/legal/copytrade.shtml

The following terms are trademarks of the International Business Machines Corporation in the United States,
other countries, or both:

AIX® Netcool® System z®
DB2® PartnerWorld® Tivoli Enterprise Console®
Foundations™ Rational® Tivoli®
IBM® Redbooks® ValueNet®
Lotus® Redbooks (logo) ® WebSphere®

The following terms are trademarks of other companies:

ValueNet, and the FileNet logo are registered trademarks of FileNet Corporation in the United States, other
countries or both.

ITIL is a registered trademark, and a registered community trademark of the Office of Government
Commerce, and is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

IT Infrastructure Library, IT Infrastructure Library is a registered trademark of the Central Computer and
Telecommunications Agency which is now part of the Office of Government Commerce.

Red Hat, and the Shadowman logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Red Hat, Inc. in the U.S. and
other countries.

Java, JavaScript, Solaris, and all Java-based trademarks are trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the
United States, other countries, or both.
Internet Explorer, Microsoft, Windows, and the Windows logo are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the
United States, other countries, or both.

UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group in the United States and other countries.

Linux is a trademark of Linus Torvalds in the United States, other countries, or both.

Other company, product, or service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.

viii Certification Guide Series: IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 Implementation

Preface

This IBM® Redbooks® publication is a study guide for the IBM Tivoli®
Netcool®/Webtop V4.0 implementation certification test. It is aimed at the IT
professional who wants to be an IBM Certified Professional for this product.

The IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 certification test is offered through the IBM
Professional Certification program. It is designed to validate the skills required of
technical professionals who work in the implementation and deployment of IBM
Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0.

This book provides the necessary information for understanding the subject
matter. It includes sample questions. The sample questions help evaluate your
personal progress. It familiarizes you with the types of questions that may be
encountered in the exam.

This guide does not replace practical experience and it is not designed to be a
stand-alone guide for the subject. Instead, this guide should be combined with
educational activities and experiences and used as a very useful preparation
guide for exam.

For your convenience, the chapters are based on the certification objectives of
the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 implementation certification test. Those
requirements are planning, prerequisites, installation, configuration,
administration, and problem determination. These chapters will help you prepare
for the objectives of the exam.

The team that wrote this book
This book was produced by a team of specialists from around the world working
at the International Technical Support Organization, Austin Center.

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2009. All rights reserved. ix

Figure 1 Mario, Thomas, Andre, and Phillip

Budi Darmawan is a Project Leader at the International Technical Support
Organization, Austin Center. He writes extensively and teaches IBM classes
worldwide on all areas of Tivoli and systems management. Before joining the
ITSO 10 years ago, Budi worked in Integrated Solution Services, IBM Indonesia
as lead implementer and solution architect.

Thomas Boiocchi an IT Specialist based in Italy, working for Tivoli Services
since 2007. He joined IBM after working for several years as a Netcool®
Specialist for Eirteic Consulting travelling around the world. He has 10 years of IT
experience and previously worked as a system and network administrator in
Telkom and banks in Italy. His area of expertise include IBM Tivoli
Netcool/OMNIbus, IBM Tivoli Business Services Manager, Network Manager,
and IBM Tivoli Netcool/Impact.

Adnre Ricardo Cavalcanti de Araujo is a System Management Information
Technology Specialist working with Tivoli Management Product in Brazil. He has
12 years of experience in servers and systems support. He hold a degree in
Telecommunication Engineering and has MBA in Network Computer

x Certification Guide Series: IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 Implementation

Management. His areas of expertise include UNIX/Linux® support, Cisco
networking, networking security, and infrastructure and networking management.

Mario Schuerewegen is a Technical Presales specialist based in Belgium that
specializes in Netcool products. He has 10 years of experience in the network
and event management field. His areas of expertise include Cisco networking,
SNMP, and network management.

Phillip Stanton is an L2 software support specialist based in the United States.
He has 12 years of Information Technology experience and holds a Bachelors of
Science degree in Business Administration with an emphasis on Information
Systems. Most of his experience is in supporting and administrating mixed
UNIX® and Microsoft® Windows® platforms for various Business to Business
services and e-commerce Web sites. He joined IBM 2 years ago in L2 support for
the IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus, IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop, System Service
monitors, and Internet Service Monitors software solutions. He currently holds
the following certifications: Netcool Core V2, Netcool Core V3, Tivoli Level 2
Support Tools and Processes, and MCSE NT4/2000.

Tamikia Barrow, Margaret Ticknor, Wade Wallace
International Technical Support Organization, Austin Center

Jill Kanatzar
IBM Software Group, Worldwide Sales Channel Growth Executive

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Preface xi

Comments welcome
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xii Certification Guide Series: IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 Implementation

1

Chapter 1. Certification overview
This chapter provides an overview of the skills requirements needed to obtain an
IBM Certified Deployment Specialist - IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V7.2
certification. This chapter provides a comprehensive review of the topics that are
essential for obtaining the certification:
1.1, “IBM Professional Certification Program” on page 2
1.2, “IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 test objectives” on page 8
1.3, “Certification achieved” on page 21
1.4, “Recommended study resources” on page 27

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2009. All rights reserved. 1

1.1 IBM Professional Certification Program
Having the right skills for the job is critical in the growing global marketplace. IBM
Professional Certification is designed to validate your skills and proficiency with
the latest IBM solution and product technology. It can help provide that
competitive edge.

The Professional Certification Program from IBM offers a business solution for
skilled technical professionals seeking to demonstrate their expertise to the
world. The program is designed to validate your skills and demonstrate your
proficiency in the latest IBM technology and solutions. In addition, professional
certification may help you excel at your job by giving you and your employer the
confidence that your skills have been tested. You may be able to deliver higher
levels of service and technical expertise than non-certified employees and move
to a faster career track.

The certification requirements are difficult, but they are not overwhelming. IBM
Professional Certification is a rigorous process that differentiates you from
everyone else. The mission of IBM Professional Certification is to:
Provide a reliable, valid, and fair method of assessing skills and knowledge.
Provide IBM with a method of building and validating the skills of individuals
and organizations.
Develop a loyal community of highly skilled certified professionals who
recommend, sell, service, support, and use IBM products and solutions.

The Professional Certification Program from IBM has developed certification role
names to guide you in your professional development. The certification role
names include IBM Certified Specialist, IBM Certified Solutions/Systems Expert,
and IBM Certified Advanced Technical Expert. These role names are for
technical professionals who sell, service, and support IBM solutions. For
technical professionals in application development, the certification roles include
IBM Certified Developer Associate and IBM Certified Developer. An IBM Certified
Instructor certifies the professional instructor.

The Professional Certification Program from IBM provides you with a structured
program leading to an internationally recognized qualification. The program is
designed for flexibility by allowing you to select your role, prepare for and take
tests at your own pace, and, in some cases, select from a choice of elective tests
best suited to your abilities and needs. Some roles also offer a shortcut by giving
credit for a certification obtained in other industry certification programs.

2 Certification Guide Series: IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 Implementation

You can be a network administrator, systems integrator, network integrator,
solution architect, solution developer, value-added reseller, technical coordinator,
sales representative, or educational trainer. Regardless of your role, you can
start charting your course through the Professional Certification Program from
IBM today.

The IBM Professional Certification Program Web site is available at the following
address:

http://www.ibm.com/certify/index.shtml

1.1.1 Benefits of certification
Certification is a tool to help objectively measure the performance of a
professional on a given job at a defined skill level. Therefore, it is beneficial for
individuals who want to validate their own skills and performance levels, their
employees, or both. For optimum benefit, the certification tests must reflect the
critical tasks required for a job, the skill levels of each task, and the frequency by
which a task needs to be performed. IBM prides itself in designing
comprehensive, documented processes that ensure that IBM certification tests
remain relevant to the work environment of potential certification candidates.

In addition to assessing job skills and performance levels, professional
certification can also provide such benefits as:
For employees:
– Promotes recognition as an IBM certified professional
– Helps to create advantages in interviews
– Assists in salary increases, corporate advancement, or both
– Increases self-esteem
– Provides continuing professional benefits
For employers:
– Measures the effectiveness of training
– Reduces course redundancy and unnecessary expenses
– Provides objective benchmarks for validating skills
– Makes long-range planning easier
– Helps to manage professional development
– Aids as a hiring tool
– Contributes to competitive advantage
– Increases productivity
– Increases morale and loyalty

Chapter 1. Certification overview 3

Specific benefits can vary by country (region) and role. In general, after you
become certified, you should receive the following benefits:
Industry recognition
Certification may accelerate your career potential by validating your
professional competency and increasing your ability to provide solid, capable
technical support.
Program credentials
As a certified professional, you receive through e-mail your certificate of
completion and the certification mark associated with your role for use in
advertisements and business literature. You can also request a hardcopy
certificate, which includes a wallet-size certificate.
The Professional Certification Program from IBM acknowledges the individual
as a technical professional. The certification mark is for the exclusive use of
the certified individual.
Ongoing technical vitality
IBM Certified professionals are included in mailings from the Professional
Certification Program from IBM.

1.1.2 IBM Tivoli Software Professional Certification
The IBM Tivoli Professional Certification program offers certification testing that
sets the standard for qualified product consultants, administrators, architects,
and Business Partners.

The program also offers an internationally recognized qualification for technical
professionals seeking to apply their expertise in today's complex business
environment. The program is designed for those who implement, buy, sell,
service, and support IBM Tivoli solutions and want to deliver higher levels of
service and technical expertise.

Benefits of being Tivoli certified
Tivoli certification provides the following benefits:
For the individual:
– IBM Certified certificate and use of logos on business cards
– Recognition of your technical skills by your peers and management
– Enhanced career opportunities
– Focus for your professional development


For the IBM Business Partner:
– Confidence in the skills of your employees
– Enhanced partnership benefits from the IBM Business Partner program
– Billing your employees out at higher rates
– Strengthens your proposals to customers
– Demonstrates the depth of technical skills available to prospective
customers
For the customer:
– Confidence in the service professionals handling your implementation
– Ease of hiring competent employees to manage your Tivoli environment
– Enhanced return on investment (ROI) through more thorough integration
with Tivoli and third-party products
– Ease of selecting a Tivoli Business Partner that meets your specific needs

Certification checklist
The certification process is as follows:
1. Select the certification that you want to pursue.
2. Determine which test or tests are required by reading the certification role
description.
3. Prepare for the test, using the following resources:
– Test objectives (1.2, “IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 test objectives” on
page 8)
– Recommended educational resources (1.4, “Recommended study
resources” on page 270
– Sample/assessment test (Appendix A, “Sample test” on page 157)
– Other reference materials
– Opportunities for experience

4. Register to take a test by contacting one of our worldwide testing vendors:
– Thomson Prometric
– Pearson Virtual University Enterprises (VUE)

5. Take the test. Be sure to keep the Examination Score Report provided upon
test completion as your record of taking the test.


6. Repeat steps three through five until all required tests are successfully
completed for the desired certification role. If additional requirements are
needed (such as another vendor certification or exam), follow the instructions
on the certification description page to submit these requirements to IBM.
7. After you complete your certification requirements, you will be sent an e-mail
asking you to accept the terms of the IBM Certification Agreement before
receiving the certificate.
8. Upon acceptance of the terms of the IBM Certification Agreement, an e-mail
will be sent containing the following electronic deliverables:
– A Certification Certificate in PDF format, which can be printed in either
color or black and white
– A set of graphic files of the IBM Professional Certification mark associated
with the certification achieved
– Guidelines for the use of the IBM Professional Certification mark
9. To avoid unnecessary delay in receiving your certificate, ensure that we have
your current e-mail on file by keeping your profile up to date. If you do not
have an e-mail address on file, your certificate will be sent through postal
mail.

After you receive a certificate by e-mail, you can also contact IBM at
mailto:certify@us.ibm.com to request that a hardcopy certificate be sent by
postal mail.

1.1.3 Growth through skills
Customers want to work with experts who understand their business and can
help them achieve their objectives. IBM Business Partners who have expertise
across the IBM software portfolio are well positioned to deliver high client value.

IBM Software is announcing the next step in our Business Partner channel
strategy by focusing on Growth Through Skills. In October 2009, IBM will roll out
a new controlled distribution model to maximize value to our Business Partners
and customers.

A subset of the IBM software portfolio will continue to be offered through the
open distribution model or by using Software ValueNet®. The benefits of the
growth through skills program are:
Protects and maximizes your return on investment (ROI) in the technical,
sales and marketing skills you have developed.
Places a premium on your skills and solutions that differentiate your ability to
offer your customers guidance in a tough economy.


Rewards the value you bring throughout the sales cycle through the lucrative
IBM Software Value Incentive (SVI).
Provides financial rewards for integrating IBM software with your business
solutions through the Value Advantage Plus (VAP) incentive.
Accelerates your growth with experienced software Value Added Distributors
(VADs).
Improves access to IBM resources, including industry-leading sales,
technical, and marketing.

Authorization to resell IBM software products within controlled distribution is
achieved at the product group level. There are 14 products groups across the five
brands.
WebSphere®
– SOA Foundation
– Connectivity
– Business Process Management
– Commerce
– SOA Appliances
– Enterprise Solutions (IBM System z®)
Tivoli
– Storage Management
– Security & Compliance Management
– Automation
– Enterprise Asset Management
Information Management
– Heritage CM
– Data Management
Lotus®
Portal
Rational®

The criteria for authorization to resell IBM Software products within controlled
distribution include:
Membership in the IBM PartnerWorld® program


Approved participation in Software Value Incentive (SVI) or Value Advantage
Plus (VAP)
– For SVI, technical and sales skills in the product group(s) you want to sell
– For VAP, an approved solution containing the product group(s) you want to
sell
An approved PartnerPlan
Minimum revenue participation levels within SVI and VAP after the first year

IBM provides comprehensive enablement options to support the education,
training, and certifications necessary to qualify for authorization to resell:
Leverage the readiness assessment tools and work with your Distributor or
IBM Business Partner Sales Representative to explore enablement
opportunities and support.
Visit the Subject Matter Expert (SME) Zone on the Virtual Innovation Center
as a single point of entry to review software education and customized
roadmaps.
Learn about the You Pass, We Pay education reimbursement.
Participate in readiness events throughout the year and revisit the Web for
updates and the latest support materials.

1.2 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 test objectives
Here is the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 test information:
Number of questions: 36
Time allowed in minutes: 60
Required passing score: 63%
Test languages: English

The test has the objectives covered in these sections:
1.2.1, “Planning” on page 9
1.2.2, “Installation” on page 10
1.2.3, “Configuring” on page 11
1.2.4, “Performance tuning and performance determination” on page 18

For the most updated objectives of the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 test (test
#922), refer to the following address:
http://www-03.ibm.com/certify/tests/obj922.shtml


1.2.1 Planning
Given that an IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V1.3.1 (Webtop) deployment is
required, define all the necessary settings so that the Webtop architecture is
planned, with emphasis on performing the following steps:
1. Determine IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop prerequisites.
2. Determine the Web browser supportability.
3. Obtain the license keys.
4. Identify all the data sources.
5. Determine the desktop architecture.
6. Determine the Web Administration Application Programming Interface
(WAAPI) requirements.
7. Determine the ObjectServer architecture.
8. Determine the location of the server.
9. Determine the ObjectServer details.
10.Determine the security settings.

Given a list of users and security requirements, define users and groups for IBM
Tivoli Netcool/Webtop deployment, with emphasis on performing the following
steps:
1. Define users.
2. Determine roles (Read only, Read/Write, and Admin).
3. Define groups.

Given that a customer requires IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop to be deployed, define
all the GUI elements necessary to address the customers' requirements, so that
the dashboard requirements are defined, with emphasis on performing the
following steps:
1. Determine the user filters.
2. Determine the user views.
3. Define the entities.
4. Define the views.
5. Define the customer dashboard requirements.
6. Determine the chart requirements.
7. Define the maps.
8. Define the resources.
9. Define the pages.
10.Define the workflows.
11.Define the tools.
12.Define the menus.


1.2.2 Installation
Given that a license server is installed, set up IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop
licensing so that the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop license keys are available, with
emphasis on performing the following steps:
1. Obtain license files from the IBM download software site.
2. Place the files in /etc.
3. Read the new license keys by running /bin>nc_read_license (for UNIX) or by
using ImTools (for Windows).
4. Verify IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop keys by running /bin/nc_print_license (for
UNIX) or using ImTools (for Windows).

Given that IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop software is available and you have the
license and ObjectServer details, install IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop, with
1. Read the installation instructions in the ReadMe file.
2. To start the installation, run install_webtop (on UNIX) or run setup.exe (one
Windows).
3. Review the license agreement.
4. Specify the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop installation location and click Next.
5. Specify the license server and port. Select Next.
6. Enter the ObjectServer details: host, port, ObjectServer name, user name,
and password. Select Next.
7. Select Complete or Custom installation.
8. For a custom installation, select the components Webtop server, WAAPI, and
licensing. Select Next.
9. Install the software.

Given that Tivoli Netcool/GUI Foundation (NGF) is installed, licensed, configured,
start the Tivoli Netcool/GUI Foundation server and verify the operational status,
with emphasis on performing the following steps:
1. Start the server by running NCHOME/bin/ngf_server start on UNIX or using
the Windows Services GUI. for Windows
2. Start the Web browser and go to http://<NFG server host>:<port>.
3. Log in as a IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop user with administrator rights.
4. Check the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop demo pages by selecting the Webtop
Desktop from the --Pages-- drop-down menu.


5. Check that the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop admin pages are available by
selecting the Webtop Administration from the --Pages-- drop-down menu.
6. Log out of the Tivoli Netcool/GUI Foundation server.
7. Check that WAAPI is working by running
<NCHOME>/webtop/bin/webtop_osresync.

1.2.3 Configuring
Given that WAAPI is installed, make changes to the WAAPI configuration as
defined in the statement of work, with emphasis on performing the following
steps:
1. Open the WAAPI configuration file /waapi/waapi.init in a text editor.
2. Modify the property waapi.port and give it a different value.
3. Modify the property waapi.host and give it a different value.
4. Modify the user and password details in waapi.init (waapi.user and
waapi.password).
5. Modify the SSL connection details in waapi.init (waapi.secureport and
waapi.ssl).

Given the ObjectServer connection details, modify the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop
configuration so that the data sources are updated, with emphasis on performing
the following steps:
1. Open the data sources definition file
(/config/datasources/newdatasources_definitions.xml) in a text editor.
2. Change the default ObjectServer connection details: host, port, user, and
password.
3. Add a backup ObjectServer (host an d port).
4. Add a second ObjectServer data source (name, host, port, user, password).
5. Configure a dual server ObjectServer cluster (name, upassword password,
host (primary), host (backup), and read cloud).
6. Save the file.
7. Start the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop server using /bin/server (on UNIX) or
the Windows Services GUI.


Given that NGF is installed and running, change the configuration so that NGF is
running in SSL mode, with emphasis on performing the following steps:
1. Stop NGF.
2. Create a self-signed certification by running the following command:
@$NCHOME/platform/arch/jre_version/bin/bin/keytool -certreq -keyalg
RSA -alias ngf -file certreq.csr -keystore <keystore path and
filename>
3. Enter a password for the keystore, which must be the same as the previous
password> enter the organization’s details and host name of the NGF server,
accept the details, and enter the key password.
4. Modify NCHOME/guifoundation/conf/server.xml by uncommenting
<connector> by adding the key details (keystore file and keystore password).
5. Start NGF.
6. Verify that the NGF server is working correctly by logging into https://<NGF
server host>:8443 and logging into the server as the user.

Given that IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 is installed and running and you are
signed in as an NGF administrator, create a user that authenticates against a
Netcool Omnibus ObjectServer as defined in the Statement of Work, with
emphasis on the following steps:
1. Select the Security tab in the NGF Administration window.
2. Select the Users pane in the Security tab.
3. Select the User Details tab.
4. Assign the same user name that is assigned in the ObjectServer.
5. Check the Authenticate externally check box.

signed in as an NGF administrator, modify the users, with emphasis on
performing the following steps:
1. Select the Security tab within the NGF Administration window.
3. Click the Edit User icon next to the user you wish to modify.
4. Modify the user details.
5. Click Save.


signed in as an NGF administrator, delete users as defined in the Statement of
Work, with emphasis on performing the following steps:
1. Select the Security tab in the NGF Administration window.
3. Check the check box next to each user that you wish to delete.
4. Click the Delete button.
5. Click OK when asked for confirmation to delete the user.

Given that IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop is installed and running and you are signed
in as administrator, create a view as defined in the Statement of Work, with
1. Launch View Builder from the AEL or the Desktop view.
2. Click the Add View button.
3. Enter the view name, fields, sort order, column titles, and ObjectServer.
4. Save the view.

in as administrator, create a filter as defined in the SOW, with emphasis on
1. Launch the Filter Builder from the Active Event List (AEL) or the Desktop view.
2. Click the Add Filter button.
3. Enter the filter name, ObjectServer data source, filter criteria, and metric.
4. Save the filter.

in as administrator, create a new ACL and define users that are members of the
ACL, with emphasis on performing the following steps:
1. From the Webtop Admin window, select Access and Utilities.
2. Select Users and ACLs.
3. Select ACLs.
4. Select Create ACLs.
5. Enter an ACL name.
6. Save the ACL.
7. Modify the created ACL.
8. Add/Remove users from the ACL.
9. Return to the ACL Editor.


Given that NGF is installed and running, create Groups, using NGF, for IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop users, with emphasis on performing the following steps:
1. Log in to NGF as a user with NGF Administrator privileges.
2. Access the Administration windows.
3. Select the Security tab.
4. Select the Groups menu.
5. Click the Add Group button.
6. Under the Group Properties tab:
a. Provide a Group name.
b. Add a Display Name, if required.
c. Add an External Authentication Name, if required.
d. Make the Group inactive, if required.
e. Add Group members as necessary.
7. Under the Group Roles tab, select roles appropriate for the Group.

in as the administrator, create an entity as defined in the SOW so that an entity is
available for use, with emphasis on performing the following steps:
1. From the Webtop Admin window, select Entities from the Content tab.
2. Click the Add Entity button.
3. Enter the entity details: name, type (filter, dependent), group, view, metric,
and label.
4. Click Add this Entity.
5. If filtered, enter the filter SQL. If dependent, select current dependencies.
6. Click Modify This Entity.

in as an administrator, create an entity view as defined in the SOW, with
1. From the Webtop Admin window, select Entity Views.
2. Click Create Entity View.
3. Enter the view name.
4. Select the ObjectServer name, select the Group Name, and click OK.
5. In the Entity View Editor, enter fields, column titles, sort order, and layout.
Click Apply.


Given that IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop is installed and running, create a chart
configuration so that a chart template is available for use, with emphasis on
1. Log in to the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop server host as the Netcool
administrator.
2. Change the directory to $NCHOME/etc/webtop/charts/definitions.
3. Copy the chart definition XML file that best matches the type of chart you
require.
4. Open the copy of the XML file and change the variable <ncchart name> to be
the same as the file name without the .xml extension.
5. Define the Chart Title by entering a name in the <header text> field.
6. Set the x Scale Element Title value to represent the x Axis label.
7. Set the y Scale Element Title value to reflect the y Axis label.
8. Define the colors to use for the chart in the Chart Renderer section.
9. Define the Chart Data Set in the DataConfig section.
10.Save the file.
11.Verify that the chart configuration works by performing these steps:
a. Log in to NGF as a IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop administrator with page
customization permissions.
b. Create a new page or customize an existing one.
c. Add a Viewpoint (using the ChartView type) to the page.
d. Click the Save and Return button to get back to the page.
e. Customize the default ChartView and select the required chart to display.
f. Verify that the chart renders as expected.

in as an administrator, create a new map, with emphasis on performing the
following steps:
1. Go to the Webtop Admin window and select Maps.
2. Select Create Map and ensure that Java™ Editor is selected.
3. Enter the name of the map.
4. Define the map properties: Access Control (Groups), height/width, and
background color/image. (The heading in the Java Editor still has “Access
Control” in the GUI but the drop-down is filled with Groups from NGF.)
5. Add components to the map, as defined in the SOW: buttons, active buttons,
lava lamp/monitors, icons, active icons, lines, and text.


6. Right-click the added elements and bring up the Properties dialogue box.
7. Define the required properties for the selected icons.
8. For Active icons, define action, URL, Entity, Datasource, and target.
9. Save the map.
10.Preview the map to verify that the configuration is correct.

Given that IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop is installed and running, create a new tool
so that the tool is available to be added to a menu, with emphasis on performing
1. Log in to NGF as the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop administrator.
2. From the Webtop Admin window, select the Tools menu.
3. Click the Create Tool button.
4. Enter a tool name and select the tool type (CGI/URL, SQL, or Command
Line).
5. Click OK.
6. For a CGI/URL tool, enter a URL, select groups, select a method, select
whether to open in new window or specific window, and select the fields to be
passed.
7. For SQL, enter the SQL statements, select groups, and enter the Journal text.
8. For Command Line, select groups, select the platform for command, enter the
command line to run, and select the fields to pass. Click OK.

Given that IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop is installed and running, create and
register a new CGI program so that it is available for use in IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop tools, with emphasis on performing the following steps:
1. Place the CGI script in the NCHOME/etc/webtop/cgi-bin/ directory.
2. Select Webtop Admin from the Pages drop-down list.
3. Select the CGI Registry menu item.
4. Click Register. The Register CGI window opens. In the CGI Name field, enter
a name for the CGI script.
5. If the output of the CGI script is HTML data that contains IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop SmartPage commands, select the Use Smart Commands
check box.
6. Enter the file name of the script in the File Name text field.
7. If you want to make the CGI script available, click the Groups button and
select the groups to which you want to allow access.
8. Click Register.


Given that IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop is installed and running, create a new
menu item and make it available for use, with emphasis on performing the
following steps:
1. The user has been added to the Webtop User and Webtop Admin roles (this
is required in order for the user to have access to the IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop admin utils).
2. Select Webtop Admin from the drop-down menu.
3. Select Menu.
4. Select Create Menu.
5. Enter a name and label.
6. Add existing tools to the new menu.
7. Arrange a new separator, if required.
8. Save the changes.

signed in with IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop administration rights, add a new
resource to a given map so that it is available for use in the Map Editor, with
1. Navigate to the Webtop Admin page n the NGF.
2. Select Map Resources.
3. Select the map that you wish to add a resource to from the list.
4. Click the Add Map Resource button.
5. Enter a resource file name or browse for a file to upload.
6. Click the Add Resource button.

directory and upload HTML files so that they are available for use, with emphasis
on performing the following steps:
Log in to NGF as the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop administrator.
From the Webtop Admin window, select the Tools menu.
Select the File Manager menu.
Enter a name for a new sub directory and click Create Sub Directory.
Select the sub directory that was just created.
Click the View Dir button.
Click the Browse button to select file to upload.
Click the Add file to Dir button.


HTML page, with emphasis on performing the following steps:
1. Open a text editor to create a new HTML file.
2. Ensure that appropriate HTML syntax is followed: <html> <head> </html>.
3. Enter the HTML commands as required. Enter the Smart Page commands as
defined in the SOW.
4. Save the file.
5. From the Webtop Admin window, select File Manager.
6. Change the directories to the appropriate location for the new file or create a
new subdir
7. Browse for the file created above.
8. Select Add file to Dir.
9. Validate the file by selecting the file added, click View File, and then link to
file.

in as an administrator, check who is logged in to IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop and
revoke user sessions so that selected users are logged out of IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop, with emphasis on performing the following steps:
1. Navigate to the Webtop Admin window.
2. Select the Sessions tab. A list showing the logged in users appears.
3. To revoke a given user, click the Revoke button next to the user. The user will
be logged out of IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop.

1.2.4 Performance tuning and performance determination
Given that IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop is installed and running, determine the
cause of IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop performance issues, with emphasis on
1. From the Webtop Admin window, click the Sessions tab to determine how
many users are logged in.
2. If the number of users is very high, revoke the user sessions.
3. Select System Information → Server Runtime to determine how much
memory is being used.
4. Check the number of events in the ObjectServer by running the nco_sql
command.
5. Check the response times when using Native Desktop.


6. Determine if there is a performance problem for all IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop
components.
7. Determine if all users are experiencing slow responses.
8. Determine if other applications are running on the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop
server host.
9. Check the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop log files in NCHOME/log/webtop.log.

Given that NGF is installed and running, determine the reason for user login
failure, or failure to access IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop, with emphasis on
1. Determine if Security Manager is running.
2. Determine if the user has an NGF account.
3. Determine if the user has an active NGF account.
4. Determine if the user has an appropriate IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop role.
5. Determine if the user is using the correct password.
6. Determine if the user has an accessible home page.
7. Determine if the ObjectServer is running and if IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop can
connect to it.

Given that IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 is installed, identify the cause of
startup problem, with emphasis on performing the following steps:
1. Log into the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop server machine.
2. Check the environment variables in NCHOME.
3. Look in $NCHOME/log/webtop.log and $NCHOME/log/guifoundation/ logs for
information about the cause of the problem.
4. Types of problems to look for: licenses not available, ports already in use, and
unable to connect to the ObjectServer.

Given that IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop is installed and running, verify the cause of
IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop's inability to connect to the ObjectServer, with
1. Log in to the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop server machine.
2. Verify that you can log in to the ObjectServer.
3. Verify that the correct ObjectServer is configured for IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop by looking in the
$NCHOME/etc/webtop/datasources/ncwDataSourceDefinitions.xml directory.
4. Verify that the user and passwords are correct by looking in the
$NCHOME/etc/webtop/datasources/ncwDataSourceDefinitions.xml directory.


5. Confirm that the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop server can connect to the
ObjectServer host and port.

Given that IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop is installed and running, create a backup
copy of the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop configuration, with emphasis on
1. Stop IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop.
2. Make copies of the following files and directories: $NCHOME/etc/webtop/,
$NCHOME/webtop/waapi/etc/, and $NCHOME/guifoundation/webapps/.
3. Start IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop.

Given that NGF is installed, troubleshoot NGF issues, so that NGF is running and
users are able to log in to IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop, with emphasis on
1. Log in to the machine where NGF is installed.
2. Check the status of NGF server by running $NCHOME/bin/ngf_server status
(on UNIX) or by checking the status of the appropriate service (on Windows).
3. If the NGF server is not running, start it by running $NCHOME/bin/ngf_server
start (on UNIX) or by starting the service (on Windows)
4. Check the NGF log files $NCHOME/log/guifoundation for possible causes of
startup issues and resolve them (if there are any).
5. If users are unable to log in to IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop at
http://<server>:<port>, make sure that Security Manager is running.

Given that Security Manager is installed, determine the cause of Security
Manager Performance issues, with emphasis on performing the following steps:
1. Determine if Security Manager is running by performing these steps:
a. From a command line, with appropriate permissions, run the script
$NCHOME/security/bin/ncsm_status.
b. From a browser window, attempt to connect to the Security Manager
HTTP port (the default is 8077).
2. Determine if the authentication source is available by performing these steps:
a. Check the specified authentication source by selecting the NGF Security
tab and then selecting the Domain menu.
b. Check the box to set it to available.
c. Check the access credentials.
d. Check NCHOME/etc/sm/server.props.


3. Change the authentication source to
$NCHOME/security/install/ncsm_config.
4. Check the Security Manager log files in
$NCHOME/security/log/SM_server.log.

1.3 Certification achieved
The IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 Implementation test (#922) is a prerequisite
for achieving the following certifications:
1.3.1, “Tivoli Netcool Core V3.0” on page 21
1.3.2, “Tivoli Fault Management Solutions 2008” on page 24
1.3.3, “Tivoli Performance Management Solutions 2008” on page 24
1.3.4, “IBM Service Management Network and Service Assurance 2009” on
page 25
1.3.5, “IBM Service Management Data Center Management and
Transformation 2009” on page 26

1.3.1 Tivoli Netcool Core V3.0
Tivoli Netcool Core V3.0 is an IBM Certified Deployment Professional
certification.

Target audience
An IBM Certified Deployment Professional - Tivoli Netcool Core V3.0 is a
technical professional responsible for the planning, installing, configuring
performance tuning, problem determination, and documenting of solutions for
IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus V7.2 and IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0. This
individual will be expected to perform these tasks with limited assistance from
peers, product documentation, and support resources.

Recommended prerequisite skills
The IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus V7.2 key areas of competency are:
Describe the IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus V7.2 architecture and components.
Plan and design an IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus V7.2 solution based on a
customer requirements/environment.
Install and configure prerequisites to IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus V7.2.


Install and configure IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus V7.2 infrastructure
components (probes, gateways, desktops, process control, accelerated event
notification (AEN), IPV6 configuration, automated failover, and failback).
Use various interfaces to configure and administer the IBM Tivoli
Netcool/OMNIbus V7.2 environment.
Perform performance tuning and problem determination for IBM Tivoli
Netcool/OMNIbus V7.2.

The IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus V7.2 required prerequisites are:
Strong working knowledge of IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus V7.2 infrastructure
components (ObjectServer, probes, gateways, desktop and process control,
accelerated event notification (AEN), IPV6 configuration, and dual server
desktop)
Strong working knowledge of IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus V7.2
administration (triggers, procedures, tools, menus, automated failover and
failback, AEN channels, and so on)
Strong working knowledge of network management principles
Working knowledge of operating system (UNIX and Windows), networking,
and firewall concepts
Knowledge of IBM Tivoli Netcool licensing
Working knowledge of security (SSL and system user accounts)
Working knowledge of SQL (including procedures)
Working knowledge of scripting languages (shell scripting, Rules files, and
regular expressions)
Working knowledge of protocols, including TCP/IP and SNMP
Working knowledge of operating system utilities (ftp, telnet, sftp, ssh, and text
editor)

The IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus V7.2 recommended prerequisites are:
Basic knowledge of help desk and database systems
Knowledge of network management systems

The IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 key areas of competency are:
Describe the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 architecture and components.
Plan and design an IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 solution based on a
customer requirements/environment.
Install and configure prerequisites to IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0.


Install and configure IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 infrastructure
components (server, Webtop Administration API, event lists, maplets, and
charts).
Use various interfaces to configure and administer the IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop V2.0 environment.
Perform performance tuning and problem determination for IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop V2.0.

The IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 required prerequisites are:
Strong working knowledge of IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 infrastructure
components
Strong working knowledge of IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 administration
(tools, menus, maplets, entities, resources, users, filters, views, SMARTPage
commands, and so on)
Strong working knowledge of HTML, CGI, XML, and SQL
Strong working knowledge of IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus V7.x, IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Security Manager V1.3, IBM Tivoli Netcool/GUI Foundations™ V1.x,
and associated architectures
Working knowledge of IBM Tivoli/Netcool licensing
Working knowledge of operating system (UNIX and Windows), networking,
and firewall concepts
Working knowledge of security (SSL and system user accounts)
Working knowledge of scripting languages (shell scripting and regular
expressions)
Working knowledge of Web browsers and Java applications

The IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 recommended prerequisites are:
Basic knowledge of network management systems
Knowledge of Web application development techniques (JavaScript™ and
HTML style sheets)
Working knowledge of protocols, including TCP/IP
Working knowledge of operating system utilities (ftp, telnet, sftp, ssh, text
editor, and so on)

Requirements
This certification requires two tests:
Test 933 - IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus V7.2 Implementation
Test 922 - IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0


1.3.2 Tivoli Fault Management Solutions 2008
Tivoli Fault Management Solutions 2008 is an IBM Certified Advanced
Deployment Professional certification.

Target audience
An IBM Certified Advanced Deployment Professional - Tivoli Fault Management
Solutions 2008 is an individual who has demonstrated a higher level of
implementation knowledge and skill both in breadth and in depth in the IBM Tivoli
Fault Management solutions area.

Requirements
This certification requires four tests:
Any one of the following tests:
– Test 901 - IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus V7.1 Implementation
Any two of the following tests:
– Test 890 - IBM Tivoli Monitoring V6.1 Implementation
– Test 897 - IBM Tivoli Network Manager IP Edition V3.7 Implementation
– Test 905 - IBM Tivoli Composite Application Manager for WebSphere V6.1
– Test 920 - IBM Tivoli Composite Application Manager for Response Time
V6.2 Implementation
– Test ITIL® - Information Technology Infrastructure Library -- Foundations
– Test 436 - IBM Tivoli Business Service Manager V4.1.1 Implementation
– Test 938 - IBM Tivoli Netcool Impact V4.0 Implementation
– Test 908 - IBM Tivoli Monitoring V6.2 Implementation

1.3.3 Tivoli Performance Management Solutions 2008
Tivoli Performance Management Solutions 2008 is an IBM Certified Advanced
Deployment Professional certification.


Target audience
An IBM Certified Advanced Deployment Professional - Tivoli Performance
Management Solutions 2008 is an individual who has demonstrated a higher
level of implementation knowledge and skill both in breadth and in depth in the
IBM Tivoli Performance Management solutions area.

Requirements
Any two of the following tests:
– Test ITIL - Information Technology Infrastructure Library -- Foundations
– Test 430 - IBM Tivoli Netcool Service Quality Manager V4.1.1
Implementation
– Test 434 - IBM Tivoli Netcool Performance Manager for Wireless V9.1.2
Implementation
– Test 931 - IBM Tivoli Netcool/Proviso V4.4.1 Implementation

1.3.4 IBM Service Management Network and Service Assurance 2009
IBM Service Management Network and Service Assurance 2009 is an IBM
Certified Advanced Deployment Professional certification.

Target audience
An IBM Certified Advanced Deployment Professional - IBM Service Management
Network and Service Assurance 2009 is an individual who has demonstrated a
higher level of implementation knowledge and skill both in breadth and in depth in
the IBM Tivoli Network and Service Assurance solutions area.

Requirements
Test 000-922 - IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0
Test 000-933 - IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus V7.2 Implementation
Test 000-938 - IBM Tivoli Netcool Impact V4.0 Implementation


– Test ITIL - Information Technology Infrastructure Library -- Foundations
– Test 000-430 - IBM Tivoli Netcool Service Quality Manager V4.1.1
Implementation
– Test 000-434 - IBM Tivoli Netcool Performance Manager for Wireless
V9.1.2 Implementation
– Test 000-931 - IBM Tivoli Netcool/Proviso V4.4.1 Implementation

1.3.5 IBM Service Management Data Center Management and
Transformation 2009
IBM Service Management Data Center Management and Transformation 2009 is
an IBM Certified Advanced Deployment Professional certification.

Target audience
An IBM Certified Advanced Deployment Professional - IBM Service Management
Data Center Management and Transformation 2009 is an individual who has
demonstrated a higher level of implementation knowledge and skill both in
breadth and in depth in the IBM Tivoli Data Center Management and
Transformation solutions area.

Requirements
This certification requires three or four tests:
Test 000-011 IBM Tivoli Application Dependency and Discovery Manager
V7.1 Implementation
Test 000-908 IBM Tivoli Monitoring V6.2 Implementation
Any one or two of the following tests:
– Test ITIL - Information Technology Infrastructure Library - Foundations
– Test 000-012 IBM Tivoli Usage and Accounting Manager V7.1
Implementation
– Test 000-253 IBM WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment
V6.1 Core Administration
– Test 000-435 IBM Tivoli Workload Scheduler V8.4 Implementation
– Test 000-436 IBM Tivoli Business Service Manager V4.1.1 Implementation
– Test 000-731 DB2® 9 DBA for Linux, UNIX, and Windows
– Test 000-905 IBM Tivoli Composite Application Manager for WebSphere
V6.1


– Test 000-920 IBM Tivoli Composite Application Manager for Response
Time V6.2 Implementation
– Test 000-922 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 and Test 000-933 IBM Tivoli
Netcool/OMNIbus V7.2 Implementation

1.4 Recommended study resources
Courses and publications are offered to help you prepare for the certification
tests. The courses are recommended, but not required, before taking a
certification test. If you wish to purchase Web-based training courses or are
unable to locate a Web-based course or classroom course at the time and
location you desire, please feel free to contact one of our delivery management
teams at:
Americas: tivamedu@us.ibm.com
EMEA: tived@uk.ibm.com
AP: tivtrainingap@au1.ibm.com

Note that course offerings are continuously being added and updated. If you do
not see the course(s) listed below in your geography, please contact the delivery
management team.

1.4.1 Classroom courses
Course title: IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop 2.0 Fundamentals

Course duration: 2 days

Course number: (TN050CE - Canada: TN051CE - Canada: TN05ES - Spain:
TN051 - US) Course numbers vary depending on the geo education delivery
area. Please refer to the Web site for this course.

Abstract: IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop 2.0 Fundamentals is a 2 day intensive
course designed for the system administrator responsible for installing,
configuring, customizing, and administering world class IT visual management
services products. Focusing on development, deployment, configuration, and
management of the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop Server, this course takes
students from the standard configuration tasks to more advanced configurations
of related components. Each student installs the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop
server on their own lab machine and, from this point forward, the student is
challenged with applying concepts and facts and creating real world scenarios.
Later, as the course develops, the emphasis shifts and the student configures


customized maps, charts, and table views from real-time network data. This is a
performance-based course and all students emerge with a thorough
understanding of visualization server technology.

1.4.2 Web resource
IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 product information can be found at the following
address:
http://www-306.ibm.com/software/tivoli/products/netcool-webtop/


2

Chapter 2. Planning
The planning information for IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop is discussed in the
following sections:
2.1, “Webtop architecture” on page 30
2.2, “Installation prerequisites” on page 33
2.3, “Licensing for IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0” on page 34
2.4, “Deployment considerations” on page 34
2.5, “Security planning” on page 35
2.6, “Customization requirements” on page 38


2.1 Webtop architecture
Figure 2-1 shows the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 architecture.

Figure 2-1 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop architecture

IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop is part of the infrastructure of the Netcool
implementation. It is installed in Netcool GUI Foundation, which works with
OMNIbus ObjectServer. It communicates with Netcool Licensing and Netcool
Security Manager for licensing and user authentication. Other Netcool products
use IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop for modifying and managing the Web interface
and user customization.

Figure 2-2 on page 31 shows IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop interaction with other
components.


Figure 2-2 Communication configuration

In Figure 2-2, IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop has several components:
Administration tool: Managing user and access rights
Map editor: Defining a background for as graphical map for user interfaces
Filters and views definition and customization
Event list applications: Active Event List (AEL), static table view, and
Lightweight Event List (LEL)
Managing Web pages: Defining HTML and Web pages definitions

Chapter 2. Planning 31

There are several methods to access IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop:
Read-only client
Read-only clients have a non-interactive view of the network status. They can
view tableviews, LELs, maps, and charts, but cannot view the AEL or execute
management instructions against alerts.
These clients are often third-party users (for example, customers) who want
to observe the events taking place on their network and obtain a high-level
view of system performance.
Desktop (read write client)
Desktop clients are usually ObjectServer validated network operation center
(NOC) personnel who are responsible for monitoring the status of a network.
They have access to AEL pages, where they can use administrative tools to
execute alert management instructions against field entries, and are capable
of creating and modifying filters and views for use in the AEL.
The entities and tools for this type of user are created by the IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop administrator.
Administrator client
Administrators are ObjectServer validated superusers responsible for
addressing the requirements of non-administrative IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop
users. This includes creating:
– Filters
– Views
– Tools
– Maps
– Entities and entity views
– Charts
Administrators also establish the high-level alert processing criteria for each
user, and configure the HTML pages on the server to display Netcool data in
the appropriate manner.
WAAPI
The IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop Administration API (WAAPI) is a utility for
remotely configuring IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop. The application is used to
send configuration instructions in XML to a IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop server.
The WAAPI is used by administrators who want to rapidly deploy predefined
configurations to target systems. This system can be considered a
command-line alternative to using the Web-based administration page.
WAAPI users must have root access privileges.
WAAPI users are not configured using the User Editor, and do not require a
license to connect to the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop server.


2.2 Installation prerequisites
This section describes the software and hardware requirements for a IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop installation. You cannot successfully install IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop if your system does not meet the requirements specified in this
section.

2.2.1 Supported platforms
The UNIX platforms on which the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop server is supported
are shown in Table 2-1.

Table 2-1 Supported UNIX platforms
Platform Versions

Solaris™ 8, 9, 10

AIX® V5.2 and V5.3

Red Hat® Enterprise Linux Advanced 3.0
Server

HP-UX 11 and 11i

The supported Windows platforms are shown in Table 2-2.

Table 2-2 Supported Windows platforms
Platform Version

Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
XP Professional
2000 Professional
2003


2.2.2 Web browser requirements
Table 2-3 shows the Web browsers supported by IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop 2.0.

Table 2-3 Supported Web browsers
Platform Browser Version

Microsoft Windows Internet Explorer® 6

Mozilla Firefox 1.5 and 1.07

Solaris Mozilla Firefox 1.5 and 1.07

Linux Mozilla Firefox 1.5 and 1.07

2.3 Licensing for IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0
The IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop server requires three license files to function
correctly. The license files are available as part numbers: C922PIE, C94SAEN,
and C922QIE. Each license file enables some of the features of the IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop server. The required license files are:
cro_webtop refers to IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop server licenses.
cro_netcool_rw refers to Netcool GUI Foundation read-write licenses.
cro_netcool_ro refers to Netcool GUI Foundation read-only licenses.
cro_ncw_os_con refers to ObjectServer data source connection licenses.

2.4 Deployment considerations
For performance reasons, IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop and the Netcool GUI
Foundation should be installed separately from other Netcool products.
Figure 2-3 on page 35 shows an example IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop deployment
using three machines.


Figure 2-3 Example IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop deployment

Your deployment depends on the specification of the available hardware, the load
to be placed on the system, the requirements of any other Netcool products, and
any failover considerations.

2.5 Security planning
Define users and groups for Webtop deployment, so that User details and groups
are defined, by performing the following steps:
1. Define users.
IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop users are defined as internal or external from a
IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop point of reference. Internal user accounts are
stored in the Security Manager itself and are maintained only in the Security
Manager. External user accounts are defined in the Security Manager defined
external source. LDAP, ObjectServer, and NIS authentication sources can all
be used by the Security Manager server.


There are several types of users, as listed in Table 2-4.

Table 2-4 User types
Type of user Roles necessary Description

IBM Tivoli IBM Tivoli The IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop administrator can
Netcool/Webtop Netcool/Webtop access the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop administrative
administrator Administrator functions using the Webtop Admin page, and also has
IBM Tivoli access to the Webtop Desktop page.
Netcool/Webtop User
GUI Foundation user

IBM Tivoli IBM Tivoli A IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop read-write user can
Netcool/Webtop Netcool/Webtop User access the Webtop Desktop, and can run AEL tools,
read-write user GUI Foundation read and change the filter or view applied to an AEL. IBM
write Tivoli Netcool/Webtop read-write users who are also
GUI Foundation user ObjectServer users can also modify ObjectServer
data.

IBM Tivoli IBM Tivoli A IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop read-only user can
Netcool/Webtop Netcool/Webtop User access the Webtop Desktop, but cannot run AEL tools
read-only user GUI Foundation read only or modify ObjectServer data.
GUI Foundation user

Netcool GUI GUI Foundation A Netcool GUI Foundation administrator can access
Foundation Administrator the Netcool GUI Foundation administrative functions
administrator Security Administrator through the Admin page, but cannot access IBM Tivoli
GUI Foundation user Netcool/Webtop functionality.

2. Determine roles.
The IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop roles user accounts define what they have
access to do and what features of the product they can access. For example,
only a IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop administrator can access the Webtop
Admin page, configure other users’ filters, and configure other users’ views.
The read-only role can prevent a user from running tools, and removing the
user account from the ObjectServer can also prevent a user from running
SQL tools. The predefined roles are listed in Table 2-5.

Table 2-5 Default roles
Role name Description

ADMIN Security administrator. This role enables access to Netcool Security Manager
functionality, and is required by Netcool GUI Foundation administrators so that they
have full control over users, roles, and groups.

DOMAIN_ADMIN Security Domain Administrator.

GROUP_ADMIN Security Group Administrator.


Role name Description

admin GUI Foundation Administrator.

user GUI Foundation user. This role is required to make users operational and so must
be assigned to all users.

netcool_ro GUI Foundation read only. This role associates a Netcool read-only role with a user,
and grants read-only access to IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop. Users with this role can
access the AEL but cannot execute AEL tools or change event data.

netcool_rw GUI Foundation read write. This role associates a Netcool read-write role with a
user, and grants read-write access to IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop. This role has an
equivalent function in IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 to the Desktop license in IBM
Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V1.3.x. Users with this role have access to AEL tools and can
change event data.

ncw_admin Webtop Administrator. This role allows a user access to the Webtop Admin page.

ncw_user Webtop desktop view. This role allows a user access to the Webtop Admin page.

Test Test role.

3. Define groups.
Groups are collections of roles that have already been defined. There are
some groups that have been predefined in IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop, such
as Desktop and Restricted, that have special meaning. The Desktop role
allows users to access the welcome page. This group, Desktop, is mapped to
the external group called Public so that ObjectServer user accounts are part
of this group by default. The restricted group is an internal Security Manager
group that gives IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop read write users in the
ObjectServer the right to delete events. The default groups and their
definitions are shown in Table 2-6.

Table 2-6 Predefined groups
Group Descriptions

Restricted This IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop group replaces the restricted ACL from previous
versions of IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop. The Delete tool is assigned to the restricted
group by default. The IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop administrator must assign users to
the restricted group before they can use the Delete tool.

System This Netcool GUI Foundation group permits its members administrative access to
certain Netcool products and to the Netcool GUI Foundation. The admin user is
assigned to this group by default.


Group Descriptions

Desktop This Netcool GUI Foundation group is required to make users operational by
permitting login. All IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop users are created as members of this
group if the Auto assign groups/roles check box is checked. You must not remove
any IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop users from this group.
By default, this group is mapped to the ObjectServer public group. This means that
all ObjectServer users can log into IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop.

VIEWS This Netcool GUI Foundation group is specific to page creation. Views must be
assigned to this group when they are created. Users and roles must not be assigned
to this group.

2.6 Customization requirements
The implementation of IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop consists of installing and
customizing different aspects of IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop. The customization
that can be performed for IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop includes:
Determine user filters.
Determine user views.
Define entities.
Define views.
Define customer dashboard requirements.
Determine chart requirements.
Define maps.
Define resources.
Define pages.
Define workflows.
Define tools.
Define menus.

The customization of these entities are discussed in more detail in Chapter 4,
“Configuration” on page 77.

As IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop is mainly used as a front end to IBM Tivoli
Netcool/OMNIbus, a good understanding of the fields of alerts are important.
One of the most important tables is the alerts.status table. This table stores all
open alerts in IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus. Some of the common fields in
alerts.status table are listed in Table 2-7 on page 39.


Table 2-7 The alerts.status table
Column name Data type Description

Identifier varchar(255) Controls ObjectServer deduplication.

Serial incr The Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus serial number for the row.

Node varchar(64) Identifies the managed entity from which the alarm originated. This
could be a host or device name, service name, or other entity.

NodeAlias varchar(64) The alias for the node. For network devices or hosts, this should be
the logical (layer-3) address of the entity. For IP devices or hosts, this
should be the IP address.

Manager varchar(64) The descriptive name of the probe that collected and forwarded the
alarm to the ObjectServer. This can also be used to indicate the host
on which the probe is running.

Agent varchar(64) The descriptive name of the sub-manager that generated the alert.

AlertGroup varchar(255) The descriptive name of the type of failure indicated by the alert (for
example, Interface Status or CPU Utilization).

AlertKey varchar(255) The descriptive key that indicates the managed object instance
referenced by the alert (for example, the disk partition indicated by a
file system full alert or the switch port indicated by a utilization alert).

Severity integer Indicates the alert severity level, which provides an indication of how
the perceived capability of the managed object has been affected.
The color of the alert in the event list is controlled by the severity
value.

Summary varchar(255) The text summary of the cause of the alert.

StateChange time An automatically maintained ObjectServer time stamp of the last
insertion or update of the alert from any source.

FirstOccurrence time The time in seconds (from midnight 1 Jan, 1970) when this alert was
created or when polling started at the probe.

LastOccurrence time The time when this alert was last updated at the probe.

InternalLast time The time when this alert was last updated at the ObjectServer.

Poll integer The frequency of polling for this alert in seconds.

Type integer The type of alert: 0: not set, 1: problem, 2: resolution, and so on.

Tally integer Automatically maintained count of the number of insertions and
updates of the alert from any source. This count is affected by
deduplication.


Column name Data type Description

Class integer The alert class used to identify the probe or vendor from which the
alert was generated. Controls the applicability of context-sensitive
event list tools.

Grade integer Indicates the state of escalation for the alert: 0: not escalated and 1:
escalated.

Location varchar(64) Indicates the physical location of the device, host, or service for which
the alert was generated.

OwnerUID integer The user identifier of the user who is assigned to handle this alert.
The default is 65534, which is the identifier for the nobody user.

OwnerGID integer The group identifier of the group that is assigned to handle this alert.

Acknowledged integer Indicates whether the alert has been acknowledged (0/1).

ServerName varchar(64) The name of the originating ObjectServer. Used by gateways to
control propagation of alerts between ObjectServers.

ServerSerial integer The serial number of the alert on the originating ObjectServer (if it did
not originate on this ObjectServer). Used by gateways to control the
propagation of alerts between ObjectServers.

URL varchar(1024) Optional URL that provides a link to additional information in the
vendor's device or ENMS.

MasterSerial integer Identifies the master ObjectServer, if this alert is being processed in
a desktop ObjectServer environment. This column is added when you
run the database initialization utility nco_dbinit with the
-desktopserver option. MasterSerial must be the last column in the
alerts.status table if you are using a desktop ObjectServer
environment.

ExtendedAttr varchar(4096) Holds name-value pairs (of IBM Tivoli Enterprise Console® extended
attributes) or any other additional information for which no dedicated
column exists in the alerts.status table. Use this column only through
the nvp_get, nvp_set, and nvp_exists SQL functions.


3

Chapter 3. Installation
The installation of IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop is discussed in the following
sections:
3.1, “The installation overview” on page 42
3.2, “License server setup” on page 42
3.3, “Security Manager installation” on page 50
3.4, “IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop installation” on page 61
3.5, “Netcool/GUI Foundation” on page 72


3.1 The installation overview
IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 eAssembly is provided in part number
CR53SEN. The components that we use in this book are:
Common license key part numbers:
– Netcool/Webtop V2.0 License Key (C94SAEN)
– Read Only Client License V1.0 English (C922PIE)
– Read Write Client License V1.0 English (C922QIE)
Linux installation part numbers:
– Tivoli Netcool Security Manager for use with Impact V3.1 on all supported
Linux versions - English (C923GIE)
– Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0.93 for Linux English (C14BQEN)
– Netcool Common License Server V1.0 for Linux - English (C924WIE)
Windows installation part numbers:
– Netcool Common License Server V1.0 for Windows - English (C924XIE)
– Tivoli Netcool Security Manager for use with Impact V3.1 on all supported
Windows versions - English (C923HIE)
– Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0.93 for Windows English (C14BREN)

The overall installation process is covered in the following sections:
3.2, “License server setup” on page 42
3.3, “Security Manager installation” on page 50
3.4, “IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop installation” on page 61
3.5, “Netcool/GUI Foundation” on page 72

3.2 License server setup
We discuss the license installation in the following sections:
UNIX installation in 3.2.1, “License server setup on UNIX” on page 43
Windows installation in 3.2.2, “License server setup on Windows” on page 47


3.2.1 License server setup on UNIX
The installation process is as follows:
1. Install Netcool License Server from the installation media. The console based
installation is shown in Example 3-1.

Example 3-1 License server installation
[root@localhost ncl]# ./INSTALL -console
Please enter installation directory [/opt/netcool]:
1523 blocks
1523 blocks
. . .

Product: Netcool/License Server

Welcome to the Netcool text installer for Netcool/License Server

To continue press [Enter]:

End User License Agreement for Netcool/License Server

MICROMUSE END USER SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT (“EULA”)
effective as of February 2006

The software (the “Licensed Software”) enclosed with this End User
Software License Agreement (“EULA”) or delivered via authorized
download and related documents, training materials and user guides
(collectively, the (“Documentation”) are licensed solely to the
. . .

Do you agree to be bound by the terms of this license (Yes/No) []:
Yes

Product: Netcool/License Server

Select Feature
------ -------
[I] 1) License Server - This is the License Server for the
Netcool suite.

Select:
1-1) Toggle feature
s) Select all features

Chapter 3. Installation 43

u) Unselect all features
i) Install selected features
q) Quit
Option [i]: i

installing Features
-------------------
[I] 1) License Server - This is the License Server for the
Netcool suite.

Do you want to continue ([I]nstall/[M]ore/[C]ancel) []: I

Installing product: Netcool/License Server.

Product Netcool/License Server installed OK.

2. Set the NCHOME environment variable:
export NCHOME=/opt/netcool
3. Start the license server by running the command nc_start_license found in
$NCHOME/license/bin/.
4. Obtain the license files from the IBM download software site found at the
following address:
http://www-01.ibm.com/software/howtobuy/passportadvantage/pao_custom
ers.htm
5. Place the files in the license server folder $NCHOME/license/etc. The default
location for UNIX is shown in Example 3-2.

Example 3-2 License file location and part numbers
[root@localhost etc]# pwd
/opt/netcool/license/etc
[root@localhost etc]# ls -l
total 12
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 707 May 28 11:16 C922PIE.lic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1168 May 28 11:16 C922QIE.lic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 713 May 28 11:16 C94SAEN.lic

6. Edit the license file contents of each of the license files. Replace the
put_hostname_here entry shown in Example 3-3 on page 45 with the server’s
host name.


Example 3-3 License file default contents
[root@localhost etc]# cat C94SAEN.lic
SERVER put_hostname_here ANY 27000
VENDOR netcool
USE_SERVER
FEATURE cro_webtop netcool 20040331.0 permanent 9999 ck=182
SIGN="0078 283B D949 F6B7 B45E 4718 B811 E500 1D70 6FE9 5AE0
883E 321F 9597 11A5" SIGN2="0069 798B D533 CCE3 C5EE 748B 95F0
3E00 A9FC BB7F 66A4 679F 4B4B 4996 0558"
FEATURE cro_ncw_os_con netcool 20040331.0 permanent 9999 ck=239
SIGN="002C 130B D862 EBE1 7357 A404 C005 DE00 9393 B839 2ABE
A2B3 924F 5CEC 03BA" SIGN2="00B9 8B87 B132 E0CC B5DA 5C07 4525
F000 85BC 08FD EB76 4CDA C0BA 225D C20D"
FEATURE webtop netcool 20030630 permanent 9999 ck=183
SIGN=9CCD06ECB29E
FEATURE ncw_os_con netcool 20030630 permanent 9999 ck=179
SIGN=398623D88E9C

7. Read the new license keys by running nc_read_license found in
/opt/netcool/license/bin, as shown in Example 3-4.

Example 3-4 Reading in newly installed license files
[root@localhost bin]# ./nc_read_license
lmreread - Copyright (c) 1989-2003 by Macrovision Corporation. All
rights reserved.
lmreread successful


8. Verify the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop keys by running the nc_print_license
command found in /opt/netcool/license/bin, as shown in Example 3-5.

Example 3-5 Verifying installed licenses
[root@localhost bin]# ./nc_print_license
lmstat - Copyright (c) 1989-2003 by Macrovision Corporation. All rights reserved.
Flexible License Manager status on Thu 5/28/2009 12:14

License server status: 27000@localhost.localdomain
License file(s) on localhost.localdomain:
/opt/netcool/license/etc//C922PIE.lic:/opt/netcool/license/etc//C922QIE.lic:/opt/netco
ol/license/etc//C94SAEN.lic:

localhost.localdomain: license server UP (MASTER) v9.2

Vendor daemon status (on localhost.localdomain):

netcool: UP v9.2

Feature usage info:
Users of cro_nci_opview: (Total of 9999 licenses issued; Total of 0 licenses in use)
Users of nci_opview: (Total of 9999 licenses issued; Total of 0 licenses in use)
Users of webtop_ro: (Total of 9999 licenses issued; Total of 0 licenses in use)
Users of cro_webtop_ro: (Total of 9999 licenses issued; Total of 0 licenses in use)
Users of cro_nci_client: (Total of 9999 licenses issued; Total of 0 licenses in use)
Users of nci_client: (Total of 9999 licenses issued; Total of 0 licenses in use)
Users of webtop_dt: (Total of 9999 licenses issued; Total of 0 licenses in use)
Users of cro_webtop_dt: (Total of 9999 licenses issued; Total of 0 licenses in use)
Users of ncp_tvs_rw: (Total of 9999 licenses issued; Total of 0 licenses in use)
Users of rad_user: (Total of 9999 licenses issued; Total of 0 licenses in use)
Users of cro_webtop: (Total of 9999 licenses issued; Total of 1 license in use)
"cro_webtop" v20040331.0, vendor: netcool
floating license
root localhost.localdomain JavaDisplay (v20040331.0) (localhost.localdomain/27000
101), start Thu 5/28 11:44
Users of cro_ncw_os_con: (Total of 9999 licenses issued; Total of 1 license in use)
"cro_ncw_os_con" v20040331.0, vendor: netcool
floating license
root localhost.localdomain JavaDisplay (v20040331.0) (localhost.localdomain/27000
201), start Thu 5/28 11:44
Users of webtop: (Total of 9999 licenses issued; Total of 0 licenses in use)
Users of ncw_os_con: (Total of 9999 licenses issued; Total of 0 licenses in use)


3.2.2 License server setup on Windows
The license server setup on Windows is as follows:
1. Obtain the license files from the IBM download software site found at the
following address:
ers.htm
2. Place the files in the license server etc folder. The default location for
Windows is shown in Example 3-6.

Example 3-6 License file names and location on Windows
c:>cd C:Program FilesIBMTivoliNetcoollicenseetc

C:Program FilesIBMTivoliNetcoollicenseetc>dir
Volume in drive C has no label.
Volume Serial Number is C43F-BBF6

Directory of C:Program FilesIBMTivoliNetcoollicenseetc

05/20/2009 01:02 PM <DIR> .
05/20/2009 01:02 PM <DIR> ..
05/20/2009 01:03 PM 695 C922PIE.lic
05/20/2009 01:04 PM 1,156 C922QIE.lic
05/20/2009 01:04 PM 701 C94SAEN.lic
05/20/2009 01:02 PM 181 dummy.lic
4 File(s) 2,733 bytes
2 Dir(s) 57,429,340,160 bytes free


3. Edit the license file’s contents to add the host name of your license server.
Figure 3-1 shows the default license file. Modify the license file to change the
host name from put_hostname_here to your actual host name.

Figure 3-1 License file default values

4. Select Programs → Netcool Suite → Flex License → lmTools, as shown in
Figure 3-2.

Figure 3-2 License Server: Start menu shortcut

5. Select the Start/Stop/Reread tab and click the Reread License File button,
as shown in Figure 3-3 on page 49.


Figure 3-3 License server: Start/Stop/Reread tab

6. To verify that the license server is reading the licenses correctly, use the
lmTools. Under the Server Status tab, click the Perform Status Enquiry
button, as shown in Figure 3-4. This generates a report of the license files
found, license server version, names of licenses found, number of licenses
available, and the number of licenses in use.

Figure 3-4 License Server: Server Status tab


3.3 Security Manager installation
This section discusses the installation of the Security Manager in the following
sub sections:
3.3.1, “Security Manager installation on UNIX” on page 50
3.3.2, “Security Manager installation on Windows” on page 54

3.3.1 Security Manager installation on UNIX
The Security Manager installation on UNIX is as follows:
1. Start the installation by running setup.sh in console mode.
2. Type Yes and press Enter to accept the license agreement after reviewing it,
as shown in Example 3-7.

Example 3-7 Security Manager installation welcome screen
[root@localhost C923GIE]#./setup.sh -console

Product: Netcool/Security Manager
Welcome to the Netcool text installer for Netcool/Security Manager

To continue press [Enter]: Yes

End User License Agreement for Netcool/Security Manager

MICROMUSE END USER SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT ("EULA") effective as of
February 2006

The software (the "Licensed Software") enclosed with this End User
Software License Agreement ("EULA") or delivered via authorized
download and related documents, training materials and user guides
(collectively, the ("Documentation") are licensed solely to the entity
named as licensee in Micromuse's business records (the "Licensee")
subject to the terms of this EULA, unless such terms are expressly and
unambiguously amended by a separate written license agreement between
Licensee and Micromuse Inc. or one of Micromuse Inc.'s subsidiaries or
affiliates (individually and collectively, "Micromuse" as used herein).
. . .

Do you agree to be bound by the terms of this license (Yes/No) []: Yes


3. By default, the Security Manager is selected for installation and there are no
other components to select. Select n to continue to the next configuration
screen, as shown in Example 3-8.

Example 3-8 Security Manager installation: component selection

SelectFeature
-------------
[I]1) Security Manager Server - The Netcool Security Manager Server

Select:
1-1) Toggle feature
u) Select no features
n) Next page (properties configuration).
q) Quit
Option [n]: n

4. In the next configuration screen, shown in Example 3-9, set the Security
Manager host name, Server Port, HTTP Port, and DB Port. You need to know
this information for the Security Manager failover setup, IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop installation, IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop upgrades, and
application troubleshooting. You should make note of them now.

Example 3-9 Security Manager installation: ports defined

Security Manager Server
Please enter Security Manager Server information

SelectProperties
----------------
1 Server Host [localhost]
2 Server Port [1275]
3 Server HTTP Port [8077]
4 Server DB Port [5600]

Select:
1-4) Change Property
p) Previous page
n) Next page
q) Quit
Option [n]: n


5. Select the method of external authentication for the Security Manager, as
shown in Example 3-10, type n, and press Enter. In this example, you are
using an ObjectServer as your authentication source.

Example 3-10 Security Manager installation: external authentication source type

Authentication Source

Select Authentication source
----------------
1ObjectServerSELECTED
2LDAP
3NIS

Select:
1-3) Choose Authentication Source
p) Previous page
n) Next page
q) Quit
Option [n]: n

6. Enter the ObjectServer details, as shown in Example 3-11. The host name,
Port, Username, and Password are details that the Security Manager needs
to authenticate user accounts against the ObjectServer.

Example 3-11 Security Manager installation: external authentication details

ObjectServer
Please enter ObjectServer information

SelectProperties
----------------
1Host [localhost]
2Port [4100]
3Username [root]
4Password [******]

Select:
p) Previous page
n) Next page
q) Quit
Option [n]: n


7. Use the default values for the Application Registry, as shown in
Example 3-12.

Example 3-12 Security Manager installation: application registry

Use Application Registry

SelectProperties
----------------
1Use Applicaton Registry [false]

Select:
1) Change Property
i) Install product
p) Previous page
q) Quit
Option [i]: i

8. Wait for the installer to complete. Example 3-13 shows the progress screen
that you will see during the installation and the completion message.

Example 3-13 Security Manager installation: status screen
Installing product: Netcool/Security Manager.

Product Netcool/Security Manager installed OK.

9. Start the Security Manager Service and check its status by running the
ncsm_status command, as shown in Example 3-14.

Example 3-14 Security Manager start script
root@localhost bin]# pwd
/opt/netcool/security/bin
root@localhost bin]# ./ncsm_server &
[2] 27658
[root@localhost bin]# Starting Server ...
Logging to file: log/SM_server.log
Apache Tomcat/4.1.8
Apache Tomcat/4.1.8
... Server Started.

[root@localhost bin]# ./ncsm_status
Netcool/SecurityManager license server is running (pid=9139 )
Netcool/SecurityManager Server is running (pid=27665 )


10.Open a browser and navigate to http://127.0.0.1:8077. The Security
Manager creates a Web site at this address that is used to verify that the
installation was successful and that the Security Manager is running, as
shown in Figure 3-5.

Figure 3-5 Security Manager confirmation window

3.3.2 Security Manager installation on Windows
The installation process for Security Manager on Windows is as follows:
1. Start the installation by running setup.msi. The installation begins and the
welcome window opens, as shown in Figure 3-6 on page 55. Click Next.


Figure 3-6 Security Manager installation: welcome window

2. Accept the license agreement and select Next to continue, as shown in
Figure 3-7.

Figure 3-7 Security Manager installation: license agreement


3. The installer reads the NCHOME environment variable and populates the
installation directory location, as shown in Figure 3-8.

Figure 3-8 Security Manager installation: NCHOME defined

4. Begin the Security Manager configuration by clicking Next on the window

Figure 3-9 Security Manager installation: component selection


5. In Figure 3-10, set the Security Manager host name, Server Port, HTTP Port,
and DB Port. This information is needed for IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop
installation, IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop upgrades, and application
troubleshooting.

Figure 3-10 Security Manager installation: Security Manager ports defined

6. Select the method of external authentication for the Security Manager, as
shown in Figure 3-11, and click Next. In this example, we use an
ObjectServer as our authentication source.

Figure 3-11 Security Manager installation: external data source defined


7. Enter the ObjectServer details, as shown in Figure 3-12. The host name, Port,
Username, and Password are the details the Security Manager needs to
authenticate user accounts against the ObjectServer.

Figure 3-12 Security Manager installation: define ObjectServer

8. Use the default values for the Application Registry, as shown in Figure 3-13.

Figure 3-13 Security Manager installation: application registry

9. Start the installation by confirming your selections and clicking the Install
button, as shown in Figure 3-14 on page 59.


Figure 3-14 Security Manager installation: component confirmation

10.Wait for the installer to complete. Figure 3-15 shows the progress window that
you will see during the installation.

Figure 3-15 Security Manager installation: progress window


11.After the installer completes, the installer displays the installation results, as
shown in Figure 3-16. Click Finish to complete the installation.

Figure 3-16 Security Manager installation: summary window

12.Start the Netcool Security Manager service.
13.Open a browser and navigate to http://127.0.0.1:8077. The Security
Manager creates a Web site at this address that is used to verify that the
installation was successful and that the Security Manager is running, as

Figure 3-17 Security Manager confirmation page


3.4 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop installation
The installation of IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop itself is discussed in the following
sections:
3.4.1, “IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop installation on UNIX” on page 61
3.4.2, “IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop installation on Windows” on page 66

3.4.1 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop installation on UNIX
The IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop installation on UNIX is performed as follows:
1. After reviewing the ReadMe file that is included with the IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop installation, start the installer by executing the INSTALL
script, as shown in Example 3-15.

Example 3-15 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop installation: welcome screen
[root@localhost C1YR3ML]# ./INSTALL -console

Product: Netcool/Webtop

Welcome to the Netcool text installer for Netcool/Webtop

To continue press [Enter]:

2. Accept the license agreement and type Yes to continue the installation, as
shown in Example 3-16.

Example 3-16 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop installation: license agreement
End User License Agreement for Netcool/Webtop

MICROMUSE END USER SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT ("EULA")
effective as of February 2006

The software (the "Licensed Software") enclosed with this End User Software
License Agreement ("EULA") or delivered via authorized download and related
documents, training materials and user guides (collectively, the
("Documentation") are licensed solely to the entity named as licensee in
Micromuse's business records (the "Licensee") subject to the terms of this
EULA, unless such terms are expressly and unambiguously amended by a separate
written license agreement between Licensee and Micromuse Inc. or one of
Micromuse Inc.'s subsidiaries or affiliates (individually and collectively,
"Micromuse" as used herein).

Do you agree to be bound by the terms of this license (Yes/No) []: Yes


3. Confirm the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop components that you want to install.
By default, all components are selected, as shown in Example 3-17. If you
want to deselect a component, press the number key that corresponds to it.

Example 3-17 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop installation: component selection

SelectFeature
-------------
[I] 1) Netcool/Webtop - Netcool/Webtop
[I] 2) Netcool/Webtop Migrator - Migration utility to migrate from
Netcool/Webtop 1.3.x to Netcool/Webtop 2.0. Will be installed in
NCHOME/webtop/migrator.
[I] 3) WAAPI - WAAPI client for Netcool/Webtop. Will be installed in
NCHOME/webtop/waapi.

Select:
1-3) Toggle feature
u) Unselect all features
i) Install selected features
n) Next page (properties configuration)
q) Quit
Option [i]: n

4. Define the user name, HTTP port, and server host name of the Security
Manager server that the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop server is connecting to for
authentication. The NCHOME value will default to /opt/netcool if nothing is
defined in the environment, but if the NCHOME is already set to a custom
value, the installer will use that value. The installer would not add this value
(or any other variables) in /etc/profile; you have to add it manually for IBM
Tivoli Netcool/Webtop to function correctly. Refer to Example 3-18 on page 63
for more details.


Example 3-18 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop installation: NCHOME and Security Manager
defined

SelectProperties
----------------
1 NCHOME default destination directory [/opt/netcool]
2 Default host name for the Security Manager. [localhost]
3 HTTP Port Number for the security Manager. [8077]
4 Administrators username for the Security manager. [admin]

Select:
i) Install product
p) Previous page
n) Next page
q) Quit

Option [i]: n

5. Set the Security Manager account password, license server host name,
license server port, and HTTP port for Netcool GUI Foundation, as shown in
Example 3-19. The HTTP port is the port you will be using to connect to the
IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop server with a browser. In this example, you would
need to use the URL http://localhost:8080 to connect.

Example 3-19 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop installation: dependencies continued

SelectProperties
----------------
1 Administrators password for the Security manager. [netcool]
2 Default address for the license server. [localhost]
3 Default port for the license server. [27000]
4 NGF HTTP Server Port. [8080]

Select:
i) Install product
p) Previous page
n) Next page
q) Quit

Option [i]: n


6. Set the NGF Server Control Port, NGF Database Port, ObjectServer name,
and ObjectServer host name, as shown in Example 3-20. The ObjectServer
host name should be a fully qualified domain name if you are using a remote
server. The NGF control port and DB port do not normally need to be
modified, but you should be aware that your application is using them to avoid
conflicts and port scans.

Example 3-20 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop installation: properties

SelectProperties
----------------
1 NGF Server Control Port. [8085]
2 NGF Database Port. [8089]
3 Existing ObjectServer name [NCOMS]
4 Existing ObjectServer host [localhost]

Select:
i) Install product
p) Previous page
n) Next page
q) Quit

Option [i]: n

7. Set the ObjectServer port, user name, and password that IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop will be using for event data, as shown in Example 3-21.

Example 3-21 ObjectServer attributes

SelectProperties
----------------
1 Existing ObjectServer port [4100]
2 Existing ObjectServer username [root]
3 Existing ObjectServer password []

Select:
i) Install product
p) Previous page
q) Quit

Option [i]: i


8. Confirm your application component select one last time before beginning the
installation. Press i and Enter to begin the installation, as shown in
Example 3-22.

Example 3-22 Installation feature
installing Features
-------------------
[I] 1) Netcool/Webtop - Netcool/Webtop
[I] 2) Netcool/Webtop Migrator - Migration utility to migrate from
Netcool/Webtop 1.3.x to Netcool/Webtop 2.0. Will be installed in
NCHOME/webtop/migrator.
[I] 3) WAAPI - WAAPI client for Netcool/Webtop. Will be installed in
NCHOME/webtop/waapi.

Do you want to continue ([I]nstall/[M]ore/[C]ancel) []: i

9. Wait for the installation to complete. After the installer completes, you will get
message shown in Example 3-23. The installation will not actually be
complete until the Netcool/GUI Foundation (NGF) server is started for the first
time and provisioned successfully. This is covered in 3.5, “Netcool/GUI
Foundation” on page 72.

Example 3-23 Installation complete
Installing product: Netcool/Webtop.

Product Netcool/Webtop installed OK.


3.4.2 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop installation on Windows
The IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop installation on Windows is as follows:
1. After reviewing the ReadMe file that is included with the IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop installation, start the installer by executing setup.exe. Click
Next in the welcome window shown in Figure 3-18.

Figure 3-18 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop installation: welcome window

2. Accept the license agreement and click Next to continue the installation, as

Figure 3-19 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop installation: license agreement


3. The installer reads the environment variable for your system (%NCHOME%)
and displays your IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop installation location, as shown in
Figure 3-20. If %NCHOME% is not displayed here, cancel the installation and
review your system configuration.

Figure 3-20 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop installation: %NCHOME% defined

4. Confirm the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop components that you want to install.
By default, all components are selected, as shown in Figure 3-21. If you want
to de-select a component, double-click the component name.

Figure 3-21 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop installation: component confirmation


5. Enter the license server host name and port, as shown in Figure 3-22.

Figure 3-22 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop installation: License Server defined

6. Enter the ObjectServer name, host name of the ObjectServer, ObjectServer
port, user name, and password, as shown in Figure 3-23. This information will
be used to create your data source file so that it defines where IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop gets its event data from. This information is not used for
authentication.

Figure 3-23 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop installation: ObjectServer defined


7. Enter the Security Manager host name and HTTP port, as shown in
Figure 3-24. IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop uses this information for its internal
and external user account authentication.

Figure 3-24 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop installation: Security Manager ports defined

8. Define the Security Manager user name and password, as shown in
Figure 3-25. By default, the user account is admin and the password is
netcool.

Figure 3-25 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop installation: Security Manager login


9. Define the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop ports for the NGF HTTP server, NGF
Server Control, and NGF Database, as shown in Figure 3-26.

Figure 3-26 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop installation: NGF ports defined

10.Confirm your selected configuration and click the Install button, as shown in
Figure 3-27.

Figure 3-27 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop installation summary

11.Wait for the installer to complete. The window shown in Figure 3-28 on
page 71 shows the installation progress.


Figure 3-28 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop installer progress window

12.Click the Finish button to complete the installation.


3.5 Netcool/GUI Foundation
The configuration of Netcool/GUI Foundation is as follows:
1. Starting the NGF server for the first time will provision the IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop server and the Security Manager that it is configured to use.
This process returns many provisioning status messages, which is normal.
This process needs to complete fully the first time the server is started. Run
ngf_server start to start the server or start the Netcool/GUI Foundation
service from the Windows Services window. See Example 3-24 for an
example of the UNIX startup.

Example 3-24 Provisioning the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop server when starting the
server for the first time
[root@localhost bin]# $NCHOME/bin/ngf_server start
Starting Netcool GUI Foundation ...
Linking ASA libraries
ln -s /opt/netcool/guifoundation/asa/unix/lib/libdbcis9.so
/opt/netcool/guifoundation/asa/unix/lib/libdbcis9.so.1
ln -s /opt/netcool/guifoundation/asa/unix/lib/libdbencod9_r.so
/opt/netcool/guifoundation/asa/unix/lib/libdbencod9_r.so.1
. . .
00_smprovision_init.xml machant_webtop.xml
waiting on provisioning script to complete execution

NGF Server: Running PID: 30724
ASA Database: Running PID: 30715

Note: If Security Manager is not started, Netcool/GUI Foundation will fail to
process the XML files and will keep on retrying the provisioning.


2. Log into IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop server with the admin account, as shown
in Figure 3-29. The default port is 8080, the user name is admin, and the
password is netcool. This account is used to configure access to IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop for the webadmin user you just created in the ObjectServer.

Figure 3-29 NGF login window


3. After the admin account is authenticated, you will see the welcome window

Figure 3-30 NGF default welcome window

4. From the welcome window, select the Administration option in the drop
down box to navigate to the NGF administration window, as shown in
Figure 3-31.

Figure 3-31 NGF administration window


The System Information window also contains the server runtime information,
as shown in Figure 3-32.

Figure 3-32 System Information: server runtime window

The System Information window also allows you to view Java Runtime
information, which includes Java Virtual Machine environment variables, a
user name, and other Java properties, as shown in Figure 3-33.

Figure 3-33 System Information: Java runtime window

5. Click Logout to close the session.


4

Chapter 4. Configuration
The configuration of IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop is discussed in the following
sections:
4.1, “Basic IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop configuration” on page 78
4.2, “Security settings” on page 86
4.3, “Visual components” on page 101
4.4, “Navigation components” on page 131
4.5, “HTML file” on page 138


4.1 Basic IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop configuration
The basic configuration is discussed in the following sections:
4.1.1, “WAAPI configuration” on page 78
4.1.2, “Data sources” on page 81
4.1.3, “SSL configuration” on page 84

4.1.1 WAAPI configuration
Perform the following steps to configure the Webtop Administration API (WAAPI):
1. Configure the WAAPI by editing the $NCHOME/webtop/waapi/etc/waapi.init
file to include a user that is a Normal ObjectServer user and a Webtop Admin
user account. In Example 4-1 webadmin was created in the ObjectServer and
NGF and given the proper group and role access in each server.

Example 4-1 WAAPI configuration file
4888C############################################################
# Netcool/Webtop Auto Admin API (WAAPI) Configuration File
waapi.host:localhost
waapi.port:8080
waapi.contextpath:/webtop
waapi.secureport:8443
waapi.user:webadmin
waapi.password:netcool
waapi.file:
waapi.timeoutsecs: 600

2. Set the environment variable WAAPI_HOME to $NCHOME/webtop/waapi.
3. Test the configuration by running the webtop_osresync WAAPI script, as
shown in Example 4-2. The user running this script must have the Webtop
Administrator role.

Example 4-2 Testing the WAAPI configuration
[root@localhost bin]# /opt/netcool/webtop/bin/webtop_osresync
********************************************************************
WAAPIClient: Request sent to server on http://localhost:8080/webtop/...
Thu May 28 11:55:48 PDT 2009
NCWRPCOSConfigHandler.refreshOSCache() command excecuted.
********************************************************************
WAAPIClient: 1 method was fully executed.


4. If you are using SSL with WAAPI, you need to alter the runwaapi command to
locate the correct client keystore:
– For example, on UNIX platforms (all on one line):
${JAVA} -Djavax.net.ssl.trustStore=/etc/.keystoreWAAPI -cp
${WAAPILIB} com.micromuse.wave.client.WAAPIStart -home
$WAAPI_HOME $*
– For example, on Windows platforms (all on one line):
%OMNIJAVA% -Djavax.net.ssl.trustStore=c:.keystoreWAAPI -cp
%WAAPILIB% com.micromuse.wave.client.WAAPIStart -home
"%WAAPI_HOME%" %*
5. Additional configuration for WAAPI can be made from its properties file in
install_dir/products/ncw/waapi/etc/waapi.init. It contains the client
connection information details for accessing the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop
server.

WAAPI is invoked using an XML file. The skeleton of the XML file is shown in
Example 4-3.

Example 4-3 Sample WAAPI XML file structure
<methodCall>
<method methodName = "methodName">
Element object definition and arguments
</method>
</methodCall>

The methodName in Example 4-3 indicates the operation that WAAPI is
performing. The available method names and WAAPI object construct that are
used as argument are listed in Table 4-1.

Table 4-1 WAAPI methods and elements
Method name Element reference

cgi.registerCGI cgi
cgi.createOrReplaceCGI
cgi.modifyCGI
cgi.unregisterCGI

entity.addEntity entity
entity.createOrReplaceEntity
entity.deleteEntity
entity.deleteEntityForced
entity.modifyEntity
entity.setDefaultGroup

Chapter 4. Configuration 79


entity.setDefaultView entityView

file.addDir file
file.addFile
file.createOrReplaceFile
file.deleteFile
file.recurseRemove
file.removeDir

map.addMapVisual map
map.createMap
map.createOrReplaceMap
map.createOrReplaceMapVisual
map.deleteMap
map.deleteMapVisual
map.getList
map.modifyMap
map.modifyMapVisual

menu.createMenu supermenu
menu.createOrReplaceMenu
menu.deleteMenu
menu.modifyMenu

osresync.refreshOSCache N/A

resource.addResource resources -> resource
resource.createOrReplaceResource
resource.getList
resource.removeResource

tool.createTool tools
tool.createOrReplaceTool
tool.deleteTool
tool.getList
tool.modifyTool

user.getList user
user.modifyUser

view.createView view

view.createOrReplaceView

view.deleteView

view.getList

view.modifyView



webtopprobe.generateReport N/A

4.1.2 Data sources
Perform the following steps to configure the data source definition:
1. Before editing the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop data source file, you need to
shut down the NGF server. Use the ngf_server stop command to perform
the shutdown (for UNIX), as shown in Example 4-4, or stop the Netcool GUI
Foundation service (for Windows).

Example 4-4 Stopping the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop server in UNIX
[root@localhost bin]# ./ngf_server stop
Stopping Netcool GUI Foundation ...
Adaptive Server Anywhere Stop Engine Utility Version 9.0.1.1965

NGF Server: Not Running PID: n/a
ASA Database: Not Running PID: n/a

2. The data source file resides in
$NCHOME/etc/webtop/datasources/ncwDataSourceDefinitions.xml. You
should back that file up before making any modifications. The data source file
is shown in Example 4-5. This configures the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop
server to use a single ObjectServer data source with a custom port, host
name, user, and password.

Example 4-5 Default data source file contents
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<ncwDataSourceDefinitions>
<ncwDefaultDataSourceList>
<ncwDataSourceEntry name="NCOMS"/>
</ncwDefaultDataSourceList>
<ncwDataSourceDefinition type="singleServerOSDataSource"
name="NCOMS" enabled="true">
<ncwResultsCacheParameters maxAge="60" enabled="false"
cleanerSleepTime="120"/>
<ncwDataSourcePollingParameters>
<ncwFailOverPollingParameters basePollingTime="10"
backOffMultiplier="2"/>
<ncwHeartBeatParameters basePollingTime="15"/>
</ncwDataSourcePollingParameters>
<ncwConnectionParameters>


<ncwStatementParameters>
<ncwQueryTimeout baseTime="60"/>
</ncwStatementParameters>
</ncwConnectionParameters>
<ncwConfigCacheParameters resyncTime="3600"/>
<ncwDataSourceCredentials password="pwd" userName="root"
encrypted="false"/>
<ncwFailOverPairDefinition>
<ncwPrimaryServer>
<ncwOSConnection host="localhost" port="4100"/>
</ncwPrimaryServer>
</ncwFailOverPairDefinition>
</ncwDataSourceDefinition>
</ncwDataSourceDefinitions>

Some of the configuration parameters shown in Example 4-5 on page 81 are
defined as follows:
ncwResultsCacheParameters
Caching of the ObjectServer events
ncwDataSourcePollingParameters
Polling of data source failover configuration
ncwConnectionParameters
Configuration for how a connection is handled, such as
timeout and other configuration
ncwConfigCacheParameters
Configuration for reading the data source configuration
ncwFailOverPairDefinition
Definition of the ObjectServer to connect
3. There are some modifications that you can make to the data source definition:
– To add another ObjectServer definition, define a new
ncwDataSourceDefinition tag.
– To define a backup ObjectServer information, change the
ncwDataSourceDefinition tag’s type parameter to
multipleServerOSDataSource. The backup host name and port is specified
with the ncwBackupServer tag under the ncwFailOverPairDefinition tag.
– To configure the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop server to use a Dual Source
Desktop ObjectServer data source, you can use a
ncwReadCloudDefinition tag with one or more ncwOSConnection tags.


Example 4-6 Data source file: DSD Netcool/Webtop and multiple data sources with
failover
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<ncwDataSourceDefinitions>
<ncwDefaultDataSourceList>
<ncwDataSourceEntry name="AMETHYST"/>
</ncwDefaultDataSourceList>
<ncwDataSourceDefinition type="multipleServerOSDataSource"
name="AMETHYST" enabled="true">
<ncwDataSourcePollingParameters>
<ncwFailOverPollingParameters basePollingTime="10"
backOffMultiplier="2"/>
<ncwHeartBeatParameters basePollingTime="15"/>
</ncwDataSourcePollingParameters>
<ncwConfigCacheParameters resyncTime="3600"/>
<ncwDataSourceCredentials userName="root" password=""
encrypted="false"/>
<ncwFailOverPairDefinition>
<ncwPrimaryServer>
<ncwOSConnection host="192.168.0.7" port="4545"/>
</ncwPrimaryServer>
<ncwBackUpServer>
</ncwBackUpServer>
</ncwFailOverPairDefinition>
<ncwReadCloudDefinition>
</ncwReadCloudDefinition>
</ncwDataSourceDefinition>
</ncwDataSourceDefinitions>

4. After you have finished the data source configuration editing, start the NGF
server. In UNIX, use the ngf_server start command (for UNIX), as shown in
Example 4-7),or start the Netcool GUI Foundation service (in Windows).

Example 4-7 Start the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop server in UNIX
[root@localhost bin]# ./ngf_server start
Starting Netcool GUI Foundation ...

NGF Server: Running PID: 8004
ASA Database: Running PID: 8000


4.1.3 SSL configuration
This section discusses SSL activation for IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop and NGF for
SSL connectivity. This allows WAAPI and the browser interface to connect
through SSL. The procedure is described below; however, the certificate must be
imported into the WAAPI client keystore for the SSL connection to work. Perform
1. To start the Webtop SSL configuration, you need to stop the NGF server; use
the ngf_server stop command.
2. Create a directory to hold your SSL certificates and generate your SSL
keystore, as shown in Example 4-8. Use the keytool command that resides in
$NCHOME/platform/<arch>/<jre>/bin.

Note: When generating the SSL keystore, the answer to What is your
first and last name? should be the fully qualified domain name of the
NGF server. This should be the same name that you use for the browser
URL to access IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop.

Example 4-8 Create a self-signed certificate
[root@localhost bin]# ./keytool -genkey -alias ngf -keyalg RSA
-keystore /etc/keystore
Enter keystore password: netcool
What is your first and last name?
[Unknown]: webtop.ral.ibm.com
What is the name of your organizational unit?
[Unknown]: IBM
What is the name of your organization?
[Unknown]: IBM
What is the name of your City or Locality?
[Unknown]: RTP
What is the name of your State or Province?
[Unknown]: NC
What is the two-letter country code for this unit?
[Unknown]: US
Is CN=webtop.ral.ibm.com, OU=IBM, O=IBM, L=RTP, ST=NC, C=US correct?
(type "yes" or "no")
[no]: yes

Enter key password for <ngf>
(RETURN if same as keystore password): netcool


3. Edit NCHOME/guifoundation/server.xml to change the HTTP (port 8080)
connection to an HTTPS (port 8443) connection and use the keystore
generated from Example 4-8 on page 84. The modified definition is shown in
Example 4-9.

Example 4-9 Turn off HTTP for NGF

<Connector port="8443"
maxThreads="500"
minSpareThreads="50"
maxSpareThreads="100"
enableLookups="false"
disableUploadTimeout="true"
acceptCount="500"
scheme="https"
secure="true"
clientAuth="false"
keystoreFile="/etc/keystore"
keystorePass="netcool"
URIEncoding="UTF-8"
sslProtocol="TLS" />

4. Start the NGF server so that the changes can take effect.

4.1.4 Additional IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop settings
There are some other settings that can be used to configure IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop server:
The server.init file in $NCHOME/etc/webtop
The server.init file provides the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop server
initialization values for initializing the Netcool GUI Foundation parameters.
There are some customizations that can be performed, such as:
– Licensing information
– User settings
– Various objects defaults
– Event data retrieval rate
– The retrieval rate for the ObjectServer
The userdefaults.props file in $NCHOME/etc/webtop/system
The userdefaults.props file contains the default user properties for IBM
Tivoli Netcool/Webtop, such as AEL default properties, map properties, and
other attributes, such as time zone settings, home page, and restriction filter.

4.2 Security settings
The security settings discussed in this section include:
4.2.1, “User configuration” on page 86
4.2.2, “Group management” on page 99

4.2.1 User configuration
To define a user that is externally authenticated by the ObjectServer, perform the
following steps:
1. Open the ObjectServer administrative console by running the nco_config
command under $NCHOME/omnibus/bin (for UNIX) or by selecting
Programs → Netcool Suite → Administrator (for Windows).
2. When opening the console for the first time or after making changes with
nco_xigen, you will be prompted to import the connection details, as shown in
Figure 4-1 on page 87. Select Yes to continue the connection setup.


Figure 4-1 ObjectServer connection import prompt

3. Read through the information window shown in Figure 4-2 and select Next to
continue the configuration.

Figure 4-2 ObjectServer connection import menu: welcome window


4. All the ObjectServer connections should appear in the right pane of the next
configuration window, shown in Figure 4-3. If your ObjectServer, NCOMS by
default, is in the left pane, move it to the right pane. Once all the
ObjectServers are in the right pane, click Next.

Figure 4-3 ObjectServer connection import menu: OS connection


5. This window defines the PA server connection name and port, as shown in
Figure 4-4. There is no PA server for Windows installations, so this window
could be pointed at an external UNIX PA server or ignored, as it will not be
used on Windows.

Figure 4-4 ObjectServer connection import menu: PA connection


6. Confirm the connection details and click Finish to complete the administrative
console connection settings, as shown in Figure 4-5.

Figure 4-5 ObjectServer connection import menu: summary


7. Open the OMNIbus administration console by running the nco_config
command. Log in to the ObjectServer that you have defined as the Security
Manager external authentication source. In this example, the ObjectServer is
NCOMS, as shown in Figure 4-6. The default user name is root with a blank
password.

Figure 4-6 ObjectServer administrative console


8. Select the user menu, as shown in Figure 4-7.

Figure 4-7 ObjectServer user account management window


9. Create a new user account by clicking the new user button and defining the
user details. For this example, the user should be a Normal user with no
restriction filters set and a password set in the Settings tab, as shown in
Figure 4-8.

Figure 4-8 ObjectServer user account detail: Groups tab


10.Select the Security tab to open the user management window, as shown in
Figure 4-9, and click the Add User button to create a new IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop user account.

Figure 4-9 NGF user management window

11.Fill in the Username, First Name, and Last Name fields and check the
Authenticate Externally box on the User Details tab, as shown in
Figure 4-10 on page 95.


Figure 4-10 NGF new user creation window: User Details tab

12.Select the User Roles tab and assign the new user. In our example the
webadmin is the user and we assign the Webtop user, Webtop administration,
and NGF User roles to it, as shown in Figure 4-11.

Figure 4-11 NGF new user creation window: User Roles


13.Select the User Groups tab and assign the Desktop group to the account, as

Figure 4-12 NGF new user creation window: User Groups

14.Click Save to save the new user account and you will be taken back to the
Security tab, where you will find your new user account listed in the users
table, as shown in Figure 4-13.

Figure 4-13 NGF administration Security tab users table with a new account

15.After the user is created, you can further modify the user settings by clicking
the pencil icon .


16.To delete the user, check the check box of the user you wanted to delete and
click Delete. When you delete a user, confirm your user deletion request by
clicking the OK button, as shown in Figure 4-14.

Figure 4-14 User deletion confirmation

17.To further customize the user, open the Webtop Admin application and select
the User preferences pane. User selection is provided in the User Editor, as

Figure 4-15 User Editor


18.The User Preferences Editor changes IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop attributes
for the user. Click the Modify User Profile button to change the user
preferences, as shown in Figure 4-16.

Figure 4-16 User Preferences Editor

19.The user preferences in Figure 4-16 have the following elements:
– A restriction filter defined in the ObjectServer (if the user is authenticated
from an ObjectServer)
– The user’s default page when they log in to IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop.
– Several options to allow or show certain items in the Event List:
• Filter and view selection: Choose which filter and view to use.
• Filter builder: Change a filter.
• View builder access: Modify a view.
• Preferences configuration: Change the preferences by selecting
Edit → Preferences in the Event List.
• Event selection: Allows you to select an event for modification
The default for the refresh rate is not configurable (it determines how often
event information is retrieved from the ObjectServer). It also has a close
relationship with the IDUC rate, as the data on the desktop ObjectServer is
updated based on the IDUC rate. This can impact the performance of IBM
Tivoli Netcool/Webtop. Click Modify This Profile when done.


4.2.2 Group management
Groups are used to easily define a set of authorizations to be given to all
members of the group. They are typically created to serve the authorization
needs of a group of users. In IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0, the use of a group
replaces the Access Control List (ACL) in the previous versions. To create a
group, perform the following steps:
1. Log in to Netcool GUI Foundation and open the Administration window.
2. Select the Security tab and the Groups pane, as shown in Figure 4-17. Click
the Add Group button.

Figure 4-17 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop Security tab Groups window


3. Enter a group name and a display name for the group, as shown in
Figure 4-18. The external authentication name should only be used for
advanced configurations. It is only used for mapping the NGF group to a
group with the same name that exists in the Security Manager’s external
authentication source.

Figure 4-18 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop Security tab: Group Properties tab

4. Assign the roles that you want associated with this group. Figure 4-19 on
page 101 shows that the group contains the GUI Foundation user and GUI
Foundation read only roles.


Figure 4-19 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop Security tab: Group Roles tab

5. Click Save to save the definition.

4.3 Visual components
The visual component modifications that can be performed for IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop are:
4.3.1, “View creation” on page 101
4.3.2, “Filter creation” on page 106
4.3.3, “Entity definition” on page 108
4.3.4, “Chart definition” on page 114
4.3.5, “Map definition” on page 122

4.3.1 View creation
After IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop is installed and running, sign in as the
administrator and create a view by performing the following steps:
1. Log in to IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop and open the Webtop Admin application.


2. Select View Builder from the left navigation pane. The View Builder is shown
in Figure 4-20.

Figure 4-20 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop View Builder editor menu


3. Click the plus sign to create a new view. Enter the view name, select the
ObjectServer columns to be displayed, and determine the sort order, as
shown in Figure 4-21. Refer to Table 2-7 on page 39 for information about the
ObjectServer fields.

Figure 4-21 Webtop View Builder view editor


4. The IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop view is created when you click Save and then
OK. The new view is shown in the view list shown in Figure 4-22.

Figure 4-22 View definition completed


5. Go to the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop desktop and select the Event Lists tab.
You should see the Active Event List (AEL). Use the new view that you
created. Now you have an AEL that only displays the ObjectServer columns
that you defined in your custom view, as shown in Figure 4-23.

Figure 4-23 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop desktop AEL with new view


4.3.2 Filter creation
After IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop is installed and running, sign in as the
administrator and create a filter by performing the following steps:
1. Log in to IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop and browse to the Webtop Admin
application. Select Filter Builder, which opens the window shown in
Figure 4-24.

Figure 4-24 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop Filter Builder

2. Click the plus sign to create a new IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop filter. Give the
filter a name and define the filter value, as shown in Figure 4-25 on page 107.
You can use comparison operators (such as: <, >, <=, >=, <>, !=, like, not like)
to check the event.


Figure 4-25 Webtop filter builder new filter window

3. Save the filter by clicking OK.


4. Load the filter by selecting it from the AEL filter drop-down menu. The result is

Figure 4-26 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop AEL filter applied

4.3.3 Entity definition
An entity is an aggregate of a filter and a view, and is typically used by active
objects in maps to establish the initial display criteria of a linked component. For
example, when a user clicks a monitor box in a map that opens an AEL, the entity
assigned to the monitor box applies the initial filter and view to that AEL.

Entities are also used to display the alert status of a data source. The map object
uses the entity associated with it to derive the highest alert severity of the
assigned data source. This severity can then be identified by the color of the
object.


After IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop is installed and running, sign in as the IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop administrator to create an entity by performing the following
steps:
1. Open the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop administration window and select the
Entities pane, as shown in Figure 4-27.

Figure 4-27 Webtop Admin entities window

2. Click the Add Entity button to open the Entity Editor, as shown in Figure 4-28
on page 110. The add entity window allows you to also add a new Entity
Group by selecting the Group drop-down menu, selecting <Add New Group>,
and entering the new Entity Group name.


Figure 4-28 Webtop Admin Entity Editor

3. After entering a entity name, click the Add This Entity button to load the next
window of the Entity Editor, which is shown in Figure 4-29.

Figure 4-29 Webtop Admin Entity Editor details window

4. Click the Modify This Entity button to save the entity details and you will see
your new entity in the Entity Browser window.

After IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop is installed and running, sign in as a IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop administrator to create an entity view by performing the following
steps:
1. Open the Webtop Admin window and select the Entity Views pane, as shown
in Figure 4-30 on page 111. This pane allows you to create, modify, and
delete an entity view. An entity view can only be deleted when there are no
views that depend on it.


Figure 4-30 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop Entity View Editor

2. Click the Create Entity View button to bring up the Create Entity View menu
shown in Figure 4-31. The DEFAULT OS entry refers to the ObjectServer
specified as the default in the configuration file.

Figure 4-31 Entity view creation menu

3. Enter a View Name for the new view and select the group that will have
access to this view and click OK.


4. Define the ObjectServer columns that should be included in the view and
customize the fields’ details, as shown in Figure 4-32, and click Apply.

Figure 4-32 Entity view details menu

The Entity Generator is another way to create entities. The Entity Generator
takes a snapshot of the contents of an ObjectServer and generates different
entities for each unique value for a field and associates its metric with the
aggregate value of another field. It allows automatic generation of a map that is
populated with the entities. To use the Entity Generator, perform the following
steps:
1. From the Netcool GUI Foundation window, select Webtop Admin and go to
the Entity Generator window, as shown in Figure 4-33 on page 113.


Figure 4-33 Entity Generator window

2. Click the Generate Entities button to generate the entities (and map). The
window shown in Figure 4-34 should appear.

Figure 4-34 Unique entities for the node fields


3. The resulting map is shown in Figure 4-35.

Figure 4-35 Generated map with entities

4.3.4 Chart definition
After IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop is installed and running, you can create a chart
configuration by performing the following steps:
1. Browse to $NCHOME/etc/webtop/charts/definitions to find the installed
charts, as shown in Example 4-10.

Example 4-10 Chart definitions
[root@localhost definitions]# pwd
/opt/netcool/etc/webtop/charts/definitions
[root@localhost definitions]# ls
BAR_3Deventsbylocation.xml PIE_Severity.xml
BAR_eventsbylocation.xml SBAR_3Deventsbylocationseverity.xml
LINE_3Deventsbylocation.xml SBAR_eventsbylocationseverity.xml
LINE_eventsbylocation.xml SBAR_SeverityByLocation.xml
PIE_3Deventsbyseverity.xml SBAR_SeverityByType.xml
PIE_eventsbyseverity.xml SBAR_UnAckdByLocation.xml

2. The chart definitions are XML files. You can copy a chart that you want to
modify and give it another name.


3. Open the copied chart and edit the chart so that the ncchart name tag has the
same value as the actual file name of the chart, as shown in Example 4-11.

Example 4-11 Chart definition file
<?xml version="1.0" standalone="yes" ?>
<chartdata>
<ncchart name="BAR_1_eventsbylocation" >
<header>
<text value="Events by Location - New"/>
<foreground value="#ffffff"/>
<background value="#000033"/>
<font fontStyle="Bold" fontName="Helvetica" fontSize="12"/>
</header>
<footer>
<text value="ITSO"/>
<foreground value="#ffffff"/>
<background value="#000033"/>
<font fontStyle="Plain" fontName="Helvetica" fontSize="12"/>
</footer>
. . .

4. Charts can be accessed statically as images from HTML pages. An example
of an HTML page that access the chart definition that we created is shown in
Example 4-12.

Example 4-12 Sample HTML page for chart
<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Sample chart page</TITLE></HEAD>
<BODY>
<H1>Sample chart page</H1>
<IMG
SRC="ChartView?template=BAR_1_eventsbylocation&format=PNG&request=im
age&chart=quote&width=800&height=400">
</BODY></HTML>

In Example 4-12, the template refers to the chart definition file that we
created.


5. Open the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop desktop and select the Charts tab, as

Figure 4-36 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop desktop chart tab


6. Edit the chart tab by clicking the icon. The initial chart tab definition is

Figure 4-37 Initial chart definition with its viewpoints


7. Click Add Viewpoint and select a chart viewpoint for the layout, as shown in
Figure 4-38.

Figure 4-38 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop desktop chart tab: chart viewpoint selection


8. After clicking the Save and Apply button, you will be returned to the layout
page, which is shown in Figure 4-39. Click the Save and Apply button again
to be returned to the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop desktop Charts tab.

Figure 4-39 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop desktop Charts tab view layout detail window


9. In the Charts tab, select the new ChartView. In the chart area, expand the
menu and select the Customize ( ) icon, as shown in Figure 4-40.

Figure 4-40 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop desktop Chart tab: new ChartView edit detail


10.Select the new chart you created from the Charts drop-down list, as shown in
in Figure 4-41, and click Done.

Figure 4-41 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop desktop Charts tab: new ChartView editor menu


11.The resulting chart is shown in Figure 4-42.

Figure 4-42 The new chart definition

4.3.5 Map definition
After IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop is installed and running, sign in as a IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop administrator and create a new map by performing the following
steps:
1. Open the Webtop Admin Maps tab to get to the Map Browser and wait for the
Java applet to load under the menu buttons, as shown in Figure 4-43 on
page 123.


Figure 4-43 Webtop Admin Map Browser

2. Click the Create Map button to open the Java Map Editor and enter the name
for your new map file, as shown in Figure 4-44.

Figure 4-44 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop Java Map Editor new map prompt


3. Look over Java Map Editor and customize the colors and image background if
desires, as shown in Figure 4-45.

Figure 4-45 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop Java Map Editor

The objects that can be added to a map are:
– Inactive objects that are shown in a map or a direct link to a URL
– Active objects that are linked to an URL, AEL, LEL, or table view
– Lines and texts that enhance the display.


4. Add monitor lavalamp ( ) and button ( ) objects to the map area by
clicking the object and then clicking the map area. The two objects are
created in the map area. You can right-click the object and select Properties
to customize them, as shown in Figure 4-46.

Figure 4-46 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop Java Map Editor: two objects added


5. The monitor or lavalamp would open an Active Event List (AEL). The
properties of the Lavalamp are shown in Figure 4-47. Click Apply and then
OK when done. The monitor must be associated to an entity to define the
status of entity it is monitoring.

Figure 4-47 Webtop Java Map Editor lavalamp properties tab

6. The properties of the button are shown in Figure 4-48. Clicking this button
would launch the IBM Web site in a new window.

Figure 4-48 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop Java Map Editor button properties


7. Save the map by selecting File → Save and close the Java Map Editor to
return to the Webtop Admin map browser menu. Your new map will be shown
in the browser menu shown in Figure 4-43 on page 123.
8. Highlight the newly created map and click Preview Map to test the new map.
Ours is shown in Figure 4-49.

Figure 4-49 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop new map preview

9. Test the Lavalamp button to make sure it is launching the appropriate actions.


Map resources allow definitions of images and icons for a map. Resources can
be assigned to an individual map, or put into a common directory so that all maps
have access to them. If you want all maps to be able to access the resource, put
them in the NCHOME/etc/webtop/resources/__common directory. The following
procedure assigns a resource to a single map:
1. Select the Map Resources pane from the Webtop Admin window, as shown in
Figure 4-50.

Figure 4-50 Webtop Admin Resource Manager

2. Highlight the map that you want to add resources to and click the Add Map
Resource button to open the add map resource menu, as shown in


Figure 4-51 Webtop Admin Resource Manager: add resource page

3. Click the Browse button to open the file selection window, select a resource
file and click OK. Click the Add Resource button to get back to the Map list.
You can see the available resources by clicking the Preview Resources
button. The preview is shown in Figure 4-52.

Figure 4-52 Webtop Admin preview of map resources


You can now use the new image for your map. We modify the map to use the new
image as a background. The Java Map Editor is shown in Figure 4-53.

Figure 4-53 Modified map


4.4 Navigation components
The programming components that can be configured in IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop are:
4.4.1, “Tool definition” on page 131
4.4.2, “CGI program definition” on page 134
4.4.3, “Menu items definition” on page 137

4.4.1 Tool definition
After IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop is installed and running, create a new tool so
that the tool is available to be added to a menu, by performing the following
steps:
1. Open the tool browser from the Tools tab in the Webtop Admin page, as

Figure 4-54 Tools browser

2. Click the Create Tool button. In a new window, specify the tool name and
select the type of tool that you want to create. In Figure 4-55, we create a new
CGI/URL tool.

Figure 4-55 Webtop Admin CGI tool menu


3. After creating the tool, the tool editor will prompt you to enter the tool details.
Click the Groups button and set the permissions for the tool, as shown in
Figure 4-56.

Figure 4-56 Webtop Admin CGI tool groups

4. We set the tools to launch a plain URL, as shown in Figure 4-57. We discuss
CGI in 4.4.2, “CGI program definition” on page 134.

Figure 4-57 Tool specification

5. You can also include the alerts fields to be passed to the CGI tools. Click the
Fields button and select the fields, as shown in Figure 4-58 on page 133.


Figure 4-58 Field definitions

6. Set the group authorization by clicking the Groups... button. We assign this
authorization to all groups, as shown in Figure 4-59.

Figure 4-59 Webtop Admin tool group selection


The tool creation process is the same for all three types of tools. The major
difference is in the tool details and syntax. An SQL tools definition is shown in
Figure 4-60.

Figure 4-60 Webtop Admin SQL tool detail

The details of the command tools are shown in Figure 4-61.

Figure 4-61 Webtop Admin command-line tools

4.4.2 CGI program definition
After IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop is installed and running, create and register a
new CGI program so that it is available for use in Webtop tools. by performing the
following steps:
1. Create a CGI script in $NCHOME/etc/webtop/cgi-bin. We create an example
called example-cgi.cgi for discovering all the listening server ports. The
content is shown in Example 4-13 on page 135.


Example 4-13 Example CGI
#!/usr/local/bin/perl
print "Content-type: text/htmlnn";
print <<__HTML__;
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>My sample WebTop CGI</TITLE></HEAD>
<BODY>
<h1>WebTop CGI tools</h1>
<CENTER><HR HEIGHT="15" ></CENTER>
<PRE>
__HTML__
system("/bin/netstat -an | grep LISTEN | grep -v STREAM");
print <<__HTML__;
</PRE>
<CENTER><HR HEIGHT="15" ></CENTER>
<form action="">
<div align="center"><input type="button" value="Close Window"
onClick="javascript:window.close();"></div>
</form></BODY></HTML>
__HTML__

2. Open the Webtop Admin window and select the CGI registry window, as

Figure 4-62 CGI registration


3. In the Register CGI window, click Register. Enter the CGI Name, File Name,
and select the groups that have access to the CGI, as shown in Figure 4-63.

Figure 4-63 Webtop Admin CGI registry

4. Click the Register button to save the CGI in the registry.
5. You can invoke the CGI by using the URL
http://<webtop>:8080/webtop/cgi-bin/<cgi-name>; in our case, the URL is
http://webtop:8080/webtop/cgi-bin/example_cgi. The resulting window is

Figure 4-64 Result from the CGI tool


4.4.3 Menu items definition
Menu items are use to actually invoke a tool (which can be a CGI program, SQL
script, or command tool). To define the menu, the tool definition must be defined
first. After IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop is installed and running, create a new menu
item and make it available for use by performing the following steps:
1. Select the Menus pane to open the Menus Editor from the Webtop Admin
window, as shown in Figure 4-65.

Figure 4-65 Webtop Admin menu window

2. We create a tool called Listentool (refer to 4.4.1, “Tool definition” on page 131
for more information) that defines the CGI example shown in 4.4.2, “CGI
program definition” on page 134.
3. Next, we modify CGI_Tools (or we can create a new menu item), highlight the
CGI_Tools menu, and click the Modify Menu button. The window is shown in
Figure 4-66. You can add a tool or submenu to the selected menu by
highlighting the object and clicking the <-Add button.

Figure 4-66 Webtop Admin alerts menu editor


4. Open the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop desktop Event Lists tab and open the
Active Event List (if you have an open AEL, you must close it first before the
new menu is available). From the menu bar, select Tools → CGI Tools →
Listenport to see that the new tool has been added to the menu, as shown in
Figure 4-67.

Figure 4-67 Webtop AEL alerts menu with new tool

4.5 HTML file
IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop is a collection of Web pages that allows you to
manage and view your management information. It comprises a set of dynamic
Web pages. These Web pages are created as specialized HTML files. The
modification of these HTML files are covered in the following sections:
4.5.1, “Maintaining HTML and other files” on page 138
4.5.2, “Working with IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop pages” on page 141

4.5.1 Maintaining HTML and other files
Files under IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop are typically HTML files or image files that
enhance the look of the pages. Dynamic pages are created from the CGI pages
defined in 4.4.2, “CGI program definition” on page 134. The files are managed
using the File Manager window under Webtop Admin application. The File
Manager window is shown in Figure 4-68 on page 139.


Figure 4-68 Webtop Admin File Manager

The File Manager allows you to manage directories and files. Files and
directories can be deleted or created. File creation means that you upload a file
from your current machine to the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop server machine. The
HTML files can be accessed directly from the following URL:
http://<server>:<port>/webtop/<path_to_file>

For example, the logo.gif file in the parent directory shown in Figure 4-68 would
be accessed at http://webtop:8080/webtop/logo.gif.

The files that are managed by the File Manager can be accessed directly from
$NCHOME/guifoundation/webapps/webtop. In Netcool GUI Foundation, the root
directory is mapped to $NCHOME/guifoundation/webapps/desktop, and any
directory and files created there can be accessed from the root URL. For
example, the file $NCHOME/guifoundation/webapps/desktop/test.html would be
accessed at http://webtop:8080/test.html.


IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop has a special type of HTML file called SmartPage.
SmartPage commands are special extensions to the HTML language that control
user validation, and allow the placement of generated components in IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop pages. SmartPage commands are expressed in HTML as
comment tags, that is, you must enter the line  in the
first line to enable SmartPage.

One typical usage of SmartPage is the inclusion of a map applet. You can include
this applet by inserting a SmartPage tag in the BODY section of the HTML page
(), where mapname is the name of the map
definition. Other usages of SmartPages are:
Enable a Web page for SmartPage tag processing.
Validate user access to a Web page against a group.
Insert an AEL applet.
Insert a map applet.
Insert a hyperlinked list of accessible maps associated with a user.
Insert a tableview.
Insert the user name of the logged in user.
Insert the home URL associated with a user.
Insert user statistics.
Insert a time zone preference drop-down menu in a page.

Another useful HTML file source is a template. Templates reside in
NCHOME/etc/webtop/templates. The templates are typically SmartPage HTML
files. A special construct is the pair of NCO_V tags that can be used inside the
SmartPage tags. The text between the opening and closing <NCO_V> tags
establishes the variable name that the URL uses to establish a name-value pair.
When you specify a variable name, the text must be alphanumeric and multiple
words must be separated by an underscore. A sample NCO_V tag is shown in
Example 4-14.

Example 4-14 NCO_V tag


The type defines the argument type, which can be str (string), BOOLEAN (true or
false), and number (integer). It can also provide a default value.

4.5.2 Working with IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop pages
After IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop is installed and running, create a new HTML
page so that the new page is available, by performing the following steps:
1. Select the My Pages option from the drop-down menu, as shown in
Figure 4-69.

Figure 4-69 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop MyPages menu

2. Name the PSML file and give the page a title, as shown in Figure 4-70, and
click the Add button to continue.

Figure 4-70 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop page creation menu


3. After you save the new page, it will be listed in the My Pages page. Click the
pencil, as shown in Figure 4-71, to customize the new page.

Figure 4-71 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop MyPages menu with a new page

4. The empty customization page is shown in Figure 4-72. You can add view
points. The view point is part of a page that shows certain information, which
is similar to a portlet.

Figure 4-72 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop new blank page displayed


5. Click Add Viewpoint and add an Active Event List view to the layout, as

Figure 4-73 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop new page layout with AEL viewpoint


6. You can also add another view point for the page. We decided to add the
MapView from the map created in 4.3.5, “Map definition” on page 122 in the
same page. The resulting definition is shown in Figure 4-74.

Figure 4-74 Page definition

7. After you click the Save and Apply button, you can see the page you created,
as shown in Figure 4-75 on page 145.


Figure 4-75 IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop AEL viewpoint in your new page


5

Chapter 5. Performance tuning and
problem determination
Performance tuning and problem determination for IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop is
discussed in the following sections:
5.1, “Startup problem” on page 148
5.2, “Checking user sessions” on page 148
5.3, “Login failures” on page 150
5.4, “Performance issues” on page 152
5.5, “Connection to ObjectServer” on page 154
5.6, “Backup configuration” on page 154
5.7, “Security Manager performance issues” on page 155


5.1 Startup problem
There are several reasons why there can be a IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop startup
problem. Here is a checklist that you can use to identify problems with starting
the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop server:
Check the environment variables: NCHOME, NCLICENSE, and
LD_LIBRARY_PATH. They have to be present for all components of IBM
Tivoli Netcool/Webtop server.
The prerequisite components for a IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop server are:
– Netcool License Server: You can check this component by running the
nc_print_license command under $NCHOME/license/bin. If it cannot
connect, start the license by running the nc_start_license command.
– Netcool Security Manager: You can check this component by running the
ncsm_status command under $NCHOME/security/bin. If it is not started,
start the security manager by running the ncsm_server command.
– Netcool GUI Foundation’s Tomcat server process may be checked by
running the ngf_server status command under $NCHOME/bin.
Look in the $NCHOME/log/webtop.log and $NCHOME/log/guifoundation/ logs
for indications about the cause of the problem.
Some useful checks are:
– Checking a process by running the ps -ef command or using Windows
Task Manager.
– Checking a port by running the netstat -an command.

5.2 Checking user sessions
Information from the GUI Foundation Web pages can be used to check who is
logged in to IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop and to revoke user sessions. Perform the
following steps:
1. Using the admin user, sign on to Netcool GUI Foundation Web interface.
Navigate to the Administration window. Select the Sessions tab, which shows
the connected users, as shown in Figure 5-1 on page 149.


Figure 5-1 NGF administration page

2. You can get details about each session by clicking the Detail button, as

Figure 5-2 NGF administration session tab before revoking the webadmin account

3. If you want to revoke a given user’s session, click the Revoke button next to
the user, and the user will be logged out of IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop.

Chapter 5. Performance tuning and problem determination 149

5.3 Login failures
Determine the reason for user login failure, or failure to access IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop, by performing the following steps:
1. Determine if Security Manager is running. Open a browser and type in the
Security Manager host name and 8077 for the port. You should get a
confirmation window that the Security Manager is running, as shown in
Figure 5-3.

Figure 5-3 Security Manager confirmation page

2. Determine if the user has an NGF account. Log in using the admin account
and look for the user that cannot login. The account should be listed in the
Administration page under the security tab’s Users pane, as shown in


Figure 5-4 NGF administration page user pane in the Security tab

3. Determine if the user has an active NGF account. If the account exists, then
you should look at the user details and make sure the roles and groups are
configured correctly.
4. Determine if the user is using the correct password. If the account is not
authenticated externally, try resetting the password. If it is external, try logging
into the external source with the password you think is correct.
5. Determine if the user has an accessible home page. The user home page is
set by NGF to /portal; however, the home page set in the IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop user preferences pane will be used if you log in without a
specific URL.
6. Determine if the ObjectServer is running and if IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop can
connect to it. Log in to the server using the nco_sql utility and try running a
select statement. If that works, try telneting to the port the ObjectServer is
running on from the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop server. If the telnet connection
is successful, you will get a connection; if not, there is probably a firewall
issue.


5.4 Performance issues
There are some possible ways to analyze performance issues for the IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop server. You can check the following items to determine the
cause of IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop performance issues:
From the Webtop Admin page, click the Sessions tab to determine how many
users are logged in (see Figure 5-2 on page 149). If the number of users is
very high, you may need to revoke user sessions.
Select System Information → Server Runtime to determine how much
memory is being used (see Figure 5-5). This number should not be higher
than the amount of memory assigned to the -Xmx value in the ngf_server
start script.

Figure 5-5 Webtop Admin system information window

Check the number of events in the ObjectServer by running the nco_sql
command and issuing the SQL command select count(*) from
alerts.status. This especially important for slow performance when using
the Event List.
Compare the Event List response time with the OMNIbus Native Desktop. It
can be run by using the nco_event command. If the native client has a slow
response time, the problem is probably not with IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop.
Check your ObjectServer, gateways, and probes for the root issue.
Determine if there is a performance problem for all IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop
components. The IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop server itself is a single
component within the NGF server, but slow navigation between pages can
indicate a Security Manager issue or be related to the external authentication


source. Slow login responses can also be related to the Security Manager
and external authentication sources; refer to 5.7, “Security Manager
performance issues” on page 155 for more information.
Check for any misconfigured Netcool GUI Foundation PSML pages that
contain a circular reference. This problem can reduce IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop performance as well.
Determine if all users are experiencing slow responses by using a different
client machine. If the performance problem is only happening in a limited set
of machines, clear the Java cache on the troubled machine, and if that does
not work, try increasing the client side Java memory to 128 MB. If this does
not solve the issue, try a different user account, because misconfigured user
roles or groups might cause performance issues as well, as shown in
Figure 5-6.

Figure 5-6 Client side Java memory settings


Determine if other applications are running on the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop
server host. Make sure other applications are not conflicting with IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop ports or using the available system resources.
Check the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop log files under NCHOME/log/webtop.log.

5.5 Connection to ObjectServer
Verify the cause of IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop's inability to connect to the
ObjectServer by performing the following steps:
1. Verify that the ObjectServer is running by logging into the ObjectServer
through a native client or by running nco_sql.
2. Verify that the correct ObjectServer is configured for IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop by reviewing the data source file
$NCHOME/etc/webtop/datasources/ncwDataSourceDefinitions.xml. The user
name and password should be tested as well as the host name.
3. Verify that IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop is reading the data from the data source
file correctly by running $NCHOME/webtop/bin/webtop_report. This report lists
the defined data sources that IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop can read from the
data source file and the properties defined for them. If this report is not
returning the correct information, there is probably an typo in the data source
file.
4. Confirm that the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop server can connect to the
ObjectServer host and port by telneting to the ObjectServer host name and
ObjectServer port from the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop server.

5.6 Backup configuration
Create a backup copy of the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop configuration by
1. Stop IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop.
2. Make copies of the following files and directories: $NCHOME/etc/webtop/,
$NCHOME/webtop/waapi/etc/, $NCHOME/guifoundation/webapps/, and
$NCHOME/guifoundation/conf.
3. Start IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop.


5.7 Security Manager performance issues
Determine the cause of Security Manager Performance issues by performing the
following steps:
1. Determine if Security Manager is running:
a. From command line, with appropriate permissions, run the script
$NCHOME/security/bin/ncsm_status.
b. From a browser window, attempt to connect to the Security Manager
HTTP port (the default is 8077).
2. Determine if the authentication source is available. The specified
authentication source can be accessed by going to the NGF Security tab and
clicking the Domain menu. From this menu, you can see the authentication
sources of which IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop is aware. These sources are
listed in the Security Manager database. You should use this list to open a
console session or other tools to check availability and check access
credentials.
3. If there are no sources listed, check the NCHOME/etc/sm/server.props file,
which defines the Security Manager host name for IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop.
4. Check the Security Manager log files under
$NCHOME/security/log/SM_server.log.


A

Appendix A. Sample test
This appendix contains a sample test and its answer key.


Questions
This sample test is designed to give the candidate an idea of the content and
format of the questions that will be on the certification exam. Performance on the
sample test is not an indicator of performance on the certification exam and this
should not be considered an assessment tool.

Answer the following questions:
1. Which command is used to start the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 server
on UNIX?
a. ngf_server start.
b. webtop_server.
c. webtop_startup.
d. server_startup.
2. How do you set the connection between IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 and
the ObjectServer(s)?
a. Use nco_(x)igen.
b. Use $NCHOME/config/server.init.
c. Use $NCHOME/www/conf/server.xml.
d. Use $NCHOME/config/datasources/ncwDataSourceDefinitions.xml.
3. The IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 (Webtop) administrator of Telco Inc.
wants to authenticate users from the ObjectServer. Which ObjectServer users
can be used in IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop?
a. All users.
b. Only Normal users.
c. All users with the exception of Superusers.
d. Only Normal users and Administrative users that do not have restriction
filters.


4. A Normal user of Telco Inc logs into IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0
(Webtop). The user opens an Active Event List. The user wants the time
stamps of events to permanently be MM/DD/YYYY HH-MM-SS. What should
this user do to modify the time stamp configuration?
a. Modify the time and date format in the preferences (select
Miscellaneous → Edit/Preferences) of the Active Event List.
b. The user automatically gets the same time and date format equal to that of
the system on which he is running the browser.
c. Ask the Webtop administrator to modify the time stamps setting through
the Webtop Administration GUI for that user.
d. Ask the IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus V7.1 administrator to modify the time
and date format as it is set in the ObjectServer to which Webtop is
connected.
5. The customer requires a view that includes the following information based on
the default ObjectServer:
– Description of the event.
– Name of the probe that collected the alarm.
– Name of the ObjectServer that originally received the event.
– Name of the type of failure.
The view should be sorted by descending severity and then by the most
recent occurrence.
Which fields and sort criteria will meet the customer's needs?
a. Fields: Summary, ServerName, ServerSerial, Type. Sort: Severity(asc),
LastOccurrence(asc).
b. Fields: AlertGroup, Manager, ServerName, AlertKey. Sort: Severity(desc),
LastOcurrence(asc).
c. Fields: Summary, Manager, ServerName, AlertGroup. Sort:
Severity(desc), LastOccurrence(desc).
d. Fields: Identifier, Manager, ServerSerial, AlertGroup. Sort: Severity(desc),
LastOccurrence(desc).
6. Which file format is used for a chart page?
a. TXT.
b. XML.
c. HTML.
d. SGML.

Appendix A. Sample test 159

7. You, as administrator, have been tasked with creating a tool to be available to
the appropriate IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 users. Using IBM Tivoli
Netcool/Webtop Administration API, which three elements are needed to
define a tool that will update an event owner? (Choose three.)
a. group.
b. sql.
c. cgi.
d. tool.
e. prompt.
f. Restriction filter.
8. Which type of program executions can be performed with CGI tools, where
the tool script or Web page contains SMARTPage commands?
a. CGI scripts only.
b. CGI scripts and local URLs.
c. CGI and Webtop Administration API.
d. CGI scripts, local URLs, and remote URLs.
9. When creating a new HTML page in IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0, it is
possible to use SMARTPage commands. If using the SMARTPage Validate
command, where must this command be placed in the HTML file?
a. Anywhere in the file.
b. As the first line of the file.
c. As the last line of the file.
d. As the second line of the file.
10.When logged into IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 (Webtop) as an
administrator, it is possible to view system information. In which location can
the administrator access the Webtop Data Report?
a. Webtop Administration Page → Tools → System Information.
b. Webtop Administration Page → Tools & Utilities → System
Information.
c. Webtop Administration Page → Help & Information → System
Information.
d. Webtop Administration Page → System Information.


Answer key
The following is the answers to the sample tests:
1. A
2. D
3. A
4. A
5. C
6. C
7. A, B, and E
8. B
9. D
10.D

Appendix A. Sample test 161

Abbreviations and acronyms
ACL Access Control List SGML Standard Generalized Markup
AEL Active Event List Language

AEN Accelerated Event Notification SME Subject Matter Expert

API Application Programming SNMP Simple Network Management
Interface Protocol

ASA Adaptive Server Anywhere SOA Service-oriented Architecture

CGI Common Gateway Interface SOW Statement of Work

CPU Central Processing Unit SQL Structured Query Language

DB2 Database 2 SSL Secured Socket Layer

DBA Database Administrator SVI Software Value Incentive

ENMS Enterprise Network TCP/IP Transmission Control
Management System Protocol/Internet Protocol

EULA End User License Agreement URL Universal Resource Locator

GUI Graphical User Interface VAP Value Advantage Plus

HTML Hyper Text Markup Language VUE Virtual University Enterprises

HTTP Hyper Text Transfer Protocol WAAPI Web Administration
Application Programming
HTTPS HTTP Secure Interface
IBM International Business XML eXtensible Markup Language
Machines Corporation
IDUC Insert Delete Update Control
ITIL IT Infrastructure Library®
ITSO International Technical
Support Organization
LDAP Lightweight Directory Access
Protocol
LEL Lightweight Event List
NGF Netcool GUI Foundation
NIS Network Information Service
NOC Network Operation Center
PDF Portable Document Format
PID Process Identifier
ROI Return on Investment


Related publications

The publications listed in this section are considered particularly suitable for a
more detailed discussion of the topics covered in this book.

IBM Redbooks
For information about ordering these publications, see “How to get Redbooks” on
page 166. Note that some of the documents referenced here may be available in
softcopy only.
Best Practices for IBM Tivoli Enterprise Console to Netcool/OMNIbus
Upgrade, SG24-7557
Migrating to Netcool/Precision for IP Networks --Best Practices for Migrating
from IBM Tivoli NetView, SG24-7375

Other publications
These publications are also relevant as further information sources:
IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus Administration Guide, SC23-6371
IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus Installation and Deployment Guide, SC23-6370
IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus Probe and Gateway Guide, SC23-6373
IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus User’s Guide, SC23-6372
Netcool/Webtop Administration Guide, SC23-6527

Online resources
These Web sites are also relevant as further information sources:
IBM Certification page:
http://www.ibm.com/certify/index.shtml
IBM Test Objectives for Test 922:
http://www-03.ibm.com/certify/tests/obj922.shtml


Passport Advantage:
ers.htm

How to get Redbooks
You can search for, view, or download Redbooks, Redpapers, Technotes, draft
publications and Additional materials, as well as order hardcopy Redbooks
publications, at this Web site:
ibm.com/redbooks

Help from IBMIBM Support and downloads
ibm.com/support

IBM Global Services
ibm.com/services


Index
webtop_osresync 78
A webtop_report 154
accelerated event notification, see AEN
configuration
Access Control List, see ACL
basic 78
ACL 99
customization 38
Active Event List, see AEL
ADMIN 36
admin 37 D
administration tool 31 data sources 81
AEL 13, 31, 105, 126 deployment considerations 34
AEN 22 DOMAIN_ADMIN 36
alerts.status 39
E
C entity definition 108
certification export command 44
achieved 21
benefits 3–4
checklist 5
F
filter creation 106
IBM 2
objectives 8
overview 1 G
recommended study resources 27 group management 99
resources 27 GROUP_ADMIN 36
Tivoli 4 growth through skills 6
CGI program definition 134
chart definition 114 H
commands HTML file 138
export 44
INSTALL 61
nc_print_license 148 I
nc_read_license 45 IBM Professional Certification Program 2
nc_start_license 44 INSTALL command 61
nco_config 86 installation
nco_event 152 license server 42
nco_sql 152, 154 Security Manager 50
nco_xigen 86 Webtop 61
ncsm_status 53, 148 installation overview 42
netstat 148
ngf_server 72, 83, 148, 152 L
ps 148 LEL 31
runwaapi 79 license key 42
setup.exe 66 license server 42
setup.msi 54 Lightweight Event List, see LEL
setup.sh 50


M S
map definition 122 Security Manager installation 50
map editor 31 Security Manager performance issues 155
menu item definition 137 security planning 35
setup.exe command 66
setup.msi command 54
N setup.sh command 50
nc_print_license command 148
SME 8
nc_read_license command 45
Software Value Incentive, see SVI
nc_start_license command 44
SSL configuration 84
nco_config command 86
study resources 27
nco_event command 152
Subject Matter Expert, see SME
nco_sql command 152, 154
SVI 7–8
nco_xigen command 86
ncsm_status command 53, 148
ncw_admin 37 T
ncw_user 37 test 37
netcool_ro 37 sample 157
netcool_rw 37 test objectives 8
Netcool/GUI foundation 72 Tivoli Software Professional Certification 4
netstat command 148 tool definition 131
network operation centre, see NOC
ngf_server command 72, 83, 148, 152
NOC 32
U
user 37
user configuration 86
O
objectives 8
V
Value Advantage Plus, see VAP
P VAP 7–8
platforms 33 view creation 101
prerequisites 33 Virtual University Enterprises, see VUE
problem determination visual components 101
backup configuration 154 VUE 5
connection 154
login failures 150
performance issues 152
W
WAAPI configuration 78
startup problem 148
Web browser 34
user sessions 148
Webtop
provisioning 72
architecture 30
ps command 148
configuration 78
customization 38
R data sources 81
Redbooks Web site 166 deployment 34
Contact us xii group 99
requirements 34, 38 installation 42, 61
return on investment, see ROI licensing 34
ROI 5 platforms 33
runwaapi command 79 prerequisites 33


security 35
SSL 84
user 86
WAAPI 78
Web browser 34
webtop_osresync command 78
webtop_report command 154

X
XML files 72

Index 169

Certification Guide Series: IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 Implementation
(0.2”spine)
0.17”<->0.473”
90<->249 pages

Back cover ®

Certification Guide Series:
IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop
V2.0 Implementation ®

Detailed architecture This IBM Redbooks publication is a study guide for the IBM Tivoli
and components Netcool/Webtop V4.0 implementation certification test. It is aimed at INTERNATIONAL
discussion the IT professional who wants to be an IBM Certified Professional for TECHNICAL
this product. SUPPORT
Installation and The IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 certification test is offered ORGANIZATION
through the IBM Professional Certification program. It is designed to
configuration validate the skills required of technical professionals who work in
processing the implementation and deployment of IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop
V2.0. BUILDING TECHNICAL
Dynamic Web-based This book provides the necessary information for understanding the INFORMATION BASED ON
interface subject matter. It includes sample questions. The sample questions PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE
help evaluate your personal progress. It familiarizes you with the
types of questions that may be encountered in the exam.
IBM Redbooks are developed by
This guide does not replace practical experience and it is not the IBM International Technical
designed to be a stand-alone guide for the subject. Instead, this Support Organization. Experts
guide should be combined with educational activities and from IBM, Customers and
experiences and used as a very useful preparation guide for exam. Partners from around the world
create timely technical
For your convenience, the chapters are based on the certification information based on realistic
objectives of the IBM Tivoli Netcool/Webtop V2.0 implementation scenarios. Specific
certification test. Those requirements are planning, prerequisites, recommendations are provided
installation, configuration, administration, and problem to help you implement IT
determination. These chapters will help you prepare for the solutions more effectively in
objectives of the exam. your environment.

For more information:
ibm.com/redbooks

SG24-7754-00 ISBN 0738433314

Certification guide series ibm tivoli netcool webtop v2.0 implementationsg247754

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