Configuring Tivoli Problem Management For ECI


Overview

Tasks

Included with

Tivoli Problem Management administration

Overview

Overview of ECI Electronic Customer Interface (ECI) is IBM's electronic call-tracking and service dispatch system. You can use Tivoli Problem Management to place an ECI request for service, or ECI call, for your help desk customers. ECI processes and automates electronic requests for service, eliminating the need for you or your help desk customers to speak directly to service center personnel. You can request service for computer as well as non-computer equipment, depending on your arrangement with IBM. For more information, see Appendix C of the Tivoli Problem Management User's Guide.

Note the following:

  • If you do not plan to use Tivoli Problem Management with ECI, you can disregard this help topic.
  • The ECI system operates with Windows-based systems only at this time.
Ghost calls ECI may send information about equipment that was serviced for an unrelated problem to Tivoli Problem Management. Because this information did not originate from Tivoli Problem Management, this call is referred to as a ghost call.

For example, an IBM Customer Engineer, originally dispatched to service a network printer, also performs service on the database server. Information about the database server service is sent to Tivoli Problem Management as a ghost call.

You can configure Tivoli Problem Management so call and problem records are not created when ghost calls are received. See Configuring TPM parameters.

Configuration prerequisites Before you can configure Tivoli Problem Management for use with ECI, you must have an arrangement with IBM to access the ECI system. In addition, you need the following information from IBM:
  • An ECI ID and password
  • An ECI queue manager name, and ECI queue names for sending and receiving service request information.
  • A toll-free number arrangement with IBM, if you plan on IBM Customer Engineers using help desk analysts as the point of contact (optional)

You also need to add the Configure ECI system action or ECI Integration action group to the profile used by the ECI system administrator to configure Tivoli Problem Management for use with ECI. See Configuring Profiles and Configuring Menu Items.

Configuring Tivoli Problem Management for ECI

You must configure Tivoli Problem Management before you use Tivoli Problem Management with ECI. You use the ECI Configuration dialog box to do this.

To configure Tivoli Problem Management for ECI, you perform these tasks:

  • Specify logon parameters related to the manner in which Tivoli Problem Management communicates with ECI, such as number of messages queued before a logon to ECI is attempted, logon intervals, and the number of times to retry a connection after an attempt to connect to ECI fails.
  • Specify Tivoli Service Desk parameters, such as the default 800 telephone number, default contact telephone number, and default call sort order.
  • Specify Tivoli Problem Management parameters such as automatically closing cleared problems, automatically closing cancelled problems, and updating Problem History. These parameters affect Tivoli Problem Management tables.
  • Specify the names of the queue manager and queues Tivoli Problem Management uses to send and receive service request information.

In addition, you must decide how help desk analysts are to access ECI-related commands. Consider placing ECI commands on one menu on the Tivoli Service Desk menu bar. In this manner, users can quickly access all ECI- related commands quickly from one place. For more information, see Configuring Profiles and Configuring Menu Items.

The ECI Configuration dialog box

You configure Tivoli Problem Management for ECI using the ECI Configuration dialog box.

The ECI Configuration dialog box contains these tabs:

Tab Function
Logon Specify the ECI logon parameters for Tivoli Problem Management. See "Configuring logon parameters," for more information.
TSD Specify the parameters for using Tivoli Service Desk with ECI. See "Configuring application parameters," for more information.
TPM Specify the parameters for using Tivoli Problem Management with ECI. See "Configuring TPM parameters," for more information.
ECI Specify the names of the queues for sending and receiving service request information, and the name of the manager of these queues. See "Configuring ECI parameters," for more information.

Tasks

Configuring ECI ID and password You must provide ECI with ID and password information to validate your ECI arrangement with IBM.

To configure ECI ID and password information:

  1. Start Windows Notepad or other text editing program.
    Result: The text editing program appears.
  2. Type ID=xxx and press Enter.
    xxx is your ECI ID.
  3. Type PW=yyy and press Enter.
    yyy is your ECI password.
  4. From the File menu, choose Save.
    Result: The Save As dialog box appears.
  5. In the File name box, type ecisec.id.
    Note: Save ecisec.id to your SAI_ROOT directory.
  6. Choose OK.
    Result: ecisec.id is saved to the SAI_ROOT directory.

Configuring logon parameters

You must specify Tivoli Problem Management logon parameters.

To configure Tivoli Problem Management ECI logon parameters:

  1. From the ECI Configuration dialog box, choose the Logon tab.
    Result: The Logon tab appears.
  2. In the Max Queue Size box, type the maximum number of messages that are queued before Tivoli Problem Management attempts to send messages to ECI.
    Tip: Set the Max Queue Size to 0 if you want every outgoing request to cause an immediate logon.
  3. In the Logon Interval box, type the number of minutes between attempts to send messages to ECI.
  4. In the Retry Interval box, type the number of minutes before Tivoli Problem Management attempts to send messages after an attempt to contact ECI fails.
  5. In the Grace Period box, type the number of minutes before Tivoli Problem Management attempts to send messages after the maximum message queue size is reached.
  6. In the Last Logon Alert box, type the number of minutes before Tivoli Problem Management displays an alert message from the last successful contact with ECI. Specify a value greater than the logon interval.
  7. In the No. of Immediate Retries box, type the number of times Tivoli Problem Management immediately tries to contact ECI after an initial failed attempt.
    Note: If a successful connection is not made after the specified number of retries, Tivoli Problem Management waits until its next scheduled attempt, a user makes an attempt, or the maximum queue size is reached again.
  8. In the Logon Exclude Intervals box, type the time interval in military time that Tivoli Problem Management does not attempt to contact ECI, if any. Use commas to separate more than one interval, such as 2300-0430, 1130-1300.
  9. If you want Tivoli Problem Management to dial the ECI telephone number, select Dial on Connect.
  10. If you want Tivoli Problem Management to disconnect the ECI telephone number, select Hangup on Disconnect.
  11. Do one of the following:
    • Choose another ECI Configuration dialog box tab and continue configuring Tivoli Problem Management.
    • Choose Accept.
      Result: The parameters are saved and the ECI Configuration dialog box closes.
Configuring TSD parameters You must specify Tivoli Problem Management application parameters.

To configure Tivoli Problem Management application parameters:

  1. From the ECI Configuration dialog box, choose the TSD tab.
    Result: The TSD tab appears.
  2. In the Default (800) Number box, type the default 800 telephone number that appears in the Place ECI Service Call dialog box.
  3. Tip: The Default (800) Number is the default 800 telephone number that appears in the Place ECI Service Call dialog box, differing only in the extension. The extension uses the number in the TPM Location ID. Leave this box blank if you are not using a default 800 number.

  4. In the Default Contact Phone box, type the default contact telephone number that appears in the Place ECI Service Call dialog box.
  5. In the Closed Call Hold Days box, type the number of days Tivoli Problem Management keeps closed calls before deleting them.
  6. In the Cancelled Call Hold Days box, type the number of days Tivoli Problem Management retains cancelled calls before archiving them.
  7. In the Call Days Displayed box, type the default number of days of calls to display in Tivoli Problem Management Work with dialog boxes.
  8. In the Display Open/Closed Calls list, select the default state of calls you want displayed displays in Tivoli Problem Management Work with dialog boxes.
    Note: This option does not apply to TPM Open/Closed calls.
  9. If you are using a default 800 telephone number (step 2), and you want Tivoli Problem Management to pad the telephone number extension with zeros for those with less than five digits, select Pad extension with zeros.
    Tip: It is highly recommended that you do not select this box. If you do not pad extensions, you avoid the risk of having duplicate entries in the Tivoli Problem Management database (records with and without padded extensions).
  10. If you do not want to use the data from the active Tivoli Problem Management call in the Place ECI Service Call dialog box, select Empty call place dialog.
    Note: This box only affects the Place ECI Service Call dialog box as it is opened and while there is an open TPM call.
  11. Do one of the following:
    • Choose another ECI Configuration dialog box tab and continue configuring Tivoli Problem Management.
    • Choose Accept.
      Result: The parameters are saved and the ECI Configuration dialog box closes.
Configuring TPM parameters You must specify how Tivoli Problem Management interacts with ECI.

To configure TPM parameters:

  1. From the ECI Configuration dialog box, choose the TPM tab.
    Result: The TPM tab appears.
  2. If you want to close the corresponding TPM problem when an ECI call is cleared, select Auto Close Cleared Problems.
  3. If you want to close the corresponding TPM problem when an ECI call is cancelled, select Auto Close Cancelled Problems.
  4. If you want to create a TPM problem when an ECI call is received but did not originate locally, select Auto Create Ghost Problems. When this box is selected, Auto Create Ghost Calls is also selected.
  5. If you want to specify a default contact, choose the Browse button next to the Default Contact box then select a name from the Quick Contact dialog box.
  6. If you want to create a TPM call when an ECI call is received but did not originate locally, select Auto Create Ghost Calls.
  7. If you want to update the TPM problem history when the status of a corresponding ECI call is updated, select Update Problem History.
  8. If you want to use customer information only from TPM even if a valid customer record is found in the ECI database, select Override Customer Info.
  9. If you want the ECI customer telephone number extension used from the location of the contact for the corresponding TPM call, select TPM Phone Extension Same As ECI. Normally this box should be selected.
  10. From the Map Machine Type to: list, select System, Component, Item, Module, or Problem Type to classify Machine Type in the TPM SCIM hierarchy.
  11. From the Map Model to: list, select System, Component, Item, Module, or Problem Type to classify Model in the TPM SCIM hierarchy.
  12. From the Map Failing Element to: list, select System, Component, Item, Module, or Problem Type to classify Failing Element in the TPM SCIM hierarchy.
  13. From the Map Part Number to: list, select System, Component, Item, Module, or Problem Type to classify Part Number in the TPM SCIM hierarchy.
  14. From the Map System Type to: list, select System, Component, Item, Module, or Problem Type to classify System Type in the TPM SCIM hierarchy.
  15. Do one of the following:
    • Choose another ECI Configuration dialog box tab and continue configuring Tivoli Problem Management.
    • Choose Accept.
      Result: The parameters are saved and the ECI Configuration dialog box closes.
Configuring ECI parameters You must specify the queues Tivoli Problem Management uses to send and receive information to and from, respectively, ECI. You must also specify the queue manager for these queues.

To configure ECI parameters:

  1. From the ECI Configuration dialog box, choose the ECI tab.
    Result: The ECI tab appears.
  2. In the Queue Manager Name box, type the name of Queue Manager for the Put Queue and the Get Queue.
  3. In the Put Queue box, type the name of the queue that Tivoli Problem Management uses to send information to ECI.
  4. In the Get Queue box, type the name of the queue that Tivoli Problem Management uses to receive information from ECI.
  5. Do one of the following:
    • Choose another ECI Configuration dialog box tab and continue configuring Tivoli Problem Management.
    • Choose Accept.
      Result: The parameters are saved and the ECI Configuration dialog box closes.