Diagnostic Aids for TPM NSM Gateway | There are several Diagnostic Aids which a Tivoli
Problem Management analyst can use to diagnose network problems:
As the TPM NSM Gateway administrator, you set up these Diagnostic Aids. The following sections provide details on how to do this. For More Information: This topic assumes that you know how the Hot News Diagnostic Aid works in Tivoli Problem Management. If you need more information on the general use and set up of Hot News, see Using the Hot News Diagnostic Aid. |
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How TPM NSM Gateway uses Hot News records | Hot News is the primary Diagnostic Aid that
Tivoli Problem Management analysts use to diagnose problems in the NSM
platform. When a network error occurs, TPM
NSM Gateway automatically opens a call record, a session record, and a problem record
simultaneously in Tivoli Problem Management's database. Callers also report network
problems. When a Tivoli Problem Management analyst registers a call for network problems, the analyst specifies the SCIM. Using the date and time of the call, plus either the SCIM or the caller's location, Tivoli Problem Management matches the call with Hot News records. The Work with Hot News dialog box contains all the matching Hot News records. The analyst selects the correct solution and closes the call. |
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About the activation of a Hot News record for a node | As the TPM
NSM Gateway administrator, you can link a Hot News record with a node record. In this
way, when a network node fails, TPM NSM Gateway automatically makes the linked Hot News
record active. Only active Hot News records appear to Tivoli Problem Management analysts during the call registration process. A Hot News record becomes active based on this formula: Event Start Time and Date < Current Time < Event Stop Time and Date In Tivoli Problem Management, a help desk analyst can manually update the boxes in the Edit Hot News dialog box. TPM NSM Gateway can automatically activate Hot News records for a network event by using the links defined in the Work with Network News Links dialog box. TPM NSM Gateway then updates the Event Start Date and Event Start Time boxes for those Hot News records with the current date and time and clears the End Time and End Date box values. Thereafter, when a new call is opened for an end user with matching System, Component, and Item information, the Work With Hot News dialog box is displayed. |
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About the deactivation of a Hot News record for a node | In Tivoli Problem Management, a Hot News record
remains active until it is manually deactivated. To deactivate it, either a Tivoli Problem
Management analyst or system administrator must fill in the End Date and End Time boxes in
the Work with Hot News dialog box. However, in TPM NSM Gateway, network-related Hot News records are automatically deactivated when the associated node returns to normal operation. |
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About the creation of Network News links | A Network
News link is a relationship between a network fault opened by TPM
NSM Gateway and a Hot News record in Tivoli Problem Management. Hot News provides instant information to Tivoli Problem Management users as soon as they complete the Call Registration dialog box. However, for Hot News to assist Tivoli Problem Management users with network faults, those Hot News records must be linked to specific network nodes that TPM NSM Gateway monitors. For example, if the Hot News record is "Print Server is down," you would need to link this record to the printer node. |
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Setting up Hot News records for Network News links | You must perform the following steps for Tivoli
Problem Management to properly display a Hot News record for a network event:
You can perform both of these tasks in TPM NSM Gateway. Only the TPM NSM Gateway administrator can link Tivoli Problem Management Hot News records to network events logged by TPM NSM Gateway. Tip: You do not have to create all possible Hot News records for network problems. As the Tivoli Problem Management analysts experience network problems, they also create new Hot News records. As the TPM NSM Gateway administrator, you could focus primarily on creating Network News links for existing Hot News records and secondarily on creating your own original Hot News records. However, to get started, you should create several Hot News records and Network News links for common network problems. |
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The Work with Network News Links dialog box | The Work with Network News Links dialog box
enables you to set up links between network nodes and specific Hot News records. The Work
with Network News Links dialog box lists every Network News link record in TPM
NSM Gateway. The top half of the dialog box contains boxes that show the nodes and the available Hot News records. The lower part of the dialog box shows the linked nodes with their corresponding Hot News record. Tip: A single node can be linked to multiple Hot News records. Likewise, a single Hot News record can be linked to multiple nodes. |
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Opening the Work with Network News Links dialog box | If you are using the Tivoli Network Management
Administrator profile, from the Edit menu, choose Network News Links. From the Help menu, choose Your System Profile and follow the instructions under Network News Links. |
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Logical operators for searches | Choose one of the following logical operators
for your search:
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Adding Hot News records for network nodes | When you create new Hot News records in the Work
with Hot News dialog box, you are updating the Tivoli Problem Management database. To add
Hot News records, use the Work with Network News Links dialog box. Tip: You can also use Tivoli Problem Management to add Hot News records. To add a Hot News record for a node in the Gateway Module:
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Creating Network News links | The Work with Network News Links dialog box
enables a user to create Network News links to Hot News records. To create a Network News link:
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Finding the sources of a Network News link | The values in the Work with Network News Links dialog box are obtained
from two tables in the Tivoli Problem Management database. As you work with the dialog box, you may have items selected in numerous boxes. You sometimes may find it difficult to see whether the node and Hot News record that appear selected together in one place are actually linked together in another. Therefore, the following steps describe how to find the sources of a Network News link. To find the sources of a Network News link:
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Deleting a Network News link | You can delete a Network News link at any time.
However, if the Hot News record is active, a message asks you to confirm the deletion. Deleting
the link does not in any way affect any open calls for the node. Deleting a link also does
not affect any other nodes linked with the Hot News record or any other Hot News records
associated with the node. Note: If the Hot News record associated with the Network News link is active when the link is deleted, the Hot News record remains active. To deactivate the Hot News record, see Deactivating a Hot News record. Also, deleting a Network News link does not remove the Hot News solution from the Tivoli Problem Management database. You can link that Hot News solution with any other node subsequently. To delete a Network News link:
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Deactivating a Hot News record using TPM NSM Gateway | If you delete a Network News link to an active
Hot News record, you must manually deactivate that Hot News record, as described in the
following steps. To deactivate a Hot News record:
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Deleting a Hot News record | You can delete a Hot News record from within
Tivoli Problem Management or from the TPM
NSM Gateway. This procedure describes how to do it from the TPM NSM Gateway. Caution: If you delete a Hot News record for a node, the Network News link is automatically deleted. To delete a Hot News record:
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Performing an inquiry on the list of Network News Links | The Work with Network News Links dialog box may
contain many records. You can use the Inquiry function to search for Network News links
associated with specific network nodes or Hot News records. The following steps describe how to use the Inquiry function in the Work with Network News Links dialog box. Performing an inquiry on the list of Network News links does not alter those records in any way. The Inquiry function is merely a technique for viewing a selective list of Network News links. To perform an inquiry on the list of Network News links:
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