Configuring TPM NSM Gateway


Overview

Tasks

Included with

Tivoli Service Desk

Overview

The Network Management Configuration dialog box

To configure TPM NSM Gateway, use the Network Management Configuration dialog box. You should configure TPM NSM Gateway before beginning the process of tracking nodes.

The Network Management Configuration dialog box has these tabs:

  • General contains settings that TPM NSM Gateway requires to work properly
  • Open determines how TPM NSM Gateway opens a problem in Tivoli Problem Management when a network node fault occurs in the NSM platform.
  • Close determines how problems opened by TPM NSM Gateway are closed in Tivoli Problem Management.
  • Callbacks enables the TPM NSM Gateway to communicate with your NSM platform when a problem's status changes in Tivoli Problem Management.
  • Errors determines how TPM NSM Gateway tracks and communicates TPM NSM Gateway application errors. In this context, "TPM NSM Gateway errors" are solely problems with the operation of TPM NSM Gateway, and do not refer to the network faults that the TPM NSM Gateway monitors on your NSM platform.

To configure TPM NSM Gateway, you must complete all information on the General, Open, Close, and Errors tabs.

You can complete the information on the Callbacks tab as needed, because this information is optional. You can work with the tabs in any order.

Opening the Network Management Configuration Dialog box

If you are using the Tivoli Network Management Administrator profile, from the Configuration menu, choose Network Management Configuration.

From the Help menu, choose Your System Profile and follow the instructions under Network Management Configuration.


Tasks

Configuring general information

To configure general information:
  1. In the Network Management Configuration dialog box, choose the General tab.
  2. From the User ID for logging problems list, select the user ID defined in Tivoli Problem Management for TPM NSM Gateway.
    The user ID that you select is assigned to any network-related problems that the Gateway Module opens in Tivoli Problem Management.
  3. In the Host to query for Node status box, type the name of the host machine on which your NSM platform runs. If you are unsure of the host name, contact your network or system administrator.
  4. In the NSMProb argument terminator character box, the default is a semicolon (;). The only time you might need to change this is if you use the -a argument with NSMProb and the descriptive text data contains a semicolon. In this case, type a terminator character in the box that does not appear in the descriptive text data.
  5. In the Problem compression interval box, type a set number of minutes.
    A positive value for a problem compression interval causes TPM NSM Gateway to reopen a problem for a node when identical or similar device failure events are received.
    The compressed node failures are all added to a single problem in Tivoli Problem Management.
  6. If you are finished with the Network Management Configuration dialog box, choose OK to save your settings and to close the dialog box. Otherwise, review the other tabs and make any necessary changes.

Configuring how TPM NSM Gateway opens problems

To configure how TPM NSM Gateway opens problems:
  1. In the Network Management Configuration dialog box, choose the Open tab.
  2. From the Caller for Network Management Problems list, select the name to assign as the caller for all problems opened by the TPM NSM Gateway.
  3. From the Problem Type list, select the problem type to assign to all problems opened by the TPM NSM Gateway.
  4. From the Call Code list, select the Tivoli Problem Management call code to assign to all problems opened by TPM NSM Gateway. Select a distinct call code, such as Automatic.
  5. From the Default Severity list, select the Tivoli Problem Management severity code to assign to problems opened by the TPM NSM Gateway.
    The default severity code is assigned to the problem when a node becomes managed by the TPM NSM Gateway.
  6. As appropriate, select the Notify node's contact on automatic Problem open check box.
    If you select this check box, the TPM NSM Gateway notifies the node's contact if a problem is opened for the node.
  7. If you want to specify a system, do the following:
    • Select the check box next to the System box.
    • From the System list, select the Tivoli Problem Management system for problems opened by the TPM NSM Gateway.
  8. If you want to specify a component, do the following:
    • Select the check box next to the Component box.
      You must select a system in order to select a component.
    • From the Component list, select the Tivoli Problem Management component for problems opened by the TPM NSM Gateway.
  9. If you want to specify an item, do the following:
    • Select the check box next to the Item box.
      You must select a component in order to specify an item.
    • From the Item list, select the Tivoli Problem Management item for problems opened by the TPM NSM Gateway.
  10. If you are finished with the Network Management Configuration dialog box, choose OK to save your settings and to close the dialog box. Otherwise, review the other tabs and make any necessary changes.

Configuring how TPM NSM Gateway closes problems

Your help desk and Tivoli Problem Management system administrator should make a policy decision about how to close network problems that the TPM NSM Gateway opens in the Tivoli Problem Management database.
Your help desk can follow one of two strategies for closing problems opened by the TPM NSM Gateway:
  • Supervised problem closing provides human oversight of network problems, but requires human effort. In this strategy, the help desk defines an intermediate problem code such as RESOLVED or AUTO_CLOSED that the TPM NSM Gateway assigns to problems associated with nodes that have returned to service. Then a help desk analyst or network specialist periodically reviews those problems, manually changes the problem code to CLOSED, and fills in the resolution, if known, but only if those problems are, in fact, solved.
  • Unsupervised problem closing requires no human oversight of network problems, and thus requires no human effort. In the unsupervised problem closing strategy, the help desk decides to have the TPM NSM Gateway automatically assign the CLOSED problem code to network problems reported as resolved. The help desk does not review those problems before the TPM NSM Gateway assigns the CLOSED problem code.

If your help desk decides to choose a supervised problem closing strategy, then the Tivoli Problem Management Administrator must log on to Tivoli Problem Management and define a problem code specifically for the TPM NSM Gateway to use.

To configure how TPM NSM Gateway closes problems:

  1. In the Network Management Configuration dialog box, choose the Close tab.
  2. From the Node Restore Code list, select the Tivoli Problem Management problem code.
  3. As appropriate, select the Notify node's contact on automatic problem Close check box.
    If you select this check box, the TPM NSM Gateway sends a message through the Tivoli Problem Management notification system to the contact associated with the node when the node is restored to full service.
  4. If you are finished with the Network Management Configuration dialog box, choose OK to save your settings and to close the dialog box. Otherwise, review the other tabs and make any necessary changes.

Configuring callbacks

The Callbacks tab is an optional tab, meaning none of this information is required for network management configuration. The Callbacks tab enables you to notify a user of a change in a node problem's status.

In the OPEN, CLOSE, and UPDATE Callback Command boxes, you can type the name of a remote command or a custom TSD Script subroutine to execute. The Gateway Module executes the remote command or TSD Script subroutine after it opens, closes, or updates a problem for a managed object in the Tivoli Problem Management database.

For more information, see Callback command syntax.

To configure callbacks:

  1. In the Network Management Configuration dialog box, choose the Callbacks tab.
  2. In the Problem OPEN Callback Command box, type the name of a remote command or a custom TSD Script subroutine to execute.
    Otherwise, go to the next step.
  3. In the OPEN Callback Host Name box, type the name of the machine that you want the Gateway Module to contact when the problem OPEN callback command is a remote command.
    Otherwise, go to the next step.
  4. In the Problem CLOSE Callback Command box, type the name of a remote command or a custom TSD Script subroutine to execute.
    Otherwise, go to the next step.
  5. In the CLOSE Callback Host Name box, type the name of the machine that you want the Gateway Module to contact when the problem CLOSE callback command is a remote command.
    Otherwise, go to the next step.
  6. In the Problem UPDATE Callback Command box, type the name of a remote command or a custom TSD Script subroutine to execute.
    Otherwise, go to the next step.
  7. In the UPDATE Callback Host Name box, type the name of the machine that you want the Gateway Module to contact when the problem UPDATE callback command is a remote command.
    Otherwise, go to the next step.
  8. In the Check for Callbacks every n minutes box, type a number that represents how often the Gateway Module should check for callbacks for a node. If you type a negative number or 0, the Gateway Module does not check for callbacks.
    Otherwise, go to the next step.
  9. If you are finished with the Netowrk Management Configuration dialog box, choose OK to save your settings and to close the dialog box. Otherwise, review the other tabs and make any necessary changes.
Callback command syntax Callback commands can take one of two forms in the TPM NSM Gateway. The first form is a remote command that is parsed for variable substitution and then sent to a remote system for execution. The second form is a TSD Script subroutine name.

For remote commands, you can type a text string in the Callback Command boxes. The callback facility provides for variable substitution in remote command strings. The variable substitution substitutes the actual values of certain problem fields. The "expanded" command string is then sent to the remote system for execution.

Variables to be expanded by the callback facility are preceded by a dollar sign ($). The following is a list of problem fields that can be expanded in a remote string:

PROBLEM_ID SOLUTION_ID
SEVERITY CLOSE_DATE
USER_ID CLOSE_TIME
GROUP_ID TIME_SPENT
ACTIVE_WITH FIRST_CONTACT_ID
PROBLEM_CODE FIRST_LOCATION_ID
PROBLEM_RESULT FIRST_SESSION_ID
PROBLEM_TYPE FIRST_CALL_ID
SYSTEM MODIFY_DATETIME
COMPONENT NODE_NAME
ITEM EXT_PROB_ID
MODULE TRAP_NAME
DIAG_NODE  

For example, suppose that the following string is typed in a Callback Command box:

TivoliCloseTicket.sh $ext_prob_id CLOSE

Then, when the callback is executed, the value of the problem's EXT_PROB_ID field is substituted for $ext_prob_id.

The second type of callback command that can be typed in the Callback Command boxes is a TSD Script subroutine (that is, procedure or function) name. The format of this type of callback command is:

KBNAME:FUNCTIONNAME ( )

When a callback is executed for a TSD Script subroutine name, the callback facility attempts to call the identified TSD Script subroutine name.

Configuring how TPM NSM Gateway tracks errors

To configure how TPM NSM Gateway tracks errors:
  1. In the Network Management Configuration dialog box, choose the Errors tab.
  2. If you want to store TPM NSM Gateway errors in a log file, then perform steps 3 through 5. If not, go to step 6.
  3. Select the Log to file check box.
    The location and name of the log file appear next to the check box.
  4. If you want to display TPM NSM Gateway error messages in a window, then do the following. If not, go to step 7.
    • Select the Log to Window check box.
    • Result: The Log to Window check box configures the Gateway Module to display TPM NSM Gateway error messages in a separate error window as they are opened.

  5. If you want a user or group in Tivoli Problem Management to receive a notification when a TPM NSM Gateway error message is opened, then do the following. If not, go to step 8.
    • Select the Send alarm to check box.
    • Select the Users option button or the Group option button, whichever is appropriate for your situation.
    • Result: The option button that you select determines the choices in the Send Alarm to list. If you select the Users option button, then only Tivoli Problem Management users are available in the list. If you select Groups, then only Tivoli Problem Management groups are available.

    • In the box to the right of the Send Alarm to check box, select the Tivoli Problem Management user or group that you want to receive notifications for TPM NSM Gateway errors.
  6. Do you want the TPM NSM Gateway to handle argument passing errors from NSMProb as warnings?
    • If not, do not select the Handle argument Passing Errors as Warnings NSMProb check box.
    • Result: When NSMProb encounters a transaction with a misspelled column name, NSMProb makes no changes to the problem identified in that transaction. Instead, NSMProb first logs an error message for the affected transaction in the error log file, and terminates the problem operation.

    • If yes, do select the Handle argument Passing Errors as Warnings check box.
      Result: When NSMProb encounters a transaction with a misspelled column name, NSMProb ignores it and uses default (current) values for that column. NSMProb also updates any other columns whose arguments have been specified properly in that NSMProb transaction.
  7. Do you want the TPM NSM Gateway to handle argument passing errors from Callback Commands as warnings?
    • If not, do not select the Handle argument Passing Errors as Warnings Callback Commands check box.
    • Result: When TPM NSM Gateway encounters a callback command with a misspelled column name, TPM NSM Gateway makes no changes to the problem identified in that callback command. Instead, TPM NSM Gateway first logs an error message for the affected callback command in the error log file, and terminates the problem operation. Misspelled column name could only happen if you substitute your values for a column name but use incorrect syntax.

    • If yes, do select the Callback Commands check box.
    • Result: When TPM NSM Gateway encounters a callback command with a misspelled column name, TPM NSM Gateway ignores it and uses default (current) values for that column. TPM NSM Gateway also updates any other columns whose arguments have been specified properly in that TPM NSM Gateway callback command.

  8. If you want the Gateway machine to beep when TPM NSM Gateway errors occur, then select the Beep when errors logged check box.
  9. If you are finished with the Network Management Configuration dialog box, choose OK to save your settings and to close the dialog box. Otherwise, review the other tabs and make any necessary changes.