Configuring Distributed Data Manager


Overview

Tasks

Included with

Tivoli Problem Management administration

Overview

Configuring Distributed Data Manager

You can configure the following aspects of Distributed Data Manager:
  • The alert group for your site
  • The manner in which your site manages a SCIM hierarchy (received through a solution transfer from a remote site) that currently does not exist at your site. You also can configure Distributed Data Manager to notify your alert group when a new SCIM hierarchy is received from a remote site.
  • Notification options used if a transaction or problem transfer to a remote site fails
  • Whether failed problem transfers to a remote site are automatically cancelled or retried
  • The amount of time before retrying remote and pending transactions, and response and connection failures
  • Whether you want People records at your site automatically transferred to remote sites
  • Whether you want Solution records at your site automatically transferred to remote sites

The Distributed Data Manager Configuration dialog box

You use the Distributed Data Manager Configuration dialog box to specify Distributed Data Manager settings.

The Distributed Data Manager Configuration dialog box contains these tabs:

Tab Function
Options Enable Distributed Data Manager, specify an Alert group, specify failed remote transaction notifications, and specify retry times. See Configuring Distributed Data Manager options.
Knowledge Specify knowledge transfer, receipt of new SCIM, and receipt of new Solutions options. See Configuring Knowledge options.
Problems Specify options if a problem transfer to remote site fails. See Configuring Problems options.
People Specify options for People data transfer to remote sites. See Configuring People options.

To access the Distributed Data Manager Configuration dialog box, do one of the following:

  • If you are using the Tivoli Service Desk Administrator profile, from the Problem Management menu, choose Distributed Data Manager.
  • If you are using the Tivoli Problem Management administrator profile, from the Configuration menu, choose Distributed Data Manager.
  • From the Help menu, choose Your System Profile and follow the instructions under Configure DDM.

Tasks

Configuring Distributed Data Manager options

Each site in your enterprise should define an alert group. An alert group consists of one or more users who are assigned to monitor Distributed Data Manager transactions, and are notified if Distributed Data Manager errors occur. For example, if the application server at the remote site is stopped or suspended, call, problem, and solution transfers to that site result in transaction errors. At the local site, Distributed Data Manager notifies the alert group of the failures.

Your alert group can be an existing Tivoli Problem Management group, or you can create a new group to be the alert group. If you plan to have an alert group, define it before you configure Distributed Data Manager.

You can also specify the retry delay, which is the minimum amount of time before a particular action is automatically retried by Distributed Data Manager. You can configure retry delays for the following:

  • Transaction failure
    A transaction failure occurs when a transaction to a remote site fails, such as a failed problem transfer to a remote site.
  • Pending transaction
    A pending transaction occurs when no acknowledgment of the success or failure of a transaction is received from the remote site.
  • Response failure
    A response failure occurs when the remote site is unable to send an acknowledgement of the success or failure of a transaction to the requesting site.
  • Connection failure
    A connection failure occurs when your site is unable to establish a connection with a specific remote site.

The default time for each retry delay is 10 minutes, which is a minimum time. Distributed Data Manager requires a subsequent remote transaction before it retries the failed action. After each remote transaction, Distributed Data Manager determines whether it is time to retry any failed or pending transactions.

To specify Distributed Data Manager configuration options:

  1. From the Options menu, choose Distributed Data Manager.
    Result: The Distributed Data Manager Configuration dialog box appears.
  2. Select Enable DDM.
    Result: Distributed Data Manager is enabled.
  3. From the Alert Group list, select the group you want as the alert group for your site.
  4. If you do not want the alert group notified of Distributed Data Manager errors, clear the Enable Alerts box.
  5. If you want each member of the alert group to receive individual copies of notifications, select the Send Individual Copies box.
  6. If you do not want the sender of a remote transaction notified if a remote transaction fails, clear the Notify Sender box.
  7. If you want your alert group notified if a failed remote transaction occurs, select the Notify Alert Group box .
    Note: If you selected the Send Individual Copies box, each member of the alert group receives a notification when a remote transaction fails. Also, the sender of a failed problem transfer to a remote site always receives a notification of the failure if Distributed Data Manager is configured to automatically cancel failed problem transfers to remote sites.
  8. To specify a new transaction failure retry delay, type a value in the Transaction Failure box.
  9. To specify a new pending transaction retry delay, type a value in the Pending Transaction box.
  10. To specify a new response failure retry delay, type a value in the Response Failure box.
  11. To specify a new connection failure retry delay, type a value in the Connection Failure box.
  12. Do one of the following:
    • Choose another Distributed Data Manager dialog box tab and continue configuring Distributed Data Manager.
    • Choose OK.
      Result: The specifications are saved and the Distributed Data Manager dialog box closes.

Configuring Knowledge options

Within an enterprise, different sites may use different SCIM hierarchies. If a remote site transfers a problem to your site, you may also receive a new SCIM hierarchy with the problem. You need to decide how new SCIM hierarchies should be treated at your site. You have the following choices:
  • Automatically add new SCIMs to your site.
    After a new SCIM has been added, analysts at your site can use it when registering new problems.
  • Do not add new SCIMs to your site.
    When a new SCIM is received at your site, it is stored with the problem and can be displayed in the Problem Status Notebook. Analysts cannot use the new SCIM, however, when registering new problems at your site.

You can choose to notify your alert group of the existence of a new SCIM, whether or not you add the new SCIM to your site.

You can configure how you want solutions among sites managed. You can specify whether you want solutions transferred to remote sites when the solution is updated at your site, automatically, or both. You can also specify whether you want your alert group notified on the receipt of new solutions at your site.

To configure knowledge options:

  1. From the Options menu, choose Distributed Data Manager.
    Result: The Distributed Data Manager Configuration dialog box appears.
  2. Choose the Knowledge tab.
    Result: The Knowledge tab appears.
  3. If you want new SCIMs automatically added to your site when they are received, under On Receipt of New SCIM, select the Auto Add box.
  4. If you want the alert group notified when a new SCIM is received at your site, under On Receipt of New SCIM, select the Notify Alert Group box.
  5. If you want new solutions automatically added to your site when they are received, under On Receipt of New SOLUTIONS, select the Auto Add box.
  6. If you want the alert group notified when a new solutions are received at your site, under On Receipt of New SOLUTIONS, select the Notify Alert Group box.
  7. If you want solutions automatically copied to remote sites in your enterprise, select the Auto Replicate SOLUTIONS box.
  8. If you want solutions when they are updated at your site automatically copied to remote sites in your enterprise, select the Replicate SOLUTIONS on Update box.
  9. Do one of the following:
    • Choose another Distributed Data Manager dialog box tab and continue configuring Distributed Data Manager.
    • Choose OK.
      Result: The specifications are saved and the Distributed Data Manager dialog box closes.
Configuring Problems options By default, Distributed Data Manager cancels failed problem transfers to remote sites. You can, however, configure Distributed Data Manager to periodically retry failed problem transfers to remote sites.

If you do not change the default setting, any failed problem transfer is cancelled and the analyst at your site can retry the transfer again later. If you configure Distributed Data Manager to retry failed problem transfers, the analyst who initiated the transfer cannot work with the problem while a retry is pending.

To configure problem options:

  1. From the Options menu, choose Distributed Data Manager.
    Result: The Distributed Data Manager Configuration dialog box appears.
  2. Choose the Problems tab.
    Result: The Problems tab appears.
  3. If you do not want the sender of the problem notified when a problem transfer fails, clear the Notify Sender box.
    By default, the Notify Sender box is selected. It cannot be changed if the Cancel Transfer option is selected. This ensures that the sender is notified of a failed problem transfer because Distributed Data Manager automatically cancels rather than retrying the failed transfer. If you do not want the sender notified if a problem transfer fails, clear the Cancel Transfer box to make the Notify Sender option available, then clear the Notify Sender check box.
  4. If you want your alert group notified if a failed problem transfer occurs, select the Notify Alert Group box.
  5. If you want Distributed Data Manager to cancel rather than retry a failed problem transfer to remote site, select the Cancel Transfer box.
  6. Do one of the following:
    • Choose another Distributed Data Manager dialog box tab and continue configuring Distributed Data Manager.
    • Choose OK.
      Result: The specifications are saved and the Distributed Data Manager dialog box closes.
Configuring People options You can configure the manner in which People data is transferred to the remote sites in your enterprise. You can specify whether you want People data transferred along with a problem transfer to a remote site, automatically, or both, and whether you want your alert group notified on the receipt of new People at your site.

To configure People options:

  1. From the Options menu, choose Distributed Data Manager.
    Result: The Distributed Data Manager Configuration dialog box appears.
  2. Choose the People tab.
    Result: The People tab appears.
  3. If you want People data automatically copied to remote sites in your enterprise, select the Auto Replicate box.
  4. If you want People data included with a problem transfer to a remote site, select Replicate For Problem Transfers.
  5. If you want the remote site alert group notified of People data transfers, select the Notify Alert Group box.
  6. Do one of the following:
    • Choose another Distributed Data Manager dialog box tab and continue configuring Distributed Data Manager.
    • Choose OK.
      Result: The specifications are saved and the Distributed Data Manager dialog box closes.