Sometimes I Like To Pretend: October 2013

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Create a Lookup with table domain in Maximo 7.5.0.5

Goal:
To use a lookup in the Labor application on workorders with a custom created field.

Example:
For each Qualification linked to a Labor we want to record a workorder number. It must be an existing workorder number so the user must select this number from a lookup. The workorder cannot be in status ‘WAPPR’ assigning it.

How to:

Step 1 - Create Table domain

Go the Domains application (located in Sytem Configuration -> Platform Configuration) and click on the 'Add New Domain' button at the bottom right and choose ‘Add New Table Domain’

In the ‘Validation Where Clause’ we state that the entered Workorder number (Will be stored in GNZ_LQWONUM, look below in this post for the configuration of this field) is compared to the workorder number in the workorder table.

WONUM=:GNZ_LQWONUM

In the list the user will get we only want to show workorders that do not have the status WAPPR. Therefor we we fill in the ‘List Where Clause’

STATUS<>'WAPPR'

Click [OK] and click on the Save icon in the Domains application

Step 2 - Create a Lookup

Now we need to create the lookup which will show the values of the table domain. Go to the Application Designer application (located in System Configuraion -> Platform Configuration) and in the ‘Select Action’ menu choose ‘Export System XML’

Click on the export arrow behind the LOOKUPS rows

Make sure your browser allows popups so the LOOKUPS.XML can be showed by Maximo. Or maybe your browser wants to save the file directly, if so, do so.

Otherwise, safe the opened LOOKUPS.XML to a location where you can easily locate it again (e.g. desktop)

Now we open the LOOKUPS.XML for editing. (I use Notepad++)

Scroll all the way down and add the following table:

Essentially I copy-pasted the existing 'workorder' table in the LOOKUPS.XML and changed the 'workorder' names to 'GNZ_WONUM'

Save the LOOKUPS.XML and in Maximo go to the Application Designer.

Click on the 'Import Application Definition' icon.

Browse to the modified LOOKUPS.XML and import it.

Step 3 - Configure the (Object) Database Attribute

Next we add a database attribute on the Labor - Qualification in which we store the workorder number.

Open the 'Database Configuration' application (located in System Configuration -> Platform Configuration) and in there open the LABORQUAL object and go to the 'Attributes' tab.
In the bottom right click the [New Row] button

Fill in the attribute like in the screenshot below

I use the 'Same as Object' and 'Same as Attribute' fields so the 'Type' and 'Length' will always be able to store Work Order numbers. When the WORKORDER.WONUM field should be modified, this field is modified automically.

Click on the Save icon and go back to the 'List' tab. Do an empty search and the LABORQUAL obejct will come out on top with the status 'To Be Changed'

In the 'Select Action' menu choose 'Manage Admin Mode' and click on the [Turn Admin Mode ON] button.

Wait until the Admin mode is on and click [Close]

Now in the 'Select Action' menu choose 'Apply Configuration Changes'
Check the 'Do you have a current backup?' box and click on the [Start Configuring the Database]

When completed, click on the [OK] button.
Choose 'Manage Admin Mode' again from the 'Select Action' menu and turn admin mode off.

Step 4 - Configure the MAXLOOKUPMAP

Open the LABORQUAL Object again and go to the Attributes tab.
At the far right of the GNZ_LQWONUM field, click on the 'Edit Lookup Map' icon.

Fill in the information required to link the fields:

Click [OK] when done and make sure to save the Object.

Login to the Websphere Integrated Solution Console and restart the 'MXServer'

Step 5 - Configure the field in Application Designer

Open the Application Designer application. and open the LABOR application.

Go to the Qualification tab and make a copy of the Certificate# field. Edit the properties of the field to match them as in the screenshot below.

Save the Application.

Now for the check if everything works.
Go to the Labor application and open an Active labor.

Go to the Qualifications tab. Add a new row and check the Work Order field with the lookup:

GNZ.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Install the Maximo Scheduler 7.5.2 on Maximo 7.5.0.5

Goal: Install Maximo Scheduler 7.5.2 on Maximo 7.5.0.5

Example:We want to use Maximo Scheduler 7.5.2 on our Maximo 7.5.0.5 environment.

Environment:
Windwos Server 2003, SQL Server

How to:

Note; You do not need to stop the MXServer before you begin, the MXServer will however be shutdown in one of the following steps.

Run the Launchpad.exe as the same user you installed Maximo with (use the launchpad64.exe if you install on a 64 bits server)

If you run the launchpad.exe as an other user, the installer cannot find the location of the ctg_install.locations and will display an error when you click on the 'Install Product' link the left.

ERROR: The Launchpad is unable to locate a path to Tivoli's Process Automation Engine installation. This product cannot be installed without Tivoli's Process Automation Engine. Please make sure the path is correct in the ctg_install.locations file located under your Administrator's home directory. For additional assistance please contact IBM Support.

When you use the correct user you get the following screen, there we click on the 'IBM Maximo Scheduler 7.5.2' link

Click on [OK] in the next screen

Click on [Next] in the 'Package Validation Results' screen

In the 'Software License Agreement' screen accept the agreement and click [Next]

Do not select any on the options in the 'Package Options' screen.

In the 'Middleware Login Information' screen you have to fill in the correct information on all three tabs (Maximo DB, WebSphere Admin, Websphere Remote) and click [Next] when finished.

The installer will now do a 'System Check'

When finished, review the results, and if all is good, click [Next]

The Deployment process is now shown

Maximo will be shut down by this proces now. So it you didn't stop the MXServer, the Installer will as you see in the screenshot below by the 'Last Action'

At the end The following error shows up:

CTGIN0143E: An action error ocurred during the processing of a deployment operation. Action identifier: "Deploy_Maximo_Help_EAR". Action display name: "Deploy the Maximo help EAR using the WebSphere thin client".

I decide to click the [Cancel] button and to check Websphere.
I log in to Websphere Integrated Solutions Console and go to the Applications -> Application Types -> Websphere enterprise applications.
There the MAXIMO and MXIEHS are running.

I go to Maximo and it is running, i log in and check the Help -> System Information

Then i check the Help

Everything seems ok to me. Maybe the error was because of a timeout. I had this before when you let the installer do the rebuild and redeploy but the server is slow (often the case on a test virtual machine)

Next i check the Scheduler. Click on the Go To menu on Planning and Scheduling en choose 'Scheduler'

The Scheduler application is now available.

GNZ

Friday, October 25, 2013

Install Maximo 7.5.0.5 fixpack on 7.5.0.4

Goal:
Install Fixpack 7.5.0.5 on Maximo 7.5.0.4.

Example:
In order to use the Maximo Scheduler 7.5.2 we need to install Fixpack 7.5.0.5. What are the best practices for doing this.

Resources:
https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/community/wikis/home?lang=en#!/wiki/IBM%20Maximo%20Asset%20Management/page/Maximo%20Scheduler%207.5.2%20System%20Requirements

How to:

Some information before we start.

The installer will look at the following file for the information needed to update the system;

D:\ibm\SMP\etc\install.properties

If, for example, the servername/IP has changed since the last update or installation you need to update the install.properies accordingly.

In the screenshot below I pointed out the WebServerHostName, on my VM i used a fixed IP. On a productionserver you would generally have a domain name here.

For this upgrade nothing is changed, so we leave the install.properties as it is.

Backup the Deployment Engine

Make a copy of the ‘D:\ibm\SMP\CTG_DE’ folder to another location. This folder contains the Deployment Engine database. If the installation goes wrong, we can use this backup to restore.

Stop MXServer

We use Websphere in this example.

In the Integrated Solutions Console go to Servers -> Server Types -> Websphere application servers. Select the MXServer and stop the MXServer.

Run the installer

We will now start the installer. Right click on the install.exe (or the install_win64.exe if you upgrade a 64 bit installation) and run the .exe as administrator.

Wait until the installation is decompressed and ready to be installed;

Choose the language and click [OK]

Click [Next]

Check if the installation location is correct and click [Next]

Now we see a summary of the currently installed packages, review these.

Click [Next]

The installer will perform the pre-installation processing. Wait until these are done.

When done, the installer quits on me. It closes without any warning…

Troubleshooting time...

First we look in the directory D:\ibm\SMP\logs and check the logs

The CTGError00.log states the following;

3-okt-2013 15:24:08 SEVERE: NOTE No JDBC Connection to DB established.
3-okt-2013 15:24:08 SEVERE: NOTE Creating with

We go to Websphere to test the JDBC connection.

In the menu on the left go to: Resources -> JDBC -> Data Sources. Select the resource en click the [Test connection] button.

I got a message about the Node not being in Sync. When trying to Sync the node an error occurs.

So i went to a console, and got to D:\ibm\Websphere\AppSever\bin and ran the command ‘stopNode.bat’

Run the command ‘startNode.bat’

Now, go back to Websphere and test the JDBC connection again. This time it is successful.

We run the taskrunner to see if there is any unfinished business set during the installation that stopped on us...

Try the installation again.

We repeat the steps we did until the pre-installation processing.

Same error…

I went to check to log on a different location: C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator

There the CTGError00.log show more information (because I ran it as Administrator?)

FINE: ENTERjava.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Database.SQL.ServerHostName

at com.ibm.tivoli.ccmdb.install.common.CmnAssert.badAssertion(CmnAssert.java:196)

at com.ibm.tivoli.ccmdb.install.common.CmnAssert.notNull(CmnAssert.java:114)

at com.ibm.tivoli.ccmdb.install.common.config.database.SQLServer.updateObjectProperties(SQLServer.java:180)

at com.ibm.tivoli.ccmdb.install.common.config.database.SQLServer.<init>(SQLServer.java:334)

at com.ibm.tivoli.ccmdb.install.common.config.database.SQLServer.getInstance(SQLServer.java:148)

at com.ibm.tivoli.ccmdb.install.foundation.ccmdb.FndSetInstallType.updateDatabaseProperties(FndSetInstallType.java:1304)

at com.ibm.tivoli.ccmdb.install.foundation.ccmdb.FndSetInstallType.handleInstall(FndSetInstallType.java:539)

at com.ibm.tivoli.ccmdb.install.foundation.ccmdb.AFndCustomCodeAction.install(AFndCustomCodeAction.java:127)

at com.zerog.ia.installer.actions.CustomAction.installSelf(DashoA10*..)

at com.zerog.ia.installer.AAMgrBase.a(DashoA10*..)

at com.zerog.ia.installer.AAMgr.a(DashoA10*..)

at com.zerog.ia.installer.AAMgrBase.e(DashoA10*..)

at com.zerog.ia.installer.AAMgrBase.n(DashoA10*..)

at com.zerog.ia.installer.AAMgr.a(DashoA10*..)

at com.zerog.ia.installer.AAMgrBase.e(DashoA10*..)

at com.zerog.ia.installer.AAMgrBase.n(DashoA10*..)

at com.zerog.ia.installer.AAMgr.a(DashoA10*..)

at com.zerog.ia.installer.AAMgrBase.e(DashoA10*..)

at com.zerog.ia.installer.AAMgrBase.n(DashoA10*..)

at com.zerog.ia.installer.AAMgr.g(DashoA10*..)

at ZeroGs8.goNext(DashoA10*..)

at com.ibm.tivoli.ccmdb.install.ps.ia.panel.PsiaPidProgressPanel.drivePreInstallDirector(PsiaPidProgressPanel.java:482)

at com.ibm.tivoli.ccmdb.install.ps.ia.panel.PsiaPidProgressPanel.run(PsiaPidProgressPanel.java:316)

at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:736)

Database.SQL.ServerHostName

Throwable occurred: java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Database.SQL.ServerHostName