This section describes how to integrate IBM Tivoli Enterprise Console (TEC) with Service Desk.
Introduction to TEC Integration for Service Desk
The Tivoli Enterprise Console (TEC) Integration for Service Desk offering provides bidirectional communication between IBM Tivoli Enterprise Console (TEC) and the Service Desk component of IBM Tivoli Service Request Manager 7.1. This section provides brief descriptions of the IBM Tivoli Enterprise Console product, the Service Desk applications that integrate with TEC, and the benefits of integrating TEC and Service Desk functionality.
IBM Tivoli Enterprise Console (TEC)
IBM Tivoli Enterprise Console (TEC) is an event management software system that collects, consolidates and correlates events from a variety of event sources across the managed network, initiating automated corrective action when appropriate, in order to reduce the number of events that require human intervention to a
manageable size.
Events are consolidated or correlated by filtering redundant or low priority events, discarding duplicate events, discarding secondary events (events caused by other events) where appropriate, automatically closing a problem event when the related recovery event occurs, and other techniques. Rules define how events are to be processed.
TEC events are assigned a severity that indicates the seriousness of the underlying problem. The default classifications, in order of increasing severity, are
UNKNOWN, HARMLESS, WARNING, MINOR, CRITICAL, and FATAL.
Service Desk
The Service Desk applications most directly related to TEC integration are the ticket applications: the Service Request, Incidents, and Problems applications.
v The Service Requests application is used to create records of customer calls or email messages requesting service.
v The Incidents application is used to create records of incidents that result in an interruption to or reduction in the quality of a service.
v The Problems application is used to create records of the underlying problems that cause incidents and service requests.
Service Request, Incident, and Problem records are referred to as ticket records or ticket types. Ticket records can be created by a service desk agent or automatically using data from email messages, system monitoring tools, or external software applications such as IBM Tivoli Enterprise Console. After a ticket record is created, a person or group can take ownership of the ticket and see the issue through to resolution.
Integrating TEC with Service Desk
After you install and configure TEC Integration for Service Desk, TEC events that meet defined criteria are used as triggers to automatically open ticket records in the Service Desk ticket applications. For example, by default, FATAL events trigger the opening of an Incident ticket, and CRITICAL events trigger a Service Request ticket. You can change the event criteria for opening Service Desk tickets and the types of tickets that are opened in response to events.
After a ticket is opened in Service Desk, subsequent updates to the ticket
automatically result in corresponding updates to the originating TEC event and all correlated events, provided that the events still exist in the TEC event cache. When the ticket is closed, all TEC events associated with the ticket are also closed.
The integration of TEC with Service Desk addresses an IT management need that Service Desk alone is not designed to meet. While a service desk agent might become aware of system outages and access failures reported by employees or customers, the Service Desk software is not intended as a solution for isolating and resolving performance and availability problems across computer networks. Tivoli Enterprise Console, on the other hand, is specifically designed to help ensure the availability of IT resources. The integration of TEC with Service Desk enables service desk agents to become aware of problems that need attention. The automated opening of Service Desk tickets in response to events accelerates the resolution process, reducing mean time to repair and in some cases solving a problem before it is reported by customers or becomes worse.
Prerequisite software
This section describes the prerequisite software required to integrate TEC with Service Desk.
Before you configure TEC Integration for Service Desk, the following products must be installed and running on one of the specified operating systems:
Product Operating System Reference
Service Desk component of IBM Tivoli Service Request Manager 7.1
Windows Follow the instructions in the Installing section of this information center to install the Service Desk component of IBM Tivoli Service Request Manager.
IBM Tivoli Enterprise Console (TEC), version 3.9 or higher
Windows, Linux, UNIX
Use the IBM Tivoli Enterprise Console installation media to install the TEC product.
The IBM Tivoli Service Request Manager product must be supported by a WebSphere application server and a database server. The supported database servers vary according to the operating system of the WebSphere server, as summarized in the following table:
Application server Operating system Database server
IBM WebSphere, version 6.0.2.17 Windows IBM DB2®, Oracle, Microsoft®SQL Server
Linux, AIX IBM DB2, Oracle
When you install IBM Tivoli Service Request Manager, you can use the
middleware installer to install the WebSphere application server on a Windows, Linux, or AIX system. See the Installing section of this information center for details.
While the application server is typically installed on the same computer as the IBM Tivoli Service Request Manager software, it can be installed on a separate
computer. Note that IBM Tivoli Service Request Manager must be installed on Windows. An application server on Linux or AIX must reside on a separate computer.
Components of the TEC Integration for Service Desk solution
This section illustrates the components required to integrate TEC and Service Desk and the communication paths between them.
The components required to integrate TEC with Service Desk are shown in the following diagram:
When you install the TEC Integration for Service Desk software on a TEC server, the installer creates a rule base that defines the default event criteria for opening Service Desk tickets. You can change the default criteria by modifying the rule base. In Figure 1, moving from left to right, after a TEC server receives an event from an event source, it evaluates the event according to the rule base. If the event meets the established criteria, the TEC server forwards the event information to the Tivoli Directory Integrator (TDI) server .
Tivoli Directory Integrator serves as the interface between TEC and Service Desk.
When the TDI server receives the event information, it further evaluates the event to determine the type of Service Desk ticket to open and other ticket attributes, based either on default settings or on mappings that you configure using the TDI Configuration Editor. This information is passed on to the Service Request
Manager server, specifically to the Maximo®Enterprise Adapter (MEA) component . The Maximo Enterprise Adapter provides interfaces for communication between Service Request Manager and external applications, in this case the TDI server.
When the ticket description is updated or the ticket is closed, the TEC event or events associated with the ticket are updated. The updated ticket information is communicated through the MEA to the non-TME logfile adapter on the TDI Figure 1. Components of the TEC Integration for Service Desk solution
server. The non-TME logfile adapter is a TEC product component that you install on the TDI server. The logfile adapter is used to transmit information from Service Desk back to the TEC event server.
Your TEC Integration for Service Desk environment can include multiple TEC servers, multiple TDI servers and multiple Service Request Manager servers.
Although a single TDI server can accommodate the data flow from multiple TEC and Service Request Manager servers, it is a best practice to install multiple TDI servers to maintain availability in case of server failure.
TEC integration road map
This section provides an overview of the tasks required to set up bidirectional communication between Service Desk and one or more Tivoli Enterprise Console (TEC) servers.
Perform the tasks listed in the following table to set up TEC integration with Service Desk. The table describes the role of each component in the installation.
Step Task Description
Step 1 Install the prerequisite software: IBM Tivoli Service Request Manager with the Service Desk component, and IBM Tivoli Enterprise Console.
Refer to the Installing section of this information center for instructions on how to install IBM Tivoli Service Request Manager.
When you install the Service Desk component, an integration module is automatically installed and activated on the Service Request Manager server. The integration module provides an interface between Service Request Manager and Tivoli Directory Integrator (TDI).
The installation process also deploys a new maximo.ear file on the application server (IBM WebSphere) to support the integration between TEC and Service Desk.
Step 2 Use the Service Request Manager product interface to configure your Service Request Manager installation:
v Update system properties to enable Maximo Enterprise Adapter (MEA) objects to work correctly.
v Generate an XML schema for object structures used by the Service Desk component of Service Request Manager.
The Maximo Enterprise Adapter (MEA) is a component on the Service Request Manager server that is used as a two-way communications interface between Service Desk and Tivoli Directory Integrator (TDI).
An object structure consists of one or more records that develops its XML content from a particular object. You must generate an XML Schema Definition (XSD) to define the legal XML elements for each of the object structures used by Service Desk.
Step Task Description Step 3 Install and configure IBM Tivoli
Directory Integrator (TDI):
v Install the TEC non-TME logfile adapter on each computer where you installed or plan to install a TDI server.
v Install one or more TDI servers.
v Perform post-installation configuration for TDI servers on Linux or UNIX
v Configure the mxe.properties file on each TDI server to point to the location of the logfile adapter and to specify a login user that the TDI server can use to access Service Request Manager and create Service Desk tickets.
Tivoli Directory Integrator (TDI) is the broker between TEC and Service Desk. To support synchronization of TEC event status with Service Desk ticket status, Tivoli Directory Integrator forwards events from TEC servers to Service Desk and also transmits information from Service Desk back to TEC. Tivoli Directory Integrator uses the TEC non-TME logfile adapter to transmit information between Service Desk and TEC.
Multiple TEC servers and multiple Service Request Manager servers can be serviced by a single TDI environment. However, it is a best practice to install multiple TDI servers for failover purposes. With multiple TDI servers, a failure of one server does not interrupt the availability of data.
You can install Tivoli Directory Integrator before or after you install the logfile adapter. The logfile adapter is available on the IBM Tivoli Enterprise Console product installation media.
Step 4 (Optional) To configure a robust TDI failover environment in installations with more than one TDI server, perform the following procedures:
v Configure a common TDI System Queue.
v Configure a common TDI System Store.
v Start the Cloudscape®server and verify JDBC connections.
The TDI System Queue is a TDI JMS messaging subsystem that facilitates the storing and forwarding of messages between TDI Servers and Assembly Lines. The TDI System Store is a relational database that enables persistent storage.
When installed, each TDI server has its own System Queue (provided the queue option is selected during installation) and System Store. By configuring a common System Queue and System Store for multiple TDI servers, you better ensure the availability of data in case of server failure.
The Cloudscape server is used to managed the common System Store. It is included with the IBM Tivoli Service Request Manager Integration Toolkit and is automatically installed when you install a TDI server from the toolkit.
Step 5 (Optional) Configure secure (SSL) communication between the Service Request Manager server and TDI server.
Before you perform this procedure, you must configure SSL communication for the Web application server (for example, IBM WebSphere Application Server) that supports the Service Request Manager server. Refer to the administrator guide for your supporting Web application server for instructions.
Step 6 Start the TDI servers. Start the TDI servers only after all the preceding steps are completed.
Step 7 Install the TEC Integration for Service Desk software on each TEC server.
The TEC Integration for Service Desk installation process populates, loads, and activates a rule base that defines the TEC event criteria for automatically opening Service Desk ticket records.
Step 8 Configure communication between the TEC server and the TDI servers.
A properties file (tdi_server.props) on the TEC server specifies the information that enables the TEC server to send events to, and receive data from, the TDI server. You can also specify additional TDI servers for failover purposes.
Step 9 (Optional) Customize communication between TEC and Service Desk.
TEC Integration for Service Desk provides default mappings of TEC event attributes to Service Desk ticket types and display fields. You can change the event criteria for triggering Service Desk tickets, the types of ticket records opened in response to events that meet specific criteria, and the information that is displayed in Service Desk text fields for an event.
Step Task Description Step 10 (Optional) Edit configuration files to
reflect any changes in the TEC Integration environment.
If the location or other attribute of a TEC Integration component changes, you must update the appropriate configuration file to reflect the change.
For example, if the TDI server hostname and HTTP port changes, you must identify the new location to the TEC server by editing the tdi_server.props file on the TEC server.
Configuring your Service Request Manager installation
The following topics describe how to configure your Service Request Manager installation.
Configuring system properties
This topic describes how to update system variables that enable Maximo Enterprise Adapter (MEA) objects to work correctly.
The Maximo Enterprise Adapter is the framework for integrating external applications with Service Request Manager and other products that run on the same base. In the TEC integration environment, the Maximo Enterprise Adapter serves as the communications interface between Service Desk and Tivoli Directory Integrator (TDI). The MEA component was installed on the Service Request Manager server when you installed the Service Request Manager product.
To enable MEA objects to work correctly, use the System Properties application, accessible from the Service Request Manager user interface, to update each of the system properties shown in the following table. Obtain the values for these properties before you perform the procedure.
System property Description Default value
setting.DISPLAYTIME Specifies the time format used when the MEA works with date queries. The default time format is HH:mm:ss.
HH:mm:ss
mxe.int.webappurl Specifies the root URL from the Service Request Manager installation. This URL will be referenced from the XSD files that you generate for each object structure used by Service Desk. (See “Generating XML schemas” on page 13.)
http://localhost:80/meaweb For secure (SSL) connections:
https://localhost:9443/meaweb
mxe.int.globaldir Specifies the global directory of the Service Request Manager installation. This
directory will be used to store the XSD files that you generate for each object structure used by Service Desk. (See “Generating XML schemas” on page 13.)
C:\IBM\Maximo
Complete the following steps to modify each of the system properties shown in the preceding table:
1. Log on to Service Request Manager as an administrator with authority to perform system configuration tasks.
2. From the Go To menu on the Navigation Toolbar, select System Configuration → Platform Configuration → System Properties.
3. On the System Properties window, search for the system property that you want to modify.
To search, open the Filter and type the property name in the filter field in the Property Namecolumn. Then press Enter.
4. Click View Details next to the property name to display the Global Properties Detailssection of the window.
5. Enter the property value in the Global Value field.
6. From the Select Action menu on the application toolbar, select Live Refresh.
7. Click OK on the Live Refresh dialog.
The new property value is displayed in both the Global Value and Current Valuefields.
Generating XML schemas
This topic describes how to generate an XML Schema Definition (XSD) for each of the object structures used by Service Desk.
Use the Object Structures application, accessible from the Service Request Manager user interface, to generate an XML schema for each of the object structures shown in the following list.
MXCLASSIFICATION MXOSTICKET
MXOSPROBLEM MXOSINCIDENT MXOSSERVREQ
Complete the following procedure to generate the XML schemas for each of the listed object structures:
1. Log on to Service Request Manager as an administrator with authority to perform system configuration tasks.
2. From the Go To menu on the Navigation Toolbar, select Integration → Object Structures.
3. Repeat the following steps for each object structure in the preceding list:
a. On the List tab, search for the name of the object structure (for example, MXCLASSIFICATION).
To search, open the Filter and type the name of the object structure, or a partial name, in the filter field in the Object Structure column. Then press Enter.
b. Click the object structure name to open the record for the object structure.
c. From the Select Action menu, select Generate Schema/View XML.
A message box opens, asking if you want to generate a schema for each operation.
d. Click OK. The View XML dialog box opens.
e. Click OK to return to the List tab.
Installing the TEC non-TME logfile adapter
Tivoli Directory Integrator uses the non-TME logfile adapter component of TEC to transmit information from Service Desk to TEC. Install the adapter on each computer where you installed or plan to install a Tivoli Directory Integrator (TDI) server.
The TEC non-TME logfile adapter must be installed on the TDI server to enable updates to TEC events when there are changes to the associated Service Desk tickets. While the service associated with the logfile adapter does not need to be started or configured, it is important that the postzmsg binary and all of its dependencies are available on the TDI server.
You can install the logfile adapter before or after you install the TDI server. You might have already installed a TDI server initially to support integration of Service Desk with a product other than TEC and now you want to use the same server to support TEC integration.
The TDI installation command available with the IBM Tivoli Service Request Manager Integration Toolkit has a required parameter for the location of the logfile adapter. If you install Tivoli Directory Integrator before you install the logfile adapter, you can specify either of the following values for this parameter:
v The location where you plan to install the logfile adapter.
v Any valid character string. For example, you could specify na if do not know the location of the logfile adapter. After the logfile adapter is installed, you can specify the location in the mxe.properties file on the TDI server host.
v Any valid character string. For example, you could specify na if do not know the location of the logfile adapter. After the logfile adapter is installed, you can specify the location in the mxe.properties file on the TDI server host.