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BMC Decision Support for Server Automation is a web-based reporting application that provides extensive reporting capabilities related to your data-center servers that are managed by BMC.
Release notes and notices
updated 08 Jul
This section provides information about what is new or changed in this space.

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Date

Title

Summary

July 07, 2014Service Pack 1: 8.5.01

Enhancements available in this release:

  • New query item in Patch domain
  • Change password for the ReportsSystem user ID
  • Support for new component versions
  • Added platform support
  • Added database support
February 24, 20148.5.00 enhancements

Enhancements available in this release:

  • Installation enhancements

  • New console for configuring the product

  • Archival and restore utility

  • Enhanced reporting

  • Extract, transform, and load (ETL) improvements

  • online Help

  • Improved database sizing tools

  • Content Installer enhancements

  • Report Administration Utility (blrptadmin) functionality available in BMC Decision Support for Server Automation Console

  • Support for new component versions

  • Added platform support

Product announcementsPlatforms that are no longer supported

Tip

You can create a custom PDF of this release notes and notices branch.

The BMC Documentation portal gives you the ability to generate PDF and Microsoft Word documents of single pages, and to create PDF exports of multiple pages in a space.  

Creating PDF and Word exports

You can create a PDF of a page or a set of pages. (Non-English page exports are not supported.) You can also create a Word document of the current page.

To export to PDF or Word

  1. From the Tools menu in the upper-right, select a format:
    • Export to Word to export the current page to Word format
    • Export to PDF to export the current page or a set of pages to PDF
  2. If exporting to PDF, select what you want to export:
    • Only this page to export the current page
    • This page and its children to export a set of pages
    For example, selecting This page and its children from the home page exports the entire space to PDF.


 


Planning

 

Concepts, architecture, deployment, planning, and system requirements.

Installing

 

Information about installing the product and migrating product data.

Configuring after installation

 

Required post-installation configuration.

Upgrading

 

Upgrade process, migration, and configuration.

Troubleshooting

 

Issues resolution, error messages, logs, and contacting Support.

Using

 

Interface descriptions, using the product.

Administering

 

Security, system administration, maintenance.

Integrating

 

Integrations with other products.
What's new?

This topic contains information about fixes and updates in this service pack, and provides instructions for downloading and installing the service pack. 

Tip

For information about issues corrected in this service pack, see Known and corrected issues.

Supported versions of BMC Server Automation

Service Pack 1 supports the following versions of BMC Server Automation:

  • 8.5, 8.5 Patch (P) 1, 8.5 P2, 8.5 SP1, 8.5 SP1-P1, 8.5 SP1-P2, 8.5 SP1-P3, 8.5 SP1-P4
  • 8.3 and all related service packs

Enhancements

Service Pack 1 has been enhanced with the following features.

Changes in the BMC BladeLogic data model

 

A new query item, IAVA ID has been added to the Windows Bulletin query subject in the Patch domain. This attribute indicates the Information Assurance Vulnerability Alert ID of a Windows bulletin. Access this query item at Patch > Patch Overview > Patch Details > Windows Bulletin.

To see the complete BladeLogic data model sheet, click the "8.5.01 BMC BladeLogic data model" link at Data model.

 

 

To enable you to create reports based on the ACL policies and new object types, the following query subjects and query items have been included in various domain folders in the BMC BladeLogic data model. To see the details of these query items and the complete BladeLogic data model sheet, click the "8.5 BMC BladeLogic data model" link at Data model.

Domain folderQuery subjectQuery itemFull path
ComplianceCompliance Rule ResultRule Result String OverflowCompliance Rule Result/Rule Result String Overflow
InventoryServerStaging DirectoryServer/Staging Directory
RBAC
























RoleAuthorization MethodRole/Authorization Method
UserLast Active DateRole/User/Last Active Date
ACL Policy





ACL Policy NameACL Policy/ACL Policy Name
ACL Policy DescriptionACL Policy/ACL Policy Description
Date CreatedACL Policy/Date Created
Date ModifiedACL Policy/Date Modified
Created User NameACL Policy/Created User Name
Modified User NameACL Policy/Modified User Name
ACL Policy DeletedACL Policy/ACL Policy Deleted
BL Package and NSH Script





Object TypeObject/BL Package and NSH Script/Object Type
Object NameObject/BL Package and NSH Script/Object Type
Object DescriptionObject/BL Package and NSH Script/Object Description
Object Created DateObject/BL Package and NSH Script/Object Created Date
Object Modified DateObject/BL Package and NSH Script/Object Modified Date
Object DeletedObject/BL Package and NSH Script/Object Deleted
Custom Command



CommandObject/Custom Command/Command
Command Display NameObject/Custom Command/Command Display Name
Command Created DateObject/Custom Command/Command Created Date
Command Modified DateObject/Custom Command/Command Modified Date
Command DeletedObject/Custom Command/Command Deleted
Config FileConfig File NameObject/Custom Command/Config File Name
ObjectAuthorization MethodObject/Authorization Method
Audit Trail

Site NameAudit Trail/Site Name
User NameAudit Trail/User Name
Role NameAudit Trail/Role Name
RBAC FiltersPolicy is not deletedRBAC Filters/Policy is not deleted
Patch













Patch Information



Patch Smart Group NamePatch Overview/Patch Information/Patch Smart Group Name
Patch Smart Group Patch Overview/Patch Information/Patch Smart Group
Catalog Update StatusPatch Overview/Patch Information/Catalog Update Information/Catalog Update Status
Catalog Update Job Run Start TimePatch Overview/Patch Information/Catalog Update Information/Catalog Update Job Run Start Time
Catalog Update Execution Time (secs) Patch Overview/Patch Information/Catalog Update Information/Catalog Update Execution Time (secs)
Installed Server CountPatch Overview/Patch Information/Installed Server Count
Windows Bulletin

Bulletin IDPatch Overview/Patch Details/Windows Bulletin/Bulletin ID
Patch Type IDPatch Overview/Patch Details/Windows Bulletin/Patch Type ID
ImpactPatch Overview/Patch Details/Windows Bulletin/Impact
Impact DescriptionPatch Overview/Patch Details/Windows Bulletin/Impact Description
Windows HotFix

Patch Type IDPatch Overview/Patch Details/Windows HotFix/Patch Type ID
Superseded ByPatch Overview/Patch Details/Windows HotFix/Superseded By
Superseded By ScorePatch Overview/Patch Details/Windows HotFix/Superseded By Score
Missing Patch Details

Is MissingMissing Patch Details/Is Missing
Is InstalledMissing Patch Details/Is Installed
Patch StatusMissing Patch Details/Patch Status
Patch ServerServer Group NamePatch/Patch Server/Server Group Name
Server Smart Group NamePatch/Patch Server/Server Smart Group Name
Patch FiltersPatch Job Latest RunPatch Filters/Patch Job Latest Run

The following query items have been deleted from the RBAC domain folder in the BMC BladeLogic data model in this version of the product.

Note

If you have included these items in any of the reports in previous versions of the product, data for these items will not be available in this version of the product.

Query subjectQuery item
Profile


Authorization Description
Authorization Display Name
Authorization Type
Authorization Method
Site Name
Profile Authorization
RoleSystem Role

To see the complete BladeLogic data model sheet, click the "8.3 BMC BladeLogic data model" link at Data model.

Removed duplicate query items

In versions earlier than 8.3, the OS Vendor and Subnet Mask information is present in multiple query subjects. From this release, this information is available only in the OS Vendor and Subnet Mask query items, which are present in the Inventory\Server query subject.

Removed properties from the Inventory Server Property query subject

The following properties are no longer available in the Inventory Server Property query subject:

  • REPEATER_STAGING_DIR
  • STAGING_DIR

See the following documents for the complete 8.2 BladeLogic data model and for the changes done in the data model in version 8.2. A sample CSV file obtained from report analysis on BMC BladeLogic Decision Support for Server Automation version 8.1 is also available.

DocumentDescription
Query items mapping from version 8.1 to version 8.2

This document lists the mapping of query items from version 8.1 to 8.2.

Query items removed in version 8.2This document lists the query items that are no longer available in version 8.2.
8.2 BMC BladeLogic data modelThis document contains information about the query subjects and query items available in the BMC BladeLogic data model version 8.2.
Sample CSV file obtained by report analysisThis document is a sample CSV file obtained from report analysis on BMC BladeLogic Decision Support for Server Automation version 8.1

Changing password for the ReportsSystem user ID

Now you can change password for the ReportsSystem user ID, which is used for internal administration tasks in BMC Decision Support for Server Automation. For more details, see Changing the password for the ReportsSystem user ID.

New component versions

BMC Decision Support for Server Automation version 8.5.01 supports the following component versions:

ComponentVersion
Cognos10.2.1
Java Runtime Environment (JRE)JRE 7 update 55
Apache HTTP Server (Web Server)2.2.27
Apache Tomcat7.0.23
OpenSSL1.0.1h

Added platform support

With this release, for deployments with an Oracle database, BMC Decision Support for Server Automation provides support for the following platforms: 

  • Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 (x86-64)
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2012 (x86-64)
  • SUSE Linux Enterprise 11 SP2 (x86-64)

For deployments with a Microsoft SQL Server database, BMC Decision Support for Server Automation provides support for the following platforms: 

  • Windows Server 2012 R2 (x86-64)
  • Windows Server 2012 (x86-64)

For a complete list of supported platforms, see Platform support.

Added database support

With this release, BMC Decision Support for Server Automation provides support for the following databases:

  • Oracle database server 12c
  • Oracle database server 12c Real Application Clusters (RAC)

For a complete list of supported databases, see Oracle database support.

With this release, BMC Decision Support for Server Automation provides support for SQL Server 2012. For a complete list of supported databases, see SQL Server database support.

Downloading the service pack

Installing Service Pack 1 installs the entire BMC Decision Support for Server Automation product. You can download the service pack files from the BMC Electronic Product Distribution (EPD) website at http://webapps.bmc.com/epd. The version number shown on EPD is 8.5.01.

  1. Create a directory in which to place the downloaded files.

    Note

    On Microsoft Windows computers, ensure that the directory is only one level into the directory structure. The EPD package creates a directory in the temporary directory when you extract the files, and the directory that contains the installation image should not be in a directory deeper than two levels into the directory structure.

  2. Go to http://www.bmc.com/available/epd.html
  3. At the logon prompt, enter your user ID and password, and click Submit.
  4. On the Export Compliance and Access Terms page, provide the required information, agree to the terms of the agreements, and click Continue.
  5. If you are accessing this site for the first time, create an EPD profile to specify the languages and platforms that you want to see according to the EPD site Help; otherwise, skip to step 6.
  6. Verify that the correct profile is displayed for your download purpose, and select the Licensed Products tab.

    Note

    If you are downloading a patch, select the Product Patches tab.

  7. Click the Go To Licensed Products View link.
  8. Expand BMC Decision Support for Server Automation to show its versions, then expand version 8.5 for your desired platform and language to see the available patches and service packs.
  9. Select the BMC Decision Support for Server Automation installation files and the corresponding Cognos installation files.
  10. Click Download (FTP) or Download Manager:
    1. Download (FTP) places the selected items in an FTP directory, and the credentials and FTP instructions are sent to you in an email message.
    2. Download Manager enables you to download multiple files consecutively, and to resume an interrupted download if the connection drops. This method requires a one-time installation of the AkamiNetSession Client program on the target computer and is usually the faster and more reliable way to transfer files. A checksum is used to verify file integrity automatically.

Installing the service pack as a fresh product installation

For information about installing Service Pack 1, see Installing.

Upgrading to Service Pack 1

 To upgrade to Service Pack 1, complete the tasks described in this section.

Review the supported upgrade paths

To review the versions that are supported for upgrading to Service Pack 1, see Supported upgrade paths.

For more information about upgrading, see the topics listed in Upgrading.

Run the service pack installer

For information about installing Service Pack 1, see Installing.

Perform the postinstallation tasks

For information about postinstallation tasks, see Configuring after installation.

Related topic

Known and corrected issues

Frequently asked questions and other information

 

This topic provides information that supplements the BMC Decision Support for Server Automation 8.5.00 documentation. It contains the following sections:

Frequently asked questions

This section provides answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ) about BMC Decision Support for Server Automation.

Where to find information previously provided in a guide or manual

Document title

Found here in

BMC BladeLogic Decision Support for Server Automation
Installation Guide: for Oracle

BMC BladeLogic Decision Support for Server Automation
Installation Guide: for SQL Server

Planning
Installing
Configuring after installation
Upgrading
Troubleshooting 

BMC BladeLogic Decision Support for Server Automation Database Administrator Guide

Administering
Installing 
Troubleshooting  

BMC BladeLogic Decision Support for Server Automation User Guide

Key concepts 
Integrating
Using
Administering 
Configuring after installation
Troubleshooting

BMC BladeLogic Decision Support for Server Automation User Guide: Report Authoring

Using
Key concepts

The following table describes where you can find information previously provided in release notes.

Type of information

Found here in

New features (enhancements) and other information in 8.5.01 

New features (enhancements) and other information in 8.5.00

8.5.00 enhancements

  • Issues corrected by the base release and its service packs and patches
  • Issues that are currently open

Known and corrected issues

Technical bulletins contained information delivered after a product was released, often in conjunction with a service pack or patch for that release.

Where to find information previously provided in a technical bulletin

Type of technical bulletin

Found here in

Contents of a service pack or patch and instructions particular to it

Other information

Placed in context throughout this space, but listed and linked to in Technical bulletins. You will not have this topic in the first release of the product such as 8.5.00.

Flashes contained urgent information about product issues and are delivered after a product is released. On docs.bmc.com, this information is delivered in an "Urgent issues" topic, under  Release notes and notices. If this topic does not exist for a given product release, no urgent issues have been discovered for that release.

Yes, all the content for BMC Decision Support for Server Automation 8.5.00 is in this space.

The BMC Documentation portal gives you the ability to generate PDF and Microsoft Word documents of single pages, and to create PDF exports of multiple pages in a space.  

Creating PDF and Word exports

You can create a PDF of a page or a set of pages. (Non-English page exports are not supported.) You can also create a Word document of the current page.

To export to PDF or Word

  1. From the Tools menu in the upper-right, select a format:
    • Export to Word to export the current page to Word format
    • Export to PDF to export the current page or a set of pages to PDF
  2. If exporting to PDF, select what you want to export:
    • Only this page to export the current page
    • This page and its children to export a set of pages
    For example, selecting This page and its children from the home page exports the entire space to PDF.


 

Depending on the number of topics included in the export, it might take several minutes to create the PDF. Once the export is complete, you can download the PDF.

You can find information about supported platforms on BMC Support Central, under Product Availability and Compatibility.

For information about supported BMC Server Automation versions, see BMC Server Automation requirements.

Product versionJava Runtime Environment (JRE) version (shipped with product)Apache Tomcat version for BMC Decision Support for Server Automation ConsoleApache Tomcat version for reports portal (Cognos)Apache HTTP Server (Web Server) versionOpenSSL version
8.5.017 Update 557.0.236.0.352.2.271.0.1h
8.5.006 Update 377.0.236.0.352.2.241.0.1e

For information Inventory templates, see Installing Inventory templates and other scripts.

To use Report Studio, you must purchase a license for it and then enable it using the instructions that you are given when you purchase the license. To obtain the license, contact BMC Support.

You can edit existing reports using Report Studio. To use Report Studio, you must purchase a license for it and then enable it using the instructions that you are given when you purchase the license. For information about editing reports, see the IBM Cognos Business Intelligence Report Studio Professional Authoring User Guide at PDFs.

For information about creating report views, see the IBM Cognos Connection User Guide at PDFs.

Additional resources from BMC

The following BMC sites provide information outside of the BMC Decision Support for Server Automation 8.5 documentation that you might find helpful: 

PDFs

 

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