Running the Configuration Check Utility for UDM

To run successfully, the Data Management utility must communicate with a series of supporting background applications, plug-ins, and forms. If a Data Management job fails because of an issue with the supporting environment, you could spend a lot of time troubleshooting the issue, adjusting the configuration parameters, and rerunning the data-load job. To significantly reduce the likelihood that jobs will fail for environment-related reasons, BMC strongly recommends that you run the BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility, as described in this topic, at the start of every Data Management session.

If  the BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility finds issues, it points you to information about how to correct them.

This topic contains the following information:

What does the BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility look for?

When you run the BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility for Data Management configuration, it performs the checks described in the following table.

Messages from the BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility

The following table lists the messages that the BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility returns when it is run for Data Management.

The check could not query the server parameters.

Escalations are disabled on localhost: hostName.

The Filter-Max-Total: number, is less than number.

The Filter-Max-Stack: number, is less than number.

The plugInName plugin is not configured in 
pluginsvr_config.xml.

The check could not retrieve the 
PRIVATE-RPC-SOCKET from the ar.cfg file.

For the CAI plugin: plugInName, a private RPC 
is configured in the pluginsvr_config.xml file 
but not in the ar.cfg file. 

You must allocate more threads for the 
CAI plugin private RPC queue.

The check could not query the 
UDM:RAppPassword form: systemMessage.

The UDM:RAppPassword form has not been 
configured.

The check could not locate an entry for 
hostName in the UDM:RAppPassword form.

The check could not verify the password 
for: remedyApplicationService on : 
serverGroupMemeberID.

The check could not verify the Remedy 
Application password for remedyApplicationService
 , the Password field is empty.

The check cannot read or write to the 
Data Management Load Path: pathName.

The Data Management Load Path parameter is 
not set in the SYS:System Settings form.

The check could not query the 'SYS:System Settings'
 form: systemMessage.

The check could not connect with the Carte server: 
serverName at the specified port number.

Connection failed to carte server: systemMessage.

Escalations are disabled on all of the server group 
members.

Escalations are turned on only on: serverName.

Escalations are enabled on number members of 
the server group: serverNames.

The check was unable to determine the status 
of the Pentaho plugin.

The check could not confirm the Pentaho plugin 
status; the Remedy Application Service password 
for remedyApplicationService was not found.

The Pentaho plugin is not running on : serverNames.

The Pentaho plugin is not running on : serverNames.

Server group member serverName is 
missing from the UDM:Config form.

Server Connect name serverName is 
missing from the UDM:Config form.

The check could not log into or 
query the following forms: formNames.

In what modes does the BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility run?

The BMC Remedy Configuration check can run in several modes:

• GUI mode
• Command-line mode
• Script mode

The mode to use depends on your environment or what you are trying to achieve, as described in the following table. See How do I run the BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility? for detailed information about each mode.

Where do I run the BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility?

Where you run the BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility depends on whether you are operating a single AR System server or multiple AR System servers in a server group:

How do I run the BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility?

The following sections describe how to run BMC Remedy Configuration Check in its various modes:

• GUI mode
• Command Line mode
• Script mode

JAVA_HOME=C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.6.0_23\jre 

JAVA_HOME=/usr/java/jdk1.7.0_40

export JAVA_HOME

Running the BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility in GUI mode

This section describes how to run the BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility for the Data Management utility, using the GUI.

To run the BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility in GUI mode

1. Run the executable appropriate to your operating system:

   • Microsoft Windows: configchecker-ui.bat   

   • UNIX: configchecker-ui.sh 
     For UNIX, provide executable permissions to configchecker-ui.sh. Use any X-Server utility (for example, MobaXterm) to start the BMC Remedy Configuration Check GUI.

2. Complete the fields that require input. If you have run the BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility previously, many of these fields might already have valid entries. For the Products field, however, ensure that you select UDM.

   Field Name	Description
   Categories	All checks are classified into two categories: Pre-upgrade checks and Configuration checks. These categories indicate when a particular check must be run.
   Products	Displays a list of products for which the utility is executed. From the list, select UDM
   DB Host	BMC Remedy AR System database host name
   DB Type	BMC Remedy AR System database type The following fields are displayed in the DB Type Configuration window: Oracle, MS-SQL, DB2, or Sybase — Select the required database from these options. Unicode — Select this option for a unicode database. Windows Authentication or SQL Authentication — Select either of these options for authentication. Host Name — BMC Remedy AR System server host name Port — Port number for the BMC Remedy AR System server DB Instance Name — Name of the database instance AR System DB Name — BMC Remedy AR System database name User — BMC Remedy AR System server user name Password — BMC Remedy AR System server password
   AR Server	BMC Remedy AR System server name
   AR User	BMC Remedy AR System server user name The following fields are displayed in the AR System server user name configuration window: AR Server — BMC Remedy AR System server name Port — Port number for the BMC Remedy AR System server User — BMC Remedy AR System server user name Password — BMC Remedy AR System server password Auth String — Authentication string for BMC Remedy AR System server
   AR Install Dir	BMC Remedy AR System installation directory. You must specify this path for a fresh installation. However, this is optional for the upgrade process, because the utility automatically finds this path by querying the BMC Remedy AR System server.
   Temp Dir	Location of the temporary directory. This input is mandatory for BMC Remedy IT Service Management Suite (ITSM) and Service Level Management (SLM) products. If you do not provide this path, this check fails.
   Load Pre-Check Config File	Name and location of the input configuration file that contains the framework configuration and information about the BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility plug-ins. By default, the value of this field is the name and location of the OOTB configuration file. Click Browse to change the file name and location. Note: BMC recommends that you run the utility with the default configuration file.
   Load Existing Result File	Location at which the result file is created. Click Browse to change the default location of the result file. The existing result file can also be loaded to see the status of the last run.

   The configuration choices for the BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility are saved in the configchecker_config.xml file. If you change the configuration, the configuration file is saved as a new file, and subsequent changes are made to that file. (The original configuration file that is shipped with BMC Remedy AR System is backed up as a separate file.)

3. Click Next to open a window that displays all of the available checks based on the input that you provided in the previous window.

   Note

   When you click Next, the AR Server, Temp Dir, and AR Install Dir fields are validated. If an error occurs, you must resolve it before going to the next screen.

   
   A summary of some of the input is displayed in read-only mode at the top of this window. The Summary tab displays the precheck name, the product for which the checks will be executed (UDM), and the status of the checks. 
   
   

4. If the prechecks are not already selected, select all of them and click Run to execute the selected checks. 

Reporting

After the checks are executed, if all of the checks pass, no messages are displayed on the Errors/Warnings tab. If errors or warnings occur, they are displayed in detail in the tab. Additionally, the Hints column contains links to helpful information about errors that occur. 

The results are stored in an XML file (configcheckResult.xml) in the configchecker folder. Even if you close the GUI session or restart the system, you can still view the status of the last BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility run by loading this XML file. 

If you immediately rerun the utility, the system overwrites the configcheckResult.xml file. If you rerun the checks after you click Prev, or if you close the utility and reopen it, the system backs up the current result file up appending a time stamp to the  file name. 

Running the BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility in command-line mode

This section describes how to run the BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility for the Data Management utility, using the command-line interface. 

To run the BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility using the command-line interface

1. Run the executable appropriate to your operating system:

   • Microsoft Windows: configchecker.bat 

   • UNIX: configchecker.sh. 
     For UNIX, provide executable permissions to configchecker.sh. 

2. In the command-line window, provide the required inputs using the commands given in the following table:

   Command	Description
   AR Login [log]	Enter the following BMC Remedy AR System configuration details: Auth String — Authentication string for BMC Remedy AR System server User Name — BMC Remedy AR System server user name Password — BMC Remedy AR System server password AR Server — BMC Remedy AR System server name Port — Port number for the BMC Remedy AR System server. This input is mandatory for the majority of checks.
   DB Login [db]	Enter the following database-compatibility information: MS-SQL (1), Oracle (2), DB2 (3), or Sybase (4) — Select the required database from these options. Host Name — BMC Remedy AR System server host name TCP Port — Port number for the BMC Remedy AR System server DB Instance Name — Name of the database instance AR System DB Name — BMC Remedy AR System database name Windows Authentication or SQL Authentication — Select either of these options for authentication. Unicode — Select this option for a unicode database. DB User — BMC Remedy AR System server user name Password — BMC Remedy AR System server password
   Input Config File [f]	Allows you to change the name and location of the input configuration file that contains the framework configuration and information about the BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility plug-ins. By default, the value of this command is the name and location of the out-of-the-box configuration file. Note: BMC recommends that you run the utility with the default configuration file.
   Result File [rf]	Allows you to change the name and location of the result file. This input is optional. By default, the BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility result file is created in the configchecker folder with the name configcheckResult.xml.
   Path (AR/Temp) [path]	Allows you to change the location of the temporary directory (a mandatory input for the BMC Remedy ITSM and SLM products) and the BMC Remedy AR System installation directory (an optional input).
   Report Mode [rmode]	Allows you to change the report mode to info, warning (default), or error. Error details are displayed based on the report mode, the error details are displayed. If the report mode is set to info, all messages are displayed. If the report mode is set to warning, the error details display warnings and errors, and the info messages are ignored.
   Set Plugin Type List [spt]	Allows setting product types. Ensure that you execute the Load Configuration ([lc]) command, so that the existing product list is displayed by the [spt] command. Select UDM by entering 1 (or, to deselect it, enter 0). ARS — BMC Remedy AR System CMDB — BMC Atrium Core ITSM — BMC Remedy IT Service Management Suite SLM — Service Level Management SRM — Service Request Management SSI — BMC Remedy ITSM Preconfigured Stack installer UDM — Data Management Utility
   Set Categories [scat]	All checks are classified into two categories: Pre-upgrade checks and Configuration checks. These categories indicate when a particular check must be run.
   Run Test [run]	Executes the selected checks. The following options are available: 0 — Run All (All checks are executed, and a result file is generated.) 1 — Run Failed (If an earlier result file is present, only failed checks from the earlier run are executed; if no earlier result file is present or no failed checks are found, no action is taken.) 2 — Run by Name (Specific checks can be executed. To view the configured plug-in names, run the Get List Plugin [glp] command.
   Show Result [res]	Displays the result from the last run. The following options are displayed: 0— If you select this option, the following suboptions are available: 0 — The BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility summary is displayed on the screen, including the BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility name, the product, and the status. 1 — Displays detailed information about all failed checks. This is the same output that is displayed on the Errors/Warning tab of the GUI. 2 — Results of specific checks are displayed when you provide the name of the BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility report file. 1 — The BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility generates the HTML report of the last run, and the file path is displayed on the screen. This is the same report that you can also generate from the GUI. Note: The HTML report generated by the BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility must be started from the same folder in which it was created.
   Encrypt Password [ep]	Enables you to encrypt the AR System server password or the database user password and display the encrypted string. This command enables you to manually add the encrypted string to the input configuration file.
   Load Configuration [lc]	Loads the existing BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility configuration. This command is not required to run checks; however, the following command has a dependency on the [lc] command to get the existing plug-in types (products) or to get the list of configured plug-in names. [run] command, the BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility framework first loads the configuration and then runs the checks.
   Load Result File [lr]	Loads the existing result file, if present. If you do not provide a file path, the command searches for and loads the default file with configcheckResult.xml; otherwise the command is ignored. To rerun a failed check, you must load the existing result file first and then run the failed check.
   Get List Plugins [glp]	Displays a list of all configured plug-ins. Note: Execute the [lc] command before executing the [glp] command.
   Get List Plugin Types [glt]	Displays all products for which the BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility plug-ins are configured. Note: Execute the [lc] command before executing the [glt] command.

Running the BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility in script mode

Script mode is also known as Silent mode. 

To run the BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility in script mode

1. In the script that you will use to run the BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility, type one of the following executable commands:
   • Microsoft Windows: configchecker.bat 
   • UNIX: configchecker.sh.
     For UNIX, provide executable permissions to configchecker.sh. 

2. With the executable command, provide the run-time parameters. The following table lists the run-time parameters and describes what they do.

   Parameter	Purpose
   configchecker.bat -x <ARSERVER> -u <ARUSER> -p <ARPASSWORD> –o <PORT> -m 2 -rid "Check MSSQL DB performance configuration"	Checks that the READ_COMMITTED_SNAPSHOT parameter is turned on If this parameter is turned off, the configuration check utility returns a message asking you to turn it on. Verifies that the XACT_ABORT parameter is turned off If this parameter is turned on, the configuration check utility returns a message asking you to turn it off.
   configchecker.bat -x <ARSERVER> -u <ARUSER >-p <ARPASSWORD> –o <PORT> -m 2 -rid "Check AR System Server Configuration"	Verifies that escalations are enabled. Verifies that maximum number of filters for an operation are set to 500,000. Verifies that the maximum stack size of filters is set to 10,000. Verifies that the CAI plug-in configuration has a private RPC. If it does, it checks the ar.conf file for a definition of the private queue.
   configchecker.bat -x <ARSERVER> -u <ARUSER >-p <ARPASSWORD> –o <PORT> -m 2 -rid "Check Remedy App Server Password"	Verifies that the BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility can communicate with the AR System server using the password provided for members of the server group.
   configchecker.bat -x <ARSERVER> -u <ARUSER >-p <ARPASSWORD> –o <PORT> -m 2 -rid "Check Data Management Load File Path"	Verifies that the Data Management path is set in SYS:System Setting Verifies that the BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility can write to the specified directory.
   configchecker.bat -x <ARSERVER> -u <ARUSER >-p <ARPASSWORD> –o <PORT> -m 2 -rid "Check UDM plugin config"	Verifies that the BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility can communicate with the Carte server by opening a socket connection for each entry in the UDM:Config form. The check then verifies that the socket connection is open at the configured port. In a server group environment, performs the following checks: Checks for an entry in the UDM:Config form for each AR System server in the group. Verifies that escalations are enabled on at least one of the AR System servers in the group.

    

Related topics

BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility

Running the BMC Remedy Configuration Check utility in the silent mode (in the BMC Remedy Action Request System documentation)