Technology Knowledge Update TKU 2021-Jan-1

BMC Discovery Technology Knowledge Update 2021-Jan-1 is a deliverable for BMC Discovery 11.3, 12.0 and 20.08 series.

Product content updates require appliance restart

This TKU release contains product content additions. When product content is added, the appliance is restarted as part of the update. You are given the opportunity to prevent the restart, though if you do so, none of the knowledge content will be installed.

Important Note for Discovery 20.02 (12.0) Customers Only:

Mapping files for synchronization to ServiceNow CMDB

The mapping files for synchronization to ServiceNow CMDB released with the previous version of BMC Discovery no longer work with the updated sync for ServiceNow CMDB. New mapping files are available from EPD. However, to ensure correct operation, you must use the following procedure:

  1. Delete the sync for ServiceNow mappings
  2. Upload the new sync for ServiceNow mappings 
  3. Restart the cmdb_sync_transformer service. As the tideway user, enter: tw_service_control --restart cmdb_sync_transformer

Please be aware that in TKU 2021-Jan-1 release the key attribute has been updated for the following node:

  • Apache Kafka Cluster. Cluster key was changed, as it is now modeled as 'SoftwareCluster', instead of 'SoftwareInstance'. This is part of RFE DRDC1-13969 to discover Kafka Topics which we now support. See below or here the details.

For details of why the SI Key Change field is important, see Key-and-Command-Updates.

Release Highlights

In addition to the support Apache Kafka Topics we have added two and enhanced EOL/NVD features as follows:

  1. Cloud: the Amazon Outpost is now supported. See the documentation here for details.
  2. Edge Connectivity: We now synchronize the relationship between SAN Switches and Storage Systems or Hosts. See the documentation here.
  3. We have increased our coverage for Network Devices EOL data as well as NVD information. Please visit the EDP page and NVD page for details.
Important Note for BMC Discovery

If you use BMC Discovery 12.0 (20.02), you must install Patch 2 before you install the August TKU. More information on the patch is available here, Patch 2 for version 20.02.

Latest Releases Updates

  • From TKU December we now report security information for hardware where it is published in the US Government National Vulnerability Database.  
    This is in addition to reporting NVD information for Software Instances, Operating Systems and Network Devices.
  • We have introduced a new sync mapping pattern that maps Detail nodes with type "TLS Certificate" to the BMC_Document CIs. This mapping is enabled by default, and could add additional data to the CMDB. For more information, see CDM Mapping for Host.

Release Compatibility

TKU 2021-Jan-1 is released in the following streams:

  • Release compatible with BMC Discovery 11.3 series.
  • Release compatible with BMC Discovery 12.0 series.
  • Release compatible with BMC Discovery 20.08 series.

Download

Customers can access this TKU release from the BMC Electronic Product Distribution Website. If you are a customer or partner and do not already have a login please contact your BMC account manager.

Check out this guideline if you are unsure how to download from BMC EPD site.

Release Contents

The release comprises components packaged as such entities:

  • BMC Discovery Technology Knowledge Update.
    • Core - Patterns that model various software products.
    • Extended Database discovery - Patterns that extend some of the core database patterns to obtain additional detailed information about certain databases.
    • Middleware discovery - Patterns that obtain detailed information about certain J2EE Application Servers and Web servers.
    • Network Device Integration Module with associated Network Device definition files, Printer definition files and SNMP managed devices definition files.
    • System - Patterns that detect configuration issues and populate Discovery Conditions BMC Discovery 11.3.xx, BMC Discovery 12.0.xx and BMC Discovery 20.08 as well as patterns used by the CMDB sync system.
  • BMC Discovery Extended Data Pack TKU 2021-Jan-1, which is a separately licensable product.
    • Hardware Reference Data - Patterns and data import CSV file that populate BMC Discovery with power and heat consumption figures for various hosts.
    • National Vulnerability Database - A pattern that populates BMC Discovery with information about the CPE ID of each product, full details here.
    • Product Lifecycle - Patterns that populate BMC Discovery with information about End-of-Life, End-of-Support, and End-of-Extended-Support for versions of certain host Operating Systems as well as versions of certain software products.
  • BMC Discovery for Storage, which is a separately licensable product.
    • Storage Systems: Patterns that model many Storage Systems. See the full list of currently supported storage devices here. Visit the Storage System Release Notes page to get details about what's new.
    • Improvements on existing Storage patterns. See what we have fixed or improved in existing patterns in the Storage System Release Notes page.

Installation and Upgrade

Enhanced Pattern Modules

For details of why the SI Key Change field is important please see this documentation. 

RFEs

Defects Resolved

The following defects have been fixed in this BMC Discovery Technology Knowledge Update.

Command/File Matrix

The Command/File Matrix file (covering ALL commands executed and ALL files retrieved by the patterns) for TKU January 2021 can be downloaded from here. 

The main command/file matrix documentation is accessible from the Got-a-Problem-to-Solve page or directly from here.


 

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