Frequently Asked Questions

This section addresses common questions about PATROL for iSeries.

• • Message Queue monitoring
  • PGM relates queries
  • No data is displayed in the agent action reports

Message Queue monitoring

What regular expression must I use to find messages with an empty message ID?

You can use [^A-Z0-9a-z] regular expression in the Include Message IDs field to match messages with an empty message ID.

How to get messages with same severity?

You can define the same value in Minimum Severity and Maximum Severity field to get messages with same severity.

How to decode numeric value for message type used in the event data, with the selection of message types?

When you select *RPY,  the numeric value that is returned in the events is as per the value seen on the IBM iSeries host. 

Table-1: PATROL for iSeries: Message type selection in Message Queue monitor configuration

So for example if you have selected message type *RPY then the KM filter matches any messages with message type from 21 to 26 (from Table-2).

Table-2: IBM iSeries host: Message Type and value

PGM relates queries

How to check the PGM version installed on the iSeries host?

The PGM version is listed in the InfoBox and configuration variable of the following application classes:

• Message Queue Container (AKN_MSGQ_CNTR)
• History Log (AKN_QHST)
• Job Queue Container (AKN_JOBQ_CNTR)
• ASP Container (AKN_ASP_CNTR)
• Network Interface Container (AKN_INTERFACE_CNTR)
• Network Connection Container (AKN_CONNECTION_CNTR)
• Scheduled Jobs Container (AKN_SCHJOBS_CNTR)

To check the PGM version in PATROL console

Check the PGM version property in the InfoBox of the above application classes.

To check the PGM version in TrueSight console

Check the PGMVersion configuration variable on the Monitor Information tab of the above application classes.

How to install PGM on an iSeries host?

Before enabling monitoring of of ASP, Network Interface, Message Queue, History Log, Scheduled Jobs, Job Queue, and Network Connection application class, ensure that these binaries are configured on the remote iSeries host.

To configure the iSeries binaries on the remote host:

1. Log in to the iSeries system. 

2. Delete the BMC_TSIM library that exists due to earlier installations of the KM by using the following command:
   DLTLIB BMC_TSIM

3. Create the BMC_TSIM library on the iSeries system by using the following command:

   CRTLIB BMC_TSIM
   
   

4. Create SAVF_4230 save file under the BMC_TSIM library using the following command:
   CRTSAVF FILE(BMC_TSIM/SAVF_4230) TEXT('Contains BMC PGMs to be called remotely')
   
5. Copy the SAVF_4230 save file from <PATROL_HOME>/akn directory to the iSeries system in the BMC_TSIM library by using the FTP utility in binary mode as follows:
   1. Open command prompt and navigate to the <PATROL_HOME>/akn directory. 
   2. Enter ftp <iSeries hostname> command where <iSeries hostname> is the name of your iSeries system.
   3. Connect to the iSeries system by providing credentials
   4. Change mode to binary by using the bi command
   5. Navigate to BMC_TSIM library on iSeries system using the following command:
      cd BMC_TSIM
      
   6. Copy the SAVF_4230 save file using the following command:
      mput SAVF_4230
      
   7. End the FTP session by entering the following command:
      bye
      
      
6. Copy the BMC_TSIM_4_2_30.qsh file from <PATROL_HOME>/akn directory to the iSeries system in the /tmp directory by using the FTP utility in ASCII mode as follows:
   1. Open command prompt and navigate to the <PATROL_HOME>/akn directory. 
   2. Enter ftp <iSeries hostname> command where <iSeries hostname> is the name of your iSeries system.
   3. Connect to the iSeries system by providing credentials
   4. Navigate to /tmp directory on iSeries system using the following command:cd /tmp
      
   5. Copy the BMC_TSIM_4_2_30.qsh file using the following command:
      mput BMC_TSIM_4_2_30.qsh
      
      
   6. End the FTP session by entering the following command:
      bye
      
      
7. Login to the iSeries system.
8. Open QSHELL on iSeries system using qsh command.

9. On qsh prompt, navigate to the IFS path /tmp where the BMC_TSIM_4_2_30.qsh script is copied. Use the following command:
   cd /tmp

   
   

10. Ensure that /usr/bin path is set in the environment variable PATH.
    1. To verify, enter the following command:
       echo $PATH

    2. If the environment variable PATH is not set, use the following command to set the PATH:
       export PATH=$PATH:/usr/bin

11. Execute the BMC_TSIM_4_2_30.qsh script. The script can be used as follows:
    ./BMC_TSIM_4_2_30.qsh

    
    

12. The configuration is complete when the script execution ends.
13. Use the DSPLIB  BMC_TSIM command to verify if the the PGM files and MSGQ files are restored and created on the remote iSeries host. 
    The following PGM files are restored when you execute the script:

1. 
   
   1.  ASPCOLLECT
   2.  JBQCOLLECT
   3.  MSQCOLLECT
   4.  NETCONCOLL
   5.  NETSTATCOL
   6.  QHTCOLLECT
   7.  SCHCOLLECT 
   8. IFSCOLLECT
      
      

The following MSGQ files are created when you execute the script:

1. 
   
   1. ASP_DATA 
   2. CONN_DATA
   3. INTF_DATA
   4. JOBQ_DATA
   5. MSGQ_DATA
   6. QHST_DATA
   7. SCHD_DATA 
   8. IFS_DATA 
      
      

No data is displayed in the agent action reports

Message Queue (AKN_MSGQ) and History Log (AKN_QHST) menu commands or agent actions are not displaying data

Ensure that you have selected the Enable Report option while configuring Message Queues and History Log monitor types respectively in the PATROL or TrueSight console.