My top movies of 2012

I watched some great movies in 2012.

Here is the list of top 5:

#5: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
#4: Awakenings
#3: The Pianist
#2: People Like Us
#1: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

My top books of 2012

I read many great (and some not so great) books in 2012.

Here are my top 5 books:

#5. Steve Jobs
#4. The Hiding Place
#3. Real Marriage
#2. How Will You Measure Your Life?
and
#1. Changes That Heal

Understanding the TSAM REST API

The TSAM REST API is only briefly documented in the product documentation. However, there is a Redbook that goes through an extensive explanation of the mechanics of the API.

Look at Section 12.5 of the following document:

http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/abstracts/sg247878.html?Open

What are the roles in Tivoli Service Automation Manager?

TSAM defines the following roles:

Table 1. Roles and groups provided by Tivoli Service Automation Manager

Role Description	Person Group (8 chars)	Role (10 chars)	Security Group (must be created in LDAP)
Service Administrator	TSAMSADM	PMZHBSADM	PMZHBSADM
Service Definition Designer	TSAMSSDD	PMZHBSSDD	PMZHBSSDD
Service Definition Manager	TSAMSSDM	PMZHBSSDM	PMZHBSSDM
Service Deployment Instance Manager	TSAMSSIM	PMZHBSSIM	PMZHBSSIM
Service Deployment Instance Operator	TSAMSSIO	PMZHBSSIO	PMZHBSSIO
Service Resource Allocation Manager	TSAMSRAM	PMZHBSRAM	PMZHBSRAM
WebSphere Cluster Service
Performance - AIX® Administrators	TSAMPAXA	PMZHBPAIXA	PMZHBPAIXA
Performance - WAS Administrators	TSAMPWAS	PMZHBPWASA	PMZHBPWASA
Performance - Linux Administrators	TSAMPLXA	PMZHBPLNXA	PMZHBPLNXA
Performance Monitoring Administrator	TSAMPPMA	PMZHBPPMA	PMZHBPPMA
Self-Service Virtual Server Provisioning component
Tivoli Service Automation Manager Administrator (for Self-Service Virtual Server Provisioning)	Not applicable	PMSCADMUSR	PMSCMADMUSR

Service Definition Manager

The Service Definition Manager role is designated for users who are responsible for triggering and tracking new service definitions. This role is also responsible for assigning the tasks for new definitions to designers, and to approve designed service definitions for instantiation.

Service Definition Designer

The Service Definition Designer role is designated for users who are responsible for creating new service definitions when instructed to do so by a service manager.

Service Deployment Instance Operator

The Service Deployment Instance Operator is designated for users who are responsible for instantiation of designed and approved service definitions. These users operate service instances, such as starting a job plan.

For self-service offerings, users assigned to this group are authorized to troubleshoot unexpected problems that arise with the automated fulfillment of service requests submitted by members of the PMRDPUSR (Offering Catalog user) group.

Service Deployment Instance Manager

The Service Deployment Instance Manager role is designated for users who are responsible for controlling and approving the execution of service instances.

Service Resource Allocation Manager

The Service Resource Allocation Manager role is designated for users who manage the allocation of resources (CIs) to service instances. For example, servers that are represented in CIs can be allocated to a specific instance.

Service Administrator

The Service Administrator role is a 'super user' for all aspects of service definitions and instances. This user has the authority to exercise all the functions of a Service Deployment Instance Manager, Service Deployment Instance Operator , Service Definition Designer, and Service Definition Manager.

For self-service offerings, the administrator performs a series of tasks that set up the applications to enable service requesters to initiate and manage the requests. This administrator also manages the offering catalog.

Performance: AIX Administrators

Users in this role are responsible for all kinds of performance and problem determination tasks related to AIX systems.

Performance: WAS Administrators

Users in this role are responsible for all kinds of performance and problem determination tasks related to WebSphere systems.

Performance: Linux Administrators

Users in this role are responsible for all kinds of performance and problem determination tasks related to Linux systems.

Performance Monitoring Administrator

Users in this role are responsible for all kinds of problem determination tasks. They have the authority to perform all tasks that are defined in the performance and problem determination tasks.

Tivoli Service Automation Manager Administrator (for Self-Service Virtual Server Provisioning)

Users in this role perform various administrative tasks that are available only in the administrative interface, such as managing the offering catalog for the Self-Service Virtual Server Provisioning component.

(http://pic.dhe.ibm.com/infocenter/tivihelp/v10r1/topic/com.ibm.tsam_7.2.4.doc/c_security_roles.html)

How to add additional JAR files to be used in an Automation Script in tsrm

If you want to use additional Java libraries in your Automation Script, you need to add the corresponding JAR files to the MANIFEST.MF, located at:

/opt/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer/profiles/ctgAppSrv01/installedApps/ctgCell01/MAXIMO.ear/maxrestweb.war/META-INF

Then restart WebSphere to pick up your change.

Is CMDB the end of the line?

Recently, I have been working with my colleagues in integrating a CMDB with other ITIL processes. We discussed with the CMDB vendor about how we could extract data from it, and the answer was there was no way, and the CMDB is considered the end of the line (not life!).

I spent years talking about (and implementing) CMDB solutions at many customers. We discussed data integration, federation, reconciliation and many other aspects. In many cases, after a long time implementing it, we'd look at a perfect CMDB without a clear understanding on what we would be doing with it.

I understand CMDB is intended to gather data from different sources and is the cornerstone of the ITIL processes. Ideally these ITIL processes would leverage the data in CMDB, without replicating it. The reality thou is different: in many cases, some data need to be extracted from CMDB and loaded into another product (whether from the same vendor or not).

At IBM, we've built the ITIL processes on same platform (Tivoli Process Automation Engine) as the CMDB. Nevertheless, we provide many different ways to extract from (and load into) Tivoli Change and Configuration Management Database (CCMDB).

If your CMDB vendor doesn't provide a way to extract data, my challenge to you is to describe what are the use cases you're planning to use the CMDB for. My opinion: building a CMDB should not be the target, but just the catalyst of a Service Management initiative.

Thoughts? Am I missing anything?

IBM floats new CloudBurst stacks

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/10/14/ibm_cloudburst_appliances/