Deploying Rational License Key Server shared service

Authors: RayClement, RobbieMinshall, MaryYost
Build basis: IBM Software Delivery and Lifecycle Patterns v1.0

Introduction

IBM Software Delivery and Lifecycle Patterns offering is a set of IBM Rational solutions, based on best practice implementations which are ready to be imported into IBM private cloud offerings including IBM PureApplication System and IBM Workload Deployer. The solutions are delivered in the form of Virtual System Patterns or Shared Services. A shared service (SS) contains all the components of an application. Operations are also included which allow the user to interact with the shared service.

This article is part of a series of IBM Software Delivery and Lifecycle Patterns articles that covers all patterns. The series is conformed by:

• Deploying IBM Software Delivery and Lifecycle: Overall architecture
• Deploying IBM Software Delivery and Lifecycle: Rational License Key Server shared service
• Deploying IBM Software Delivery and Lifecycle: Collaboration Lifecycle Management Pattern v4.0.2
• Deploying IBM Software Delivery and Lifecycle: Rational Application Developer Pattern 8.5.1 iFix 1

The steps depicted in this article are for IBM PureApplication System but can be applied to IBM Workload Deployer as well.

IBM Rational License Key Server shared service

Rational License Key Server shared service contains the Rational License Key Server application along with seven (7) operations, which allow the user to interact with Rational License Key Server.

Importing the shared service pattern type

Follow these steps to import the shared service pattern type into IBM PureApplication System.

1. Log into IBM PureApplication System.
2. Click Workload Console.
3. Click Cloud > Pattern Types.
4. Press the green plus (+) symbol to open the Install a pattern type dialog box.
5. Press Browse to locate the file, which must have an .tgz extension.
6. Press OK to begin the importing process.

This work will take a while since it has to import the image into IBM PureApplication System.

Cloud > Pattern Type

Green plus (+) symbol

Install a pattern type dialog box

Accepting the license agreement & enabling the pattern

Once the pattern type is imported, follow these steps to accept the license agreement.

1. Go to Cloud > Pattern Types.
2. Look for Rational License Key Server Pattern 1.0.0.0. You can filter out the patterns for a quick search.
3. Select the pattern and wait for the details in the pane at the right.
4. You will see License Agreement: Not Accepted [License...] and Status: Not Accepted [Enable All...].
5. Press [License...].
6. Once the License agreement dialog box opens, press Accept to accept the agreement.
7. Once that has processed, press [Enable All...] to enable the pattern type.

Rational License Key Server Pattern 1.0 before accepting license and enabling

License agreement dialog box

License Key Server Pattern 1.0 after accepting license and enabling

Deployment of the pattern

Deployment is the step that provides an instance. To deploy the pattern do the following steps.

1. Go to Cloud > Shared Services.
2. Look for License Server Shared Service 1.0.0.0. You can filter out the patterns for a quick search.
3. Click on License Server Shared Service 1.0.0.0 and wait for the details in the pane at the right.
4. Click on Deploy.
5. The Configure and deploy a shared service dialog box will open.
6. Press OK on the Configure and deploy a shared service dialog box to open the Deploy Virtual Application dialog box.
7. On the Deploy Virtual Application dialog box, you may configure the Virtual Application.
8. Once done configuring, press OK to start the deployment of the shared service.

Cloud > Shared Services

License Server Shared Service

Deploy button in upper right

Configure and deploy a shared service dialog box

Deploy Virtual Application dialog box

Management of the instance

Once the shared service instance is deployed, follow these steps to manage the shared service.

1. Go to Instances > Shared Services.
2. Look for License Server Shared Service 1.0.0.0. You can filter out the patterns for a quick search.
3. Select the pattern and wait for the details in the pane at the right.
4. Press Manage.
5. Once a new windows opens, you will see the Virtual Application Console.

Instances > Shared Services

License Server Shared Service instance

Manage button in upper right

Virtual Application Console window

Operations

The shared service contains seven (7) operations:

• Start RLKS Instance
• Stop RLKS Instance
• Add License File
• Activate License File
• Delete License File
• Get a List of License Files
• Get Status

1. Once in the Virtual Application Console, press the Operations tab.
2. Press SS.RLKS and wait for the details in the pane at the right.
3. Press the twisty to expand an operation.
4. If parameters are required, they will appear with a red asterisks before the parameter name.
5. Press Submit to launch an operation.
6. Results of operations appear in the Operation Execution Results pane at the bottom.

Operations tab

Rational License Key Server shared service operations

Start RLKS Instance

This operation has no parameters. The operation starts Rational License Key Server. It does not start the shared service instance.

Start RLKS operation with result

Stop RLKS Instance

This operation has no parameters. The operation stops Rational License Key Server. It does not stop the shared service instance.

Stop RLKS operation with result

Add License File

This operation requires two parameters. Source License File is the license file to upload.

1. Press Edit to open the Select File dialog box.
2. On the Local tab, press Browse to open the Choose File to Upload dialog box. (Even though the HTTP/HTTPS tab appears on the Select File dialog box, HTTP/HTTPS transfer is not supported.)
3. Once the file is located press OK on both the Choose File to Upload dialog box and then the Select File dialog box.

Destination File Name is the name to save the license file as on the shared service. This name is the only reference to license files once on the shared service. Only use alphanumeric characters as special characters can cause issues during file upload or server start.

Add License File operation with result

Select File dialog box

Choose File to Upload dialog box

Activate License File

This operation requires one parameter. File Name is the name of the file saved on the shared service to activate.

Activate License File with result

Delete License File

This operation requires one parameter. File Name is the name of the file saved on the shared service to delete. The active license file cannot be deleted.

Delete License File operation with result

Get a List of License Files

This operation has no parameters. It will return a list of license files saved on the shared service.

Get a List of License Files operation with result

Get Status

This operation has no parameters. It returns a simple message stating if Rational License Key Server is running. Additional details and the log file from RLKS (lmgrd.log) are printed in trace.log.

Get Status operation with result

Viewing the logs

1. Once in the Virtual Application Console, press the Logging tab.
2. Press the twisty on the name of the shared service instance. It will begin with SS.
3. Press the twisty on IWD Agent.
4. Press the twisty which ends in .RLKS.
5. Press trace.log and wait for the details in the pane at the right.

Logging tab

trace.log

Troubleshooting

Non-alphanumeric characters in license file name

Only use alphanumeric characters in the name of the license file. Special characters may cause failure during file upload or during server start.

HTTP file upload fails when adding a license file

When adding a license file, only Local file transfer is allowed. Even though the HTTP/HTTPS tab appears on the Select File dialog box, HTTP/HTTPS file transfer will fail.

Cached values cause file upload to fail

The Source License File parameter of the Add License File operation is populated with a temporary path as part of the file upload process. It is only valid for one execution of the Add License File operation. Do not use the cached value for subsequent execution of the Add License File operation.

How to see the RLKS log file (lmgrd.log)

The Get Status operation will print the contents of lmgrd.log in trace.log. See Viewing the logs above for steps to view trace.log.

Related topics: Deployment web home, Deployment web home

External links:

• IBM

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