Deploying Rational License Key Server shared service

Authors: Zhi Cheng Liu, Xue Po Wang, Ting Hui Li
Build basis: IBM Software Delivery and Lifecycle Patterns v1.0.1

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.

In IBM Software Delivery and Lifecycle Patterns 1.0.1, we have Rational License Key Server shared service containing Rational License Key Server 8.1.4, whereas in IBM Software Delivery and Lifecycle Patterns 1.0, Rational License Key Server 8.1.3 is included.

The steps depicted in this article are for Rational License Key Server shared service as part of IBM Software Delivery and Lifecycle Patterns 1.0.1 offering.

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.

Preparing for importing the shared service pattern type

You may get the e-assembly from IBM as show below Extract file SHARED_SRV_FOR_RLKS_V8.1.4.tar.gz with a 7zip or other unzipping tool

Further extract file CIU3MML.tar, After extracting file CIU3MML.tar, you will see something like this. File com.ibm.rlks.ss.ptype-1.0.1.0.tgz is what needed in later step

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. (Browse to the file you just extracted earlier.)

Accepting the license agreement & enabling the pattern type

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

1. Go to Cloud > Pattern Types.
2. Look for IBM Pattern Type for Rational License Key Server. 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.

IBM Pattern Type for Rational License Key Server before accepting license and enabling

License agreement dialog box

IBM Pattern Type for Rational License Key Server after accepting license and enabling

Deployment of the shared service

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 IBM Shared Service for Rational License Server1.0.1.0. You can filter out the patterns for a quick search.
3. Click on IBM Shared Service for Rational License Server1.0.1.0 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

IBM Shared Service for Rational License Key Server

Click 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 IBM Shared Service for Rational License Server1.0.1.0. 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

Virtual Application Console window

Operations

The license server shared service(SS_RLKS) 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

These operations are simple, will not go through them in this article.

Viewing the shared service 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

Viewing the license key server logs(lmgrd.log)

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 RLKS.
4. Press the twisty which ends in ../RationalRLKS/logs.
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.

Related topics: Deployment web home, Deployment web home

External links:

• IBM

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