Source for IBM Installation Manager evidence

[Povilas]

Hi,

One of installer evidence types in Flexera is IBM Installation Manager. In our environment we have a lot of different IBM applications, but only a few of them are recognized based on IIM evidences.

Can someone explain how IIM evidences are collected? Is IBM Installation Manager software mandatory to be installed on device or does the agent collect information from some IBM configuration files as well?

We have a big issue with recognition of Prod and non-Prod Business Automation Workflow editions. It looks like that correct edition is defined in /ibm/InstallationManager/installed.xml, file containes one of these lines, based on installed edition:

<package kind='feature' id='WorkflowEnterprise.Production'>

Or

<package kind='feature' id='WorkflowEnterprise.NonProduction'>

IBM Installation Manager is also installed on these servers. What else might be needed so that IIM evidences were picked up?

Thanks.

[JohnSorensenDK]

@Povilas 

I can see that you're working with Flexera's support team through the auto-generated support case from this thread.

Please would you update this thread with its resolution if you think other community members could benefit from it.

Thanks,

[jlvalen]

Any chance details on IIM Installer Evidence type can be shared? If IIM evidence is reported, what would you see on the device? An XML file? some sort of registry entry? Please help!

[Povilas]

There is a xml file located here /ibm/InstallationManager/installed.xml, which holds information about installed IBM software. You should also be able to see the same info, only in much nicer format, when you open IBM Installation Manager itself. I am not sure if this is the only place where IIM information is kept on device and how exactly FNMS Agent is collecting it.

Regarding my original question - I am still in communication with FNMS content team. Trying to convince them that for IBM applications recognition priority should be given to file evidences, because as this case shows, the way BAW applications are now recognized via installer evidences omits crucial edition part, which is important to licensing.

[jlvalen]

Thank you! I will look for that file and see what the contents can tell me.

Hopefully someone from Flexera will see this, but as you are working with them might I suggest they also use the db2licm -l  command. We have been audited multiple times by IBM and they always ask us to run this command on DB2 servers. The output gives version info along with other key info like if this is a restricted use license, i.e., installed by BAW and if any addon or modules have been activated.

[ChrisG]

@jlvalen - you may be interested in the following post which discusses how the latest version of FlexNet Manager Suite uses the db2licm command during inventory gathering: Improved recognition of IBM DB2 databases and their add-ons with ARL update #2566.

[jlvalen]

Thanks! Time to light a fire under our sys admin to get this upgrade installed.

[Povilas]

After more than a year I decided that the case that originated from this topic should be closed. To be honest, there hasn't been much progress throughout this time. In my opinion, recognition of IBM Business Automation Workflow editions is still incorrect, but it seems that additional information from IIM can't be used to improve accuracy.

In addition to this, content team states that it's impossible to unlink installer evidences from applications and leave only file evidences, because that would impact recognition to other customers and suggests to do that manually. That wouldn't be a problem, but since installer evidences are causing inaccuracy in the first place, it's quite unclear what benefit other customers have from those installer evidences.

A more general question - is anyone else having issues with how IBM applications are recognized in Flexera? To this day IBM relies a lot on file evidences, which define application, version and edition, but for some reason it's very hard to convince content team that file evidences are important. Generally, when the new version/edition is added to ARL, it only comes with installer evidences mapped to it, even though previous version/edition had only file evidences or both installer and file evidences. This results in either manual evidence management or raising a case to content team which might take up to a few months to resolve.