IBM: AIX MonitoringPowerPack Release Notes, version 104

Version 104 of the "IBM: AIX Monitoring" PowerPack adds the ability to alert you when the password expiration for the credential used to monitor AIX is imminent. It also addresses several issues from previous releases.

  • Minimum Required Skylar One (SL1) Version: 12.3.1

Before You Install or Upgrade

Ensure that you are running version 12.3.1 or later of Skylar One before installing the "IBM: AIX Monitoring" PowerPack.

For details on upgrading Skylar One, see the relevant Skylar One Platform Release Notes.

Installation and Upgrade Process

If you are upgrading from version 0.6 or later of the "SLCOE: AIX Base Pack" community PowerPack, see the "IBM: AIX Monitoring" PowerPack version 103 Release Notes for important upgrade information.

By default, installing a new version of a PowerPack will overwrite all content in that PowerPack that has already been installed on the target system. You can use the Enable Selective PowerPack Field Protection setting in the Behavior Settings page (System > Settings > Behavior) to prevent the new version of the PowerPack from overwriting local changes for some commonly customized fields.

If you are currently using the Dynamic Applications in this PowerPack to monitor devices, collection errors might occur for one or two polling cycles during the installation of a new version. To prevent collection errors during an upgrade, you can optionally disable collection for monitored devices before performing the following steps and re-enable collection after the upgrade.

To install this PowerPack:

  1. Search for and download the PowerPack from the PowerPacks page at the ScienceLogic Support Center (Skylar One > PowerPacks).
  2. In Skylar One (formerly SL1), go to the PowerPacks page (System > Manage > PowerPacks).
  3. Click the Actions menu and choose Import PowerPack. The Import PowerPack modal appears.
  4. Click Browse and navigate to the PowerPack file from step 1.
  5. Select the PowerPack file and click Import. The PowerPack Installer modal displays a list of the PowerPack contents.
  6. Click Install. The PowerPack is added to the PowerPack Manager page.

Features

This release includes the following features:

  • Dynamic Applications that discover and collect configuration and performance data for AIX devices
  • Event policies and corresponding alerts that are triggered when AIX devices meet certain status criteria
  • Device classes for each type of AIX device monitored
  • A device template for aligning Dynamic Applications
  • A run book action and an automation policy to assign the proper device classes to AIX devices
  • A dashboard that displays information about your AIX server

Enhancements and Issues Addressed

The following enhancements and addressed issues are included in this release:

  • Made the following updates to alert you when the password expiration date for the credential used to monitor AIX is imminent:
    • Added a new "IBM: AIX Password Expiration" Dynamic Application, which collects and reports:
      • The user's name
      • The date on which the user's password was last updated
      • The maximum number of days the password can be used before it expires
      • The maximum expiry period for the password
      • The number of days remaining until the password expires
      • The password's current status

      • This Dynamic Application is disabled by default. To use it, you must first enable it. To do so, go to the Dynamic Applications Manager page (System > Manage > Dynamic Applications), click the wrench icon for the Dynamic Application, set the Operational State field to Enabled, and then click Save.

      After the Dynamic Application is enabled, you must then align it to the IBM AIX device you are monitoring. For instructions, see the section on Manually Aligning a Dynamic Application to a Device.

    • Added two new event policies:
      • "IBM: AIX Cred Password Expiring," a "Minor" event that triggers when the password is expiring within the next five days.
      • "IBM: AIX Cred Password Expired," a "Critical" event that triggers when the password has expired.
  • Updated the time filtering logic in the "IBM: AIX Error Report" Dynamic Application to use the remote server's local time, ensuring correct alert data. (Case: 00444929)
  • Ensured the "IBM: AIX System Configuration" Dynamic Application collects serial numbers as intended. (Case: 00614919)
  • Updated the SSL handling and library compatibility for the "IBM: AIX Device Classification and Automation" run book action so discovered AIX devices now correctly update their class and subclass. (Case: 00552778)
  • Resolved an issue in the "IBM: VIOS Device Class Configuration" Dynamic Application that caused VIOS device classification issues. (Cases: 00472653, 00626079)