1. Front cover
Certification Guide Series
IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager
Express for Software Distribution V4.1
Helps you become a certified Tivoli
Provisioning Manager Express
Explains the certification path
and prerequisites you require
Includes best practices
for Software Distribution
Vasfi Gucer
Bernd Arnold
Leif Egeholm Nielsen
Giorgio Claudio Sommariva
ibm.com/redbooks

3. International Technical Support Organization
Certification Guide Series: IBM Tivoli Provisioning
Manager Express for Software Distribution V4.1
October 2006
SG24-7247-00

4. Note: Before using this information and the product it supports, read the information in
“Notices” on page xv.
First Edition (October 2006)
This edition applies to Version 4, Release 1, Modification 1 of IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager
Express for Software Distribution product.
© Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 2006. All rights reserved.
Note to U.S. Government Users Restricted Rights -- Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP
Schedule Contract with IBM Corp.

5. Contents
Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
Examples. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii
Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv
Trademarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvi
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii
The team that wrote this IBM Redbook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xviii
Become a published author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xix
Comments welcome. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx
Chapter 1. Certification overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.1 IBM Professional Certification Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.1.1 Benefits of certification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.1.2 Tivoli Software Professional Certification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.2 Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution V4.1
Certification. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.2.1 Test 879 objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.2.2 To get 15% discount on the Certification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.3 Recommended resources for study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.3.1 Courses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.3.2 Publications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Chapter 2. Planning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.1 IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution
components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.1.1 IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution
components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.1.2 Inventory components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.2 Infrastructure deployment considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
2.2.1 Communication protocols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2.2.2 Small and medium environments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
2.2.3 Large environments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2.3 Customization considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2.4 Hardware and software specifications and recommendations . . . . . . . . . 20
2.4.1 Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
2.4.2 Administrative console requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
2.4.3 Load Balancer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2006. All rights reserved. iii

6. 2.4.4 Client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Chapter 3. Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
3.1 Server installation tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
3.1.1 Server installation: typical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
3.1.2 Server installation: custom setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
3.1.3 Server installation verification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
3.2 Installing the agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
3.2.1 Installing the agent: typical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
3.2.2 Installing the agent: advanced setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
3.2.3 Verifying agent installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
3.2.4 Installing an agent as an unattended command line installation . . . . 43
3.2.5 Uninstalling the server. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
3.2.6 Verifying the server uninstallation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
3.2.7 Uninstalling the agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
3.2.8 Verifying agent uninstallation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Chapter 4. Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
4.1 Server properties files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
4.1.1 The common.properties file. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
4.1.2 The isic.properties file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
4.1.3 The sdc.properties file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
4.1.4 The ldap.properties file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
4.1.5 The log4j.properties file. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
4.2 Configuring the agents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
4.2.1 sdc.conf. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
4.2.2 Auto-update of client files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
4.2.3 SDClocal.conf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Chapter 5. Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
5.1 Accessing the Administrative console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
5.2 Managing user IDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
5.2.1 Authority roles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
5.2.2 Adding a new user . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
5.2.3 Deleting a user . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
5.2.4 Searching for a user . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
5.2.5 Modifying a user’s group membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
5.2.6 Updating user information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
5.3 Managing user groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
5.3.1 Adding a new group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
5.3.2 Deleting a group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
5.3.3 Searching for a group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
5.3.4 Updating a group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
5.3.5 Updating user information in a specific group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
iv Certification Guide Series: IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution V4.1

7. 5.3.6 Adding or deleting (modifying) a user to a group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
5.3.7 Adding or deleting (modifying) a software package or bundle for a
specific group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
5.4 Managing packages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
5.4.1 Prerequisites for managing packages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
5.4.2 Adding a new software package to the library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
5.4.3 Deleting a software package from the library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
5.4.4 Searching the library for a software package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
5.4.5 Updating software package information in the library . . . . . . . . . . . 135
5.4.6 Software package definition information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
5.4.7 Creating a digital certificate file for a secure package. . . . . . . . . . . 146
5.5 Managing software bundles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
5.5.1 Adding a new software bundle to the library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
5.5.2 Deleting a software bundle from the library. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
5.5.3 Searching the library for a bundle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
5.5.4 Updating software bundle information in the library . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
5.5.5 Software bundle definition information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
5.6 Managing purchase orders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
5.6.1 Adding a purchase order. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
5.6.2 Deleting a purchase order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
5.6.3 Searching for a specific purchase order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
5.6.4 Updating a purchase order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
5.7 Managing distribution lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
5.7.1 Distribution list information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
5.7.2 Adding a distribution list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
5.7.3 Deleting a distribution list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
5.7.4 Searching for a distribution list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
5.7.5 Changing (modifying) the distribution list description . . . . . . . . . . . 169
5.7.6 Searching for a machine in a specific distribution list . . . . . . . . . . . 169
5.8 Managing machines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
5.8.1 Deleting a machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
5.8.2 Searching for a machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
5.9 Managing evaluations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
5.9.1 Adding an evaluation from the Distributions menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
5.9.2 Adding and evaluating from the Assets menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
5.9.3 Deleting an evaluation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
5.9.4 Searching for an evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
5.9.5 Update evaluations created from the Dists menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
5.9.6 Update evaluations created from the Assets menu . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
5.10 Managing tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
5.10.1 Adding a task . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
5.10.2 Deleting a task . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
5.10.3 Update a task . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Contents v

8. 5.10.4 Running a task . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
5.11 Managing schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
5.11.1 Scheduling information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
5.11.2 Adding a schedule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
5.11.3 Searching for a specific schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
5.11.4 Deleting a schedule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
5.12 Managing logs and standard reports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
5.12.1 Software Distribution log entry details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
5.12.2 Viewing a Software Distribution log. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
5.12.3 Searching for a distribution log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
5.12.4 Deleting a distribution log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
5.12.5 Standard report categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
5.12.6 Viewing package reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
5.12.7 Searching for a package to report. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
5.12.8 Viewing a machine report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
5.12.9 Searching for a machine to report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
5.12.10 Viewing a schedule report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
5.12.11 Viewing an assets summary report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
5.12.12 Searching for a schedule to report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
5.13 Managing custom reports (queries). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
5.13.1 Adding a custom report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
5.13.2 Adding a custom report starting from a standard report . . . . . . . . 216
5.13.3 Deleting a custom report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
5.14 Managing catalogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
5.14.1 Client catalog overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
5.14.2 Accessing the catalog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
5.14.3 Creating a portable catalog, exporting and importing libraries between
two servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
5.15 Working with assets and user information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
5.15.1 Assets and user information tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
5.15.2 Registering assets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Chapter 6. Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
6.1 Server log information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
6.2 Server database information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
6.3 Client log information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
6.4 Enabling server debug mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
6.5 Enabling agent debug mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
6.6 Command line option eGather2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
6.7 Command line option callHome2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Chapter 7. Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
7.1 Identifying a requirement to apply a patch or an upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
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9. 7.2 Retrieving patch or upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
7.3 Applying patches or upgrades. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
7.4 Verifying functionality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Chapter 8. Sample Certification Test questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
8.1 Sample questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Appendix A. Sample folder structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Related publications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
IBM Redbooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Other publications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Online resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
How to get IBM Redbooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Help from IBM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Contents vii

10. viii Certification Guide Series: IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution V4.1

11. Figures
2-1 Communication protocols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
3-1 Web site Settings window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
3-2 E-mail Settings window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
3-3 Action Authority Settings window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
3-4 Scheduling window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
3-5 Password Settings window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
3-6 Form Settings window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
3-7 Security Settings window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
3-8 Server Address window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
3-9 Proxy settings window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
4-1 The Edit Properties page in the administrator console . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
5-1 Welcome page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
5-2 Administrator and client login page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
5-3 Add User . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
5-4 All Users list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
5-5 Delete users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
5-6 User delete confirmation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
5-7 User search title bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
5-8 User advanced search page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
5-9 Edit user information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
5-10 My Assets page with New Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
5-11 Add Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
5-12 Add Group: success message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
5-13 List Groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
5-14 Delete group confirmation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
5-15 List Groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
5-16 Group search page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
5-17 Group Management: description update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
5-18 Group Management: User List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
5-19 User Management: update user . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
5-20 Group Management: User List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
5-21 Edit user information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
5-22 Group Management: Package Access List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
5-23 Add Package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
5-24 Install tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
5-25 Target tab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
5-26 Platform tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
5-27 Upload tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2006. All rights reserved. ix

12. 5-28 Successful package addition message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
5-29 List Packages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
5-30 Package delete confirmation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
5-31 Search packages by name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
5-32 Search packages by OS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
5-33 Update Package information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
5-34 Add Bundle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
5-35 Update Bundle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
5-36 Packages list for bundle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
5-37 Adjust Package Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
5-38 Successful bundle addition message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
5-39 List Bundles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
5-40 Delete confirmation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
5-41 List Bundles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
5-42 Bundle Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
5-43 Bundle Search results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
5-44 Add Purchase Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
5-45 Purchase Order information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
5-46 Successful purchase order addition message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
5-47 Delete confirmation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
5-48 List Purchase Orders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
5-49 Purchase Order Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
5-50 Purchase Order Search results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
5-51 Update Purchase Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
5-52 Distribution Management: Add Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
5-53 Distribution Management: Selectable Targets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
5-54 Distribution Management: Selectable Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
5-55 Distribution Management: Dynamic Targets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
5-56 Distribution Management: Invalid Targets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
5-57 Distribution Management: Successful message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
5-58 Distribution Management: Delete Distributions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
5-59 Delete confirmation message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
5-60 Distribution Management: List Distributions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
5-61 Distribution Management: Search distributions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
5-62 Distribution Management: Search results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
5-63 Distribution Management: Edit Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
5-64 Distribution Management: Selectable Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
5-65 Distribution Management: Selectable Targets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
5-66 Machine Management: List Machines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
5-67 Machine Management: Machines Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
5-68 Add Evaluation General tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
5-69 Add Evaluation SD option Condition tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
5-70 Add Evaluation no SD option Condition tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
x Certification Guide Series: IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution V4.1

13. 5-71 Evaluation Management: Evaluation addition success message . . . . 177
5-72 Assets list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
5-73 Add evaluation from Assets menu: general tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
5-74 Add Evaluation from Assets menu: condition tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
5-75 Evaluation list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
5-76 Delete confirmation message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
5-77 Evaluations search tab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
5-78 Evaluation Management: Evaluation Search results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
5-79 Evaluation Management: update evaluations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
5-80 Adding a new task . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
5-81 Adding a new task, extended fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
5-82 Adding a new task, successful message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
5-83 Delete Task . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
5-84 Delete Task: success message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
5-85 Edit Task . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
5-86 Edit task page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
5-87 Schedule Management: Add Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
5-88 Schedule Management: Add Schedule package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
5-89 Schedule Management: Add Schedule message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
5-90 Schedule Management: List Schedules. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
5-91 Schedule Management: Search schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
5-92 Delete confirmation message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
5-93 Log Management: List Logs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
5-94 Log Management: Log Search. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
5-95 Log Management: Log Search results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
5-96 Log Management: Log Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
5-97 Standard report categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
5-98 Package Management: List Packages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
5-99 Package Summary Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
5-100 Package Management: Distribution report search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
5-101 Machine Management: List Machines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
5-102 Machine Summary Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
5-103 Machine Management: Machine Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
5-104 Schedule Summary Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
5-105 Schedule Report Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
5-106 Assets Summary Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
5-107 Schedule Summary Report Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
5-108 Reports: Edit SQL page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
5-109 Reports: Saving custom report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
5-110 Reports: All Assets report. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
5-111 Reports: Delete a column from a standard report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
5-112 All Custom reports page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
5-113 Software Distribution Catalog functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Figures xi

14. 5-114 Software Distribution Catalog Login. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
5-115 Software Distribution Catalog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
5-116 Security Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
5-117 Desktop Integration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
5-118 Add Export . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
5-119 Package List for Export . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
5-120 Bundle List for Export. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
5-121 Successful export list addition message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
5-122 List Exports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
5-123 Edit Export list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
5-124 OutputXML . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
5-125 Import XML . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
5-126 Import Package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
5-127 Security Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
5-128 CD Catalog Exporter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
5-129 CD exporter icon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
5-130 CD Catalog Exporter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
5-131 CD export package information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
5-132 CD Catalog Exporter progress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
5-133 Portable Catalog files view. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
5-134 Mandatory Packages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
5-135 Package Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
5-136 Install In Progress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
5-137 Package file download progress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
5-138 Install In Progress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
5-139 Purchase Order Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
5-140 Cancel installation message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
5-141 Invalid information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
5-142 max_processed_revision column recording scans on agent . . . . . . . . 241
5-143 Register a new asset window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
5-144 Upload an asset scan window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
5-145 Manually add an asset window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
6-1 Properties files page. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
6-2 log4j.properties properties file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
A-1 Separate folders for software packages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
A-2 Single folder for software packages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
A-3 Separate folders for each operating system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
xii Certification Guide Series: IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution V4.1

15. Examples
3-1 tpmx.log entries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
3-2 sdcagent.log entries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
4-1 Archive versions of properties files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
4-2 True or false values in the demographic form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
4-3 Valid values for the 18 fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
4-4 isic.properties: e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
4-5 isic.properties: e-mail and reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
4-6 isic.properties: e-mail template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
4-7 isic.properties: upload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
4-8 isic.properties: files and directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
4-9 Asset match properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
4-10 Query performance properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
4-11 Authority configuration properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
4-12 Probe properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
4-13 Database asset revision properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
4-14 Scheduled agent properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
4-15 Database cleanup properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
4-16 Password properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
4-17 Asset registration configuration properties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
4-18 Security compliance verification configuration properties . . . . . . . . . . . 75
4-19 e-mail engine properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
4-20 System maintenance properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
4-21 sdc.properties: General environment and DB settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
4-22 sdc.properties: Purchase order management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
4-23 sdc.properties: Directory Download . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
4-24 sdc.properties: LDAP enabling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
4-25 sdc.properties: Machine identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
4-26 sdc.properties: Package path prepopulate values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
4-27 sdc.properties: Evaluation query update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
4-28 ldap.properties: Basic LDAP configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
4-29 Encrypting ldap connection password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
4-30 ldap.properties: Group data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
4-31 ldap.properties: User authentication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
4-32 log4j.properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
4-33 Example sdc.conf. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
4-34 Sample SDClocal.conf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
6-1 eGather2 -listprobes to list all available probes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
6-2 eGather2 -level 1 runs eGather2 with only the level 1 probes . . . . . . . 258
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2006. All rights reserved. xiii

16. 6-3 eGather2 -silent run eGather2 in silent mode without output. . . . . . . . 259
6-4 callHome2 -1minute to wait one minute to run the upload . . . . . . . . . . 260
6-5 callHome2 -reload -debug turns debugging on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
6-6 callHome2 -status to see the status of the uploads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
xiv Certification Guide Series: IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution V4.1

17. Notices
This information was developed for products and services offered in the U.S.A.
IBM may not offer the products, services, or features discussed in this document in other countries. Consult
your local IBM representative for information on the products and services currently available in your area.
Any reference to an IBM product, program, or service is not intended to state or imply that only that IBM
product, program, or service may be used. Any functionally equivalent product, program, or service that
does not infringe any IBM intellectual property right may be used instead. However, it is the user's
responsibility to evaluate and verify the operation of any non-IBM product, program, or service.
IBM may have patents or pending patent applications covering subject matter described in this document.
The furnishing of this document does not give you any license to these patents. You can send license
inquiries, in writing, to:
IBM Director of Licensing, IBM Corporation, North Castle Drive Armonk, NY 10504-1785 U.S.A.
The following paragraph does not apply to the United Kingdom or any other country where such provisions
are inconsistent with local law: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION PROVIDES
THIS PUBLICATION "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,
INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF NON-INFRINGEMENT,
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Some states do not allow disclaimer
of express or implied warranties in certain transactions, therefore, this statement may not apply to you.
This information could include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically made
to the information herein; these changes will be incorporated in new editions of the publication. IBM may
make improvements and/or changes in the product(s) and/or the program(s) described in this publication at
any time without notice.
Any references in this information to non-IBM Web sites are provided for convenience only and do not in any
manner serve as an endorsement of those Web sites. The materials at those Web sites are not part of the
materials for this IBM product and use of those Web sites is at your own risk.
IBM may use or distribute any of the information you supply in any way it believes appropriate without
incurring any obligation to you.
Information concerning non-IBM products was obtained from the suppliers of those products, their published
announcements or other publicly available sources. IBM has not tested those products and cannot confirm
the accuracy of performance, compatibility or any other claims related to non-IBM products. Questions on
the capabilities of non-IBM products should be addressed to the suppliers of those products.
This information contains examples of data and reports used in daily business operations. To illustrate them
as completely as possible, the examples include the names of individuals, companies, brands, and products.
All of these names are fictitious and any similarity to the names and addresses used by an actual business
enterprise is entirely coincidental.
COPYRIGHT LICENSE:
This information contains sample application programs in source language, which illustrates programming
techniques on various operating platforms. You may copy, modify, and distribute these sample programs in
any form without payment to IBM, for the purposes of developing, using, marketing or distributing application
programs conforming to the application programming interface for the operating platform for which the
sample programs are written. These examples have not been thoroughly tested under all conditions. IBM,
therefore, cannot guarantee or imply reliability, serviceability, or function of these programs. You may copy,
modify, and distribute these sample programs in any form without payment to IBM for the purposes of
developing, using, marketing, or distributing application programs conforming to IBM's application
programming interfaces.
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2006. All rights reserved. xv

18. Trademarks
The following terms are trademarks of the International Business Machines Corporation in the United States,
other countries, or both:
AIX® eServer™ Redbooks™
AIX 5L™ i5/OS® Redbooks (logo) ™
Cloudscape™ IBM® Tivoli®
DB2® ibm.com® Tivoli Enterprise™
DB2 Universal Database™ iSeries™ Tivoli Enterprise Console®
e-business Hosting™ NetView® WebSphere®
e-business on demand® POWER5™ xSeries®
The following terms are trademarks of other companies:
Java, JDBC, JRE, J2SE, and all Java-based trademarks are trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the
United States, other countries, or both.
Active Directory, Excel, Internet Explorer, Microsoft, Windows NT, Windows Server, Windows, and the
Windows logo are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.
Intel, Xeon, Intel logo, Intel Inside logo, and Intel Centrino logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of
Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States, other countries, or both.
UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group in the United States and other countries.
Linux is a trademark of Linus Torvalds in the United States, other countries, or both.
Other company, product, or service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.
xvi Certification Guide Series: IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution V4.1

19. Preface
IBM Tivoli® Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution V4.1 is an
easy-to-use, comprehensive solution for software distribution, patch, inventory,
and asset management. This Web-based solution is designed for ease of use
and implementation, so that you can quickly begin to manage the PCs in your
enterprise. Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution V4.1 is
implemented with both a client agent on the managed PCs and a centralized
data repository. The product is specifically targeted for the small-to-medium
business (SMB) market.
This IBM Redbook is a study guide for Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for
Software Distribution V4.1 and is aimed at the people who want to get an IBM
Professional Certification for this product.
The Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution V4.1
Certification is offered through the Professional Certification Program from IBM.
It is designed to validate the skills that technical professionals, who work in the
implementation of the Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software
Distribution V4.1 product, require.
This book provides a combination of theory and practical experience required for
a general understanding of the subject matter. It also provides sample questions
that help in the evaluation of personal progress and provide familiarity with the
types of questions that you can encounter in the exam.
This publication does not replace practical experience, and it is not designed to
be a stand-alone guide for any subject. Instead, it is an effective tool, which you
can combine with educational activities and experience, to use as a preparation
guide for the exam.
For your convenience, the structure of the chapters are based on sections of the
Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution V4.1
Implementation Certification test, such as planning, installation, administration,
and so on. Therefore, studying each chapter helps you prepare for one section of
the exam.
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2006. All rights reserved. xvii

20. The team that wrote this IBM Redbook
This IBM Redbook was produced by a team of specialists from around the world
working at the International Technical Support Organization (ITSO),
Poughkeepsie Center.
Vasfi Gucer is a Project Leader at the International Technical Support
Organization, Austin Center. He worked for IBM Turkey for 10 years and has
been with the ITSO since January 1999. He has more than 10 years of
experience in the areas of systems management, networking hardware, and
software on mainframe and distributed platforms. He has worked on various
Tivoli client projects, as a Systems Architect, in Turkey and the US. He writes
extensively and teaches IBM classes worldwide on Tivoli software. Vasfi is also
an IBM Certified Senior Information Technology (IT) Specialist.
Bernd Arnold is a certified Senior Systems Management Professional working
for IBM Global Integrated Technology Delivery in Germany. He has more than 15
years of experience in the IT Industry and has been working for IBM Germany
since 1995. Currently he is an IT Architect in the On demand Data Centre
Services program in Global Technology Integration and Management
Competency. He has been a lead architect on several large Universal
Management Infrastructure and Tivoli implementations in Europe. Before this, he
was working for an IBM e-business Hosting™ as a lead architect for Systems
Management and he was a Europe, Middle East, and Africa Service Manager for
the Central Tools local area network (LAN). He is responsible for solution
architecture and solution deployment in strategic outsourcing and also for
providing governance and leadership guidance to e-business Hosting and IBM
e-business on demand® customer projects.
Bernd received a Bachelor of Science degree in electronics engineering at the
University of Engineering in Ulm.
Leif Egeholm Nielsen is an IBM Certified IT Architect in Operations
Architecture. He has worked for IBM Denmark since 1994, mainly with systems
management for distributed systems. He has worked with Tivoli solutions since
1997 and been lead architect on several large Tivoli implementations in the
Nordics, specifically with focus on Tivoli Framework, Inventory, and Software
Distribution.
Leif currently works in IBM Global Technology Services. He works in the strategy
and design group that provides technical directions for delivery of IT services to
strategic outsourcing customers. Leif is also an active member of the innovation
community in IBM Denmark. He has previously been to Austin several times to
participate in the production of ITSO Redbooks™, ITSO Workshop material, and
xviii Certification Guide Series: IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution V4.1

21. product certifications. Leif holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical
Engineering from the Danish Academy of Engineering.
Giorgio Claudio Sommariva is an IBM Advisory IT Architect working in IBM
Global Technology Services Division in Segrate (Italy) for 4 years. His skills
include IBM Tivoli Monitoring V5.1, IBM Tivoli Configuration Manager 4.2.x, IBM
Tivoli Remote Control 3.8, IBM Tivoli NetView® 7.1.x, IBM Tivoli Enterprise™
Console 3.8, IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager 3.1, and IBM Tivoli Provisioning
Manager Express for Software Distribution 4.1.1. His areas of expertise include
system management architectures and Information Technology Infrastructure
Library compliant services design.
Thanks to the following people for their contributions to this project:
Arzu Gucer, Editor
International Technical Support Organization, Poughkeepsie Center
Kristin Wall Gibson
IBM USA
Elizabeth Purzer
IBM USA
Timothy Brown
IBM USA
Become a published author
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Preface xix

22. Comments welcome
Your comments are important to us!
We want our IBM Redbooks to be as helpful as possible. Send us your
comments about this or other IBM Redbooks in one of the following ways:
Use the online Contact us review redbook form found at:
ibm.com/redbooks
Send your comments in an e-mail to:
redbook@us.ibm.com
Mail your comments to:
IBM® Corporation, International Technical Support Organization
Dept. HYTD Mail Station P099
2455 South Road
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601-5400
xx Certification Guide Series: IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution V4.1

23. 1
Chapter 1. Certification overview
This chapter provides an overview of the skills you require to obtain an IBM
Advanced Technical Expert certification. This chapter designs the following
sections to provide a comprehensive review of specific topics that are essential
for you to obtain the certification:
IBM Professional Certification Program
Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution
V4.1Certification
Recommended resources for study
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2006. All rights reserved. 1

24. 1.1 IBM Professional Certification Program
Having the right skills for the job is critical in the growing global marketplace. IBM
Professional Certification, designed to validate skill and proficiency in the latest
IBM solution and product technology, can help provide a competitive edge. The
IBM Professional Certification Program Web site is available at:
http://www.ibm.com/certify/index.shtml
The Professional Certification Program from IBM offers a business solution for
skilled technical professionals seeking to demonstrate their expertise to the
world.
The program is designed to validate your skills and demonstrate your proficiency
in the latest IBM technology and solutions. In addition, professional certification
helps you excel at your job by giving you and your employer confidence that your
skills have been tested. Your ability to deliver higher levels of service and
technical expertise than non-certified employees, help you move on a faster
career track. Professional certification puts your career in your control.
The certification requirements are difficult, but they are not overwhelming. It is a
rigorous process that differentiates you from everyone else.
The mission of IBM Professional Certification is to:
Provide a reliable, valid, and fair method of assessing skills and knowledge.
Provide IBM with a method of building and validating the skills of individuals
and organizations.
Develop a loyal community of highly skilled certified professionals who
recommend, sell, service, support, and use IBM products and solutions.
The Professional Certification Program from IBM has developed certification role
names to guide you in your professional development. The certification role
names include IBM Certified Specialist, IBM Certified Solutions/Systems Expert,
and IBM Certified Advanced Technical Expert for technical professionals who
sell, service, and support IBM solutions. For technical professionals in
application development, the certification roles include IBM Certified Developer
Associate and IBM Certified Developer. An IBM Certified Instructor certifies the
professional instructor.
The Professional Certification Program from IBM provides you with a structured
program leading to an internationally recognized qualification. The program is
designed for flexibility by allowing you to select your role, prepare for and take
tests at your own pace, and, in some cases, select from a choice of elective tests
that are best suited to your abilities and requirements. Some roles also offer a
2 Certification Guide Series: IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution V4.1

25. shortcut by giving credit for a certification obtained in other industry certification
programs.
You can be a network administrator, systems integrator, network integrator,
solution architect, solution developer, value-added reseller, technical
coordinator, sales representative, or educational trainer. Regardless of your role,
you can start charting your course through the Professional Certification Program
from IBM, today.
1.1.1 Benefits of certification
Certification is a tool that helps you to objectively measure the performance of a
professional on a given job, at a defined skill level. Therefore, it is beneficial for
individuals who want to validate their own skills and performance levels, their
employees, or both. For optimum benefit, the certification tests must reflect the
critical tasks required for a job, the skill levels of each task, and the frequency
with which you require to perform a task. IBM prides itself in designing
comprehensive, documented processes that ensure that IBM certification tests
remain relevant to the work environment of potential certification candidates.
In addition to assessing job skills and performance levels, professional
certification can also provide such benefits as:
For employees:
– Promotes recognition as an IBM certified professional
– Helps to create advantages in interviews
– Assists in salary increases, corporate advancement, or both
– Increases self-esteem
– Provides continuing professional benefits
For employers:
– Measures the effectiveness of training
– Reduces course redundancy and unnecessary expenses
– Provides objective benchmarks for validating skills
– Makes long-range planning easier
– Helps to manage professional development
– Aids as a hiring tool
– Contributes to competitive advantage
– Increases productivity
– Increases morale and loyalty
Chapter 1. Certification overview 3

26. For IBM Business Partners and consultants:
– Provides independent validation of technical skills
– Creates competitive advantage and business opportunities
– Enhances prestige of the team
– Contributes to IBM requirements for various IBM Business Partner
programs
Specific benefits can vary by country (region) and role. In general, after you
become certified, you receive the following benefits:
Industry recognition
Certification may accelerate your career potential by validating your
professional competency and increasing your ability to provide solid, capable
technical support.
Program credentials
As a certified professional, you receive your certificate of completion and the
certification mark associated with your role for use in advertisements and
business literature. This certificate is sent to you through e-mail. You can also
request a hardcopy certificate, which includes a wallet-size certificate.
The Professional Certification Program from IBM acknowledges the individual
as a technical professional. The certification mark is for the exclusive use of
the certified individual.
Ongoing technical vitality
IBM Certified professionals are included in mailings from the Professional
Certification Program from IBM.
1.1.2 Tivoli Software Professional Certification
The IBM Tivoli Professional Certification program offers certification testing that
sets the standard for qualified product consultants, administrators, architects,
and partners.
The program also offers an internationally recognized qualification for technical
professionals seeking to apply their expertise in today's complex business
environment. The program is designed for those who implement, buy, sell,
service, and support IBM Tivoli solutions and want to deliver higher levels of
service and technical expertise.
Whether you are a Tivoli client, partner, or technical professional wanting to put
your career on the fast track, you can start on the road to becoming a Tivoli
Certified Professional today.
4 Certification Guide Series: IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution V4.1

27. Benefits of being Tivoli certified
Tivoli certification provides the following benefits:
For the individual:
– IBM Certified certificate and use of logos on business cards
Note: Certificates are sent by e-mail. However, you can request for a
paper copy of the certificate along with a laminated wallet card if you
send an e-mail to the following address:
mailto:certify@us.ibm.com
– Recognition of your technical skills by your peers and management
– Enhanced career opportunities
– Focus for your professional development
For the IBM Business Partner:
– Confidence in the skills of your employees
– Enhanced partnership benefits from the IBM Business Partner program
– Billing your employees out at higher rates
– Strengthens your proposals to customers
– Demonstrates the depth of technical skills available to prospective
customers
For the client:
– Confidence in the service due to professionals handling your
implementation
– Ease of hiring competent employees to manage your Tivoli environment
– Enhanced return on investment (ROI) through more thorough integration
with Tivoli and third-party products
– Ease of selecting a Tivoli Business Partner that meets your specific
requirements
Certification checklist
Here is the certification checklist:
1. Select the certification that you want to pursue.
2. Determine which test or tests are required by reading the certification role
description.
Chapter 1. Certification overview 5

28. 3. Prepare for the test, using the following resources provided:
– Test objectives
– Recommended educational resources
– Sample or assessment test
– Other reference materials
– Opportunities for experience
Note: These resources are available from each certification description
page, and also from the test information page.
4. Register to take a test by contacting one of our worldwide testing vendors:
– Thomson Prometric
– Pearson Virtual University Enterprises (VUE)
Note: When providing your name and address to the testing vendor,
specify your name exactly as you want it to be displayed on your
certificate.
5. Take the test. Be sure to keep the Examination Score Report provided upon
test completion as your record of taking the test.
Note: After taking a test, your test results and your demographic data,
including name, address, e-mail, and phone number are sent from the
testing vendor to IBM for processing. Allow two to three days for transmittal
and processing. After all the tests required for a certification are passed
and received by IBM, your certificate is issued.
6. Repeat steps three through five until all required tests are successfully
completed for the desired certification role. If additional requirements are
required, such as an “other vendor” certification or exam, follow the
instructions on the certification description page to submit these requirements
to IBM.
7. After you complete your certification requirements, you are sent an e-mail
asking you to accept the terms of the IBM Certification Agreement before
receiving the certificate.
6 Certification Guide Series: IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution V4.1

29. 8. Upon acceptance of the terms of the IBM Certification Agreement, an e-mail
is sent to you, which contains the following electronic deliverables:
– A Certification Certificate in PDF format, which you can print in either
color, or black and white
– A set of graphic files of the IBM Professional Certification mark associated
with the certification achieved
– Guidelines for the use of the IBM Professional Certification mark
9. To avoid unnecessary delay in receiving your certificate, ensure that IBM has
your current e-mail on file by keeping your profile up to date. If you do not
have an e-mail address on file, your certificate is sent through postal mail.
After you receive a certificate by e-mail, you can contact IBM to request for a
hardcopy certificate at the following mail address to be sent to you by postal mail:
mailto:certify@us.ibm.com
Note: IBM reserves the right to change or delete any portion of the program,
including the terms and conditions of the IBM Certification Agreement, at any
time without notice. Some certification roles offered through the IBM
Professional Certification Program require recertification.
1.2 Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software
Distribution V4.1 Certification
We can categorize the certification process as follows:
Job role description or target audience:
A Tivoli Certified Consultant: A technical professional of Tivoli Provisioning
Manager Express for Software Distribution V4.1 is responsible for planning,
installation, configuration, operations, administration, and maintenance of a
Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution V4.1 solution.
This individual is expected to perform these tasks with limited assistance from
peers, product documentation, and support resources.
To attain the IBM Certified Deployment Professional - Tivoli Provisioning
Manager Express for Software Distribution V4.1 certification, candidates must
pass a test.
Required prerequisites:
– Strong working knowledge of Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for
Software Distribution V4.1 infrastructure components
– Working knowledge of operating system, and networking and firewall
concepts
Chapter 1. Certification overview 7

30. – Basic knowledge of supported databases
– Basic knowledge of protocols, including Hypertext Transfer Protocol
(HTTP)
Core requirement:
In order to be certified you must select Test 879 - Tivoli Provisioning Manager
Express for Software Distribution V4.1:
– Test 879 objectives
– Test 879 sample test
– Test 879 recommended educational resources
– Number of questions: 49
– Duration in minutes: 60
– Format: Multiple choice
– Required passing score: 65% (32 out of 49)
1.2.1 Test 879 objectives
For the most updated objectives of the Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for
Software Distribution V4.1 Certification test, go to the Tivoli Certification Web site
at the following address and click the Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for
Software Distribution V4.1 Certification Test link:
http://www.ibm.com/certify/certs/
1.2.2 To get 15% discount on the Certification
You can receive a 15% discount on the Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for
Software Distribution V4.1 Certification, if you take the test at any Thomson
Prometric testing center. Just remember to use the code 15T879.
1.3 Recommended resources for study
Courses and publications are offered to help you prepare for the certification
tests. We recommend the courses, but they are not required before taking a
certification test. If you want to purchase Web-based training courses or are
unable to locate a Web-based course or classroom course at the time and
location you desire, contact one of our delivery management teams at:
Americas
mailto:tivamedu@us.ibm.com
EMEA
mailto:tived@uk.ibm.com
8 Certification Guide Series: IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution V4.1

31. AP
mailto:tivtrainingap@au1.ibm.com
Note: Course offerings are continuously being added and updated. If you
do not see the courses listed in your geography, contact the delivery
management team.
1.3.1 Courses
Course names and course numbers vary depending on the education delivery
arm used in each geography. Refer to the Tivoli software education Web site to
find the appropriate course and education delivery vendor for each geography.
General training information is also available at IBM IT Training at:
http://ibm.com/training
1.3.2 Publications
Before taking the test 879, which is for the Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express
for Software Distribution V4.1 implementation, we recommend that you review
Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution V4.1 guides and
IBM Redbooks.
You can refer to the following guides:
Version 4.1.1 - IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express Installation Guide,
SC32-0175
Version 4.1.1 - IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express Administrator’s
Guide, SC32-0172
Version 4.1.1 - IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Inventory User’s
Guide, SC32-0174
Version 4.1.1 - Client Catalog User's Guide, SC32-0173
For the online publications of Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software
Distribution V4.1, refer to the following address at:
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/tivihelp/v3r1/index.jsp?toc=/c
om.ibm.itpmesd.doc/toc.xml
Chapter 1. Certification overview 9

32. IBM Redbooks for Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for
Software Distribution
You might want to refer to the IBM Redbook titled Deployment Guide Series: IBM
Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express V4.1 for Software Distribution, SG24-7236.
This book focuses on the planning and deployment of Tivoli Provisioning
Manager Express for Software Distribution V4.1 in production environments.
The target audience for this book are IT specialists who want to work on new
Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution V4.1 installations.
10 Certification Guide Series: IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution V4.1

33. 2
Chapter 2. Planning
To successfully install an IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software
Distribution V4.1 you require a proper architectural planning and requirements
collection. This chapter summarizes the various core IBM Tivoli Provisioning
Manager Express for Software Distribution components and some infrastructure
deployment considerations for communication protocols, for small, medium, and
large environments. This chapter provides hardware and software specifications,
recommendations, and requirements, and discusses different customization
considerations.
This chapter includes the following topics:
IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution
components
Infrastructure deployment considerations
Customization considerations
Hardware and software specifications and recommendations
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2006. All rights reserved. 11

34. 2.1 IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for
Software Distribution components
IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution is divided into
two major core products:
IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution
IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Inventory
IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Inventory is a subset of IBM Tivoli
Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution. The software
distribution and patch capabilities are not included. However, IBM Tivoli
Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution product includes the IBM
Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Inventory product capabilities.
2.1.1 IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software
Distribution components
The administrative console to manage the server and the Software Distribution
Catalog to deliver software to the client machines are the functions of the Tivoli
Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution.
Server
The server is the control center that manages software packages, bundles,
groups, users, logs, reports, and schedules. The IBM Tivoli Provisioning
Manager Express for Software Distribution server has the following components:
Administrator’s console
You can use this browser-based interface to manage the process of the IBM
Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution. Administrators
can manage multiple catalogs for different users, groups, or business units.
They can also add, delete, and modify software packages, create bundles,
reports and perform the task management and scheduling.
Embedded version of IBM WebSphere® Application Server: Express 6.02
IBM Java™ 2 SE SDK Version 1.4.2
This industry-standard, platform-independent programming language is part
of the IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution
server.
The default server location is:
C:Program FilesIBMTivoliTPMXSERVER
12 Certification Guide Series: IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution V4.1

35. Database
IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution installs IBM
Cloudscape™ Version 5.1, which is a 100% Java SQL database provided along
with WebSphere Application Server Express. This database provides a quick
installation and integration solution. Cloudscape is an embedded relational
database-management system. This component allows IBM Tivoli Provisioning
Manager Express for Software Distribution to store and maintain the package
metadata and log information.
You can copy the database structure, which is the tpmxdb directory and all of its
sub-contents, without stopping the service. The copied tpmxdb structure is useful
to replicate problems from one server environment into another, and can be
utilized by support. It is a good practice to periodically make a backup copy of the
tpmxdb structure.
The default database location is as follows:
C:ProgramFilesIBMTivoliTPMXSERVERdbtpmxdb
The Cloudscape database that is installed by default only allows one connection
at a time and the database access is restricted to a single user.
The IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution can also
use other SQL databases that support Java Database Connectivity (JDBC™)
connections, if an enterprise database is required or an existing SQL database is
already available. IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software
Distribution can utilize other SQL databases with minimal changes to the
installation. IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution is
designed to work with any standard-based SQL server that provides connectivity
through JDBC. Other SQL databases that meet the enterprise required are:
IBM DB2®
Oracle
Microsoft® SQL Server
PostgreSQL
Note: We recommend the IBM DB2 Universal Database™ for large
implementations. Details concerning the configuration changes required to
use DB2 can be found on the Web at:
http://w3-103.ibm.com/software/xl/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_LT?nb=ca
&ni=tivoli&ca=ondemandmanagement&pr=ovisioningmanagerexpress
Configuring IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution
to use another database instead of the embedded IBM Cloudscape V5.1, is
considered an advanced topic and is not part of the exam.
Chapter 2. Planning 13

36. Agent
The Software Distribution Agent has two main features:
The Software Distribution Agent controls the installation of software pull
packages that require administrative rights to install and schedule pushes of
software.
C:Program FilesIBMTivoliTPMXAgentsdcagent.jar is the java file that
launches the software distribution agent.
The Software Distribution Catalog application is a Java-based application that
presents a catalog of software packages to the user. From this catalog, the
user can select a software package for installation. The software package is
downloaded to the client and automatically installed.
C:Program FilesIBMTivoliTPMXAgentsdcclient.jar is the java file that
launches the software distribution catalog.
The client agent runs as a service that checks the server periodically at specified
intervals to find the next scheduled installation package. It is a local installer for
the Software Distribution Catalog if a software package requires secure
installation.
The client applet runs either from the browser as a Java WebStart application or
as a stand-alone Java application. It presents all software packages for which a
particular user has access privileges. Users can select and install software
packages from an online catalog. When the user selects a software package, the
catalog shows detailed data about the software package.
Note: The Software Distribution Agent runs in the background. There is no
administrator or user interface. Because the client agent runs as a service. It
can be disabled through the Services Administrator’s Tools function of the
Windows® Control Panel. By default, the client agent is set to start
automatically. The client agent is listed in the list of services as:
IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express - Inventory Agent
IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express - Software Distribution Agent
Remote file shares
If network bandwidth over a wide area network (WAN) is an issue, IBM Tivoli
Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution provides the ability to
store the software packages on remote files shares that are geographically close
to the clients.
Note: The remote file shares can be preexisting file servers or they can
consist of an infrastructure that is already in place.
14 Certification Guide Series: IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution V4.1

37. 2.1.2 Inventory components
A complete IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Inventory solution
includes the same components as the IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express
for Software Distribution, from the server point of view. However, the IBM Tivoli
Provisioning Manager Express for Inventory program agent is different from the
IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution agent. The
components for the Inventory solution are:
Microsoft Windows 2000 or 2003 Server
SQL database with JDBC support
Java Web server
IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Inventory
IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Inventory program agent
IBM and non-IBM systems are supported using the IBM Tivoli Provisioning
Manager Express for Inventory program agent. The agent reads information from
the Windows Registry, the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI), and
the system management BIOS (SMBIOS) of a client computer. After collecting
the data from the computer, the Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for
Inventory program creates a file with all the information in it. This file can include:
Processor type and speed
Memory size
PCI devices
Logical disk information
Operating system information
Device drivers
Installed software
Regional settings
IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Inventory also accommodates
portable computers. The collected inventory information can be stored locally.
When network connectivity is restored, the inventory information is sent to the
server database.
Chapter 2. Planning 15

38. Note: IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Inventory program agent
is divided into two major functions.
The eGather2 function
The eGather2 function performs the inventory scan, packs the data, and
places it in a compressed file on the agent itself.
The callHome2 function
The callHome2 function is to call the egather2 function and upload the
scanned date to the IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software
Distribution server.
2.2 Infrastructure deployment considerations
When designing and deploying a Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for
Software Distribution infrastructure, you must consider several factors. Some of
the factors include the following items:
Number of packages that you manage
Average package size
Number of clients
Number of distributions
Frequency of inventory scans
Hardware configurations
Network topology
Network bandwidth
Pay careful attention to the network topology. Place the Software Distribution
server or servers as close to the clients as possible. Connect the servers to the
fastest backbone available, preferably 100 Mbps Ethernet or 1 Gbps Ethernet.
The setup of the IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software
Distribution environment is important for administrators. The administrator must
collect the following information about their network topology and general
environment setup:
Are target machines behind firewalls?
Does this require a proxy server?
Are target machines going to access the server from low bandwidth network
connections?
Is the environment going to use directory sharing?
Are there existing file share servers that can be reused?
16 Certification Guide Series: IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution V4.1

39. Are the user IDs on the target machines created as restricted users?
Is Microsoft Active Directory® or Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
(LDAP) being used for user authentication?
How are the packages going to be grouped or categorized?
How is the agent going to be rolled out?
This is critical information about the topology of your machine infrastructure to
determine what software distribution features and methods you can use for the
most effective implementation. Document all functional and non-functional
requirements prior to the implementation planning phase.
IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution can be
integrated with Microsoft Active Directory for user authentication and group
membership replication. This can greatly simplify the grouping of packages and
distributions based on organizational unit. This integration also eliminates a key
client pain point: the requirement of users to remember another ID and
password.
Note: It is not possible to setup an IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express
for Inventory environment to configure all IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager
Express for Software Distribution agents to perform multiple scans at the
same time and refresh scans at 9 p.m.
2.2.1 Communication protocols
If the server pushes out software packages to clients that have the Software
Distribution client agent installed, or if the server allows clients to pull packages
and install them through the Software Distribution Catalog, then the Server to
Agent communication is always HTTP. HTTP is the only supported
communication protocol at the moment. Sometimes, there is a proxy server used
between the IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution
agent and server.
The server is Web-based and you can access it with the IBM Tivoli Provisioning
Manager Express for Software Distribution administrative console via HTTP in
the Microsoft Internet Explorer® Version 6.0 or higher.
Chapter 2. Planning 17

40. The communication protocol between IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express
for Software Distribution and the SQL databases is JDBC. See Figure 2-1.
Figure 2-1 Communication protocols
2.2.2 Small and medium environments
IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution server can
handle up to 5000 clients, depending on size and frequency of distributions, in a
typical architecture for small and medium environments. The server pushes out
software packages to clients that have the Software Distribution client agent
installed or allows clients to pull packages and install them through the Software
Distribution Catalog.
18 Certification Guide Series: IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution V4.1

41. 2.2.3 Large environments
If you have a larger environment, then you can use multiple installations of IBM
Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution servers. The IBM
Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution program provides
the export and import function to simplify the replication of the metadata
associated with software packages and bundles from one server to another.
Another solution is to use multiple IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for
Software Distribution servers and a load balancer right in front. For large
enterprise environments, we recommend either IBM WebSphere Edge Server V2
or WebSphere Application Server V5 Edge Components (both include IBM
Network Dispatcher) to provide load balancing among several Web servers.
Customization is required on the server side, so that only one instance of the
Software Distribution database exists.
You require to use a database other than the default Cloudscape database that is
shipped with the product. The Cloudscape database that is installed by default
only allows one connection at a time. We recommend IBM Universal Database
(UDB) for large implementations.
2.3 Customization considerations
To integrate IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution
ships with a built-in version of the Cloudscape database and WebSphere
Express into an existing client’s infrastructure. you can easily customize IBM
Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for Software Distribution. In general, the
following is required to integrate IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager Express for
Software Distribution into an existing infrastructure:
Java programming language Version 1.4.2 or later
A relational database system supporting SQL and JDBC
Each of these prerequisites is available on a large number of platforms and from
several different vendors.
Chapter 2. Planning 19