Netcool Network Management

Version 9.2.2

Quick Start Guide

This guide describes a quick and easy way to install the products in the solution.

National Language Version: To obtain the Quick Start Guide in other languages, print the language-specific PDF from the installation media.

Overview

IBM Netcool Network Management helps communication service providers, enterprise data centers, and networking staff to discover, visualize, detect, configure, activate, integrate and remediate your network. The single solution combines IBM Tivoli® Netcool/OMNIbus V7.4, and IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus V8.1, IBM Tivoli Network Manager V3.9 (which includes Tivoli Common Reporting V2.1.1) and V4.1.1, and IBM Tivoli Netcool Configuration Manager V6.4.1.

This Quick Start Guide describes a single-server installation, where all products are installed on the same server. It covers Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus V7.4. This type of installation is useful for a proof of concept or test environment. High-level instructions are provided here, with links to more detailed information.

Step 1: Access the software and documentation

Netcool Network Management is available for download from IBM Passport Advantage® at https://ibm.biz/BdRaZP.

Step 2: Evaluate the hardware and system configuration

Decide which version of Network Manager to use. Then, review the system requirements at https://ibm.biz/BdRpME. Network Manager V4.1.1 is supported only on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) V5 and V6. Network Manager V3.9 is supported on more operating systems than V4.1.1. A suitable operating system for a test installation is Red Hat Enterprise Linux V5 or V6 on 64-bit hardware, with the default database that is included in the Network Manager product.
Restriction: Tivoli Common Reporting V2.1.1. is not supported on RHEL V6. For more information, see https://ibm.biz/BdRaRK.

Step 3: Review the installation architecture

The following diagram shows a simplified architecture of the products and components of Netcool Network Management.

Diagram that shows a simplified architecture of the Netcool Network Management solution. The Netcool/OMNIbus Web GUI, Network Manager GUIs, Netcool Configuration Manager GUIs and Tivoli Common Reporting are all hosted in Tivoli Common Reporting.

For more information about the architecture and data flow, see https://ibm.biz/BdRpMj.

Step 4: Installing a database or database client

You need a database to store the network topology data that is captured by Network Manager. If you decide to use the default database that is included in the Network Manager product, you can skip this step. If not, install the database first and configure it to store the topology data.

V4.1.1: IBM DB2 Universal Database™ V10.1 is included and is the default database. Other DB2® and Oracle databases are supported. For more information about the supported databases, see https://ibm.biz/BdRpM2. For more information about configuring nondefault databases to store network data, see https://ibm.biz/BdRpMf.

V3.9: Informix® Growth Edition V11.7 is included and is the default database. More alternative database types are supported than in V4.1.1. See https://ibm.biz/BdRpMy. For more information about configuring nondefault databases, see https://ibm.biz/BdRpMM.

Step 5: Installing the products on a server

The installation procedure differs depending on the version of Network Manager that you want to use and the architecture of Tivoli Integrated Portal. Check for and install all available fix packs.

4.1.1: For information about installing with a 64-bit Tivoli Integrated Portal, see https://ibm.biz/BdRpMS. The Network Manager installer can install the products and components except for Netcool Configuration Manager and Tivoli Common Reporting. The Network Manager installer can also configure the products that it installs. Install Netcool Configuration Manager and Tivoli Common Reporting after the Network Manager installer completes.

V3.9: Use the Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus installer to install Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus V7.4. Then install the remaining Netcool Network Management components in a specific order, depending on the bitness of Tivoli Integrated Portal. For information about installing with a 32-bit Tivoli Integrated Portal, see https://ibm.biz/BdRpMm. For information about installing with a 64-bit Tivoli Integrated Portal, see https://ibm.biz/BdRpMK.

To generate test events into Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus, install the Simnet probe, which is included in the product. For more information, see https://ibm.biz/BdRpMa.

Step 6: Configuring the integration

Configure the products so that events from the ObjectServer are enriched with topology data, and synchronize devices between Network Manager and Netcool Configuration Manager. Default users with preassigned roles are created automatically. For more information, see https://ibm.biz/BdRpMC.

Step 7: Get started

Source the environment variables. For more information, see https://ibm.biz/BdRpMn. Then, start the products. To start Network Manager, Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus and Tivoli Integrated Portal in the default NCOMS domain, run the following command as this installing user: $NCHOME/precision/bin/itnm_start -domain NCOMS. Start Netcool Configuration Manager separately from the other products by running the following command: $NCHOME/ncm/bin/itncm.sh start. Log in to Tivoli Integrated Portal from a supported browser at http://Tivoli_Integrated_Portal_host:16310/ibm/console. Use the supplied user itnmadmin with the password that you defined during the installation of Network Manager. Also log in to the Netcool Configuration Manager Base WebStart GUI. For more information, see https://ibm.biz/BdRpMp. For more information about getting started, see https://ibm.biz/BdRpM8 and https://ibm.biz/BdRpM3.

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