IBM Application Performance Management (APM) 8.1 Useful links (Documentation, Videos, Articles, Latest versions, Download, Part Numbers)

Content

A] DOCUMENTATION AND INTERIM FIXES LINKS

1) IBM APM V8.1.4 documentation home page

IBM Cloud Application Performance Management, Private 8.1.4

2) IBM APM V8.1.4 download and latest part numbers - latest versions available

Part numbers

March 2024, agents "refresh" images, version 8.1.4.0.21

Jan 2024, APM server latest interim fix:

8.1.4.0-IBM-APM-SERVER-IF0015 Readme

APM core framework latest interim fix 8.1.4.0-IBM-APM-CORE-FRAMEWORK-IF0025; 2 packages, one for server side, one for agents side. https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/6962739

3) IBM APM V8.1.4 prerequisites

System requirements

Agents preinstallation steps on Windows

Preinstallation on Windows systems

4) IBM APM 8.1.4 how to bypass the installer prerequisites scanner (for test environment only)

Bypassing the prerequisite scanner

5) IBM APM Server v8.1.4 latest interim fix:

8.1.4.0-IBM-APM-SERVER-IF0015

How to check current interim fixes installed on your APM server?

Example:

cd <APM_HOME>/ccm/fixes

e.g. cd /opt/ibm/ccm/fixes

ls -al server*

[root@apm97 fixes]# ls -al server*
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  220 Oct 18 16:24 server-8.1.4.0-IF0003.xml
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1068 Jun 13  2018 server-8.1.4.0-IF0004.xml
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1392 Nov  6 16:57 server-8.1.4.0-IF0007.xml
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  555 Oct 18 16:24 server-core-framework-8.1.4.0.3.xml

and AFTER 8.1.4.0-IBM-APM-SERVER-IF0008 was installed, for example:

[root@apm97 fixes]# ls -al server*
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  220 Oct 18 16:24 server-8.1.4.0-IF0003.xml
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1068 Jun 13  2018 server-8.1.4.0-IF0004.xml
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1392 Nov  6 16:57 server-8.1.4.0-IF0007.xml
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1064 Apr  4 13:35 server-8.1.4.0-IF0008.xml
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  555 Oct 18 16:24 server-core-framework-8.1.4.0.3.xml
[root@apm97 fixes]#

You can also check ${apm_server_home}/ccm/logs/apmpatch.log file.

Agent core framework patches installed on the APM server: The apmpatch.sh log messages in the ${apm_server_home}/ccm/logs/apmpatch.log file. All patches that have ever been installed on the APM server have messages in that file.

APM server patches: The apmpatch.sh logs are in the ${apm_server_home}/ccm/logs/apmpatch.log file. All patches that have ever been installed on the APM server have messages in that log file.

IBM APM Agents v8.1.4 latest interim fixes, see IBM Fix Central

https://www.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/swg/selectFixes?parent=IBM%20Performance%20Management%20family&product=ibm/Tivoli/IBM+Application+Performance+Management+Advanced&release=8.1.4.0&platform=All&function=all

6) IBM APM Server v8.1.4 collect Logs

https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/capmp/8.1.4?topic=support-collecting-cloud-apm-server-logs

7) IBM APM Agent v 8.1.4 collect Logs

https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/capmp/8.1.4?topic=support-collecting-monitoring-agent-logs

8) Capabilities. Which agent or data collector belongs to which APM 8.1 offering

https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/capmp/8.1.4?topic=collectors-capabilities

9) APM 8.1 agent product codes <pc> two letters agent code

https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/capmp/8.1.4?topic=agents-using-agent-commands#admin_agent_cmds

10) IBM APM Agents v8.1.4 - Latest "refresh packs" and change history, per agent type

https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/capmp/8.1.4?topic=collectors-change-history

11) Agent metrics. Reference pdf guides

https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/cam-r?topic=cloud-application-performance-management-cloud-apm

12) APM and High Availability documentation

13) List of agents or nodes connected to and known by APM server

Access the url:

http://<APM Server>:10001/kas_srv/provider?diag=top

Then, click 'Endpoints' link; you then get a Managed System Status list. You can then click one of your Managed system name to get some complementary information about one particular managed system.

14) APM server performance tuning

APM v8.1.4 Setting the appropriate APM server size

15) APM server 'server_size.sh'

Managing the maximum Java heap size and Db2 bufferpool

16) Check list of ISM agent profiles defined and deployed; launch in a browser the following URL after you authenticated to the APM server Dashboard console:

https://<APM_Server>:9443/ISMAgentTab/ProfileMSNMappingServlet?button=main

17) Load projections

IBM Cloud App Management Database Load Projections Spreadsheet

18) Ports used on APM server, and to communicate with agents

Cloud APM server ports

19) Synthetic playback agent (product code SN) latest interim fix available (March 2023):

8.1.4.0-IBM-APM-SYNTHETIC-PLAYBACK-AGENT-IF0018, it supports Mozilla Firefox version 102.8.0 ESR

8.1.4.0-IBM-APM-SYNTHETIC-PLAYBACK-AGENT-IF0018 readme

20) Upgrade of APM server to latest interim fix - recommendations:

Before you are upgrading APM server to its latest available interim fix level, consider:

A) follow interim fix readme file instructions, in particular free as much disk space as possible; before installing the interim fix, apply instructions documented here, for example:

8.1.4 8.1.4.0-IBM-APM-SERVER-IF0014 Readme

Under the 'Prior the installation' chapter:

This interim fix backs up the <apm-server-home>/wlp directory. You must ensure that you have enough disk space to back up that directory structure before you are installing the interim fix. If there is not sufficient disk space, the Liberty component patch  cannot install, but the other component patches can install.  Then, you must run the apmpatch.sh again to install the Liberty patch again after you have sufficient disk space.

B) follow instructions documented here and backup the APM server environment:
Backing up and restoring components

C) Upgrading the db2 server to db2 version 11.5.x

see:

https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/capmp/8.1.4?topic=installation-upgrading-db2-server-db2-version-115x

it says:

After the Cloud APM server is installed, you can upgrade your local or remote Db2® server, from Db2 version 10.5 or version 11.1,

to version 11.5.x.

Make sure that the IBM® Cloud Application Performance Management, Private V8.1.4.0 interim fix 12, or a later interim fix, is applied to the Cloud APM server

IBM APM server 8.1.4 IF12 (8.1.4.0-IBM-APM-SERVER-IF0012) readme :

https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/6456351

IBM APM v8 test team has tested APM server with Db2 11.5 mod 6 special build 10462. If this particular level is not available from IBM softwares (ibm fix central) for DB2 server 11.5, go to Db2 11.5 mod 7, not mod 6 without fix packs.

https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/download-db2-fix-packs-version-db2-linux-unix-and-windows

21) APM Hybrid gateway

Latest version: APM Hybrid gateway 8.1.4 Interim Fix 13

INTEGRATE ITM 6.3 AND APM 8.1.4 USING HYBRID GATEWAY

Integrating with IBM Tivoli Monitoring V6.3

B] VIDEOS

1) Synthetic Agent website monitoring (part 1): overview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6xOj5Lm0LU

2) Synthetic Agent website monitoring (part 2): using Sub Transactions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6xOj5Lm0LU

C] Other ARTICLES

- Synthetic agent (SN), ports used https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/1087570

- IBM APM 8.1 - Synthetic agent SN - Useful information - tips - Part 1 https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/1087546

- IBM APM 8.1 - Synthetic agent SN - Useful information - tips - Part 2 https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/1278532

- how to check a web page content by using Selenium script? https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/6117856

- how to check a web page content? https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/6116044

- IBM APM 8.1 how to troubleshoot synthetic agent (sn) playback issue of Selenium script? https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/1138270

- IBM APM 8.1 - Synthetic agent (SN) - How to handle Selenium Scripts? https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/1278088