Release Notes for Dynamic Workload Console, version 9.4

IBM Tivoli Workload Scheduler for Applications and IBM Tivoli Workload Scheduler Plug-in for Informatica PowerCenter are no longer separate installable components. All of the access methods and plug-ins formerly packaged with IBM Tivoli Workload Scheduler for Applications V8.6 and IBM Tivoli Workload Scheduler Plug-in for Informatica PowerCenter V8.6 are now automatically included in the IBM Workload Scheduler Version 9.4 installation.

Support at level of older product or component: For all products and components described in this section, the level of support is at that of the older product or component.

In the tables in this section the following acronyms are used:

Supported Browsers

The following tables are available:

• Dynamic Workload Console: compatibility
• IBM Workload Scheduler for z/OS: compatibility
• IBM Workload Scheduler Command-line client: compatibility

Dynamic Workload Console: compatibility

IBM Workload Scheduler for z/OS: compatibility

Notes:

1. The z/OS connector version must be the same as the Dynamic Workload Console version. When you install Dynamic Workload Console V9.4, the z/OS connector is also automatically installed.
2. The IBM Workload Scheduler for z/OS version must be earlier than the Dynamic Workload Console version.

IBM Dynamic Workload Console Command-line client: compatibility

Fix packs released for this version of the product

To find the fix packs released for IBM Workload Scheduler, and the Dynamic Workload Console including links to the related readmes files, see Fix Central.

The following are information you must know before installing or upgrading to IBM Workload Scheduler V9.4:

V9.4 Fix Pack 7 - zConnector upgrade

When upgrading zConnector to V9.4 Fix Pack 7 the job plug-ins code is replaced with the code delivered in the Fix Pack.

After you have upgraded to V9.4 Fix Pack 7, you will probably need to reinstall the plugins you downloaded from the Automation Hub.
Before upgrading zConnector to V9.4 Fix Pack 7, remember to take note of the content of the /TWSZOS/ApplicationJobPlugIn. The list will be useful to identify the plugins to be reinstalled.
Instead of creating a note with the content of the /TWSZOS/ApplicationJobPlugIn directory, you can create a copy of it. In this case if one of the plug-ins you downloaded from the Application Hub was replaced by an older version during the upgrade, you can delete the plugin from the /TWSZOS/ApplicationJobPlugIn directory and copy the saved version to the same directory.

Dynamic Workload Console update with z-centric agent requires manual deployment of plug-in

Editing existing job definitions or creating new job definitions might result in corruption of the job definition and no longer supported by the z-centric agent. To avoid this from happening, after a Dynamic Workload Console update, make sure to update the z-centric agent with the new plug-in versions (same as the one available on the Dynamic Workload Console).

Some job plug-ins are present in multiple versions if you manually deploy them on the Dynamic Workload Console and z-centric agents

After updating z-centric and Dynamic Workload Console/zconn, make sure the plug-ins and the jar file are both the same version.
If you update the Dynamic Workload Console only, you must copy the most recent version of the jar on the z-centric agents.  
Viceversa, if you only update the z-centric agents, you must copy the most recent version of the jar on the Dynamic Workload Console.
If you you update both, check and make sure the jar is the same version in both folders.

Follow these steps to resolve the issue:

Steps to reproduce

1. Install a 9.6 FP6 z-centric agent
2. Update the agent to 9.4 FP7

Result:

The following plug-ins are present in 2 versions (the old 9.4.0.06 has not been removed)

com.ibm.scheduling.agent.apachespark_9.4.0.06.jar
com.ibm.scheduling.agent.aws_9.4.0.06.jar
com.ibm.scheduling.agent.azure_9.4.0.06.jar
com.ibm.scheduling.agent.jobmanagement_9.4.0.06.jar
com.ibm.scheduling.agent.jobstreamsubmission_9.4.0.06.jar
com.ibm.scheduling.agent.softlayer_9.4.0.06.jar

 

Note: The same defect can be reproduced when updating the the Dynamic Workload Console.

After Installation steps
After updating Dynamic Workload Console and zconn, you must manually update the z-centric agents.
You need to deploy the new version of the plug-in on each z-centric agent that is running the
plug-in job type as described in the “updating an integration" section of the https://www.yourautomationhub.io/integrations?search=&type=tjob&tag=

 

---

Software limitations and their workarounds

Top

This section contains product limitations not resolved with this release of Dynamic Workload Console, and their workarounds (where applicable):

Communication problems with the engine when using IPv6

If you are using Dynamic Workload Console in environments where you are using the IPv6 protocol or in mixed environments where both the IPv4 and IPv6 protocols are in use, you might experience connection problems.

Workaround: To fix this problem set a configuration parameter in the application server, as follows:

1. Open the following file for editing: $TWA_HOME/eWAS/profiles/jazzsm_profile/config/cells/jazzsm_cell_name/ nodes/jazzsm_node_name/servers/server1/server.xml
2. Locate the variables: java.net.preferIPv4Addresses and java.net.preferIPv6Addresses
3. Set the variables as follows:

   Pure IPv6 environment

   java.net.preferIPv4Addresses=false
java.net.preferIPv6Addresses=true

   Pure IPv4 environment

   java.net.preferIPv4Addresses=true
java.net.preferIPv6Addresses=false

   Mixed IPv4 and IPv6 environments

   java.net.preferIPv4Addresses=false
java.net.preferIPv6Addresses=false

4. Stop and restart the application server, using the commands stopappserver and startappserver
    

Job stream editing limitations with IBM Workload Scheduler for z/OS

In Dynamic Workload Console for z/OS there is no job stream editor available to manage jobs within the job stream in a plan. As a consequence, on z/OS, there is no Submit and Edit option available within the Predefined Job Stream action.

Incorrect selection of jobs in manage browsed workstations panel

In the panel to manage browsed workstations, when you select Jobs from the More Actions menu, the displayed list shows all the jobs belonging to job streams defined on the selected workstation, and not just the jobs running on it.

Special character validation problems with IBM Workload Scheduler for z/OS

In z/OS environments, during task creation or editing, a few special characters might not be validated by Dynamic Workload Console. As a consequence, an error might occur on the z/OS connector causing the result table of the task to be empty. This happens when the code page of the z/OS engine is not the same as the code page of the z/OS connector client. Invalid characters are those that map the hexadecimal values 0x7B, 0x5B, 0x7C in all supported EBCDIC code pages (for example #, $, @ for IBM-37 EBCDIC codepage).

Stop of application server hangs

The command that stops the embedded WebSphere Application Server hosting Dynamic Workload Console might hang or end due to a timeout. This can occur randomly after several days of activity. It might be necessary to stop the server manually. The server process ID to stop is stored in the following file: $TWA_HOME/eWAS/profiles/jazzsm_profile/logs/ffdc/dwc_server_name.pid

---

Tivoli Common Reporting

Top

Tivoli Common Reporting is an optional integration service of Jazz for Service Management, which is installed with WebSphere Application Server.

Before you install the Reporting Services package, ensure you run IBM Prerequisite Scanner. IBM Prerequisite Scanner is a stand-alone prerequisite checking tool that analyzes system environments before the installation or upgrade of an IBM product. For more information, see the section about running the Prerequisite Scanner manually in the Jazz for Service Management documentation. For detailed information on Tivoli Common Reporting available within the Dynamic Workload Console, see the Tivoli Common Reporting Reports

---

Installation and upgrade limitations, problems, and their workarounds

Top

The following are limitations that affect the installation and upgrade of the Dynamic Workload Console:

Problems connecting to back-level engines

Dynamic Workload Console V9.4 cannot connect to previous versions of IBM Workload Scheduler engines. For more information see Technote: How Connect TDWC 9.3 to TWS Engine 8.6 or 9.x.

For IBM Workload Scheduler V9.4, default settings for role-based security model are as follows:

Master domain manager V9.4 fresh install

For master domain manager V9.4 fresh install, the role-based security model is enabled by default (enRoleBasedSecurityFileCreation optman global option is set to yes).

Master domain manager direct upgrade to V9.4

For master domain manager direct upgrade to V9.4, the role-based security model is disabled by default (enRoleBasedSecurityFileCreation optman global option is set to no).

Master domain manager parallel upgrade to V9.4

For the fresh install of a new master domain manager V9.4 configured as backup, the role-based security model is disabled by default (enRoleBasedSecurityFileCreation optman global option is set to no).

 

For details about the enRoleBasedSecurityFileCreation optman global option, see Global options - detailed description.

Dynamic Workload Console v9.4 uses Restful protocol

Dynamic Workload Console v9.4 uses Resful protocol to connect to the server. The default port is changed from 31117 to 31116.

Bookmarked tasks may not work using Internet Explorer

If you have tasks bookmarked with Dynamic Workload Console "Add to bookmark" feature, this might not work with the new Dynamic Workload Console version. You can use another browser to use the feature.

What if: update screen help "Show Job" (128426)

In the contextual online help for the General Filter for Jobs panel, the name of the field "Exclude complete" should read "Exclude completed (z/OS only) and Until first completed (distributed only)"

Launching a portlet results in error message: "This portlet page is not ready. Please try again.".

When launching a portlet, such as clicking the Manage Engine link from the single entry point page from the Dynamic Workload Console, or when launching the Dynamic Monitoring Query portlet from Application Lab, the portlet does not respond immediately and returns the error message: "This portlet page is not ready. Please try again." Repeating the request several times eventually produces the portlet and its contents correctly.

Dynamic Workload Console workload dashboard unable to establish a connection with the master domain manager

Unexpected security exception in Dynamic Workload Console SystemOut.log due to security exception after a trusted login

Adding a new dependency from the Monitor Workload entry the search does not work correctly if there is more than one job stream with the same name

When trying to add dependencies to a job or a job stream from the Monitor Workload entry, if the job stream selected in the search panel has the same name as another job stream, the search reports all jobs related to all job streams with the same name.

IBM Jazz for Service Management Dashboard Application Services Hub (DASH) in high availability mode becomes unresponsive during workload execution with hundreds of users accessing the database simultaneously

When multiple threads access the database to retrieve the data, it makes the system become unresponsive. This is a known DASH problem and a workaround to resolving the problem is documented in the technote IBM Jazz for Service Management DASH hub in HA mode becomes unresponsive during workload execution with more than 300 users accessing the database simultaneously.

Dynamic Workload Console installation fails on Windows 10 (166339)

Dynamic Workload Console installation fails on Windows 10 if JazzSm is installed in a virtual directory (i.e. C:\Program Files). A pop up appears asking for the credential, to circumvent the problem, insert the JazzSm credentials or install both Dynamic Workload Console and JazzSm in a non-virtual directory.

Application Lab limitation by using Internet Explorer (156948)

If both Application Lab and Workload Designer panels are opened and you take action in the Application Lab (i.e. enhance your workload), the objects shown in the panels could not be the same, if you are using Internet Explorer.

Production and forecast plan reports do not work by using REST API (168178)

Dynamic Workload Console v9.4 uses REST API protocol, but production and forecast plan reports do not work with this protocol. To circumvent the problem, run reports by using reportcli command. The fix will be available in a short period of time and the link to download the fix will be provided.

The import Workload Application Template panel is not shown when there is only one engine (168208)

The workaround is to define another engine or duplicate the same engine with a different name.

Globalization notes

Top

This section describes software limitations, problems, and workarounds for international versions of Dynamic Workload Console.

• Some simplified Chinese characters are missing or corrupted when using Google Chrome or Apple iPad Safari browser
  When you access the Self-Service Catalog or Self-Service Dashboard form a mobile device that uses the Google Chrome or Apple iPad Safari borwser, if you use the GB18030 Simplified Chinese character set, the characters that you type might be missing or corrupted.
  Cause: Google Chrome and Apple iPad Safari do not fully support GB18030 Simplified Chinese.
  Solution: Ensure that you are using a browser that supports GB18030 Simplified Chinese character set.
• The Dynamic Workload Console installation fails if you specify a user name for the WebSphere Application Server that contains Arabic characters. (43052)

---

Documentation Updates

Top

All updates to the IBM Workload Scheduler documentation that are required for version 9.4 are included in the editions of the publications at the IBM Knowledge Center.

---

Installation limitations problems and their workarounds

APARs fixed in this release

Top

APARs fixed in this release Dynamic Workload Console V9.4:

• IV87526: CANNOT VIEW ANY ARGUMENTS FOR DYNAMIC JOBS BY DWC

Top

© Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 2006, 2016. All rights reserved. US Government Users Restricted Rights – Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp.

Copyright © 2016 HCL Technologies Limited.