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Troubleshooting endpoints

Key commands:

• wep ls -- list endpoints

  wep help
  
  wep [help [subcommand]] Get general or subcommand help messages
  wep ls [-i <info>][-d <del>][-g <gw_label>] Lists endpoints
  wep sync_gateways Sync gateways with the Endpoint Manager
  wep <label> Show ep info for endpoint named <label>
  wep <label> set field value Sets endpoint data
  wep <label> get <info> [-d <del>] Displays endpoint data
  wep <label> migrate [-f] <gw_label> Migrate endpoint to gateway
  wep migrate_to_pref [-f] {-d|-a|-n} [-m <max>] [-g <gw_label>]
  Migrate endpoints to their preferred gateways
  
  Advanced Commands:
  
  wep boot_method add <tag> <prototype_object> <method_name> <endpoint_object...>
  wep boot_method list <tag> <endpoint_object>
  wep boot_method remove <tag> <endpoint_object...>
  wep boot_method test <tag> <endpoint_object>
  
  wep del <ep_oid> <gw_label> Low level delete CAREFUL!
  wep view <ep_oid> <gw_label> Low level display ep info
  
  Rescue Commands: (These commands contact the endpoint)
  
  wep <label> status
  wep set gateway {-g <gw_label> | -e <ep_label>}
  wep set interfaces {-g <gw_label> | -e <ep_label>} interfaces
  wep <label> set_label [-s] <new_label> Changes the label of an endpoint
  wep <label> set_config field=value Changes endpoint configuration parameter

• wepstatus -a -- list health conditions and name of the gateway and endpoints (connected/unreachable)
• lcfd.sh stop && lcfd.sh start -- to reload endpoint
• wgateway <gateway_name> stop && wgateway <gateway_name> start -- restart gateway
• http://endpoint_DNS_name/:9495 -- Using HTTP to get status of the endpoint

Tivoli endpoints like Tivoli Framework itself have complex, very convoluted directory structure with path to some some components so deeply nested in a maze of directories that this depth of nesting itself defies any developer logic and might suggest problems with architectural thinking within IBM.  The good thing is that at least it is similar for all operating systems be it NetWare, OS/2, UNIX, or Windows.

The main endpoint directory structure (there is also supplementary /etc/Tivoli directory structure) contains two important subtrees: one leading to   cache directory where all downloaded from the gateway executables reside and the second to mrt directory where the platform specific lcfd binary resides:

Variable

This is just an operating system dependent prefix in the base path to Tivoli directory, Depends on the platform where the endpoint is installed:

• /opt UNIX operating systems
• %SystemDrive%\Program Files Windows operating systems

Tivoli/lcf/dat/ep_dir
 

ep_dir is just the endpoint number, typically 1, as there is usually only one endpoint installed on the server, but it can be more if there are several independent TMF servers in the environment and each has endpoint installed on particular machine.   For example on Solaris the directory is /opt/tivoli/lcf/dat/1 and it contains the following files and directories (directories are in green)
 

cache last.cfg lcf.id lcf_env.sh lcfd.pid lcfd.st
codeset lcf.dat lcf_env.csh lcfd.log lcfd.sh

Among important endpoint working directory subdirectories and files:
 

• cache Directory for downloaded binaries and files used by the endpoint to execute TMF operations. This is a real cache: binaries and files are downloaded from the gateway as needed.
• last.cfg  Text file with keyword/value pairs that contains the latest configuration information used to start the endpoint.  Can be editied manually or using wep command.
• lcf.dat  Binary file that contains login information. Contains Management Gateway IP and port number.
   
• lcfd.log This is the most important troubleshooting file, the file that contains log messages generated by the endpoint.  The name of this file actually can be different as it can be changed in  the last.cfg file
   
• lcfd.sh File that contains the script file for starting the endpoint. (UNIX only)
   
• lcfd.st  File that contains the status of the endpoint.
   

Tivoli/lcf/bin/interpr/bin
 

What is called interpr is actually not interpreter but the name of platform on which endpoint is deployed. For example for Solaris directory is be named Solaris2 and that full path is:  /opt/tivoli/lcf/bin/solaris2/bin .

The directory contains the platform-specific binaries  for the following utilities:

• postemsg
• postzmsg

wpostemsg

wpostzmsg

wstoptecgw

Tivoli/lcf/bin/interpr/mrt

             Contains platform specific lcfd binary used to manage endpoint.

The following system startup files are added or modified during the installation of a UNIX endpoint.

System variables

The following system variables can be set after you install an endpoint.

To use these system variables, you must run the environment setup scripts for the endpoint from either of the two scripts created during the installation:

• /opt/Tivoli/lcf/ep_dir/lcf_env.csh
• /opt/Tivoli/lcf/ep_dir/lcf_env.sh

You can change your login initialization procedure to use the appropriate setup file so that the necessary environment variables and search paths are set to allow you to start the endpoint.

For example, for Bourne or Korn shell (sh or ksh) you can add the following to your profile:

if [ -f /opt/Tivoli/lcf/1/lcf_env.sh ]; then
   . /opt/Tivoli/lcf/1/lcf_env.sh
fi

For Windows the installation process creates the following setup scripts:

• %SystemRoot%\Tivoli\lcf\ep_dir\lcf_env.cmd
• %SystemRoot%\Tivoli\lcf\ep_dir\lcf_env.sh

TMA Login Process

By default TMA will automatically attempt the initial login to a Management Gateway as soon as lcdf process is launched on newly installed endpoint.  This is done by UDP broadcast using port 9494. All gateways that receive this broadcast forward the request to Tivoli Server Endpoint Manager. The gateway whose request reaches server first handles the communication during login process.  Endpoint manager executes endpoint policies:

• allow install policy
• select gateway policy
• alter install policy

Assignment information is passed to TMA which stores it in LCF.DAT file. After this point all TMA communications go through the assigned Management Gateway.

After the initial login, the TMA connects directly to its assigned management gateway for subsequent logins. Only if  Management gateway does not respond TMA repeats UDP broadcast to find a new gateway, if any.

By default TMA listens on port 9495, the Tivoli Gateway uses 9494

Old News ;-)

[Feb 22, 2006] Building an Endpoint Image Gulf Breeze Software Partners Tivoli Consulting Training We are Tivoli experts by martinc

3.6 Tivoli Endpoint

Chapter 3. Maintaining the Tivoli Framework environment 237 is no longer in its endpoint list, it contacts the endpoint manager for the new gateway assignment, and communicates this back to the endpoint. The endpoint then performs a normal login to its new primary gateway. 3.6.5.2  Isolation An endpoint is considered isolated when it cannot connect to its primary gateway. In such situations, it attempts to connect the alternate gateways listed in its interfaces file. Once the endpoint contacts an alternate gateway, its login request is forwarded to the endpoint manager. At this point, the endpoint manager runs select_gateway_policy to determine an appropriate list of gateways for the endpoint, and passes this back to the endpoint through the intercepting gateway.

3.6.5.3  Orphaned An endpoint is considered orphaned if it is functional, but deleted from the endpoint manager.

In this situation, the endpoint login is performed as an nitial login, in which all the login policies are run.

The only difference is that the LCF_LOGIN_STATUS environment variable is changed to 7 (for orphaned) and the endpoint maintains its existing OID.

3.6.6  Endpoint migration scripts

The endpoint migration scripts referenced in this section are all available in Appendix  A, “Useful Tivoli scripts” on page 377. They are designed to be a starting point. You will have to update them to provide the functionality appropriate for your TMR configuration, topology and general requirements. 3.6.6.1  epm.ksh script This endpoint migration script migrates an endpoint from one gateway to another within one TMR. The script determines if the endpoint has a status of manageable, as described in Section 3.6.1, “Endpoint status” on page 231. If not, the script returns an error. Otherwise, it performs the migration. If the new-gateway parameter passed to the program is the same as the endpoint’s existing gateway (as checked by a wep status command), the script returns the message “No action required.”

 Syntax: epm <endpoint-name> <new-gateway>

Return codes and messages:   •  Return code 0: “Migration completed”   •  Return code 1: “Endpoint NOT MANAGEABLE”

 

Chapter 3. Maintaining the Tivoli Framework environment 233

Figure 130.  Korn shell script for AIX epstatus 3.6.2  Monitoring endpoints You may need to monitor endpoints to assure critical applications are running properly, or, for example, to distribute file packages. The script in Figure  131 on page  234 is an example of a monitor run from the TMR server that pings and runs wep ls  (lists all gateways in a TMR, their assigned endpoints, and the endpoint status) against every endpoint in the TMR. This script assumes a functional DNS environment as well as a text file listing of all endpoints. This file can be generated by issuing the command:

wep ls | grep -v ^G | awk  ‘{print $2}’  | grep -v gateway > endpoint.txt

 

Recommended Links

Maintenance and Troubleshooting Guide / Troubleshooting endpoints

When determining problems with the endpoint, it is important to remember that the endpoint operates in conjunction with two other components of the Tivoli environment: the endpoint manager and the gateway. Therefore, you need to assess the state of several Tivoli Management Framework components when troubleshooting endpoints: the endpoint itself, the gateways it can connect to, and the endpoint manager that is on the Tivoli server.

This chapter contains the following sections:

• General troubleshooting procedure for endpoints
• Using log files to troubleshoot endpoints
• Common difficulties with endpoint login
• Common difficulties after endpoint login
• Performance considerations with endpoints
• Endpoints and policy regions
• Deleting endpoints

Last modified: June 02, 2008