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Release notes for IBM Support Assistant Workbench V4.1
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| | | Abstract | | This document contains the IBM Support Assistant Workbench V4.1 release notes. | | | | | | | | Content |
IBM Support Assistant Workbench version 4.1 is a free serviceability workbench program that simplifies support and helps users resolve questions and problems with IBM software products. It includes rich features and tools for quick resolution to problems. IBM Support Assistant is a customizable application which allows it to be tailored for the software products which are of most interest to the user.
IBM Support Assistant Workbench
Minimum system requirements:
- x86 processors capable of supporting the supported operating systems
- 512 MB RAM
- 120 MB free disk space
Display Resolution: Super video graphics array/adapter (SVGA) (1024 x 768) display minimum
High Contrast Mode: 1152 x 768 display, only default font settings (10pt Sans)
The following operating systems are supported:
- Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional Service Pack 2
- Microsoft Windows Vista
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux® 4.0 WS with GTK support - Update 4
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.0 WS with GTK support
- SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop (SLED 10)
The Workbench only supports 32-bit operating systems.
IBM Support Assistant requires Mozilla Firefox or Mozilla Runtime Environment on Linux
To use IBM Support Assistant on Linux, you must first have the Mozilla browser installed. Select from the following:
- Mozilla Firefox 1.5.x.x (GTK2 build)
- Mozilla SeaMonkey 1.0.x.x (GTK2 build)
- Mozilla Runtime Environment (xulrunner) 1.8.0.x (GTK2 build)
Install the Mozilla browser or xulrunner with a compliant version from your installation media. Visit the Linux update site or the Mozilla Web site (http://www.mozilla.org) to download and install these programs.
Verifying the Mozilla environment on a Linux system
Before launching IBM Support Assistant, follow these steps to verify you meet the prerequisites for Linux:
- SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10
The default installed xulrunner1.8.0.1 can be used. The path is /usr/lib/xulrunner1.8.0.1. The default installed Firefox 1.5.0.4 cannot be used.
You can find the prerequisite packages on your SLED 10 Service pack CDs or from the Linux update site.
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.0 WS with GTK support - Update 4
The default installed Firefox can be used. The path is /usr/lib/firefox1.5.0.3.
Install Firefox or xulrunner from the Linux update site or the Mozilla Web site (http://www.mozilla.org).
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.0 WS with GTK support
The default installed Firefox 1.5.0.9 can be used. The path is /usr/lib/firefox1.5.0.9.
You can find it on your Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.0 CDs, from the Linux update site, or the Mozilla Web site (http://www.mozilla.org).
Follow these steps to verify which Mozilla application is installed on your Linux system:
- Mozilla Runtime Environment (xulrunner)
- Open a terminal and enter the following command to query installed packages:
- If you see returns like mozilla-xulrunner-1.8.0.x-xx,, the Mozilla Runtime Environment (xulrunner) is installed.
- Mozilla Firefox
- Open a terminal and enter the following command to query installed packages:
| rpm -qa | grep mozilla-firefox |
| - If you see returns like mozilla-firefox-1.5.xx-xx,, Mozilla Firefox is installed.
- Mozilla SeaMonkey (Mozilla Browser Suite)
- Open a terminal and enter the following command to query installed packages:
| rpm -qa | grep mozilla-seamonkey |
| - If you see returns like mozilla-seamonkey-xx-xx, a compliant Mozilla SeaMonkey is installed.
For installation information, read the installation guide available in the /docs directory on your CD or in the location where an IBM Support Assistant downloaded zip file was extracted.
After IBM Support Assistant Workbench is installed and started, the Welcome page contains a link to a Tutorials section. The supplied tutorials provide guidance on usage of IBM Support Assistant and how to get the most out of your experience.
It is also a good idea to visit the IBM Education Assistant Web site. This educational site provides narrated presentations, flash simulations, tutorials, and resource links to help you use IBM Support Assistant more efficiently and effectively.
The following updates, limitations, and problems are known at the time of this release. Additional updates about IBM Support Assistant Workbench are documented on the IBM Support Assistant Support Web site.
Installing IBM Support Assistant over previously installed IBM Support Assistant v3.x or v2.x
If you have a previous version of IBM Support Assistant installed, you must not install IBM Support Assistant Workbench v4.1 into the same directory into which IBM Support Assistant v2.x, v3.x or v4.0 is installed. If you do install IBM Support Assistant in the same directory as a previous installation, the install will appear to succeed, but it will result in an invalid configuration for both versions of the application. The subsequent uninstall of either version could adversely affect the correct operation of the remaining version.
Installing and Running IBM Support Assistant on non-English SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 systems
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 contains several system environment variables, one of which, LC_CTYPE, takes highest precedence by Java™ when determining the execution locale and character classifications. When setting SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 to execute in non-English environments, such as Spanish, through the log-in panel, the contents of LC_CTYPE are not updated, but other locale related variables such as GDM_LANG and LANG are updated. To update the value of LC_CTYPE, the administrator should use the YaST2 Language Selection tool as follows:
- After logging in as root, click Computer > Control Center.
- In the left panel, under Groups, click System.
- In the updated right panel, click Language.
- Choose the appropriate Primary language for the system.
- Determine if you want to have the system use an English (US) keyboard layout and click Accept.
Note: If multiple languages will be used on the same system, it may be more appropriate to not set the LC_CTYPE variable all together and not use the YaST2 Language Selection tool, as LC_CTYPE will inherit the value of LANG or LC_ALL. Also, it is important to note, if YaST is adapting the keyboard layout to English (US), you might need to unset LC_CTYPE in a command prompt and manually execute the IBM Support Assistant Workbench installation script (setuplinux.sh) for the installation to occur in a non-English language.
Installation fails due to User Data directory being open
Close all Command Prompt windows that are open to the User Data directory for IBM Support Assistant or the installation will fail with the following message: "File not found: C:\Program Files\IBM\IBM Support Assistant v41\.provisioning_rc Provisioning process failed to launch or was stopped before status could be determined." An example of the User Data directory will be something like this: C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\IBM\ISAv41\.config
Uninstallation issues
When removing IBM Support Assistant from a system where multiple users have created their own user-data area, only the user-data area corresponding to the userid of the user performing the uninstall will be removed. Each user will need to manually remove their user-data area from their home directory.
Migrating from IBM Support Assistant v3.x
Migration from IBM Support Assistant v3.x can be accomplished through the Migration wizard. The Migration wizard is available in the First Steps section of the Welcome page of the Workbench.
Long destination paths might cause IBM Support Assistant on Windows to fail
When installing IBM Support Assistant on Windows, having an destination path length of more than 80 characters might cause the product installation to fail.
System locale must be set to the same value as the Java locale
You must set your system locale to the same value as the Java locale. Otherwise, you might see incorrect characters on some displays.
Installing on Windows Vista to a shared drive
If installing to a network share on Windows Vista with UAC enabled, the network share must be mapped from within an elevated command prompt.
"CWPST0064E: Failed to log in" message when Workbench starts
In a small number of instances on Windows, a user may get a dialog box when the Workbench starts up with a message:
| CWPST0064E: Failed to log in |
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This might occur if the Windows user's password has recently been changed. To correct this problem, delete the following file:
| {user.home}/IBM/ISAv4/.metadata/.plugins/com.ibm.rcp.security.auth/.keystore.JCEKS.IBM_J9_VM |
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The next time that the workbench is started, a new file will be created; however, the user will need to re-enter a proxy password in the "Network Connections" preferences (if one had previously been supplied)
Problems with translating the Program Files folder for various languages
Microsoft Vista Explorer translates the Program Files folder for various languages. The installer might display the default installation path in English only, which includes the Program Files path. The installer will always use the environment setting for the Program Files path as long as it does not contain any restricted characters.
Known problems with the browser view
On Linux platforms, a default system browser will be opened from many web-based links in IBM Support Assistant. If an error message occurs when attempting to open the default browser with the text, "Unable to open web browser on {0}", then this is an indication that the default browser is not set up correctly for use with IBM Support Assistant. The tips and requirements documented at http://www.eclipse.org/swt/faq.php#browserlinux should be followed to resolve the problem
Linux and Freetype 2.1.10
Some languages, such as Romanian, might require updating the system's Freetype libraries to 2.1.10. Otherwise, the IBM Support Assistant Workbench will not launch properly. Refer to http://freetype.sourceforge.net/ for information on how to update the Freetype libraries.
Applications menu icon on Linux
On Linux, when you uninstall IBM Support Assistant, the desktop entry in the Applications menu might remain and you will need to manually delete it.
On Linux, users need to login again after an installation (or uninstallation) to get the menu shortcuts in the Applications menu to behave properly.
On SLED 10, Ctrl+P will not initiate a print
The best way to print from the Help system without using the mouse is to tab to the printer icon on the toolbar. Refer to https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=179998.
RedHat 4 default PDF reader not supported
You must use another PDF reader, such as PDF Viewer or KPDF.
Installing IBM Support Assistant on a RedHat Linux system using high contrast
When installing IBM Support Assistant on a RedHat Linux system using high contrast, some text on the install panels may not be visible.
Supporting multilingual installations for SLED 10
If you are planning on supporting IBM Support Assistant installations in multiple languages on SLED 10, it is highly recommended that you configure these languages as "Secondary Languages" when performing the initial installation of SLED 10. Using YaST and the Language control panels to add additional "Secondary Languages" once the system has been installed might result in incorrect font rendering.
Using IBM Support Assistant with multiple monitors on Linux
On Linux, when using multiple monitors and positioning IBM Support Assistant on the secondary monitor, the Open popup menu will appear on the primary monitor. All items selected from the popup menu will still function properly and will appear in the IBM Support Assistant window on the secondary monitor.
Custom launcher item type creation using Portal
The user-interface launcher has a limitation in that if you are creating a custom launcher item type and contributing this using a dynamic contribution (from Portal, for example), the item will appear in the launcher but will not be enabled. Custom launcher item types should be contributed statically using a plugin.xml extension.
Display of tables are scrambled when using certain wheel mouse drivers
Some drivers for mouse devices with a wheel allow for specifying the scrolling behavior for the wheel. Some scrolling behavior settings have been known to cause table displays to scramble the lines of the table. Changing the scrolling behavior of the wheel may resolve the display problem.
Enabling BiDirectional Support
The orientation of the workbench is determined in one of the following ways (in order of priority):
- -dir command line parameter. If the -dir command line option is used this will be the default orientation. Valid values are -dir rtl or -dir ltr. Invoking IBM Support Assistant from the command line is done by executing the rcplauncher executable in the <install_directory>/rcp directory
- system properties. If the system property eclipse.orientation is set this will be used. The recognized values of this property are the same as the -dir command line argument. The eclipse.orientation property can be set on a single line in the config.ini file located in the <user.home>/IBM/ISAv4/.config directory where <user.home> is c:\Documents and Settings\{username} on Windows and /home/{username} on Linux
- -nl command line parameter. If the -nl option is used and the language is Hebrew, Arabic, Farsi or Urdu the orientation will be right to left.
Failing all of the above, the platform defaults to a left to right orientation.
Software inventory collection errors
You may occasionally experience problems running the software inventory collection from the Systems Explorer or from the System Collector under the Collect Data tab. Cleaning up the directories /tivoli and /etc/tivoli on the Agent system may fix the problem. Also, please make sure there is enough empty space on the file system.
Software inventory not supported on Solaris
The software inventory reporting is currently not available on IBM Support Assistant Agents running on Solaris platforms. When you right-click on a system in the Systems Explorer, the Show Software inventory option is disabled if the selected system is running the Solaris operating system.
Concurrent software inventory collections
Running concurrent software inventory collections from different IBM Support Assistant Workbench systems on the same BM Support Assistant Agent system is not supported.
Empty remote update sites
Entering empty-named update sites will cause an error with the Update Manager and should be avoided.
Cannot use IPV6 hostnames in Update Manager
IPV6 hostnames do not resolve using the Update Manager. The recommended workaround is to use the IPV6 address directly (for example, [2222::22]).
Clicking Details in Update Manager temporarily disables Tab key
When the Update Manager dialog is showing the progress of the current provisioning operation, clicking Details, and then using the Tab key to cancel, disables keyboard strokes. You cannot then use the Tab key or cancel; you must first let the operation finish. Use the mouse to cancel. After the job finishes, the keyboard strokes are back to normal. The Tab key works properly if you do not click Details first.
Certificates
Certificates are stored by default in the following keystore file:
| <install-dir>/rcp/eclipse/plugins/com.ibm.rcp.j2se.win32.x86_1.5SR4-<build_date>/jre/lib/security/cacerts |
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The password for the cacerts file is changeit.
Using accounts to authenticate with a server on an ipv6 network using the raw ipv6 IP address is not supported
Use the server hostname instead of the raw ipv6 address.
Invalid hostname in the certificate when using SSL
The URL class provided by the platform ensures that the hostname in the URL and the server's identification Hostname in the certificate matches. Otherwise it throws java.io.IOException: HTTPS hostname wrong: should be <localhost>. To avoid this problem, do either of the following:
- A method can be added to the Web Services Client. This method returns true for any hostname either it's valid or invalid.
private void registerMyHostnameVerifier(){
javax.net.ssl.HostnameVerifier myHv = new javax.net.ssl.HostnameVerifier()
{ public boolean verify(String hostName,javax.net.ssl.SSLSession session)
{ } }
javax.net.ssl.HttpsURLConnection.setDefaultHostnameVerifier(myHv);
} |
| This function has to be called before invoking the services which is based on HTTPS. This problem should not happen in the deployment environment as the hostname in the URL and the server's identification Hostname in the certificate would match.
Note: This is only suggested if the service provider's certificate can be trusted. |
| - While creating a certificate, it is necessary to ensure that hostname and the server's identification (that is, certificate name) should match. For example, if a client wants to access https://www.ibm.com through
URL url = new URL("https://www.ibm.com"), the server should have the certificate with the name of www.ibm.com.
The following terms are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both:
- DB2
- Everyplace
- IBM
- IBMLink
- iSeries
- Lotus
- Notes
- Passport Advantage
- pSeries
- Rational
- S/390
- Tivoli
- WebSphere
- zSeries
Adobe is a trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States, and/or other countries.
Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.
Java and all Java-based trademarks are trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States, other countries, or both.
Linux is a trademark of Linus Torvalds in the United States, other countries, or both.
UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group in the United States and other countries.
Other company, product, and service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.
(c) Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 2008. All rights reserved. US Government Users Restricted Rights - Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp.
Return to the IBM Support Assistant Home Page. | | | | | | | |
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| IBM, the IBM logo and ibm.com are trademarks of International Business Machines Corp., registered in many jurisdictions worldwide. Other product and service names might be trademarks of IBM or other companies. A current list of IBM trademarks is available on the Web at "Copyright and trademark information" at www.ibm.com/legal/copytrade.shtml. |
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| Product categories: |
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| | Software | |
| | Software Development | |
| | Other Software Development | |
| | IBM Support Assistant | |
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| Operating system(s): |
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Linux, Windows
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| Software version: |
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4.1
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| Reference #: |
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7015869
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| IBM Group: |
| | Software Group |
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| Modified date: |
| | 2009-10-12 |
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