Preparing to deploy

Before you deploy a pattern, you might want to deploy the Red Hat Satellite Server instance, review patterns that require licenses, create a project results database, or add block storage to a pattern.
Before you deploy a pattern, you must decide if you want to do any of the following tasks. If you do want to do any of these tasks, then follow the referenced information.

Red Hat Satellite Service

To connect to Rational Integration Tester, Rational Test Control Panel, Rational Test Virtualization Server, or Rational Performance Test Server deployed instances, you must deploy the Red Hat Satellite Service. You connect to the deployed instance by using a VNC client, which requires that the cloud group is configured with the Red Hat Satellite Service shared service. If the cloud group is not configured, the installation completes without VNC support. The Red Hat Satellite Service, which is an external shared service that points to a Red Hat Satellite Server instance that runs inside or outside the customer environment, is provided with the appliance. For more information about this service and how to deploy it, see Red Hat Satellite Service.

Licenses for patterns

To use IBM® Rational Integration Tester Pattern, IBM Rational Test Virtualization Server Pattern, or IBM Rational Performance Test Server Pattern, you must buy licenses.

Licenses for Rational Integration Tester

You can either buy floating licenses or token licenses. For more information, see License descriptions.

Licenses for Rational Test Virtualization Server or Rational Performance Test Server

You can either buy Processor Value Unit (PVU) printed licenses or token licenses. For information about Processor value unit (PVU) licensing and token licensing, see License descriptions.

Processor value unit (PVU) licensing
In PVU licensing mode, you receive printed versions of the licenses. When you deploy IBM Rational Test Virtualization Server Pattern, or IBM Rational Performance Test Server, you select RTVS (PVU Mode) or RPTS (PVU Mode) for the Agent Mode field.
You can track license usage with the workload console. For more information, see Tracking license usage.
Agent mode licensing
In Agent mode licensing, you can use token licenses or floating licenses. Agent mode licensing requires that a Rational License Key Server is deployed in the cloud with valid licenses in order for the Rational Integration Tester Agent to operate. Additionally, the Agent must be configured with the details of the license server so that the Agent is able to communicate with the license server at runtime. You complete this setup when you deploy IBM Rational License Key Server Pattern and its shared service. For more information, see Deploying IBM Rational License Key Server Pattern.
When you deploy IBM Rational Test Virtualization Server Pattern, or IBM Rational Performance Test Server, you select RTVS (Agent Mode) or RPTS (Agent Mode) for the Agent Mode field. For more information, see Deploying IBM Rational Test Virtualization Server Pattern or Deploying IBM Rational Performance Test Server Pattern.
Important: If you select agent mode licensing, you must disable PVU license tracking. For more information, see Disabling PVU license tracking.

Project results database

You might want to store historical test data and performance results from agents and probes in a project results database. This database can be external or internal to the appliance.

Several supported databases can be configured and used as a project results database that is external to the appliance. For more information about setting up an external project results database, see Configuring the project results database for Rational Integration Tester.

The Default DB2® OLTP Pattern for Linux is available on the appliance and is the only database pattern that can be cloned and used as a project results database that is internal to the appliance. For more information about setting up an internal project results database, see Creating a project results database from a DB2 default pattern.

Database connection

There are two ways to get the connection details.

When you deploy IBM Rational Integration Tester Pattern, you provide the connection details for the projects results database. If you decide not to provide the connection details when you deploy the pattern, you can do so later by using the project settings in Rational Integration Tester. For more information about connecting to the deployed Rational Integration Tester instance see, Connecting from a VNC client.

When you deploy IBM Rational Test Control Panel Pattern, you cannot provide the connection details for the projects results database. You can do so later by adding connection details and entering that information in Rational Test Control Panel. For more information about adding database connections details, see Adding database connection details.

Creating a project results database from a DB2 default pattern

You can create a project results database that is internal to the appliance and based on IBM DB2 by using a default DB2 pattern and a script package named Configure DB2 Results Database for RIT.

Before you begin

To clone a pattern on the appliance, you must be assigned the Create new catalog content role or the Workload resources administration role with full permissions. For more information about user roles, see Managing system users.

Important:
The Default DB2 OLTP Pattern for Linux is available on the appliance. The license must be accepted and the pattern must be enabled before you can deploy this default database pattern.

About this task

To use a DB2 project results database that is internal to the appliance, clone the Default DB2 OLTP Pattern for Linux, add a script package Configure DB2 Results Database for RIT and configure it.

Procedure

  1. From the workload console, click Patterns > Virtual System Patterns. The available virtual system patterns are displayed.
  2. Click Default DB2 OLTP Pattern for Linux.
  3. To create a copy of the selected virtual system pattern, click the Clone icon on the toolbar.
  4. In the Name field, type a unique name and optional version for the cloned virtual system pattern. Be sure to use only alphanumeric characters in the name. Do not use any special characters. This name is used as the identifier for the cloned virtual system pattern that you are adding to the catalog.
    Restriction: The name can have no more than 64 characters.
  5. Click OK. The cloned virtual system pattern is created and initially populated with the same configuration values as the original virtual system pattern. The name of the cloned pattern is displayed in the list of available virtual system patterns, and the detailed information is displayed in the pane.
  6. Configure the cloned pattern by adding the Configure DB2 Results Database for RIT script package.
    1. Click the cloned pattern. The pattern details are displayed.
    2. Open the Pattern Builder. Click the Open icon on the toolbar.
    3. Expand Scripts and drag the Configure DB2 Results Database for RIT script into the OS Node box on the canvas.

      Adding script package

    4. Edit the connections between the script package and the other components.
      1. Add a link between the script package and oltpdb. Move the cursor over Configure DB2 Results Database for RIT until the blue circle turns orange.

        Linking script to oltpdb

        Helper text describes the asset that is associated with the link. Select the circle, drag a connection to the oltpdb asset until the asset is highlighted, and then release.
      2. When you create a link between two assets, you can see that each property of one asset is mapped to each property of the asset to which it is linked.

        Checking data dependencies between the database script and oltpdb

        Click OK to confirm the connection and the data dependencies.
      3. Add another link between the script package and DB2 Server. Move the cursor over Configure DB2 Results Database for RIT until the blue circle turns orange. Select the circle, drag a connection to the DB2 Server asset until the asset is highlighted, and then release.

        Linking database script to DB2 Server

      4. When you create a link between two assets, you can see that each property of one asset is mapped to each property of the asset to which it is linked.

        Checking data dependencies between the database script and the DB2 server

        Click OK to confirm the connection and the data dependencies.
    5. To save the changes to the pattern, click Save.
    6. Close the Pattern Builder.
  7. Deploy the cloned pattern. From the Virtual System Patterns page, click the Deploy icon on the toolbar.
  8. Complete the required fields to deploy the pattern.
    1. On the Deploy Pattern page, leave the default name for the virtual system. If you change the name, make note of this information for future use.
      Restriction: The name can have no more than 64 characters.
    2. Enter any other required information:
      1. Select the environment profile to use for the deployment. Internally or externally managed environment profiles can be used for single-system deployments.
      2. Specify, or accept the default cloud group and IP group to deploy into. These fields are displayed only for internally managed environment profiles.
      3. Set a priority for the deployment.
      4. Optional: Set up Secure Shell (SSH) access to the deployment either by generating an SSH public/private key pair, or by specifying an externally generated SSH public key. The generated or specified public key is uploaded to the virtual machines during deployment. If you generated a key pair, be sure to download the private key file to a secure location. You can distribute this file later to users who are allowed to access the deployed virtual machines in the cloud group for troubleshooting and maintenance purposes.
      5. Set the schedule for the deployment to be at the current time or a later time that you specify.
      6. Click the component names to set the parameters for the individual software components. Fields that have a red asterisk next to the name are required parameters that you must set before the pattern is deployed.

        You can accept all or most of the default values, although you might prefer to override some of them. For example, you might want to override the cell name or node name to conform to your site naming conventions. In most cases, only passwords need to be additionally specified.

  9. Click Quick Deploy to start the deployment process. The length of time that is required for the deployment to complete depends on the complexity of the pattern that is being deployed.

Results

The deployment process creates and starts the virtual machine for the cloned pattern.

What to do next

Get the database connection details. You need this information to connect to the project results database.

Finding information about the database connection

The remote_std_out.log log file contains the database connection details that you use to connect to the project results database (the deployed DB2 database pattern) that is internal to the appliance.
About this task

Find the remote_std_out.log file for the script package Configure DB2 Results Database for RIT.

Procedure
  1. Go to the Virtual System Instances page by clicking Patterns > Virtual System Instances.
  2. From the list of instances on the Virtual System Instances page, select the instance that was deployed. The details of the deployed instance are displayed.
  3. Expand the Virtual machine perspective section in the details view, and then expand the software component VM section that you deployed.
  4. Go to the Script Packages section and find Configure DB2 Results Database for RIT.

    Finding the log file with the database connection details

  5. Click remote_std_out.log to open this file. Note the database connection details.
    An example of the connection details that you can see inside the log file.
    Database URL: jdbc:db2://172.17.107.55:50000/oltpdb Database User Name: user1 Database User Password: passw0rd
What to do next
Deploy a pattern. For more information, see Deploying patterns.

Adding block storage to a pattern

You might want to add block storage to a virtual system pattern so that you can separate the storage of test artifacts from the lifecycle of the workload encapsulated in a pattern. The storage persists after the workload is deleted, and can be attached to a different workload.

Before you begin

To add an add-on on the appliance, you must be assigned the Create new catalog content role or the Workload resources administration role with full permissions. For more information about user roles, see Managing system users.

Important: The predefined patterns are read-only, which means that you cannot add or delete software components. To change the composition of a predefined pattern, you must clone the pattern or create one. For more information, see Managing virtual system patterns.

About this task

You use the Pattern Builder to add the Default block disk add-on to a virtual system pattern. IBM Rational Integration Tester Pattern or IBM Rational Test Control Panel Pattern are the patterns where you might want to add block storage.

Procedure

  1. From the workload console, click Patterns > Virtual System Patterns. The available virtual system patterns are displayed.
  2. Click the virtual system pattern to modify.
  3. To create a copy of the selected virtual system pattern, click the Clone icon on the toolbar.
  4. In the Name field, type a unique name and optional version for the cloned virtual system pattern. Be sure to use only alphanumeric characters in the name. Do not use any special characters. This name is used as the identifier for the cloned virtual system pattern that you are adding to the catalog.
    Restriction: The name can have no more than 64 characters.
  5. Click OK. The cloned virtual system pattern is created and initially populated with the same configuration values as the original virtual system pattern. The name of the cloned pattern is displayed in the list of available virtual system patterns, and the detailed information is displayed in the pane.
  6. Click the cloned pattern. The pattern details are displayed.
  7. Open the Pattern Builder. Click the Open icon on the toolbar.
  8. Click Add a component add-on icon on the top of the OS Node box on the canvas. Click the Default attach block disk add-on from the list.

    Add default attach block disk add-on

    When the block storage add-on is added to the pattern in the Pattern Builder, you enter the value for mount point and file system type. The rest of the add-on values are entered during the distribution stage of deployment, because they depend on the placement location of the workload.

  9. Click the Default attach block disk box on the canvas. In the right pane, set the FILESYSTEM_TYPE to ext4. Set the MOUNT-POINT field to the workspace path (for example, /var/IBM/RTCP or home/virtuser/RIT_Project).

    Adding block disk attributes

  10. To save the changes to the pattern, click Save.
  11. Close the Pattern Builder.

What to do next

Deploy IBM Rational Integration Tester Pattern or IBM Rational Test Control Panel Pattern. For more information, see Deploying patterns.
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