Reporting for Tivoli made easy using BIRT, the leading Open Source reporting tool

No out-of-the-box reporting is provided today by IBM for Tivoli Monitoring (i.e. ITM/ITCAM). Primeur has harnessed the power of BIRT and its advanced reporting features, to provide both out-of-the-box report libraries and the ability to design your own reports, against TDW held data - now also including SAP managed resources. Both HTML and PDF reports can be scheduled, produced on-demand, defined by resource group and sent automatically via e-mail. QuickReporter for ITM, which starts at only $35 per server, can be evaluated free of charge through OPAL or Primeur's website.

To find out more, or download an evaluation copy, click here

What's new/updated on the TUG website?


Top of Mind


Presentations from Local User Group meetings


2 New Archived Webcasts

Posting of some TTUC 2007 technical presentations

Various updates to almost every Zone (Education, Certification, Product, and more)

Welcome to our NEW Tivoli User Groups:

1. TSM User Group Denmark
2. Northern California MAXIMO User Group
3. Bangkok Tivoli User Group

Congratulations to Phil Chandler of England who is one of our registration contest winners to receive an MP3 player.

Take 5 minutes to fill out the TUG Member Survey about the Tivoli Integration Model

Thank you to the 244 people who filled out the Bi-yearly TUG website satisfaction survey! With 96% of you satisfied with the website we still have some improvements to make. Base on your comments we will look into the following:
Updating the Menu bar, Better Front page navigation, Increase Newsletter frequency, Ability to capture user generated content and comments, promote awareness and add RSS feeds on original content

When asked if the TUG website has solved problems, we received the some of the following answers:

• "I use some scripts to solve similar problems with our customers."
• "I was able to search for some errors that I encountered and got the fix."
• "Keeps me abreast of the punctilious changes which I would be missing in the large amount of data flow on Tivoli issues."
• "Local TUG meeting is very helpful in Tivoli products. Time to time seminar is also helping a lot."

Did you miss the TTUC? Check out the various 2007 TTUC presentations posted in the Presentations Zone. Sessions like:

• Tivoli Access Manager for e-business Best Practices_TTUC2007
• Tivoli Identity Manager Integration with Tivoli Directory Integrator_TTUC2007
• IBM Tivoli Netcool Proviso Portal Customization_TTUC2007
• Proviso Features and Functions Technical Overview_TTUC2007
• Best Practice Resources for IBM Tivoli Monitoring 6.1_TTUC2007
• Tivoli Provisioning Manager 5.1 Product Update_TTUC2007
• What's new in Netcool/OMIbus 7.2 and Integrations_TTUC2007
• Implementing and Troubleshooting Rational Robot for ITCAM for RTT_TTUC2007
• IBM Tivoli Storage Process manager: Making ITIL Actionable in Your Storage Enviroment_TTUC2007
• Developing a TotalStorage Productivity Center Deployment Plan_TTUC2007
• OMEGAMON XE for DB2 PM/PE Power User Tips and Techniques_TTUC2007
• OMEGAMON XE for IMS Power Tips and Techniques_TTUC2007

Tips and Trick can we found in the Tivoli Product Zone, like the following:
Monitoring
Security, Storage and Compliance

IBM Tivoli Introduces Tivoli Storage Manager for Microsoft SharePoint!
IBM announced on 5/1/07 backup and recovery software for Microsoft SharePoint environments to help businesses protect, manage and restore business critical data and applications.

New! IBM TivoliŽ Storage Manager for Microsoft SharePoint, the newest member of the Tivoli Storage Manager family, allows you to quickly and confidently restore your Microsoft SharePoint business data and content due to a business interruption of almost any kind.

IBM Tivoli Storage Manager for Microsoft SharePoint is a policy-based backup and recovery solution that provides full, incremental, or differential backup at the site-level, subsite-level, and item-level for Microsoft SharePoint Portal 2003, Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, and Windows SharePoint Services V2.0 and V3.0 environments.

• Backup and recovery of Microsoft SharePoint Portal 2003 and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 environments
• Granular item-level backup and restore capability
• Ability to restore portals, top level sites, subsites, and individual document libraries, attachments, lists, folders, areas, and sub areas
• Schedule full, incremental, or differential backup at the site-level, subsite-level, and item-level, and preserves all meta-data versions

YouTube - check out these Tivoli Security videos on YouTube

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7CoOEfg-fA
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ylUeyiKe4I

What's new on IBM TV?

• Expanded focus on IT solutions.
• A new online channel dedicated to SOA.
• Expert guidance on governance and risk management.
• Gain business insight with IBM DB2 dynamic warehousing.
• IBM System i Express helps you focus more on business and less on IT.

Searching for Scripts, best practices, whitepapers, and documentation? Over 420 items were downloaded in May, so check out the Tivoli Information Exchange (TIE)

Top 10 May downloads
1) Best Practices on Monitoring 6.1 and more
2) ITM6 agent remote configuration
3) Tivoli Monitoring data sheet
4) "2006 - Takeaways- ITM and IT Process Mgrs tech pr
5) Process events from wtdumprl
6) T/EC event hits report
7) Chicago TUG Endpoint Health scripts
8) List running desktops
9) "2006 - Takeaways - TEC, Netview, TPM, TCM tech pr
10) Change Event Status

10 Recent Uploads to TIE
1) TBSM and RAD data sheet
2) TADDAM data sheet
3) Tivoli/Consul integration white paper
4) Netcool_Proviso Data sheet
5) Tivoli Network Manager data sheet
6) Workload Scheduler White paper
7) Tivoli Netcool_Impact data sheet
8) Service Desk and CCMDB whitepaper
9) Maintain Security w/Cross-Tier Discovery White Pap
10) Maximo Asset & Svs Mgt for Muncipalities wt paper

Are You Needing Your Tivoli strategic product questions answered? Use the Peer to Peer Knowledge Exchange.

5 Recent Peer to Peer Questions Asked
Is it possible to send an SMS (text only) message from TEC? The mobile phone carrier will support it if the message makes it through. I currently need an option other than email to a mobile phone. View detail >>
I have working as a Tivoli analyst within ibm for over 2 years now, I have learnt the basics of the Tivoli software we have on the account I work on which has DM, TWS, Framework, TEC, I basically need to know what I need to know to become more proficient View detail >>
in windows when i try to start tec server i got this error "FRWTE0017E 4/19/2007 9:50:30 AM (17): system problem: `ERROR: Process T/EC Rule exits with exit code 6: exit code undefined'" View detail >>
when i am terying to start the tec server i got ERROR that FRWTE0017E 4/19/2007 9:50:30 AM (17): system problem: `ERROR: Process T/EC Rule exits with exit code 6: exit code undefined' View detail >>
in IBM Tivoli enterprise console i have this error FRWTE0017E 4/19/2007 9:50:30 AM (17): system problem: `ERROR: Process T/EC Rule exits with exit code 6: exit code undefined' View detail >>

Click here to view more questions from the Peer to Peer Knowledge Exchange

Top Tivoli products who have the most helpers:
Tivoli Configuration Manager: 41 helpers
Tivoli Storage Manager: 40 helpers
Tivoli Access Manager: 30 helpers
Tivoli Monitoring: 29 helpers
Tivoli Enterprise Console : 22 helpers

WANTED: More helpers for the Peer to Peer. These are some of the products that DO NOT have any helpers and NEED ONE!:
Tivoli License Compliance Manager
Tivoli Netcool Impact
Tivoli Netcool Proviso
Tivoli Netcool Precision
Tivoli Service Level Advisor
Tivoli Switch Analyzer

Attend one of the remaining Tivoli Technical User Conferences (TTUC), 4 more upcoming, Sign Up TODAY!
30-31 July, Melbourne, Australia
31 July, Tokyo, Japan
2-3 Aug, TBD, China
July, TBD, Korea

Maximo World July 22-25, 2007
Walt Disney World Dolphin, Orlando, FL
Maximo World 2007 will be a professionally rewarding experience that will provide a unique opportunity for Maximo users and business partners to exchange valuable information and participate in a leading business and educational conference. Asset and service management will be the focus and tracks cover Production, Facilities, ITSM, Transportation, Utilities, Public Sector, Management, and Special Interest. Forty Maximo Power Presentations highlight the agenda complemented by Maximo Product Campgrounds that cover everything from upgrade planning to mobile combpouting. Two important "Innovation that Matters" General Sessions talks will be delivered by DTE Energy and BP Exploration & Production.

Governance & Risk Management Roadshow
Learn how IBM's technology leadership, expertise and best practices enable IT governance and risk management with the most comprehensive solutions for business resilience, security and service management. Please join us at no cost or obligation to see how IBM Governance and Risk Management solutions can help you maximize IT value while minimizing the risks of running a secure, resilient business within a rigorous service context.

Virtual Event - Know your risks and address them head on
Recognize your security gaps and vulnerabilities, and then take the proactive path to addressing them. You're invited to Know Your Risk: A Virtual Showcase on Governance and Risk Management brought to you by IBM.
On Demand Event Available: June 21, 2007 - Sept. 20, 2007

Do You Need Tips on Trouble-shooting, Deployment and More?
Tivoli has answers to increase your effectiveness of the Tivoli products and services!

Attend a scheduled Support Technical Exchange (STE) on various Tivoli topics and get many of your questions answered. The STE program provides 2-way discussions with Development Engineers, Consultants and other SMEs about product information, deployment and trouble-shooting tips or any other technical Tivoli topic you would like to learn more about.

Upcoming Schedule STEs

• System Automation for z/OS - July 10,2007
• System Automation for z/OS 3.1 Tivoli Enterprise Portal (part 2 of 2) - July 11, 2007
• Tivoli Storage Manager 5.3 & 5.4 CPU Architectures - July 18, 2007

• Tivoli Enterprise Console 3.9 Debugging logfile adapter problems
• TAMESSO Tivoli Access Manager for Enterprise Single Sign On v6 Template Creation
• Windows Active Directory TSM Backup/Archive Clients

Various Technical Briefings are being scheduled through out the year on the following topics related to Tivoli: (scheduled dates are in the TUG events calendar

• SOA governance: Implementing the IBM method
• Achieving enterprise application security
• The developer and the on demand IBM environment
• Getting Started on SOA with WebSphere's Proven, Flexible Entry Points
• A Fresh Look at the Mainframe

IBM Tivoli Training at User Group Meetings
The Tivoli Access Manager South New England User Group and the Northwest Ohio TSM User's Group had free training direct from Tivoli Education at their last meetings and YOU CAN TOO.

In the April and October 2006 surveys of the Tivoli User Group community, we asked you . . . "What is the best way for IBM to reward you for being a good IBM customer?" Almost 50% of those who responded selected "Free Education Classes" as the best reward. So, in 2007, Tivoli Training is offering free, in-depth technical training delivered by technical product experts via emeeting at regularly scheduled Tivoli User Group meetings. And you and your User Group Leader select the product and topics to be taught at your meeting from a list of over 225 courses covering over 80 Tivoli products.

The process to hold a free, technical Tivoli Training class at your next meeting has been explained to your User Group Leaders during the January world wide Leaders meetings. The Leaders have the list of courses to select from.

What do you need to do to make this happen? Contact your User Group Leader and work with him/her and the other members of your User Group to select the product, course and topics you want taught at your next User Group meeting.

All Tivoli Web-based Courses now Available via the Education Pack Program
The IBM Education Packs are now even better. Why? All our Tivoli Web-based courses are now available for purchase using your Education Pack credits. That's over 260 Courses! From IBM Tivoli Access Manager to IBM Tivoli Workload Scheduler courses, you can now apply your credits to the entire training roadmap!

The IBM Education Pack is a prepaid discount program that gives you access to the world class classroom training, technical conferences and e-learning offerings that IBM is renowned for, at a very competitive price. The IBM Education Pack is typically available in small, medium or large quantities offering varying discounts.

Go to the Source for IBM Maximo Training
The IBM Maximo suite of products helps you manage all critical assets using a single infrastructure and common collection of asset and service management best practices. Get the most out of your products via our extensive training courses. Whether its web-based courses or instructor Led courses, you can find the latest training on the Maximo training page.
http://www.ibm.com/software/tivoli/education/maximo.html

Tivoli Welcomes MRO and Maximo Certified Professionals
With IBM's acquisition of MRO Software, the Tivoli Professional Certification Program from IBM is proud to continue MRO Software Certification program under the IBM banner. For more information, check out: http://www.ibm.com/certify/certs/tv_index.shtml

Free IBM Tivoli Training
Not sure which Tivoli course you should take? What about prerequisites or product certification? You need a Skills Roadmap. IBM Tivoli Training has individual Skills Roadmaps available for a majority of our products. The roadmaps list the prerequisite requirements, classroom courses, Web Based Training courses, certification information and other education (white papers, RedBI). The Skills Roadmaps are in PDF format and can be downloaded individually or combined in a single . compressed file from: http://www.ibm.com/software/tivoli/education/eduroad_prod.html

Check the above link and this web page at least once each month for special offers.

Free IBM Tivoli Training Roadmaps
Not sure which Tivoli course you should take? What about prerequisites or product certification? You need a Skills Roadmap. IBM Tivoli Training has individual Skills Roadmaps available for a majority of our products. The roadmaps list the prerequisite requirements, classroom courses, Web Based Training courses, certification information and other education (white papers, RedBI). The Skills Roadmaps are in PDF format and can be downloaded individually or combined in a single . compressed file from: http://www.ibm.com/software/tivoli/education/eduroad_prod.html

Looking for Training on the latest IBM Tivoli Solutions?
Use the following links to find the training for the latest IBM Tivoli solutions.

IT Service Management (ITSM)
IBM Tivoli Application Dependency Discovery Manager
IBM Tivoli Availability Process Manager
IBM Tivoli Change and Configuration Management Database (CCMDB)
IBM Tivoli Release Process Manager
IBM Tivoli Storage Process Manager
IBM Tivoli Unified Process Composer

Service-Oriented Architect
Service-Oriented Architect skills roadmap

IBM Tivoli Composite Application Management
IBM Tivoli Composite Application Management

IBM Tivoli Federated Management or Security Compliance
IBM Tivoli Federated Identity Manager
IBM Tivoli Security Compliance Manager

IBM Tivoli Express Products
IBM Tivoli Identity Manager Express
IBM Tivoli Monitoring Express
IBM Tivoli Storage Manager Express

Integration of Netcool and Tivoli Products
IBM Tivoli Netcool

Fourteen members of the Global Tivoli User Group (GTUG) council meet for a face to face for their annual meeting May 22-24th in Miami, Florida with IBM.
Members pictured below who were able to make the meeting:

GTUG Face to Face meeting in review - This year IBM was asked to present their strategy from an overall service management perspective focusing on ITIL process automation instead of a tool based focus. I believe that was a challenge for them to prepare for these meetings using a different format and mindset.

During the annual face to face meeting, IBM presented their strategy in more detail to accomplish the service management vision focusing on integration of their product portfolio. However, GTUG council emphasized the fact the we are living in an echo system that IBM is one of the players (granted a major one) and they need to make sure that the integration strategy will extend to third party products to make the ITSM vision transition more smooth. As a matter of fact, GTUG will be presenting IBM with a list of prominent third party products that IBM would respond with an integration roadmap.

A fictitious company was created with a typical medium to large IT infrastructure configuration and tools. In summary, to implement IBM IT Service Management you will need to make sure that you have a balance of Tools, Process and Organization. Some companies are strong in certain areas and have the capability. What every company will need is the funding, resources, planning, management approval, training/education and a true sense of ownership to make this transition from the IT Operational Management Products view to the IT Process Management view.

All companies should have a consolidated platform and the benefits of such are: Data integration, common look and feel, reporting, contextual launch, and vendor built integrations. The standards are WSDM/WS-MAN, SNIA/SMI-S, JSR and CMDB-F. Please keep in mind that processes are still about Personal Relationships. As we know tools automate tasks but people make decisions.

The next steps in moving forward are
1. Assess Your Own Environment - Strengths vs. Needs
2. Leverage Strengths - Build on capabilities (e.g. Tools, Processes and Relationships)
3. Target Core Gaps
4. Identify Quick Win Opportunities
5. Take Practical Steps - Tactical Implementations of Strategy
6. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

Obviously a lot of material was covered during three day sessions but you can get a pretty good idea of the service management strategy by reviewing the slides provided for managing of various processes referenced by ITIL in the following link: http://www.tivoli-ug.org/slides.php#gtugf2f. In addition, by mid August the actual presentations and audio recording of the presenter will be made available via a Redi-Training CD through your local Tivoli User Group leader. The GTUG council strongly recommends that you review these presentations and discuss or ask questions during your individual user group meetings.