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IBM Host Integration License Manager Enhancement

  

IBM Host Integration License Manager is the license control tool specifically used to get real-time tracking of the number of licenses in use for the Mainframe Terminal emulator products like IBM Host On-Demand and IBM Personal Communications.

This blog is about enhancements to an existing License Manager. The following are the License Manager Enhancements:

  • Support for External Database
  • Improved User Interface
  • Improved License Logging for better readability

Support for External Database:

  • The license manager is available and deployed into the embedded web server by default.
  • The latest License Manager application saves all the license details into the Database.
  • The application comes with embedded Database support, i.e. SQLite.
  • External supported Databases are MySQL and DB2.

Configuration Steps:

A.   With Embedded Database (SQLite):

To configure the License Manager with Embedded Database, follow the below steps:

  1. Navigate to the “C:\Program Files\IBM\HostOnDemand_15.0.0.0\lib\config\ lm_overrides.xml”.
  2. By default, the license manager uses an embedded database that is SQLite, the configuration itself will be available in the license manager override file.
  3. The user must enter the directory location where the folder structure will be created for the license manager.
  4. Once the user logs in to the License Manager application and connects to the session, a folder gets created with the name “LicenseManager” in the directory location.
  5. To get the license details navigate to License Manger -> LicenseData ->Database File (.db file).

                                             Figure 1: Configuration steps for Embedded Database (SQLite).

Example: In this example, the directory location is “C:\LM”.

Figure 2: Data Base file in directory location.

B.   With External Database:

       To configure the License Manager with an external database, follow the below steps:

  1. To use an external database, i.e., MySQL or DB2, mention the following data in the “lm_overrides.xml file”.
      • corresponding driver-class-name
      • username
      • password
      • data source-URL
  2. If required, add any additional dependencies in “C:\Program Files\IBM\HostOnDemand_15.0.0.0\lib\config\ lmAppContext.conf file” classpath of the License Manager using lmAppContext.conf file.
  3. Once the License manager application is up and running and the session is connected, it will create the following three tables.
    1. lm_client_counts: - Holding all client details per day wise, following are parameters which are logged
      • LIC_DATE
      • TIME
      • HIGHEST_HOD_COUNT
      • HIGHEST_PCOM_COUNT
      • HIGHEST_TOTAL_COUNT
      • DISTINCT_HOD_COUNT
      • DISTINCT_PCOM_COUNT
      • DISTINCT_TOTAL_COUNT
      • ACTIVE_HOD_COUNT
      • ACTIVE_PCOM_COUNT
      • ACTIVE_TOTAL_COUNT
      • IS_MIGRATED
    2. lm_log: - All logs include
      • SYSTEM_USER_NAME
      • CLIENT_TYPE
      • SUB_CLIENT_TYPE
      • DATETIME
      • IP
      • MACADDRESS
      • STATUS
      • IS_MIGRATED
      • DB_TIME
      • CRASH_RECORD_FLAG
    3. user: - It is to hold the data of the user management, which includes
      • USER_NAME
      • PASSWORD
      • IS_ADMIN
      • IS_MIGRATED

Figure 3: Configuration steps for External Database (MySQL).

Figure 4: Additional dependency configuration for External Database (MySQL).

Figure 5: Tables in the Database.

Improved User Interface:

The New User Interface is provided in line with UX guidelines.

Improved license logging for better readability:

The License detail log format is changed to show the details in the local time zone instead of GMT.

Author

Samanthula Mounika Mani

Software Engineer – Lab Services