NetIQ Module Builder allows subject matter experts to create customized AppManager modules that are specific to the set of applications the company wants to monitor and manage. This Readme covers information related to the Module Builder managed object and the custom Knowledge Scripts generated by the Module Builder Editor.
This release improves usability and resolves previous issues. Many of these improvements were made in direct response to suggestions from our customers. We thank you for your time and valuable input. We hope you continue to help us ensure that our products meet all your needs. You can post feedback in the AppManager forum on NetIQ Communities, our online community that also includes product information, blogs, and links to helpful resources.
The documentation for this product is available on the NetIQ website in HTML and PDF formats on a page that does not require you to log in. If you have suggestions for documentation improvements, click comment on this topic at the bottom of any page in the HTML version of the documentation posted at the AppManager Modules page. To download this product, see the AppManager Module Upgrades & Trials website.
This release provides the following enhancement:
Support for Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2012. This release now supports Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2012. For more information, see the System Requirements.
This release of NetIQ Module Builder replaces all Previous Releases.
For the most recently updated list of supported application versions, see the AppManager Supported Products page.
The Module Builder managed object has the following system requirements:
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Software/Hardware |
Version |
|---|---|
|
NetIQ AppManager installed on the AppManager repository (QDB) computers, on the Windows agent computers you want to monitor, and on all console computers |
7.0 or later Support for Windows Server 2008 on AppManager 7.x requires AppManager Windows Agent hotfix 71704 or later. For more information, see the AppManager Suite Hotfixes page. |
|
Microsoft Windows operating system on the agent computers |
One of the following:
|
|
Microsoft .NET Framework on agent computers
|
2.0.50727, at minimum |
|
Network Permission |
Subject matter expert must be a member of the local Administrators group. |
NOTE:
You cannot run Module Builder Knowledge Scripts on an AppManager Windows agent computer using Windows 2000, but the Module Builder managed object component will support an AppManager repository or console computer that uses Windows 2000.
The AppManager agent services (NetIQmc and NetIQccm) can be running under either the LocalSystem account or under an account in the local Administrators group. Both services must run under the same account.
For more information on hardware requirements and supported operating systems and browsers, see the Module Builder Management Guide, included in the download package.
Module Builder includes a managed object, QMoBD.dll, and a set of customized Knowledge Scripts created by Module Builder Editor. The download package includes these Readme, a Management Guide, Help for Knowledge Scripts, and several files that are used during installation or Control Center deployment:
AM70-ModuleBuilder-1.1.60.0.msi, the Module Builder set up program.
AM70-ModuleBuilder-1.1.60.0.ini, a configuration file used with the AppManager setup program.
AM70-ModuleBuilder-1.1.60.0.xml, a configuration file used for deploying Module Builder with Control Center Deployment Services. This is the file you check into the Control Center Web Depot. For more information, see the User Guide for AppManager Control Center.
ckModuleBuilder.exe, the pre-installation check used with the AppManager setup program.
When you download the module, these files are copied by default to the local folder on the download computer. Consider copying these files to the \windows_installation\setup\Setup Files folder on the same distribution computer on which you saved your main AppManager software and documentation. By doing so, you maintain all AppManager software in one location that is easily accessible when you want to add more repositories, management servers, or agents.
Run the module installer to install the module components in the following locations:
On the computer running the application you are monitoring to install the Module Builder managed object. This computer must also have the AppManager Windows Agent version 7.x already installed. This computer is often referred to as the agent computer.
On all console computers to install the Help and console extensions.
Run the module installer only once on each of these computers.
You must also install the Knowledge Scripts and, where relevant, the Analysis Center reports. You can install these components into local or remote QDBs. When installing to the primary QDB, select the option to install Knowledge Scripts, and then specify the SQL Server name of the server hosting the QDB, as well as the case-sensitive QDB name. If Analysis Center reports are available for this module, select the option to install Analysis Center reports, and then specify the SQL Server name of the server hosting the Analysis Center Configuration Database.
IMPORTANT:This release provides SQL stored procedures. To ensure module functionality, run the module installer for each QDB attached to Control Center.
Install Knowledge Scripts and Analysis Center reports only once per QDB. The module installer now installs Knowledge Scripts for each module directly into the QDB instead of to the \AppManager\qdb\kp folder as in previous releases.
NOTE: Installation of the Module Builder managed object on a computer using Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows Server 2008 requires a different process. For more information, see the "Running the Setup Program on Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows Server 2008" section in the Installing Module Builder Components chapter of the Module Builder User Guide.
For more information about installing this module, see the NetIQ Module Builder Management Guide, included in the download package.
You can use the Add or Remove Programs or Programs and Features option from the Control Panel to uninstall this application.
NetIQ Corporation strives to ensure our products provide quality solutions for your enterprise software needs. The following issues are currently being researched. If you need further assistance with any issue, please contact Technical Support.
Problems with installation might prevent you from running a successful discovery process. If you have installed the Module Builder managed object on a agent computer, but the discovery process fails, it could be because a required file did not register properly. On some Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista systems, the Windows Desktop Experience feature must be installed before installing the Module Builder managed object. (ENG261040, ENG261240)
Unselected objects are still listed on the Browse dialog box. If you are monitoring multiple objects, and you unselect some of those objects on the Objects tab for a Knowledge Script, those objects should be unselected if you click the Browse button on the Values tab. However, the unselected objects are still listed on the Browse dialog box. (ENG258805)
Module Builder Knowledge Scripts do not support Control Center job overrides. Because Control Center job overrides only work with editable Knowledge Scripts parameter fields, they will not work with the Knowledge Script parameter extension used with the Browse dialog box. (DOC264683)
When creating a new job, Control Center does not properly associate the object on the Objects tab if there are multiple instances of an application. If there are more than two instances of an application on the agent computer, you can create a new job and deploy it with Control Center, but if you open this job, you receive an error message. (ENG261627)
AppManager incorrectly associates a new event with the computer object and not the monitored object. In some cases when an event is created in AppManager, the event may be associated with the computer object and not the monitored object as is normally the case. This situation occurs when the application name and the corresponding objects have long names. (DOC274058)
Discovery does not function properly with processes that have the same name but different installation paths. The Module Builder Discovery Knowledge Script incorrectly associates the paths for processes that share the same name but have different installation paths from computer on which the Module Builder application was created. (DOC273428)
Module Builder cannot monitor objects with names longer than 128 characters. If a component you are monitoring, such as a log file, has a file name (not including the path) of more than 128 characters, the log file will be truncated in the TreeView of AppManager. As a result, Module Builder cannot properly monitor the component selected by the subject matter expert in the Module Builder Editor. (DOC264488)
AppManager does not generate events or collect data for a monitored component with a name that contains the characters "?," "^," or ":". Module Builder Knowledge Scripts will not correctly monitor a Windows component (process, log file, service, event log or performance counter) that contains a "?," "^," or ":" in its name. (DOC272000)
AppManager creates incorrect component type mismatch events when Module Builder objects are viewed in a Snapshot view. If you create a Snapshot view for Module Builder objects, the view incorrectly displays events that were not selected to be included in the view. For example, if you created a Snapshot view to display only process and event log objects, the log file events are also listed in this view, even though you did not select this object. The Job Timeout events also share the same behavior. (DOC270712)
You cannot use the ReportAM_DetailData Knowledge Script in conjunction with Module Builder Knowledge Scripts. If you collect data with Module Builder Knowledge Scripts, and then create a ReportAM_DetailData job for those scripts, you cannot select any Module Builder scripts, even if those scripts have gathered data. The "Select Knowledge Script" parameter does not properly display Module Builder Knowledge Scripts. (DOC273766)
The ProcessHealthCheck Knowledge Script cannot collect data on a process with a file name that is longer than 64 characters. (DOC272158)
The ServiceHealthCheck Knowledge Script does not create separate events or collect separate data for services with dependent services. Events and data are only present in the details of the monitored service. (DOC273426)
No events or data are collected for a monitored performance counter when the performance counter is not present. If a performance counter that has been selected for monitoring is not present after a successful discovery, the PerformanceMetrics Knowledge Script will not raise any events or collect data for that performance counter. (DOC275466)
Module Builder may stop functioning properly if you experience a job timeout with multiple EventLogCheck jobs running. If you are running multiple Jobs for the EventLogCheck Knowledge Script and a job timeout occurs, the QMob.exe process stops and then restarts itself, resulting in a loss of functionality with the Module Builder module. (ENG274950)
AppManager lists extra characters in the ToolTips related to Module Builder Knowledge Script data points. On the ToolTips that display for data points collected for the Status and Occurrences data points for Module Builder Knowledge Scripts, AppManager adds irrelevant characters to the end of the first line. (DOC272249)
This release of Module Builder includes enhancements added in previous releases.
This release resolved the following issue:
The Module Builder managed object cannot monitor some performance counters used by 64-bit systems. In previous releases, the Module Builder Editor could not generate customized Knowledge Scripts for some native 64-bit performance counters if they were not also implemented with parallel 32-bit versions. With this release, the Module Builder Editor can read all 32-bit and 64-bit performance counters, including native 64-bit-only performance counters. As a result, the Module Builder managed object can now monitor custom Knowledge Scripts that monitor performance counters used by 64-bit systems. (ENG301998)
This release included the following enhancements:
Support for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. With this release, the NetIQ Module Builder managed object can be installed on agent computers running Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 or Microsoft Windows 7. (ENG283482)
Support for agent running under account in local Administrators group. With this release, the Module Builder managed object supports the AppManager agent services (NetIQmc and NetIQccm) configured to run under an account in the local Administrators group, in addition to running under the LocalSystem account. This new support allows you to discover and monitor processes for which the user is other than the LocalSystem user. In addition, this new support resolves an issue in which, when the agent is running under the local Administrators group, some Knowledge Scripts raise events falsely indicating monitored processes are not running. (ENG284707)
In addition, this release resolved the following issue:
Agent fails during Discovery job. This release resolves an issue in which the AppManager agent service (NetIQmc) occasionally fails during the Discovery_ModuleBuilder Knowledge Script job. Failure occurs when discovered file attributes exceed the allocated buffer size of 255 characters. After you install this release, a code change allocates the correct amount of memory for each file attribute. (ENG285672)
This release resolved the following issue:
Events raised for services that are running. Before you install this release, the ServiceHealthCheck Knowledge Script job raises an event when you enable the "Raise event if auto-start disabled and service is down" parameter. The event is raised in error because although the auto-start parameter is disabled, the monitored service is indeed running. After you install this release, a code change enables the ServiceHealthCheck Knowledge Script to raise an event only if the auto-start parameter is disabled and the monitored service is not running. (ENG278733)
This release provided the components needed to use the Module Builder Knowledge Scripts generated from the Module Builder Editor. This release included the following features:
Support for a Discovery Knowledge Script is available for use in AppManager. The Discovery script finds all components for the application you are monitoring on your selected agent computer.
Support for a customized EventLogCheck Knowledge Script. The EventLogCheck script monitors a set of event log events for the application, based on criteria established in the Module Builder Editor. With this Knowledge Script you can track Windows event log entries that match filtering criteria.
Support for a customized LogFileCheck Knowledge Script. The LogFileCheck script monitors a set of log files for the application, based on criteria established in the Module Builder Editor. You can use this Knowledge Script to create AppManager notifications if a log file is found or not found on the system, or if a specified string is found in the log file.
Support for a customized PerformanceMetrics Knowledge Script. The PerformanceMetrics script monitors a set of performance counters for the application, based on criteria established in the Module Builder Editor. You can use this Knowledge Script to create AppManager notifications when a specified counter goes above or below a threshold.
Support for a customized ProcessHealthCheck Knowledge Script. The ProcessHealthCheck script monitors the status of your managed application's processes. You can set AppManager to raise events if a process is running or not running, if a process exceeds a certain level of memory usage, or if the process exceeds a certain level of CPU usage.
Support for a customized ServiceHealthCheck Knowledge Script. The ServiceHealthCheck script monitors the service health of the application, based on criteria established in the Module Builder Editor. You can use this Knowledge Script to create AppManager notifications for a variety of service states, such as if the service is started, disabled, paused, shut down normally, hung, not found, or otherwise not running. In certain situations, the script can take specified actions on the service, such as stopping a service that was started, or automatically starting a stopped service.
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