PlateSpin Transformation Manager Release Notes

August 2016

PlateSpin Transformation Manager 1.0 is a planning tool for large-scale data center workload transformation projects. It features various project roles, progress visualization with a dashboard, and support for all workload transformation methods. Using this tool can dramatically increase project predictability, transformation speed, and success ratios, which drives down the cost of your transformation projects.

Many of features in this product 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 our online NetIQ Communities that also include product information, blogs, and links to helpful resources.

The documentation for this product is available on the NetIQ website in HTML and PDF formats. 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 PlateSpin Transformation Manager Documentation website.

To download this product, see PlateSpin Transformation Manager on the NetIQ Downloads website.

1.0 Key Features

PlateSpin Transformation Manager provides an appliance-based installation that is simple to deploy and maintain, and a web interface for users that is easily accessible on standard web browsers and is easy to use.

1.1 Appliance

The PlateSpin Transformation Manager Appliance hosts the Transformation Manager software and the database for your transformation projects.

  • The appliance is ready to deploy in your virtualization environment. The virtual machine includes a fully tested software stack that PlateSpin Transformation Manager needs, and omits unneeded applications and services that can consume system resources.

  • Web-based administration tools simplify server setup and maintenance. You do not need to understand the underlying operating system, software, or databases.

For more information, see the PlateSpin Transformation Manager Appliance Guide.

1.2 Web Interface

The PlateSpin Transformation Manager Web Interface allows access to project information from anywhere at any time on a range of devices.

  • Securely access project information from anywhere at any time. Visibility and actions for both internal and external stakeholders are appropriate to their user role.

  • Prioritize, organize, and schedule tasks. Break down transformation goals into manageable chunks by project, wave, and batch.

  • Plan and track workload transformations. Capture details for source workloads and target workloads in physical, virtual, and cloud infrastructures, with any-to-any migration, lift and shift, virtual file move, and decommission.

  • Define custom components for each project. Associate workloads with applications, credentials, hosts, networks, datastores, environments, migration servers, and resource pools.

  • Achieve fast and efficient workload manipulations of multiple workloads at a time. Powerful forms for Advanced Search, Bulk Edit, and Bulk Status Change allow you to apply the same settings on selected workloads.

  • Monitor project status using the real-time visual dashboard and status reports. Internal and external stakeholders can track progress by project, wave, and batch, and view warnings for missed deadlines and schedule deviations.

  • Manage multiple concurrent projects for different organizations. Enterprises, managed service providers, and system integrators can leverage role-based access and multi-tenancy to keep end customer data secure and confidential.

  • Effectively handle massive planning efforts. Projects can scale from thousands to tens of thousands of workloads with minimal impact on performance.

For more information, see the PlateSpin Transformation Manager User Guide.

2.0 System Requirements

The PlateSpin Transformation Manager Appliance is a virtual machine that hosts the software and the database for your transformation projects. For information about the requirements to host the appliance in your VMware virtualization environment, see Appliance Requirements in the PlateSpin Transformation Manager Appliance Guide.

3.0 Downloading the Software

To download the PlateSpin Transformation Manager Appliance OVF file for VMware, see PlateSpin Transformation Manager on NetIQ Downloads, then follow the download link on that page. Use your NetIQ account credentials to log in to this site.

4.0 Installing and Configuring the Appliance

5.0 Known Issues

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 assistance with any issue, please contact NetIQ Technical Support.

5.1 Appliance

The following Appliance issue is currently being researched:

Zypper Update Overwrites HTTPS Non-Standard Port, Setting It Back to 8183

Issue: If you configure non-standard ports for HTTP and HTTPS communications for the PlateSpin Transformation Manager Web Interface, your custom port setting for HTTPS is reset to the default port 8183 if you apply an appliance update file by running the zypper command instead of using the Appliance Management Console. Using the Appliance Online Updates option does not affect your custom HTTP and HTTPS port settings. (Bug 974553)

Workaround: After a zypper update, log in to the Appliance Management Console and use the Web Server Configuration option to reset your custom port values. See Web Server Configuration in the PlateSpin Transformation Manager Appliance Guide.

5.2 Web Interface

The following Web Interface issues are currently being researched:

Dashboard Values Are Empty

Issue: In the Web Interface, the dashboard values might be empty in the following scenarios:

  • When the System Administrator first logs in to the Web Interface after the installation, there are no projects defined. The dashboard values are naturally empty.

  • During the initial session, the System Administrator sets up one or more projects, then clicks on the Dashboard icon. The dashboard does not automatically re-scan the database to discover the new projects.

(Bug 974077)

Workaround: To view statistics for projects created during the initial session after installation, log out and log back in. The Web Interface discovers the newly created projects and begins polling for updates. The dashboard values are available automatically in subsequent sessions.

License Key Validation Fails If Its License Blocks Are All Exhausted, Expired, or Not Yet Active

Issue: On the Configuration > Licenses page, the License Key you enter must be valid. License Key validation fails if you enter a key that meets one of the following conditions:

  • Exhausted: All license blocks associated with the license key have been exhausted. There are no active licenses available.

  • Expired: The fulfillment windows have expired for all license blocks associated with the license key. An expired license block cannot be used even if its licenses are not exhausted.

  • Not Yet Active: The fulfillment windows for all license blocks associated with the license key have future start dates. A license block is not active until the start date of its fulfillment window.

You can configure PlateSpin Transformation Manager and set up projects without a license. You can perform all preparatory work, which includes creating organizations, projects, waves, batches, applications, and resources; adding users and assigning roles to them; and importing workloads. Because transformation planning for a workload consumes a license, you cannot edit imported workloads until you enter a valid license key and licenses are available in an active license block. (Bug 975625)

Workaround: You can enter the license key on or after the start date of the license block with the earliest fulfillment window and that has licenses remaining.

License Blocks That Have Been Purchased and Start in the Future Are Not Showing in the List of License Blocks

Issue: License blocks have a specified fulfillment period with an activation date that can occur on a future date instead of the purchase date. License blocks with future activation dates might not appear on the Licenses page in the Web Interface. (Bug 974123)

Workaround: There is no workaround.

Workload Dialog Does Not Render Content Properly After You Edit a Collapsed Panel

Issue: In the Workload dialog, if you edit settings for any of its panels while the panel is collapsed, the content of the panel does not render properly when you next expand the panel. (Bug 973893)

Workaround: To view the Workload dialog properly, close the Workload dialog, then reopen it. The changes you saved for the panel are not lost. To avoid this issue, ensure that you expand the panel that you want to edit before you click its Edit option.

Slow Behavior When You Edit an Imported Workload for the First Time

Issue: Workloads are imported without consuming licenses. The first edit you make to the workload details triggers the license consumption. The edit can be an individual edit or a bulk edit. When you save the first edit, PlateSpin Transformation Manager contacts the Customer Center to acquire a license from your available licenses before it applies the edit. This process can take two to five seconds. (Bug 970366)

Workaround: There is no workaround. Subsequent edits take only about 20 ms.

Navigating Lists with Up Arrow and Down Arrow Keys Causes Scrolling Problems for Lists

Issue: If you attempt to navigate lists with the Up Arrow key or Down Arrow key, the cursor moves through the list of displayed items and then stops. The more you press the keys, the worse the scrolling responds. (Bug 961963)

Workaround: Use the scroll bar to move up and down lists in the Web Interface. Do not use the Up Arrow or Down Arrow keys to navigate lists. See Scrolling Up and Down in Lists in the PlateSpin Transformation Manager User Guide.

Arrow on Combo Boxes Should Drop the Menu and Scroll Down the Listed Items

Issue: Currently, when you click the arrow on a combo box, it drops down the menu, but subsequent clicks on the arrow do not scroll down the listed items to allow you to find and select the item of interest. (Bug 938281)

Workaround: After you open a combo box, use the scroll bar (if present) to navigate the list, and then click the appropriate item in the list to select it.

6.0 Contact Information

Our goal is to provide documentation that meets your needs. If you have suggestions for improvements, please email Documentation-Feedback@netiq.com. We value your input and look forward to hearing from you.

For detailed contact information, see the Customer Service Contact Information website.

For general corporate and product information, see the NetIQ Corporate website.

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