Automation of installation and upgrading – IBM ELM
Introduction
This article is intended to spread knowledge about automating the installation and upgrade of IBM ELM products.
Installing and updating IBM ELM applications is difficult in most corporate environments. The most common reasons for increasing installation/update complexity include:
- The complexity of the infrastructure (number of servers and the complexity of their connection)
- Security policies of companies (problems with downloading installation packages, or problems with duplicate use of ports/ports blocked on the firewall)
At Softacus, we try to prevent the mentioned problems by using an entry form, with the help of which the customer enters the requirements and restrictions for his system himself or with our help. With this early documentation of requirements, many problems can be avoided, resulting in installations and upgrades being performed in a fraction of the time. Due to the fact that manual work is time-consuming and error-prone, it is advisable to replace the manual execution of tasks with their automated execution as much as possible.
Several technologies can be used for automated installation and updating:
- Docker (automated creation of an environment with applications using docker compose)
- Ansible (automated installation of applications and setting of environment parameters using playbooks)
- Virtual Machine (importing a pre-prepared application installation)
Purpose of the article – challenges
Since the installation process or updating IBM ELM applications and also installing IHS (IBM HTTP Server) is time-consuming and several unpredictable problems may arise during this process, so in terms of time, this process is estimated from several hours to several days. This process is complex in terms of time consumption, which directly increases the financial demands for its implementation. Time and financial requirements can be reduced by using automation tools.
The easiest way to make the deployment of IBM ELM applications more efficient is to use pre-installed virtual devices - virtual machines. Opensource virtualization tools can be used to create virtual devices, including VMware, VirtualBox and Hyper-V. The created virtual devices can be easily imported and deployed at the target customer.
Another way to automate the deployment of IBM ELM applications is through the use of Docker technology. To create more complex systems (starting several servers, connecting them to each other), it is advisable to use Docker compose, which allows you to define all the necessary parameters using a single YAML file. Compose is a tool for defining and running multi-container Docker applications. With Compose, you use a YAML file to configure your application's services.
Last but not least, it is also possible to use the Ansible software, which enables the automated installation of IBM ELM applications using playbooks.
With these methods of automation, it is necessary to download the required files for working with IBM ELM before installing the applications, which include the IBM Installation Manager, the IBM ELM installation package, or even the IHS installation file.
Preferred solutions
Before the introduction of automation, it is necessary to perform an analysis of the infrastructure, on the basis of which, in the next step, methods of implementing automation will be chosen.
At Softacus, we can determine which method is suitable for a specific infrastructure, based on which we can inform the customer about the requirements for the given system.
The use of Docker and Ansible software is considered to be the most suitable automation method. The use of a virtual machine is more intended for development work and testing.
A prerequisite for working with Docker is its installation in the customer system. Subsequently, it is possible to perform the necessary installations of IBM ELM applications using Docker compose. If you need to install IBM ELM and IHS, the Softacus solution is implemented by a pair of images.
Specialized solutions, approaches, and tips
By using Ansible playbook (configuration YAML file) it is possible to define the layout of applications in the infrastructure. The set of managed server IP addresses is defined in Ansible Inventory.
An essential part of ensuring communication between servers and the Ansible control point is the generation of SSH keys. Importing plugins from installed IBM ELM applications is a necessary requirement when using IHS.
Conclusion
Installation and updating with the help of automation tools reduces the required time from several hours to days to one to two hours of working time. This kind of solution therefore saves time and money.
Softacus Services
We, in Softacus, are experts when it comes to consulting and service delivery of IBM software products and solutions in your business. We help our clients to improve visibility and transparency when licensing and managing commercial software, providing measurable value while increasing efficiency and accountability and we are providing services in different areas (see Softacus Services).
The IBM ELM extensions developed by Softacus are free of charge for the customers who ordered IBM ELM licenses via Softacus or for the customers who ordered any of our services. If you are interested in any of our IBM ELM extensions, you found a bug or you have any enhancement request, please let us know at
