Blog
MxLoader has been released!
I am proud to announce the release of MxLoader on developerWorks. This is a great tool I have developed to help me in my day-to-day job as a Maximo specialist. MxLoader is a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that allows to quickly and easily query and load data into IBM Maximo, IBM SmartCloud Control Desk (SCCD) and other TPAE based applications. It brings together the power of the Maximo Integration Framework and the flexibility of Excel allowing to quickly manipulate and import data into any Maximo database.
May 16, 2014
Educational videos
Yes these are very busy days for me and probably for you all. But don’t worry I will start publishing new articles soon. In the meanwhile you can enjoy watching those two videos from my fellow colleague Andreas. Jobplan demo (3:03 min) Offerings/pricebook demo (2:32 min)
May 15, 2014
ClassCast exception when launching BIRT reports
Recently I went through a problem running BIRT reports from Maximo. Every time I launch a BIRT report I got a java.lang.ClassCastException exception like this. java.lang.ClassCastException: org.apache.xerces.parsers.XIncludeAwareParserConfiguration incompatible with org.apache.xerces.xni.parser.XMLParserConfiguration My colleague Daniel Hlawatsch found the solution based on two similar IBM TechNotes: New Xerces library was introduced in CCMDB 7.1.1.5 Error connecting to WebServices To solve the problem you just have to delete org.apache.xerces_2.9.0.v200805270400.jar file (backup this first) from the application server deployed application tree: maximouiweb.war\WEB-INF\birt\platform\plugins
April 8, 2014
Change Maximo base web address
In some cases you need to be able to web address of Maximo to identify between different environments or systems. For example for the test system you want to change the base URL from the default address: http://mxhost/maximo/ to: http://mxhost/maximotest/ In WebSphere application server this part of the web address is called ‘context root’. It can be changed using WebSphere admin console under Applications > Enterprise Applications > MAXIMO > Context Root For Web Modules.
April 5, 2014
Read system property in a Java class
This entry is part of the Maximo Java Development series. Here is a small piece of Java code that can be used to retrieve a Maximo system property in Java using MxServer.getConfig() method. Properties configData = MXServer.getMXServer().getConfig();String prop = configData.getProperty("mxe.adminEmail"); Replace mxe.adminEmail with your property.
March 12, 2014
Multiple Maximo 7.1 installations on the same administrative workstation
As you may already know IBM Maximo 7.1 does not fully support the installation of multiple environments on a single Administrative Workstation. This is partially true since IBM has developed a procedure based on the use of non-administrative system users (see TechNote 21421640). However, I find this as an overly complex technique so I have developed my own personal approach to this problem. Note: This is an unsupported procedure. Use at your own risk. It is a quite complex procedure but is very effective in the real world.
February 26, 2014
Windows Server firewall rules for Maximo/SCCD installation
Windows 2008 Server default firewall rules are very restrictive. When installing Maximo or SmartCloud Control Desk on a remote WebSphere installed on a Windows 2008/20012 Server system you may hit some connectivity errors between the Maximo Administrative Workstation and the application server. I have found out you have to open the following ports/protocols: Ping: this is used by the Deplyment Engine to check hostnames and availability or remote systems WebSphere SOAP (8879): Used to administer WAS remotely. HTTP/HTTPS (80/443): The HTTP Server WebSphere Administrative Console (9043): Needed to deploy MAXIMO.ear file These are the commands that I have used to set the firewall rules.
February 13, 2014
Screen recorder
Today my fellow colleague Andreas Dietrich has discovered a nice little utility that is shipped with Windows 7 which I think can help you guys in several ways. The Windows 7 “Problem Step Recorder” can be used for example to document installations or to provide as best practise for ticket documentation. This little utility (psr.exe) should be available on every Windows 7 installation and can be launched by typing “psr” on the Windows search
January 17, 2014
Migrating a Maximo server
Checkout this great series of articles by Richard Lesses describing a step by step guide of the migration of his Maximo development environment. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4
January 13, 2014
How to launch Workflow
Today I want to show you all the possible ways (as far as I know) of starting a workflow in Maximo. Interactive initiate This is the most basic way of automatically start a workflow when an object is created through the user interface. This technique will not work for objects created by MIF, workflows or escalations. To enable workflow auto-initiate open your workflow in Workflow Designer and select the Interactive Initiate checkbox.
January 10, 2014