Understanding the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit Information Session

Transcription

1 Understanding the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit Information Session Originally posted: March 2009 Summary This document provides questions and answers from the Understanding the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit webcast, delivered on January 28, Questions and Answers Question: Is the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit compatible with BlackBerry Professional Software? Answer: Yes, you can use the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit with BlackBerry Professional Software. Question: Can I use the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit to remotely complete the enterprise activation process for a new BlackBerry smartphone user? Answer: You can use the BlackBerry Enterprise Server User Administration Tool in the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit to generate information required to facilitate the enterprise activation process, but the tool does not automatically start the enterprise activation process. Question: Must I install the BlackBerry Enterprise Server User Administration Tool client on the computer that hosts the BlackBerry Enterprise Server? Answer: No, you can install the client on another computer if the computer meets the system requirements to host the BlackBerry Enterprise Server User Administration Tool client. These requirements are described in the User Guide for the BlackBerry Enterpriser Server User Administration Tool. Question: Are there any commands that I can use to determine the health of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server? Answer: There are no commands that provide a holistic interpretation of the health of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. If information about the health of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server is required, use SNMP to obtain this information because there are traps in the BlackBerry Enterprise Server that focus on the health of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. v Research In Motion Limited 1

2 Question: How many BlackBerry smartphones users are considered a light load on the BlackBerry Enterprise Server? Answer: The load is relative because load is directly associated with the amount of activity by the BlackBerry smartphone users. Load is also affected by which BlackBerry Enterprise Server software features are enabled on the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. Question: Does RIM consider the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit and the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Management and Reporting Software by BoxTone competing products? Answer: The BlackBerry Enterprise Server is a highly successful platform. The BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit is a suite of tools designed to obtain diagnostic information and other information from the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. BoxTone is a RIM ISV partner. RIM works with BoxTone to provide services to our respective clients. Question: Is there an automatic update feature for the BlackBerry Enterprise Server software? When new versions of the software are released, how can I learn about the new release without constantly checking manually? Answer: There is a newsletter, BlackBerry Solve, that BlackBerry Technical Support Services customers can subscribe to. This newsletter contains information about important updates and other useful information, including announcements regarding new releases of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server software. Question: Can I use the graphical user interface instead of the command prompt to perform tasks from a different computer? Answer: The BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit is designed as a supplement to the BlackBerry Enterprise Server graphical user interface used by administrators. You can use both the BlackBerry Manager and the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit to perform administrative tasks on the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. Use the tool that best meets your needs. Question: Is there a command to test a round-trip test message to a BlackBerry smartphone? Answer: The BlackBerry Message Receipt Confirmation Tool in the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit tests one-way delivery of messages from the messaging server to the BlackBerry smartphones that you specify. The BlackBerry Message Receipt Confirmation Tool uses the same method used when you manually send a confirmation message to a BlackBerry smartphone to test if the BlackBerry smartphone is able to receive messages successfully Research In Motion Limited v1.00

3 Question: Are there code samples for web applications that use the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit? Answer: There are no code samples for web applications that use the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit. Question: Is the BlackBerry Enterprise Server User Administration Tool service installed on the computer that hosts the BlackBerry Enterprise Server or on another computer? Answer: The BlackBerry Enterprise Server User Administration Tool service is installed on the computer that hosts the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. The BlackBerry Enterprise Server User Administration Tool client can be installed on any remote computer that is in the same domain and running a supported version of the Windows operating system. See the User Guide for the BlackBerry Enterprise Server User Administration Tool for additional requirements. Question: When installing the BlackBerry Enterprise Server User Administration Tool, can I specify whether I am installing the BlackBerry Enterprise Server User Administration Tool client or the service? How do I know which is being installed? Answer: To install the BlackBerry Enterprise Server User Administration Tool service, run BESUserAdminService.exe from the command prompt as follows: 1. On the computer where you plan to install the BlackBerry Enterprise Server User Administration Tool service, create a folder to store the BlackBerry Enterprise Server User Administration Tool files. 2. Copy the following files to the new folder: BESUserAdminService.exe CE.dll BESUserAdminX.dll (Microsoft Exchange environments only) BESUserAdminD.dll (IBM Lotus Domino environments only) BESUserAdminG.dll (Novell GroupWise environments only) BESUserAdminAudit.dll BESUserAdminClient.exe (necessary if you run the client on the same computer as the service) 3. At the command prompt, navigate to the folder that stores the BESUserAdminService.exe file. 4. Type besuseradminservice -install <platform> where <platform> is one of the following values: Exchange v Research In Motion Limited 3

4 Domino Groupwise MDSApplications Question: Why are the BlackBerry Enterprise Server User Administration Tool client and the service not installed on the same computer as the BlackBerry Enterprise Server services? Answer: This configuration is a recommendation, but is not mandatory. Some tools can consume valuable system resources. It is recommended that system resources used by the BlackBerry Enterprise Server should not be consumed by tools that you can run from a different computer. Question: Is a graphical user interface available for any of the tools in the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit? Answer: The BlackBerry System Monitoring and Reporting Tool in the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit has a graphical user interface when you run BESSysLogConfig.exe. The BlackBerry Message Receipt Confirmation Tool also has a graphical user interface. The other tools in the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit use a command prompt instead of a graphical user interface. Question: Is the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit 4.1 Service Pack 6 (4.1.6) compatible with all BlackBerry Enterprise Server software version 4.1 packages? Answer: Usually the newest software version of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit is compatible with older software versions of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server software and older versions of debug log files. However, when using an older software version of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit with a newer software version of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server software or newer debug log files, there may be issues because older versions of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit tool may not be compatible with changes to lines in log files in newer versions of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server software. It is recommended that you use the same software version for the BlackBerry Enterprise Server software and the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit to avoid potential problems that may occur because of a disparity in software versions. You can download the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit from the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit web page Research In Motion Limited v1.00

5 Question: How do I create a list of the IT policy rules for an IT policy on a BlackBerry Enterprise Server? Answer: To create a list of the IT policy rules in an IT policy, complete the following steps using the BlackBerry Enterprise Server User Administration Tool client: 1. At the command prompt, navigate to the folder that stores the BESUserAdminClient.exe file. 2. Type besuseradminclient -list -it_policy_rules and the following parameters: -p <client_password> -u <user_name> -b <BlackBerry_Enterprise_Server_service_name> -sqluser <database_username> (if you use database authentication) -sqlpass <database_password> (if you use database authentication) -n <network_address_of_blackberry_enterprise_server_user_administration_too l_service> (if the BlackBerry Enterprise Server User Administration Tool service and the BlackBerry Enterprise Server User Administration Tool client do not run on the same computer) Here is an example of the syntax: besuseradminclient -p password1 -list -it_policy_rules -it_policy WLAN Question: Can I run the BlackBerry System Log Monitoring and Reporting Tool in the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit on BlackBerry Enterprise Server log files that are stored offline? Answer: Yes, you can run the BlackBerry System Log Monitoring and Reporting Tool on debug log files stored offline, but this is not the intended purpose of the tool. The tool is intended to monitor log files in a live BlackBerry Enterprise Server environment, so that you can run a pre-configured action when a specific event occurs. Question: Does the BlackBerry Message Receipt Confirmation Tool provide end-to-end confirmation of messages to and from BlackBerry smartphones? Must the BlackBerry smartphone user confirm that the message was received? Answer: The BlackBerry Message Receipt Confirmation Tool is designed to test whether BlackBerry smartphone users can successfully receive messages on their BlackBerry smartphones. Each time the BlackBerry Message Receipt Confirmation Tool starts, the BlackBerry Message Receipt Confirmation Tool service clears the message delivery status values. The BlackBerry Message Receipt Confirmation Tool service obtains the list of BlackBerry smartphone user accounts to monitor and sends an v Research In Motion Limited 5

6 message to each BlackBerry smartphone user. When the BlackBerry Message Receipt Confirmation Tool service sends an message to a BlackBerry smartphone, it assigns a serial number to the message. The service maintains the serial numbers that the BlackBerry Message Receipt Confirmation Tool assigns to the sent messages, and it increments the number by one each time it sends a new message. In the BlackBerry Message Receipt Confirmation Tool client, the Last Message Sent field, the Serial Number field, and the Deliveries list are updated with the status information. When the value set in the Delivery Check Interval field is reached, the BlackBerry Message Receipt Confirmation Tool service checks for successful delivery of the messages and updates the Deliveries list. When the value set in the Delivery Timeout Interval field is reached, a timeout status message for the BlackBerry smartphone user account appears in the Deliveries list, and a delivery timeout notification message is sent to the defined SMTP account to indicate that delivery of the message failed. To confirm delivery of the message, the BlackBerry Message Receipt Confirmation Tool service uses the message subject line options (<$Confirm,RemoveOnDelivery,SuppressSaveInSentItems>). The BlackBerry smartphone user does not have to manually confirm delivery of messages. Question: Is it required that I copy the log files from the BlackBerry Enterprise Server to the computer where the BlackBerry Analysis, Monitoring, and Troubleshooting Tools reside? Answer: No, it is not required that you copy the files, but it is recommended. Question: Is there a user guide for the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit? Answer: Yes, when downloading the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit, use the Related Links on the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit web page to find and download copies of the user guides, or click on the following links to download copies of the user guides: User Guide for the BlackBerry Enterprise Server User Administration Tool User Guide for the BlackBerry Analysis, Monitoring, and Troubleshooting Tools Question: Is the User Mode Process Dumper (userdump) tool required to support the BlackBerry System Log Monitoring and Reporting Tool? Answer: No, the User Mode Process Dumper tool is a Microsoft tool and is not required by the BlackBerry System Log Monitoring and Reporting Tool. The User Mode Process Dumper tool can be used as one of the tools that you can use when an event is captured on the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. For more information about the User Mode Process Dumper tool, go to the Microsoft web site and search for User Mode Process Dumper Research In Motion Limited v1.00

7 Question: Can I create restricted lists and allowed lists using the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit to regulate the use of applications by BlackBerry smartphone users? Answer: You can regulate applications on BlackBerry smartphones by using software configurations on the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. You can assign software configurations to BlackBerry smartphones by using the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit. Question: Are there any issues when running the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit in a virtual environment? Answer: There are no known significant issues when running the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit in a virtual environment. The BlackBerry Enterprise Server software itself can be run in supported virtual environments. For information on compatible configurations, see the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Capability web page. Question: Can the BlackBerry Application Reporting Tool list all applications that exist in the BlackBerry Domain? Answer: Yes, you can use the BlackBerry Application Reporting Tool to list all applications in a BlackBerry Domain. The tool is able to provide this information because it uses information in the BlackBerry Configuration Database. From the command prompt, type the following command to list all applications in a BlackBerry Domain: HHAppReport -n BRK_SQL01 -db BESMgmt Question: Can I use the BlackBerry Domain Administration History Reporting Tool to track if and when a BlackBerry smartphone user was removed from the BlackBerry Enterprise Server and who removed the BlackBerry smartphone user? Answer: No, the BlackBerry Domain Administration History Reporting Tool cannot perform this function. Question: Can I use the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Cutover Tool when cutting over to a virtual server? Answer: There are no known problems using the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Cutover Tool when cutting over to a virtual server. However, this has not been tested. It is recommended that you test cutting over to a virtual server in a staging BlackBerry Enterprise Server environment before attempting this action in a production environment. v Research In Motion Limited 7

8 Question: Is there a move command that allows administrators to move a BlackBerry smartphone user from one BlackBerry Domain to another BlackBerry Domain? Answer: There is currently no tool that can move BlackBerry smartphone users between two separate BlackBerry Configuration Database instances. Question: Does the BlackBerry Synchronization Request Tool deliver the same results as deleting and restoring the Desktop [SYNC] service book on the BlackBerry smartphone? Answer: Yes, the BlackBerry Synchronization Request Tool does deliver the same result as deleting and restoring the Desktop [SYNC] service book on the BlackBerry smartphone. However, by using the BlackBerry Synchronization Request Tool, the BlackBerry smartphone user does not need to start synchronization by performing actions on the BlackBerry smartphone. The BlackBerry Synchronization Request Tool starts synchronization without any actions by the BlackBerry smartphone user. Also, you can use the BlackBerry Synchronization Request Tool with other databases on the BlackBerry smartphone. Question: How frequently should I run the BlackBerry Synchronization Request Tool to maintain the health of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server environment? Answer: The BlackBerry Synchronization Request Tool can be run as frequently as necessary to maintain the health of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server environment. However, use the tool judiciously because there is no uniform metric that you can use to determine how often to run the BlackBerry Synchronization Request Tool. Question: There is only one BlackBerry Enterprise Server in the BlackBerry Domain. Must I install and use the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit, specifically the BlackBerry Enterprise Server User Administration Tool? Answer: The BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit is available for use regardless of the number of BlackBerry Enterprise Server instances. Question: When using the BlackBerry Enterprise Activation Status Reporting Tool, can I direct commands to a group of BlackBerry Enterprise Server debug log files to create a report for multiple days? Answer: No, the BlackBerry Enterprise Activation Status Reporting Tool uses a single day of BlackBerry Enterprise Server debug log files. Because the tool is run from a command prompt, you can run the BlackBerry Enterprise Activation Status Reporting Tool on multiple BlackBerry Enterprise Server debug log file sets. You could then merge the data using additional scripts. These additional scripts are not provided by RIM, but many current scripting languages provide standard conventions that allow you to merge the data Research In Motion Limited v1.00

9 Question: Does the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit appear in the Add or Remove Programs screen? Answer: No, the tools in the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Resource Kit do not appear on the Add or Remove Programs screen because the tools are either services that are installed, or tools that are run from a command prompt. Question: Can I run the log analysis tools in the BlackBerry Enterprise Resource Kit against a mapped network drive? Answer: Yes. Question: What possible entries can appear in the False Positive column when using the NoResponseCheck tool? Answer: The False Positive column indicates whether the thread, which was logged as unresponsive, was busy or actually unresponsive. A false positive describes a thread that was busy and not genuinely unresponsive. Question: Is there a tool that shows which BlackBerry smartphone users are assigned or being serviced by a particular thread? Answer: No, there is no such tool at this time. Question: When a BlackBerry Enterprise Server log entry shows that some worker threads have been blocked for x tries, can the NoResponseCheck log analysis tool identify where the problem is (for example, a BlackBerry Enterprise Server is not responding)? Answer: No, the NoResponseCheck tool only searches in the BlackBerry Enterprise Server debug log files and only retrieves data about instances of threads that are identified as unresponsive. The data retrieved by the NoResponseCheck tool provides basic information about which activities were executed by the associated threads, but the tool does not provide information about the source of the problem. v Research In Motion Limited 9

10 Acronym list ISV independent software vendor IT information technology RIM Research In Motion SMTP Simple Mail Transfer Protocol SNMP Simple Network Management Protocol 2009 Research In Motion Limited. All rights reserved. BlackBerry, RIM, Research In Motion, SureType and related trademarks, names and logos are the property of Research In Motion Limited and are registered and/or used in the U.S. and countries around the world. Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Novell and GroupWise are trademarks of Novell Inc. IBM, Domino, and Lotus are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation. All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. This document is provided as is and Research In Motion Limited and its affiliated companies ( RIM ) assume no responsibility for any typographical, technical or other inaccuracies in this document. RIM reserves the right to periodically change information Research In Motion Limited v1.00