Maximo varcharmultiplier batch file for upgrade or configdb process

What is varcharmultiplier ? 

• varcharmultiplier is Out of the Box Maximo batch file.
• It is used to increase the database column length by Maximo column length (MAXATTRIBUTE.LENGTH) multiplied by the input provided in -m parameter
• This multiplier value will be stored in MAXVARS table for VARNAME = VARCHARMULTIPLE
• It's applicable only for DB2 and Microsoft SQL Server databases because Oracle by default has VARCHAR(2) as the multiplier

Why varcharmultiplier is used ?

• for translation process after upgrade of database, so that import of translated data in form of xliff files are loaded into Maximo without any truncation errors
• to modify any column length of a table which has double-byte (Chinese, Korean, German etc) language description, without "data too long" error in description column during the insert process from XXBASETABLE to converted BASETABLE.
•  for example, if you increase the decimal points of a column in WORKORDER table, Maximo will take backup of existing WORKORDER table into a new table XXWORKORDER , then it will modify the table definition of WORKORDER. Maximo will run the insert statements from XXWORKORDER to revised WORKORDER table. If the description column has any special characters, then we might get an error like "data too long to insert" on description column. varcharmultiplier is used to resolve the error by increasing the database length than Maximo UI column length.  

How to execute ? 

•  This batch file is located in the Maximo Installed path: <WindowsDrive>\IBM\SMP\maximo\tools\maximo\varcharmultiplier.bat (Windows)  or /opt/IBM/SMP/maximo/tools/maximo/varcharmultiplier.sh (linux)
• Stop the Servers
• Navigate to this path and run varcharmultiplier.bat -m<Positive Number>. For example, varcharmultiplier -m2
• Start the Servers
• The log for the execution will be stored in the folder <WindowsDrive>\IBM\SMP\maximo\tools\maximo\log\VarcharMultiplierYYYYMMDDHHmmss.log or <Linux>/opt/IBM/SMP/maximo/tools/maximo/log/VarcharMultiplierYYYYMMDDHHmmss.log
• In case, if you encounter any errors on the database while altering the column length, please check the string_units [SYSTEM or CODEUNITS32] configuration parameter setting.

Courtesy: Madhavan https://www.linkedin.com/in/madhavan-s-872b346/

Reference: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/tdtoolkit-truncate-error-import-microsoft-sql-server-db2-double-byte-languages

Maximo SQL query to retrieve Active Users of a group or from a specific server

Information about the number of users logging in a specific JVM is required for sizing the infrastructure capability of a JVM. 

One such example is to get the users logging into Maximo from Anywhere solution. Client can decide on the number of the user licenses needed for Mobile Add-on. 

Administrator can come up with JVM size with the number of concurrent users connecting to this server where Maximo Anywhere Users are connecting to. 

This data can be retrieved using a SQL query from a specific JVM. This query will list the successful login of users into a dedicated JVM with their last login date.

SELECT DISTINCT

    b.userid,     b.defsite,     c.displayname,     b.status,

    MAX (trunc(d.attemptdate)) AS lastlogin

FROM

    maximo.groupuser       a,     maximo.maxuser         b,

    maximo.person          c,     maximo.logintracking   d

WHERE

    a.groupname LIKE 'ANYWHERE_TECHNICIAN%'

    AND a.userid = b.userid

    AND b.defsite IN (  'XX01', 'YY01' )

    AND c.personid = b.personid

    AND b.status = 'ACTIVE'

    AND a.userid = d.userid

    AND d.servername = 'MXServer_AW01'

    AND d.attemptresult = 'LOGIN'

GROUP BY

    b.userid,     b.defsite,     c.displayname,     b.status

ORDER BY

    b.defsite,     b.userid

Trigger publish channel without event listener using automation script

The transactions from Maximo is passed to external system using Publish Channel component. 

The records can be initiated to Publish Channel using 2 ways: by an event or export from database.

• Frequently occurring scenario is the record will be triggered by an event, Publish Channel would pick up them and transfer it to external system after processing all rules. 
• There are a few other scenarios where in we need to resend the outbound data by export option without any user event on the object. These configuration will have "Event Listener ? " flag disabled.

Business Cases for Export:

1. The data sent from Maximo didn't reach external system due to internal data error. So, we need to resend the same transaction again to external system

2. Middleware outage or intermittent technical glitch requires resending of same record

For example, re-send Inventory Issue Transactions from Maximo to external system. MATUSETRANS object in Maximo holds the Inventory Issues transactions. 

We need to create a ACTION automation script, Sig Option, Button and Security Access for Resend operation by following this link - https://www.maximoscripting.com/use-a-button-to-launch-an-action-script/

Code to resend inventory issue - iface/invokePublishChannelfromScript.py

References - https://maximodeploy.blogspot.com/2020/05/invokecall-publish-channel.html

MIF Data Loading with non-English characters in Description without invalid characters or ? question mark in UI

When we receive data from clients to load them into Maximo, they might contain description with non-English characters. Non-English description are characters from languages like French, German, Portuguese etc., 

What we generally do is create a csv file for Enterprise Service with the content from file (.xls or .xlsx) gathered from client in Excel Application. If we load them into Maximo External System, we might end up with question marks or invalid characters in description field. 

Non-English description won't belong to ASCII character set. These characters in description would be removed in csv file if you save csv file by standard file format without encoding.

In order to retain the non-English (non-ASCII) characters in Maximo description field, we need to save the csv file with UTF-8 (Unicode Transformation Format - 8 bit) encoding.

Steps to follow for saving the file in UTF-8 format:

• Open the .csv file in plain notepad application
• Click on File -> Save As ; On the window that is opened, Choose Encoding = UTF-8   

Load Maximo Failure codes or Failure class hierarchy using sql scripts

Failure Class is a hierarchy with Problem, Cause and Remedy for a specific category of failure, for example, PUMPS, ECIRCUIT etc.,

Failure Class can be associated with an Asset or Location. It will be copied to a Work Order if it is linked to this Asset or Location. 

Load the Failure Class and Failure Codes
Failure codes are PB01, CA01, RY01 etc.,  failureclass --> PUMPS.

Load the Failure Class and Failure Codes using MXLoader or using DML sql scripts. 

MXLoader:

Failure Codes

Failure Class

SQL:

insert into failurecode (failurecode, description, orgid, failurecodeid, langcode, hasld) 

values ( ' STOPPED' , 'Stopped', 'EAGLENA', failurecodeseq.nextval, 'EN' , 0  ) ; 

-- create failure code to form hierarchy. These codes can be a problem, cause or remedy defined by type field in failurelist table

insert into failurecode (failurecode, description, orgid, failurecodeid, langcode, hasld) 

values ( ' PUMPS' , 'Failure Class for PUMPS', 'EAGLENA', failurecodeseq.nextval, 'EN' , 0  ) ; 

-- create failure class in failurecode table

insert into failurelist (failurelist,failurecode, type, orgid, parent) 

values ( (select failurecodeid from failurecode where failurecode = 'PUMPS' and orgid = 'EAGLENA')  ,'PUMPS', null,'EAGLENA', null);

-- create failure class in failurelist table to display in Failure Code application

PARENT column in the insert DML statement is retrieved using the SELECT subquery. The sql scripts for the entire hierarchy need to be prepared using the CONCAT formula in EXCEL

Create Problem with failure codes  

insert into failurelist (failurelist,failurecode, type, orgid, parent) values (failurelistseq.nextval,'PB01','PROBLEM','EAGLENA', (select failurelist from failurelist where failurecode ='PUMPS' and orgid='EAGLENA'));

PB01 is the problem code ; PUMPS is the failure class under which the Problem-Cause-Remedy hierarchy is going to be formed

Create Cause with failure codes  

insert into failurelist (failurelist,failurecode, type, orgid, parent) values (failurelistseq.nextval,'CA01','CAUSE', 'EAGLENA', (select failurelist from failurelist where type = 'PROBLEM' and failurecode ='PB01' and orgid='EAGLENA'));

PB01 is the problem code already created in step 2 ; CA01 is the cause under PB01 ; PB01 --> CA01

Create Remedy with failure codes 

insert into failurelist (failurelist, failurecode,type, orgid, parent) values (failurelistseq.nextval,'RY01','REMEDY','EAGLENA', (select failurelist from failurelist where failurecode ='CA01' and type = 'CAUSE' and orgid = 'EAGLENA' and parent = (select failurelist from failurelist where orgid = ' EAGLENA' and type = 'PROBLEM' and failurecode = 'PB01'))); 

PB01 is the problem code already created in step 2  ; CA01 is the cause already created in step 3

RY01 is remedy created for PB01 -> CA01 -> RY01

To form the insert scripts, we would use excel =CONCAT formula in the worksheet.

Use sql to verify the data loaded into Maximo

Pros:

Failure Class hierarchy can be loaded using other methods such as MIF enterprise service or MXLoader. 

MXLoader will be slow if the number of records are in thousands. 

If loading error happens at any point - the re-loading starts from the first row and debugging the load failure is difficult.

Conventional method using MIF Object Structure and Enterprise service is faster.

But, we need to prepare the data for parent field with failurelist ID from the database. So, it is time consuming.

If we have a repetitive data load of failure hierarchy for different Organizations within a same company, then creation of failure hierarchy using sql scripts would be easier as it needs only a change of ORGID for loading them.

Cons:

 

We will be bypassing the Maximo Data validation. for example, we can load a problem type of failurelist without an actual failurecode available.

Reference:

associating-failure-classes-records

bportaluri-load-failure-codes-in-maximo

Maximo Yes/No/Cancel Exception using Automation Script on Work Order Status Change

Many clients want to avoid customization and use only Automation Scripts for implementing business logic; One of the frequent request is to throw warning on Work Order status change.

The best triggering event is to have an attribute launch point on object:attribute WOCHANGESTATUS:STATUS to throw error or warning. 

code automationscripts/attributelaunchpoint/wochangestatusscript.py

Create the below items for the script to run in the environment

1. Relationship name - C_OPENINVUSE ; Parent - WPMATERIAL ; Child - INVUSELINE

(refwo=:wonum or refwo in (select wonum from workorder where parent=:wonum and siteid=:siteid)) and itemnum = :itemnum and itemsetid = :itemsetid and siteid = :siteid and invusenum in (select invusenum from invuse where siteid = :siteid and status in ('ENTERED', 'STAGED'))

2. Maximo Messages 

i) Message Key: AVOIDRECORD  Message Group: WPINVUSE 

Display Method: MSGBOX  Error

Value: Work Order Plan Materials is used in open Inventory Usage {0}

Buttons: OK ? 

ii) Message Key: CANAPPROVEWO  Message Group: WORKORDER 

Display Method: MSGBOX  Information

Value: Planned materials are not yet issued to WO from Inventory Usage {0}. Completing the work order will block the Inventory issue and retain the materials in storeroom. Would you like to proceed?

Buttons: Yes ?  No ? 

Testing:

When you try to change the status of WO to COMP and the WO has open Inventory Usage record in statuses - ENTERED and STAGED, you will get the Yes/No pop-up window.

This example doesn't include Cancel button - you can configure it in message (ii) and add a method def cancel() in the code.

References: https://www.bpdzenith.com/prompting-a-yesno-dialog-from-an-automation-script/

Maximo Asset Hierarchy BIRT Report

Asset Hierarchy is used to define the physical or functional parent-child relationship of assets created within the Location application. 

The real advantage of developing such location/asset hierarchy is to easily locate an asset to perform work orders, grouping of assets under a location to represent plant systems, etc.,

OOB Maximo has Location Hierarchy by system report, but it doesn't have similar report to display the Asset Hierarchy. 

A report for asset hierarchy using ASSET and ASSETANCESTOR tables is available in gitlab asset_hierarchy.rptdesign

The flowchart describes the nested table structure used to design the hierarchy report.

                                               

Configure the dataSet with a Parameter to accept the value from the parent table design

Parent parameter should be linked to the assetnum of parent table

Always use - Auto Layout - Fixed Layout would cause the results go in separate pages.

Report Parameters need to be filled with attribute (siteid,location,assetnum) and lookup values (site,locations,asset) to let the user choose values from the lookup.

 

Report Output:

2) We can also build an Asset Hierarchy Data structure using a SQL query. But it won't be work in BIRT design file. 

SELECT

    level,  assetnum,  parent,  lpad (' ', level * 4, ' ') || assetnum,

    description,  location,  siteid

FROM asset

WHERE  siteid = 'BEDFORD'

START WITH siteid = 'BEDFORD'  AND parent IS NULL AND children = 1 

CONNECT BY PRIOR assetnum = parent

References:

maximo-asset-hierarchy-sql
ibmtechexchange_community_post
designfile_asset_hierarchy.rptdesign
importance-of-asset-location-hierarchies/