Planning for launch in context

Launch in context refers to the capability to follow a link from one product or component to another in order to view more information about an object.

Previous versions of CCMDB included the capability to launch in context from the Actual CIs application to the TADDM user interface in order to see more information about a discovered configuration item. Control Desk 7.5 offers a new way to perform the launch-in-context function. You can continue to use the existing method or switch to the new approach.

The new approach, which was introduced in the 7.2.1 release of CCMDB, uses a new database, into which products can insert information about available launch points. The database is shared by IBM® Tivoli® Data Integration Services and the Context Menu Service. Using this approach, products do not need to include functions for launching into specific other products. You can launch from any product that has registered launch-out points to any other product that has registered launch-in points. In order to launch to another product for more information about a particular resource, such as a CI or an asset, that resource must be registered with DIS. CIs and assets that are imported using Integration Composer are registered with DIS.

Menu items that are added using the Context Menu Service are not restricted by customer. In order to prevent unauthorized access to CI data, you should restrict access to these menu items to your global administrators who have access to all your CIs. See the Security section of the information center for more information about controlling access to menu items.

Using the new approach for launch in context

In order to use the new method, you must install the two CMS LIC integration packages that are available from the Integrations page of the product launchpad:
  • Deployed Assets CMS LIC Enablement Package
  • CI Apps CMS LIC Enablement Package
These packages define launch-out points for actual CIs and launch-in points for deployed assets. Launching can be performed to and from products that register with CMS and register resources such as CIs and assets with DIS.
When you use the IBM Tivoli Data Integration Services and the Context Menu Service to launch from Control Desk to TADDM, the following restrictions apply:
  • TADDM does not work with Microsoft SQL Server databases. You must use an IBM DB2® database or an Oracle database.
  • The new approach launches only from top-level configuration items. If it is important to you to be able to launch to the TADDM UI from CIs that are not top-level, continue to use the existing method.
  • Launch points for specific resources require that the resources be registered in the IBM Tivoli Data Integration Services database. You can use the TADDM DIS/CMS Integration Package to keep the CI data in the database current. Coordinate updates to this database with the importing of CI data into Control Desk.
  • TADDM does not restrict access to CIs based on customer associations. Regardless of which method you implement, you should disable access to the launch-in-context function for all users except those whom you want to be able to work with all CIs regardless of customer associations. See the Security section of the information center for more information.

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