IBM Rational Portfolio Manager (RPM) - Installation Best Practices

The followings are some of the best practices or tips to avoid commonn pitfalls when you trying to install a new IBM RPM box. Your situation might not be the same as the one I illustrated here but you still might encounter the same errors/issues that I did.

Best Practice 1: Make Sure Everything else is working First

Start with installing the operating system, in my case, Microsoft Windows 2003 Enterprise Edition SP1 32 bit. Make sure that your operating system version and levels matched with those stated in the Installation Guide.

Then install the database server. I installed IBM DB2 UDB version 8.2.0 Workgroup Unlimited Edition. Immediately, patch up the DB2 to Fix Pack 14 (8.2.7 or 8.1.14).

After this, install the application server. I chosen IBM Websphere Application Server Base 6.1.0.0. You will need to download IBM Update Installer 6.1.0.x, where x is the fix pack version you want to deploy. In my case, I downloaded IBM Update Installer 6.1.0.15 because I want to patch up my WAS to 6.1.0.15.

Once the IBM Update Installer is installed, you shall use it to install IBM WAS 6.1 FP15.

I recommend you to configure your WAS Java Heap Size to larger size.

Possible Issues:

• If you are installing ProjectConsole in the same box as WAS server, make sure you configure the server to use different set of ports.

By end of this best practice, you shall have an environment ready for IBM RPM to invade. Backup/Ghost the system if necessary.

Best practice 2: Make sure your installation image is usable

Some common pitfalls are as follows:

• Contains spaces in the installation directories


• The installation image is in network mapped drive


• You should reset file attributes of all the files in the image folder to write-able.

Best practice 3: Install RPM Database Components


The path to IBM RPM 7.1.1.1 as far as I aware of, requires the prerequisite of RPM 7.1.0.0 installation first.

The best way to tackle this is to run the database scripts for RPM 7.1.0.0
Backup the database for RPM 7.1.0.0
and then directly run the scripts RPM 7.1.1.1 to directly migrate/update it.

Don't intend to install/patch database and midleware RPM components in interweaving steps. Remember, one component at a time.

Once you have database for RPM 7.1.1.1 ready, back it up

Possible Issues:

• DB2TEMPDIR is not specified or point to non existent directory or point to wrong directory.


• The specified database alias already exists in the database server. You need to "drop db yourdatabase".


• You specifies the same user name for both db_user and con_user for installation scenario 2.


• Make sure your tablespace container directories are empty.


• Ensure your PACKAGE DIR doesn't end with a slash. The installation process might end prematurely without error.


• Make sure your db_user or con_user password doesn't contain some special symbols such as !


• Make sure it is DB2 version 8.2. version 9.1 and above are not supported in 7.1.1.1


• If you are sharing your DB2 server with other applications, make sure the DBM CFG's NUMDB is set to value other than 1.


• My experience told me that RPM Installation Wizard only doesn't work with DB2 Workgroup Edition. DB2 ESE is fine but I'm not sure about other edition.

Best practice 4: Install RPM middleware components (EAR deployment)


Firstly, set up the necessary resources, authentications and environment variables as stated in the installation guide.

Then, you shall deploy the EAR for version 7.1.1.1 directly. There is no need to install version 7.1.0.0.

Possible Issues:

• Make sure you know your RPM deployment context root.

Best practice 5: Client Installation

Nothing much here. Make sure you never include the "https://" or "http://" when configuring the location in the Client Login because doing so will make the splash screen hung, well.. at least that happened in my case.