Category: Uncategorized

MxMobile Update October 2022 Release

A3J Group is #AlwaysInnovating in order to bring state-of-the-art enhancements to the IBM Maximo community. Our 20+ years of experience in Maximo allows us to deliver end users the proper support and solutions needed to maximize efficiency. We strive to remain thought leaders in the community and we face common issues and challenges head-on. Our suite of mobile apps for IBM Maximo, MxMobile, gives users access to IBM Maximo in the palm of their hand. Our apps allow Maximo users the ability to create and edit work orders, generate meter readings, manage inventory, and more.

As an IBM Maximo mobile solution provider, A3J Group consistently improves the functionality and features of MxMobile. Enriching the experience of MxMobile users is not only our passion, but necessary. Our users enjoy the freedom of Maximo mobility and are happy to report bugs and request interface features, and our team actively delivers on those requests. You can download MxMobile apps from the Apple App or Google Play store.

A3J Group is happy to announce the latest MxMobile news below. This release is available as of Monday, October 3, 2022.

Policy Update

We have a new MxMobile support ticket policy! Going forward we ask that all MxMobile support tickets be submitted the following way:

Follow the video capture process explained in this tutorial video: https://youtu.be/0bZf1UZtGRk
Fill out the A3J Support Ticket Form PDF for each individual request or issue.

By doing this we hope to expedite support issues and requests providing the highest level of customer satisfaction. As always, you can also email support@a3jgroup.com or call 877-235-4774 ext 1 with any questions regarding the new process.

October Release Updates

A3J Group is happy to announce the latest MxMobile news below. The releases will be available on Monday, October 3, 2022.

MxWork

Ability to create Follow Up Work Orders
Ability to enter Failure Reporting information
Conduct Inspections from a Work Order
General bug fixes and performance improvements

MxTicket

Sending communications from a service request
- Please note this requires some Maximo components, such as an automation script, to be installed.
General bug fixes and performance improvements

MxApprove

General bug fixes and performance improvements

MxAsset

General bug fixes and performance improvements

MxCount

General bug fixes and performance improvements

MxMeter

General bug fixes and performance improvements

What do you need to do?

Updates are available to current clients automatically by updating your apps via the appropriate app store.
If you would like to request a new feature or report a bug, please follow our new support ticket guidelines by submitting a video and a support form describing the request.

We hope you enjoy the new updates of A3J Group’s MxMobile suite of IBM Maximo mobile apps. If you have any suggestions, feature requests or need to report a bug, please contact support@a3jgroup.com. If you would like to be notified via email when A3J Group posts a new blog sign up in the form below.

Renewing SSL Certificates for IBM WebSphere and Apache Tomcat

Renewing a certificate for IBM WebSphere or Apache Tomcat is a relatively straightforward process. There are, however, some subtle differences between renewing and installing a fresh certificate that I would like to document here primarily so I make it easier on myself the next time I need to simply renew a certificate. If you are looking for more advanced information please consider these articles on configuring IBM WebSphere for SSL and installing or importing certificates into a WebSphere Trust Store.

If an IBM WebSphere or Apache Tomcat application server is nearing the validation end of their SSL certificates you can follow these steps to ensure that your servers remain secure and your user’s experiences are not interrupted.

IBM WebSphere

Step 1: Backup the existing certificate in case you need to revert.

Connect to the server where IBM WebSphere HTTP Server is installed. Navigate to the folder [IBM_HTTPServer_Home]\.
Backup or move the existing SSL certificate to an expired_certs folder Ex: C:\IBM\HTTPServer

Step 2: Copy the new certificate to IBM WebSphere HTTP Server home folder.

Copy the new Maximo SSL certificate to the [IBM_HTTPServer_Home]\ folder. If you need help requesting a new certificate, please refer to our article configuring IBM WebSphere for SSL.

Step 3: Launch IBM Key Management application to import new certificate

Launch the IBM Key Management application.
Click Export/Import button from the right-side button menu.
Select the Import Key radio button.
Change the Key file type to PKCS S12 using the drop-down menu.
Browser to the file name of the certificate that was copied in Step 3

Click the OK button. Supply the password associated with this certificate.

Click the OK button.
Select the label under Select a label to change. In the Enter a new label textbox provide a new label for this certificate.

Click the OK button.
Double-click the certificate that was just added with the new label.

Click the Set the certificate as the default checkbox at the bottom left.

Click the OK button.
The certificate that was just added with the new label should now have an * next to its name.

Click the OK button.
The certificate that was just added with the new label should now have an * next to its name.

Apache Tomcat

Step 1: Backup the existing certificate in case you need to revert.

Connect to the server where Apache Tomcat server is installed. Navigate to the folder [Apache_Tomcat_Home]\conf. Ex: C:\Apache\Tomcat\conf
Backup or move the existing SSL certificate to a certs folder.
Open the server xml file using a text editor.

Step 2: Edit the server.xml file.

Locate the section <Connector port=”443” scheme=”https” . Change the name of the certificate if necessary. Update the keystorePass value to the new password for the certificate.
NOTE: This is an XML document. Consequently, any ampersand or quote characters will need to be replaced. For example, if your password is 1234”& then the value for keystorePass would be keystorePass=”1234"&”

Save the server xml document and restart the Apache Tomcat service.

apache certificate renew SSL tomcat WebSphere

MxMobile Update September 2022 Release

A3J Group is happy to announce the latest MxMobile news below. The releases will be available on Monday, September 5, 2022.

Policy Update

We have a new MxMobile support ticket policy! Going forward we ask that all MxMobile support tickets be submitted the following way:

Follow the video capture process explained in this tutorial video: https://youtu.be/0bZf1UZtGRk
Fill out the A3J Support Ticket Form PDF for each individual request or issue.

September Release Updates

MxApprove

Push notifications are enabled in MxApprove, allowing proactive notifications when a new workflow assignment is received.
- Please note this requires some Maximo components, such as an automation script, to be installed. The solution also comes with minor additional cost.
MxApprove is now available within the MxMobile app
General bug fixes and performance improvements

MxAsset

Filter for historical work orders
Create a new asset
General bug fixes and performance improvements

MxWork

Ability to create meter readings from a work order
Bug fix for Dark Mode on Android
General bug fixes and performance improvements

MxTicket

New app available within MxMobile
This is a ticket management app for interacting with Service Requests and other ticket types

MxCount

General bug fixes and performance improvements

What do you need to do?

Updates are available to current clients automatically by updating your apps via the appropriate app store.
If you would like to request a new feature or report a bug, please follow our new support ticket guidelines by submitting a video and a support form describing the request.

We hope that you enjoy the new updates of A3J Group’s MxMobile suite of IBM Maximo mobile apps. If you have any suggestions, feature requests or need to report a bug, please contact support@a3jgroup.com. If you would like to be notified via email when A3J Group posts a new blog sign up in the form below.

IBM ibm maximo mobile app Maximo mxmobile Update

How to Create a Conditional Expression That Prevents Work Orders From Closing Until All Tools Are Returned

Goal: Create a condition where a work order is not allowed to be closed or completed until all issued tools are returned.

By default, Maximo will allow you to close a work order that has a tool(s) that was issued but, has not yet been returned. This can cause a lot of headaches in Maximo. I have made a remarkable discovery down below on how to fix this issue.

First, you want to create a conditional expression to find any issued tools that have not been returned.

The condition expression should look like this:

ibm_maximo_maintenance_reliability_asset_management_close_work_order_with_open_tools

This expression will find work orders that have tools that are issued and still not returned. A user won’t be able to close or complete the work order until the tools are returned.

Next, go to the Domain application, search up WOSTATUS, and open up CLOSE & COMP Value:

ibm_maximo_blog_create_conditional_expression_on_work_order_open_tools_tool_not_returned_maintenance_reliability_asset_management

Click on View/Modify Condition, then add the new Condition created to the CLOSE and COMP value.

The Condition has been applied to the WO Status Domain. Now, Maximo will check for a tool that is issued and not returned on statuses that are changed to CLOSE or COMP. You will get a Maximo Warning Message.

ibm_maximo_work_order_with_open_tools_tool_not_returned_create_conditional_expression_to_close_work_order_work order_status_blog

Once the tools are returned, the work order is able to close or be completed. If there is a work order workflow, the workflow must be adjusted to check the condition for tools that are still issued before closing or completing the work order. This conditional expression is going to solve all those work orders that have been closed with open tools!

How to Disassemble an Item Kit for Material Usage Within IBM Maximo

In a previous blog we talked about the benefits of Configuring Item Kits in IBM Maximo in the Item application and how to assemble a Kit in the Inventory application. Kits are a great way to cut down on time needed to pull commonly paired items by grouping them together in a single bin. Kits also cut down on the number of items that need to be issued or requested on work orders. However, what happens when you only need one of the items that is part of a kit?

Let’s consider the following scenario in which a warehouse storeroom supports Fleet maintenance.

A pickup truck comes in for emergency maintenance and only needs a top-off of oil. When the warehouse clerk checks the bin for oil, they find no quarts of oil are in stock. There are 5 quarts of oil in another bin, but they are part of a kit. The clerk has a few options:

Issue an oil change kit to the work order even though only the oil is needed. This would cause the cost of the work order to include all parts of the kit and result in leftover items that are now unaccounted for.
Pull the quart of oil out of the kit and just don’t record any actions. This would mean the next time a kit is issued it will be missing the quart of oil, causing more questions and frustration down the line.
The kit is disassembled and only the quart of oil is issued to the work order. This is the most effective solution and prevents future discrepancies.

How to Disassemble a Kit in Maximo Inventory:

Click into the Inventory application and open the item kit that needs to be disassembled.
In the More Actions, menu click the Dissemble Kit option.
Enter the appropriate value in the Disassemble Quantity field. This will indicate how many item kits will be Disassembled. Next, click OK.
Now, the Current Balance of your kit decreased while the items that make up the kit increased in balance.

By disassembling the item kit, we have not only insured that the actual cost of the work order does not exceed the necessary cost of the work performed related to inventory, and the actual inventory usage remains accurate for future purchase requests given the items used on the work performed. This not only prevents having excess inventory but also allows the item kit to remain intact when it needs to be issued for later usage.

Watch The Video Below For A Step-By-Step:

MxMobile Update April 2022 Release

A3J Group is #AlwaysInnovating in order to bring state-of-the-art enhancements to the IBM Maximo community. Our 20+ years of experience in Maximo allows us to deliver end users the proper support and solutions needed to maximize efficiency. We strive to remain thought leaders in the community and we face common issues and challenges head-on. Our suite of mobile apps for IBM Maximo, MxMobile, gives users access to IBM Maximo from their mobile device. Our apps allow Maximo users the ability to create and edit work orders, generate meter readings, manage inventory and more.

Here are the improvements that the A3J Group developers have made to MxMobile as of Monday, April 4, 2022:

MxReceive:

Print labels online or offline via a Bluetooth connected printer! Stay tuned for a video demonstration from the team…

MxWork:

Show data from the multiple assets, locations and CIs table on the work order.
Better handling of session token expiration.
Additional data type of duration has been added.
- Users can now enter hours as 2.5 or 2:30

MxAsset:

Barcode scanning capability has been enhanced to support Bluetooth scanning devices
Bug Fixed – When entering a meter reading value of 0 it was not working properly. This has been fixed.
Additional API Key support added

MxCount:

Barcode scanning capability enhanced to support Bluetooth scanning devices

What do you need to do for this update?

If the MxMobile applications on your devices are set to auto update no action is needed.
If the MxMobile applications on your devices are set to update manually you can find the updates in the App Store or Play Store to download.

IBM Maximo Mobile Apps Maximo Maximo Mobile mxmobile Update

Log4J Security Vulnerability System Patching for WebSphere

At the end of 2021, many companies were faced with the log4j security vulnerabilities. This was a worldwide security that has caused a lot of problems. For users of IBM Maximo, their Maximo environments were not affected, however WebSphere was impacted. The vulnerability caused Apache Log4j to allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the system. If an attacker were to access the system they would be able to write access to the Log4j configuration and de-serialize untrusted data. If the deployed application is configured to use JMSAppender, an attacker could exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on the system. IBM has released a fixed for this issue in which the update removes the Apache Log4j from Admin Console and UDDI Registry application. The Log4j security vulnerability is resolved by upgrading WebSphere to 9.0.5.10 or newer versions. If you are running on any 8.0 version of WebSphere then upgrading to 8.5.5.20 or newer version will remedy the issue as well.

How to update WebSphere to the current version.

Log into Maximo and go to System Information. Observe the WebSphere version.

ibm maximo system information websphere log4j security vulnerability blog

Next, open the Services application and stop the following WebSphere services: IBM HTTP Server V9.0, IBM WebSphere Application Server V9.0-ctgCellManager01, IBM WebSphere Application Server V9.0-ctgNode01.

ibm maximo security patch log4j update fix

Open the application, “IBM Installation Manager”.

a3j group troubleshooting ibm maximo blog log4j issue update

After IBM Installation Manager opens, Click on “Update”

ibm installation manager update ibm maximo websphere log4j issue

5. Observe to see all of the packages that are available for an update. Click on the checkbox, “Update all packages with recommended updates and recommended fixes”

troubleshoot ibm maximo update websphere log4j issue a3j group

6. Log into your IBM account to download the recommended updates and fixes, then click “Next” after it finishes searching for the updates.

a3j group blog ibm maximo issue fix log4j websphere update

7. Accept the terms in the license agreements to proceed with the update.

ibm maximo patch log4j issue websphere update system

In this view you can observe all of the updates that are going to occur before you click on the “Update” button. Then, click on Update.

a3j group blog patch ibm maximo log4j security vulnerability websphere update

At this point, we have successfully updated WebSphere with all the recommended fixes and updates. Click “Finish”

ibm maximo blog a3j group websphere fix log4j security update

Open the Services application, Start WebSphere back up by starting the following services: IBM HTTP Server V9.0, IBM WebSphere Application Server V9.0-ctgCellManager01, IBM WebSphere Application Server V9.0-ctgNode01.

security patch ibm maximo websphere integration log4j update a3j group blog

Log into Maximo and go to System Information. Observe the new WebSphere version.

ibm maximo websphere integration security patch log4j issue blog update a3j group

Once, you have confirmed that your WebSphere system has been updated, you can rest assured that your Log4J security vulnerability has been remedied. As humans become more involved with technology and dependent on systems to run daily business operations, it is increasingly important to stay mindful of these types of breach opportunities. Emphasizing monitoring and remaining informed on the latest security vulnerabilities is imperative if you want your systems to remain impenetrable. Hopefully, this guide served you well in patching the Log4J security vulnerability! If you would like to receive an email when we post a new blog, subscribe below.

A3J Group Launches New Ninja Fix Solution: Approval Summary Tab Creator

A3J Group continues to produce products that can be purchased through our Ninja Fix suite of self-service IBM Maximo configuration options. The Approval Summary Tab solution was released March of 2022 and acts as a one-stop shop for viewing specific records in IBM Maximo.

The A3J Approval Summary solution introduces a new tab, Approval Summary, to the Work Order Tracking, Purchase Requisition, Purchase Order and Invoice applications. The Approval Summary tab is designed to show both the Active Assignee, to whom the record is currently assigned, and a history of approvals. At a glance you will know immediately who is responsible for approving the record as well as where the record is at in the approval chain. Instead of having users navigate the workflow history and assignment applications to determine the approval status for a record you can simply point them to the Approval Summary tab for all the pertinent information.

The Approval Summary solution consists of a tab with two tables. The first table displays the current active assignee(s) for the record.

ibm-maximo-self-service-managed-service-configuration

This table contains the user ID and display name of the active assignee(s). In addition, a description of the assignment is included for easy reference.

The second table lists the approval history of the record. The user can see who previously approved the record, any memo that was included with approval of the record as well as some workflow details.

ibm-maximo-automation-scripts-work-order-tracking-purchase-requistion-purchase-order-invoice-application

The Approval Summary tab focuses only on workflow transactions originating from an Input node and that are either assigned or reassigned in order to reduce clutter and help the user focus solely on the assignment. Additional nodes may be included by simply updating the A3JWFTRANSACTION relationship on the parent object. You can also contact A3J Group for assistance with expanding the Approval Summary design to other use cases.

ibm-maximo-configuration-approval-summary-tab-record-approval-status-history-assignment

Learn more about the Approval Summary Tab creator and other solutions from Ninja Fix here. If the solution is a fit, purchase, download and experience immediate IBM Maximo enhancements from A3J Group today!

automation script configuration IBM IBM Maximo Maximo ninja fix

MxMobile: Using Saved Queries with A3J Group’s Mobile Apps for IBM Maximo

As we all know, saved queries can make our workload much easier to manage when you’re having to sort through hundreds of records in Maximo. However, have you ever created a saved query in Maximo and you weren’t able to find that query on one of A3J Group’s mobile apps? You’re not alone, it’s happened to me too and the solution is very simple to follow.

For this example, I will use MxWork as the mobile app. In Maximo, I created a query on the Work Order Tracking application called “Environmental Group WOs” that displays all of the work orders with a person group of “ENV” and with a status of “APPR” and “INPRG”.

When I save this query and log into the MxWork mobile application and navigate to the Saved Queries list, I won’t see this query. Why is that? Well, the saved query has to be available in the API in order to access it from the mobile apps. So, with the addition of Query Definitions in Maximo 7.6.0.3, we can select the query in the Object Structure for that specific application which will then allow the query to be accessible from the API.

If you open the details of the Object Structure, in this example we’re looking at MXWODETAIL, you’ll see Query Definitions listed under More Actions. This is where you will add your query. If you do not see your query in the lookup, you may need to make your query public by accessing View/Manage Queries and checking the box underneath Public. Below are the three fields that are required:

Query Type: appclause
App Name: WOTRACK
Query Clause Name: Environmental Group WOs

After I click OK and reload the Saved Queries list in MxWork, I now see the Environmental Group WOs query. What’s also great about this solution is that the same process applies to all of A3J Group’s mobile apps!

Apps IBM Maximo mobile Mobility mxmobile Saved Queries

A3J Group Launches Ninja Fix

Ninja Fix is a suite of useful Maximo solutions that tackle the everyday needs of Maximo users. The efficiency and effectiveness of these solutions give way to the name, “Ninja Fix.”