Running ERTool on MacOS

Updates

Sep 17,2019 - the updated Git package includes full MacOS support. To launch the GUI use the following command:

java -XstartOnFirstThread -jar ErrorReport.jar -gui

The original post

ERTool is a java utility that helps with DataPower error report analysis. I had some issues getting it working on my Mac, so sharing from experience for other people that might benefit from it.

Once downloaded the ERTool project from Git, I've run the build and it failed with compilation errors related to the MacOS environment. This was addressed by changing the build.xml file and MacOS related jar files.

Adding JAR files

Add the following files to the framework/lib folder:

1. org.eclipse.swt-3.1.jar
2. org.eclipse.swt-3.1.jar.zip

Changing the build.xml file

First, add a MacOS environmental property for further references:

<condition property="isMac">     <os family="mac"> </condition>

Next, reference that property while selecting relevant libraries for the build process:

<include if:set="isMac" name="org.eclipse.swt-3.1.jar"/> <include if:set="isMac" name="org.eclipse.swt-3.1.jar.zip"/>

Save the file and rerun the build command. It should complete successfully.

Running the ERTool from command line

Example CLI to run the utility from command line:

java -jar ErrorReport.jar \   -analyticsfile Analytics.xml \   -format HTML \   -outfile output.html \   -file error-report.txt

Bibliography

1. https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/SS9H2Y_7.7.0/com.ibm.dp.doc/ertool.html
2. https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/community/blogs/de2b7f3e-30c5-4172-be0f-2640ebb55d13/entry/ERTool_Analyze_your_configuration_against_best_practices?lang=en 
3. https://github.com/ibm-datapower/ertool

Enabling DataPower Disaster Recovery Mode without appliance re-initialization

Disaster Recovery Mode is quite an important feature, as it allows simplified migrations from one DataPower appliance to another using the Secure Backup/Restore functionality. This option is set during the initial DataPower configuration. To check if it was enabled, simply access DataPower WebGUI, search for "System Settings" and look up the "Backup mode". If it says "secure", then it was enabled and Secure Backup feature is  available on that appliance.

By the end of 2019 many DataPower gateways would be end of support and clients would face migration projects. Not having Secure Backup / Secure Restore available might cause the projects be more challenging, as it'd require manual configuration copy and dealing with keys.

Until recently, enabling Disaster Recovery Mode required having the gateway re-initialized. The big news are that as of DataPower v2018.4.1.0 firmware it's no longer required. Clients need to open a service ticket to receive the tool to enable secure backup mode.

References:

1. DataPower End Of Support 
2. WebSphere DataPower Release 3.8.1 - Disaster Recovery Mode
3. DataPower v2018.4 - Secure Backup