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Getting Started with OCTO

This page will help you get started with OCTO
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Welcome to this short "Getting Started" guide. In a few simple steps you have OCTO up and running.

The setup contains the following steps:

  1. Create an OCTO account
  2. Create an Organization
  3. Create an OCTO TD/OMS Perspective
  4. Create an OCTO Analytics Perspective
  5. Install the TD/OMS OCTO Rest Server on your IBM i
  6. Configure OCTO to talk to your IBM i
  7. Explore the Dashboard
  8. Use the Task Link Service

Create an OCTO account

To create an OCTO account, head over to https://octo.remainsoftware.com and register for an account.

We have noticed that failures to create an account are not very clear. The account should conform to the following:

  • A user with the given email may not already exist.
  • The password length must be at least 10. It must contain a capital letter, a number and a symbol

After the account has been created, you will receive an email with the link confirmation. It should arrive in your inbox, but when it takes too long, please also check your spam box.

Create an OCTO Analytics Perspective

Octo lets you in charge of organizing your content. To do so, you can create one or more perspectives inside Octo that in turn host one or more plugins.

After you have logged in with your new account, click on the "Create Perspective" link. Select "One tile layout" and give your perspective a name like "Analytics"
 

Install the analytics plugin

Next, click on the "Install Plugin" link and select the Analytics plugin from the Octo Market.

 

Install, configure and start the REST server

In order to open the TD/OMS database, the TD/OMS OCTO REST Server must be installed. Sit with your system administrator and let them execute the following command which can be found in the TD/OMS library.

  • INZOMSSRV *OMSOCTO

Next, we have to configure the REST port

  • edtf '/qopensys/TD/OMSOCTO/tdoms.js/config/config.js'

Change the host name to the host name of the host, choose a different port and enter the name and password of the TD/OMS Database User.

If you want you can copy your own ssl certificates in the /qopensys/TD/OMSOCTO/tdoms.js/certificates directory.

Finally, start the server:

  • STROMSSRV *OMSOCTO

If you do not copy your own certificates but use the ones provided, then make sure that your browser has accepted the certificates by opening a webpage:

https://youribmi:port

After you have accepted the certificates you are greeted by the OMS OCTO server and you are ready to continue.

Configure OCTO to talk to your IBM 1

Next we have to instruct OCTO where to find the OMS OCTO REST server we just configured. Click on the configuration icon like shown below.

In the Rest Server settings, enter the hostname of your host, enter the port and specify HTTPS for the protocol.

Press the Save button to commit your changes.

Configure OCTO to talk to your IBM 2

In the Remote Configurations section, we have to define the TD/OMS database location. Typically this is on the same host as the OMSOCTO REST Server but this is not required.

Press the + to create a new configuration and enter the information. For the Database Name and Library List, both use the TD/OMS library.

Press the Save button to commit your changes.

Explore the Dashboard

Now you can enter your IBM i user name and password. After this is done and validated, you will see the TD/OMS Dashboard.

By default the Dashboard is using the "Warnings" view for any KPI that was violated.

All charts are defined in the OMDSH file. We do not have a maintenance function for this just yet, but if you want to add your own charts or update the existing charts, please poke around in that database or give us a call. We are happy to assist.