IBM Maximo Asset Management Interview Questions & Answers

Question 1. What Are Various Modules Of Maximo?

Answer :

The various modules of maximo are as follows:

• Application Designer.
• Database Configuration
• Integration Module
• Security
• Workflow Administration
• Change Request
• Workflow Designer
• Escalations
• Cron Task
• System Properties

Question 2. Explain What Procedure Import Workflow In Maximo 7.1?

Answer :

Procedure Import Workflow in Maximo 7.1

Note-

1. Object structure, publish channel, Enterprise services can be duplicated from migration to make it used by integration process and if it is not in migration/Integration then follow the steps given below to create it manually
2. Turn Admin mode to off before import.
3. The sequential queue processes messages one at a time, in a first-in-first-out Sequence and as we are using sequential queue the error files if generated should be cleared from error folder from mea-global directory
4. Cron task set up- JMSQSEQCONSUMER make this cron task active for sequential queue
5. Create MEA Global directory, if it does not exits. Give the details of this in System Properties & all End Points that will be used.
6. Enable Message Tracking from select action menu for Enterprise Services created below
7. Create End Point & External System only once as per steps given below & can be used multiple times.

Question 3. What Is Start Center In Maximo?

Answer :

Start Center is nothing but a view of maximo when you login to it. Start center can be configured by the system admin according to the business needs. There can various tabs on start center. Maximo admin can include day to day task on it, or any message or any news in bulletin board. Your various tickets IN/SR can be shown on them. Short cuts to various applications required by the end user can also be provided on your start center. Start center can also be configured according to the security groups, i.e. different views for different person or according to the need and requirement of Business.

Question 4. What Is Inbound Email Integration?

Answer :

Inbound email integration – TSRM can process inbound emails and automatically create or update tickets with the details. In the Bharti environment, a notes application has been provided to end users to enable them to create, update and query tickets with ease. This application generates an XML and sends it via email to TSRM.Based on the OLM id of the user, the mail is sent to one of 3 email ids, or . TSRM polls the mail boxes of these 3 ids periodically and processes the mails to create or query tickets.The details of the configuration is provided below

Notes Application: A notes application is provided to users to create or query tickets in TSRM as shown. It can be used to query or create.

Question 5. How To Show Sum Of Instead Count(*) On Resultsetgraph Of Maximo Start Center?

Answer :

I have to create a Result set graph in Maximo Start Center that shows  sum of actual labor hours instead of showing count(*) on Y axis. for example, if siteid ‘ABC’  has three workorders ‘1001’,’1002′ and ‘1003’ in workorder table with 3,2 and 4 actual labor hours respectively then I have to create a resultset(or resultset graph) that show this site ‘ABC’ and its labor hours sum 3+2+4=9, instead of showing count 3 on Y axis. Please help me to resolve this issue…thanks in advance.

Question 6. What Is Email Integration?

Answer :

This section provides and overview of Email integration with TSRM Two types of integration have been configured:

1. Outbound email: This allows TSRM to send various notifications via email
2. Inbound email: This allows TSRM to automatically process inbound email to generate or query tickets for the reported problems

Question 7. What You Know About Inbound Email Integration?

Answer :

Inbound email integration – TSRM can process inbound emails and automatically create or update tickets with the details. In the Bharti environment, a notes application has been provided to end users to enable them to create, update and query tickets with ease. This application generates an XML and sends it via email to TSRM.Based on the OLM id of the user, the mail is sent to one of 3 email ids, or . TSRM polls the mail boxes of these 3 ids periodically and processes the mails to create or query tickets.The details of the configuration is provided below.

Question 8. What Is Outbound Email Integration?

Answer :

This section details the two types of email integration that have been configured for TSRM Outbound email integration- TSRM uses SMTP for sending out emails.

The configuration element for this is mentioned below:

The System Property mail.smtp.host controls which smtp server TSRM uses for sending out mail. This is currently set to (IP) which is a Domino server running SMTP service

Troubleshooting tips- Points to check for troubleshooting email delivery

• Check that the firewall ports are opened between TSRM and the SMTP server. The port used by SMTP is 25. This check can be performed by trying to telent to the smtp server on port 25 from both the WAS servers (IP)
• Check the communication logs for the record in question to ensure that a mail was actually sent from TSRM.
• Check for mail routing issues with the Notes team

Question 9. Various Controls In The Application Designer Tool In Ibm Maxixo Part 1:

Answer :

• Tabgroup – A container for adding tabs.
• Tab – An individual tab in a tab group.
• Section – A container for adding controls such as section columns, section rows, fields, buttons, combo boxes, and check boxes.
• Section Column – A column in a section.
• Section Row – A row in a section.
• Section Header – A container to label a section or a table window, with the capability to display dynamic values in its label. This control contains the parameter values control which is a container for the parameter value control.
• Parameter Values – A container for the parameter value control to be used in sections and table windows.

Question 10. Various Controls In The Application Designer Tool In Ibm Maxixo Part 2:

Answer :

• Parameter Value – Dynamic values that reside within a section header.
• Combobox – A combo box with drop-down functionality.
• Checkbox – An HTML check box.
• Blank Line – Inserts white space in a section.
• Help Grid – Help text displayed in dialog boxes.
• Image – Allows you to insert an image.
• Listbox – An open, drop-down menu which displays dynamic content.

Question 11. Various Controls In The Application Designer Tool In Ibm Maxixo Part 3?

Answer :

• Multiline Textbox – A text input box with multiple lines.
• Multipart Textbox – Two text boxes next to each other; one for displaying text and the other a description.
• Static Text – Informational text displayed in an application.
• Textbox – A text input box with a single line.
• Table – A container for a table window.
• Table Column – A container for a column in a table window.
• Tree – A container for a hierarchical structure.

Question 12. Various Controls In The Application Designer Tool In Ibm Maxixo Part 4:

Answer :

• Tree Attribute – A value to describe the tree node control within the tree control.
• Tree Node – A container for defining the child elements within the tree control.
• Appbar – A container that displays all the applications, belonging to the current module, except for the currently displayed application.
• Menubar – A menu bar that contains signature options for the Search, Query, and Bookmark menus.
• Hyperlink – A hyperlink that supports both text and graphics.

Question 13. How Many Ways Integration Is Used In Ibm Maximo?

Answer :

• To create the thousands of classification in maximo in one time only.
• To upload IN and SR in tool in just one click.
• To create multiple user ids in Maximo.
• To create the automatic tickets in maximo on receiving the alerts or any message, for which we integrated maximo with Netcool.
• We can integrate maximo with Tivoli Directory Server by using Tivoli Directory Integrator, by creating assembly line in TDI.

Various Integration framework components are as follows:

• Object structures
• Services
• Channels
• External systems
• Endpoint
• Events
• Web services
• Content

Question 14. Do You Know What Is Integration Framework?

Answer :

Integration Framework allows you to integrate maximo with other tools. It reduce your manual efforts.

Question 15. How To Defaulting To Wrong Priority Number In Maximo?

Answer :

Whenever a WO is input, as soon as the page is saved, the priority number defaults to #4. 

Question 16. What Is Ibm Maximo Asset Management?

Answer :

IBM Maximo Asset Management is an enterprise asset management (EAM) software solution product produced by IBM. It is a solution which is used to operate, maintain and dispose of enterprise assets.

Question 17. What Types Of Assets Are Focuses In Ibm Maximo?

Answer :

• Plant and production (for example oil, gas, chemicals, mining, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, food, electronics and power generation)
• Infrastructure (including railways, highways, telecommunications, water and wastewater, and electric and gas distribution networks)
• Transportation (for military, airlines, trucking, shipping, rail and other use)
• Real estate and facilities (for example, in offices, schools and hospitals)

Question 18. What Is Mbo And Mbo Set?

Answer :

MBO represents record in the table where as MBO Set represents a table in the data base. These MBO’s carries the data.

Question 19. What Are The Benefits Of Maximo, Versus Other Similar Systems?

Answer :

Scalable. No matter what size you are now, it can handle future expansion.

Question 20. What Are Differences Between Table Domain And Cross Over Domain In Ibm Maximo?

Answer :

1. Table Domains: This domain produces a dynamic set of values. These values are derived by specifying attributes of an object in the database.
2. Cross over Domains: Crossover domain does not produce a list, but retrieves a value from another Record. You program Maximo to bring it from one field to another, typically from one application to another

Question 21. What Are The Domains We Have In Maximo?

Answer :

There are total 6 Domains

1. Alphanumeric Domains
2. Numeric Domains
3. Numeric Range Domains
4. Table Domains
5. Crossover Domains
6. Synonym  Domains

Question 22. Introducing Ibm Smartcloud Control Desk?

Answer :

SmartCloud Control Desk is a comprehensive IT Asset and Service Management solution that helps reduce cost and minimize service disruptions through automated service request handling, efficient change management, optimized asset lifecycle management across IT and enterprise domains.

With SmartCloud Control Desk, you get one product that integrates the functionality of all these products:

• Tivoli Asset Management for IT
• Tivoli Change and Configuration Management Database
• Tivoli Service Request Manager
• SmartCloud Control Desk provides the following features and benefits:
• Reduce total cost of ownership by using one unified solution to license, install and manage multiple ITIL processes under one price point
• Reduce Business Risk by using advanced impact analysis and defining automated change procedures that ensure integrity of existing infrastructure while supporting business agility
• Improve efficiency and Quality of Service by unifying asset, change and problem management across both IT and the rest of the enterprise
• Lower cost and mitigate license compliance risk by performing end to end software asset management
• Improve utilization rate and reduce unnecessary purchases by managing the IT asset lifecycle
• Adaptive, role-based simplified UI, improves intuitiveness for novice users, and reduces training costs.
• Access from anywhere at anytime via mobile device support – Blackberry, iOS, Android
• Pick a solution delivery model – Traditional on-premise, SaaS, VM image – that is affordable and meets your current business needs; Seamlessly move between delivery models while keeping the same functionality

Question 23. What Is Communication Templates In Ibm Maximo?

Answer :

To create and manage generic communication templates that Maximo Users can leverage to standardize frequently used e-mail communications (Notifications)

Question 24. Explain About Maximo Workflow Nodes?

Answer :

• Wait Node

1. Indicates that a record’s progress through a process should pause until a required condition is met.
2. No Assignment is made when a record enters a wait node

• Interaction Node

1. Redirect the user to another application or screen with the same application
2. Display an application tab with instructions for adding or modifying data,Or to perform a particular    application action
3. Automatically trigger an action from the toolbar or select action menu
4. Automatically trigger a process, for example, another workflow process

• Task node

1. Inbox assignment with Positive or Negative Result

• Condition node

1. System evaluates a condition with a binary True or False result and then routes the record accordingly)

• Manual Input node

1. Prompts the user with multiple
2. Options and then routes the record accordingly

• Sub process node

1. Launch another workflow process within this process

• Start
• Stop

Question 25. Explain All The Status Of An Incident In Maximo?

Answer :

1. NEW: The initial status of a ticket after you creates it or inserts it. You cannot revert to this status after you change it.
2. QUEUED: Ticket ownership has been assigned to a person or a group. Ownership assignment can be made manually or might be made automatically using workflow, a service level agreement, or other escalation process. For more information, see the Workflow help, or the Service Level Agreements help.
3. INPROG: In progress. Someone is working on this ticket. The first time a ticket reaches this status, the system populates the Actual Start field if it is empty.
4. PENDING: An action on this ticket is pending (for example, vendor or user call-back, or waiting for parts).
5. RESOLVED: Information has been gathered and routed, service has been restored or a solution has been provided. The first time a ticket reaches this status, the system populates the Actual Finish field if it is empty. If needed, you can reopen a ticket and change the status from RESOLVED to INPROG (in progress).
6. CLOSED: The ticket becomes a historical record. When a record is closed, you cannot change the status. You can, however, edit certain parts of the history record.

Question 26. Which Application Associates Failure Hierarchies To Assets?

Answer :

ASSETS

Question 27. Which Maximo Properties Are Read First When The Maximo Server Is Started?

Answer :

Those defined in the maximo.properties

Question 28. A Labor Can Have Multiple Qualifications That Can Be Renewed Or Extended. Some Of These Qualifications Expire After A Period Of Time. What Is Created To Automatically Expire These Qualifications?

Answer :

Escalations

Question 29. How Can You Validate A Text Field?

Answer :

Using a MBO Validate class you can validate a text field. In the Database configuration in the  attributes tab you can specify a validate class name.

Question 30. Where You Will Mention The Cron Task Logic? Explain For 10 Instances?

Answer :

You have to specify the Cron task logic in java class. Suppose for the escalation Cron task you may define the login in  psdi.app.escalation.engine.EscalationCronTask Class. Now if there are 10 Escalation Cron tasks instances are running that means there will be 10 java objects of EscalationCronTask class.

Question 31. What Is Use Of Maxobject, Maxattribute, And Maxpresentation?

Answer :

MaxObject: In this table the actual definition of the MBO is stored.

MaxAttribute:  Describes all the attributes like data type of the attribute, its length, is it persistent or not, does it have any validation class attached to it.

MaxPresentation: Actual presentation XML of any application is stored.

Question 32. What Are System Properties?

Answer :

We will use System Properties application to manage system properties and the values of the system properties that various components use.

Question 33. Can We Have Multiple System Properties With The Same Name And Values? Can We Have Multiple Values? Can We Have A Default Value?

Answer :

We can’t have multiple system properties with the same name, but we can have system properties with the same values. We can have multiple values for system properties. For Example for the attachments we can have multiple values like .txt,.html.

Question 34. What Are The Global Properties Data Types?

Answer :

Integer, Yes or No , ALN

Question 35. What Are The Instance Properties In System Properties?

Answer :

An instance property is defined and associated with a specific system server.

For example, you can configure the system property, mxe.crontask.donotrun, to be an instance-specific property. To perform this configuration, access the System Properties application. In the Instance Properties table window, associate the mxe.crontask.donotrun system property with a specific server (for example, MXServer1) and a value applicable only to that server (for example, a value of BBCron). As a result, the Bulletin Board cron task (BBCron) does not run on MXServer1; however, BBCron can run in another system instance, such as MXServer2.

Question 36. What Is The Purpose Of A Condition Rate?

Answer :

To assign relative values to inventory items.

Question 37. Where Are Roles Used?

Answer :

Part of a communication template, escalation, service level agreement, or Workflow.

Question 38. When Transferring An Item Or Tool Across Organizations, An Internal Purchase Order Must Be In Place. What Must Be The Same Across The Organizations?

Answer :

Item Set.

Question 39. Which Two Steps Are Required To Set The Preferred Vendor For Any Stocked Tool?

Answer :

Assign a vendor, Enable the default vendor check box

Question 40. What Are The Global Properties Security Levels?

Answer :

Security level determines whether a property can be retrieved an authenticated Connection to the system is established. There are three levels of security:

• PUBLIC: The property and its value can be accessed through unauthenticated client sessions.
• SECURE: The property and its value can be accessed through authenticated Client sessions.
• PRIVATE: The property and its value can be accessed only within the Business object framework of the system.