Endevor Web Interface with Package Approvals Portal Now GA!

[Zachariah Mullen]

Our team is very excited to announce the general availability of the Endevor Web Interface, which provides Endevor users with a more accessible and streamlined way of managing package approvals.

Featuring a front end built on an award-winning framework, the Endevor Web Interface enables approvers to take action on packages directly in their browser. The new interface allows package approvers to:

• Easily filter for specific packages that they need to reference or take action on

• Drill down into the details of a package, from basic attributes to element history, inventory information, and the associated SCL. 

• Analyze the changes to the elements with clear highlighted of what was added, updated, or deleted

• Approve or deny packages with the option of providing explanatory notes

The Endevor Web Interface is available for download in the following PTFs: 

• Endevor version 18.1: LU11407

• Endevor version 19.0: LU11083

We recommend that you deploy the Endevor Web Interface to the same Tomcat server where you are running Endevor Web Services. For instructions on deployment and configuration, see our documentation here: Install Endevor Web Interface

If you have any questions or comments about the Endevor Web Interface, don't hesitate to reach out to us!

------------------------------
Zach Mullen
Product Owner, Integrations for Enterprise DevOps
[e-mail]
------------------------------

[Vaughn Marshall]

Congratulations to the team for all their hard work towards this significant milestone!  For those that haven't seen it, Zach has an excellent blog covering this new component out on the Modern Mainframe blog site.

[Zachariah Mullen]

Hello everyone,

I want to share an important update regarding the original release. 

There was an error with the notification exit updates in the original PTFs. Now if you apply the numbers noted above, the following PTFs with fixes will be applied:

• Endevor version 18.1: LU11642
• Endevor version 19.0: LU11508

Thank you for your understanding.

------------------------------
Zach Mullen
Product Owner, Integrations for Enterprise DevOps
[e-mail]
------------------------------

[daboyze]

Is this a fix for a fix?

Initial PTF

The Endevor Web Interface is available for download in the following PTFs:

* Endevor version 18.1: LU11407
* Endevor version 19.0: LU11083


Fix for Initial PTF

* Endevor version 18.1: LU11642
* Endevor version 19.0: LU11508






Allen Newton
Systems Administrator II – STS
Endevor Administrator
______________________________________________

[signature_219201347]<http: travelport.com/="">

Office: [phone]
[e-mail]<mailto:[e-mail]>
[e-mail]<mailto:[e-mail]>
[Icon Description automatically generated]<https: www.linkedin.com/company/travelport="">[Icon Description automatically generated]<https: www.facebook.com/travelportglobal/="">[A picture containing text Description automatically generated]<https: twitter.com/travelport="">[Icon Description automatically generated]<https: www.instagram.com/travelportofficial/=""> [A picture containing electronics, image Description automatically generated] <https: www.youtube.com/user/travelporttube="">

[Zachariah Mullen]

Hi Allen,

We released the Endevor Web Interface in a PTF as the most consumable method of the new application for our customers (rather than a Solution in the Support Downloads page). So indeed it was a new feature of Endevor, just provided in PTFs. 

The newer PTFs represent fixes for an issue reported around the email notification exit (part of the overall workflow for the Endevor Web Interface includes having the URL included in email notifications from Endevor). 

I hope that clarifies the situation.

Thanks,

------------------------------
Zach Mullen
Product Owner, Integrations for Enterprise DevOps
[e-mail]
------------------------------

[daboyze]

Thanks Zachariah, we are still on R18.1 and have no immediate plans to go R19.

We have implemented Endevor version 18.1: LU11407 months ago and now we should apply Endevor version 18.1: LU11642?


Allen Newton
Systems Administrator II – STS
Endevor Administrator
______________________________________________

[signature_219201347]<http: travelport.com/="">

Office: [phone]
[e-mail]<mailto:[e-mail]>
[e-mail]<mailto:[e-mail]>
[Icon Description automatically generated]<https: www.linkedin.com/company/travelport="">[Icon Description automatically generated]<https: www.facebook.com/travelportglobal/="">[A picture containing text Description automatically generated]<https: twitter.com/travelport="">[Icon Description automatically generated]<https: www.instagram.com/travelportofficial/=""> [A picture containing electronics, image Description automatically generated] <https: www.youtube.com/user/travelporttube="">

[daboyze]

Thanks Zachariah, we are still on R18.1 and have no immediate plans to go R19.

We have implemented Endevor version 18.1: LU11407 months ago and now we should apply Endevor version 18.1: LU11642?


Allen Newton
Systems Administrator II – STS
Endevor Administrator
______________________________________________

[signature_219201347]<http: travelport.com/="">

Office: [phone]
[e-mail]<mailto:[e-mail]>
[e-mail]<mailto:[e-mail]>
[Icon Description automatically generated]<https: www.linkedin.com/company/travelport="">[Icon Description automatically generated]<https: www.facebook.com/travelportglobal/="">[A picture containing text Description automatically generated]<https: twitter.com/travelport="">[Icon Description automatically generated]<https: www.instagram.com/travelportofficial/=""> [A picture containing electronics, image Description automatically generated] <https: www.youtube.com/user/travelporttube="">

[Zachariah Mullen]

Yes, that's correct. 

------------------------------
Zach Mullen
Product Owner, Integrations for Enterprise DevOps
[e-mail]
------------------------------

[John Dueckman]

We have encountered 2 bugs in the feature that need to be recognized as bugs and addressed asap.

1) Are you aware that apparently the Web UI for Package Approvals does not support external approver groups? 

2) There is a 10 minute time-out limit on usage. Even if the developer is in the middle of a session, it times out after 10 minutes. We can accept a 10-minute idle period but not 10 minutes period.

This UI is being seen as a integral component of introducing packages at the site. These shortfalls need to be addressed asap. 

[Ritika Singh]

Hi John,

1) Unfortunately, z/OS and passtickets have a limitation with a maximum timeout of 10 minutes, set by IBM. Adhering to best practices, it's essential to use Pass Tickets, particularly to support MFA. Zowe API/ML offers a solution by automating the refresh and regeneration of Pass Tickets, potentially resolving this inconvenience in the near future. Beyond this, API/ML introduces several critical enterprise-grade features to the Endevor API, including reverse proxy, high availability, and load balancing. These advancements will greatly enhance authentication processes, especially for certificate-based authentication in Bridge for Git. You can find guidance in the Endevor Web Interface Installation Guide. 

2) We've identified a bug and are actively addressing it for resolution. Our team is working diligently to implement a fix at the earliest opportunity. While the fix may not immediately enable the display of group members, it should facilitate the approval process by providing a notification if you're not authorized. We will reach out as soon as we have the fix in place. 

Please don't hesitate to reach out in case you have anymore questions.

[Eoin OCleirigh]

I've got to confirm @John Dueckman 's comments - not supporting External Approver Groups is a show stopper for us.
All of our approvals are external, and controlled by RACF, without approval support this dead in the water.
Yes it looks pretty but the core functionality (MVP) is not satisfied.  

As to the timeout, I'd be happier if the clock were reset at every interaction (could it do that, request a new token, using the old token before timeout?) That said, at least it does seem to recover back to where it left off, so it's not too onerous.  Will look at API/ML to see if that helps but without Approval Functionality, it's not going to be high on my list.

But while the new framework looks very impressive, and that animating logon screen is nice eye-candy, text input seems very "laggy" with the text input struggling to keep up with any text entry  - it's most obvious when using something like the APPROVE/DENY Notes prompts fields.  But even on the logon panel, typing a well known string like a userid can't keep up with my ancient fingers, resulting in my hitting backspace and trying again only to watch the correct characters appear, then disappear, and re-appear as the cursor catches up.

I do really like the Change Viewer, highlighting the before/after changes and offering a NEXT/PREV element makes a peer review walkthrough a breeze - but again it's just slow (Is that just me or anybody else noticing that?)

For clarity: we're using the testing GA version Web UI V1.0.5 with WebServices V2.15 and Endevor V19 ServiceLevel 2309
And expect to follow up with appropriate tickets, it's just nice to know, via the community, that these are known issues.

------------------------------
Eoin O'Cleirigh
Lead Systems Engineer @ ANZ [phone]
------------------------------

[Ritika Singh]

Hi Eoin,

We have carefully considered the requests and are pleased to announce that the beta version for external groups is now available. We can help you set it up to try it out. Our goal is to release the GA version by the end of April. Setting up the API/ML will surely help increase the timeout from 10 minutes. Expect to hear from us via the ticket that was opened.

Thankyou,

Ritika Singh