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At Highstep, we take pride in pushing the limits of enterprise technology, especially when it comes to the IBM Maximo Application Suite (MAS). As a trusted IBM partner, we regularly collaborate with IBM to solve complex issues encountered in real-world enterprise environments.
Recently, our engineering team identified a discrepancy in how client IP addresses were being logged in MAS when users authenticated under certain conditions. This discovery led to a back-and-forth with IBM’s internal team, during which they were able to successfully replicate the issue and validate our findings. The result was the release of a Local Availability (LA) Fix and an official acknowledgment of the software behavior on IBM’s support portal.
The Problem
We discovered that when the PROXY protocol was implemented in OpenShift to capture the client IP address of users authenticating into MAS, the IP was not being logged correctly under specific navigation paths. Here is the original technical write-up submitted to IBM:
- We have implemented the PROXY protocol in OpenShift to capture the client IP address of a users when they authenticate in MAS. We are noticing that the client IP is recorded as UNKNOWN in the MAXSESSION table when users navigate directly to the Manage URL and authenticate https://<workspace_id>.manage.<mas_domain>/maximo.
- If the users first navigates to the MAS home (https://home.<mas_domain>), authenticates, then navigate to the Manage URL by clicking on the Launch link, the IP address is captured correctly.
- Another interesting twist from the non working scenario is if the user logs out of the application and then logs back in, then IP address is captured correctly.
- We did packet captures from the router nodes and see that the PROXY protocol is correctly passing the IP address in the non-working scenario, which leads us to believe this is a MAS issue.
- We are on MAS version 8.11.7 and Manage version 8.7.5
The Outcome
After thorough testing and collaboration, IBM confirmed the issue and issued a documented defect. You can view the official IBM defect record and status here:
🔗 IBM Support: DT433477 – MAS Manage Client IP Address Recorded as UNKNOWN
This acknowledgment resulted in a Local Availability (LA) Fix that addresses the logging issue when users authenticate directly through the Manage URL.
What This Means for You
If your organization is running IBM MAS and experiencing similar client IP tracking issues, you have two clear options:
- Reach out to IBM Support and reference the documented defect above.
- Work with Highstep, and we’ll help implement the necessary configurations or apply the LA Fix to ensure correct IP tracking in your MAS environment.
This case is a testament to the value of our close working relationship with IBM and our commitment to proactive problem-solving for our clients. As MAS environments grow more complex, it’s critical to have a technical partner that can identify issues early, drive resolution, and collaborate directly with IBM to deliver fixes that benefit the entire community.
