IBM Operational Decision Manager 8.7.0.0 and IBM WebSphere Application Server 8.5.5.11 - Perhaps Not BFFs

I tried / failed to install IBM Operational Decision Manager (ODM) Rules 8.7.0.0 onto a newly installed copy of WebSphere Application Server (WAS) 8.5.5.11 ( aka Fixpack 11 ) today.

This is what I was trying to install: -

/opt/ibm/InstallationManager/eclipse/tools/imcl listAvailablePackages -repositories /mnt/hgfs/Software/Repo/ODM87/Product/DecisionServerRules/,/mnt/hgfs/Software/Repo/ODM87/Product/ProfileTemplateRules

com.ibm.websphere.odm.ds.rules.v87_8.7.0.20141114_0949
com.ibm.websphere.odm.pt.rules.v87_8.7.0.20141114_1039

Having run this command: -

/opt/ibm/InstallationManager/eclipse/tools/imcl -input /mnt/hgfs/Software/Repo/ResponseFiles/installODM87.rsp -acceptLicense

I saw this: -

ERROR: The following errors were generated while installing.
  CRIMA1209E ERROR: Validation failed for property user.wodm_was_home.
    ERROR: The product is unable to determine which edition of WebSphere Application Server is installed at the selected location. Base or Network Deployment edition of version 8.5.5.0 or later is required, depending on the features selected.

    Explanation: The product is unable to determine which edition of WebSphere Application Server is installed at the selected location. Base or Network Deployment edition of version 8.5.5.0 or later is required, depending on the features selected.

    User Action: 

I checked, and ensure that WAS *was* installed: -

/opt/ibm/WebSphere/AppServer/bin/versionInfo.sh

WVER0010I: Copyright (c) IBM Corporation 2002, 2012; All rights reserved.
WVER0012I: VersionInfo reporter version 1.15.1.48, dated 2/8/12

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IBM WebSphere Product Installation Status Report
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Report at date and time January 10, 2017 1:55:15 PM GMT

Installation
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Product Directory        /opt/ibm/WebSphere/AppServer
Version Directory        /opt/ibm/WebSphere/AppServer/properties/version
DTD Directory            /opt/ibm/WebSphere/AppServer/properties/version/dtd
Log Directory            /home/wasadmin/var/ibm/InstallationManager/logs

Product List
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ND                       installed

Installed Product
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name                  IBM WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment
Version               8.5.5.11
ID                    ND
Build Level           cf111649.01
Build Date            12/6/16
Package               com.ibm.websphere.ND.v85_8.5.5011.20161206_1434
Architecture          x86-64 (64 bit)
Installed Features    IBM 64-bit WebSphere SDK for Java
                      WebSphere Application Server Full Profile
                      EJBDeploy tool for pre-EJB 3.0 modules
                      Embeddable EJB container
                      Stand-alone thin clients and resource adapters

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
End Installation Status Report
————————————————————————————————————————

I even tried installing ODM 8.7.1.1: -

/opt/ibm/InstallationManager/eclipse/tools/imcl listAvailablePackages -repositories /mnt/hgfs/Software/Repo/ODM87/Product/DecisionServerRules/,/mnt/hgfs/Software/Repo/ODM87/Product/ProfileTemplateRules,/mnt/hgfs/Software/Repo/ODM87/Fixes/DS/updates,/mnt/hgfs/Software/Repo/ODM87/Fixes/PTDS/updates

com.ibm.websphere.odm.ds.rules.v87_8.7.0.20141114_0949
com.ibm.websphere.odm.pt.rules.v87_8.7.0.20141114_1039
com.ibm.websphere.odm.ds.rules.v87_8.7.0.20141114_0949
com.ibm.websphere.odm.ds.rules.v87_8.7.1001.20151006_2017
com.ibm.websphere.odm.pt.rules.v87_8.7.0.20141114_1039
com.ibm.websphere.odm.pt.rules.v87_8.7.1001.20151007_0005

but to no avail.

I then switched back to an older version of WAS - 8.5.5.10 - and it just worked: -

/opt/ibm/InstallationManager/eclipse/tools/imcl -input /mnt/hgfs/Software/Repo/ResponseFiles/installODM87.rsp -acceptLicense

Installed com.ibm.websphere.odm.ds.rules.v87_8.7.1001.20151006_2017 to the /opt/ibm/ODM87 directory.
Installed com.ibm.websphere.odm.pt.rules.v87_8.7.1001.20151007_0005 to the /opt/ibm/ODM87 directory.

Interestingly, ODM 8.7.1 on WAS 8.5.5.11 is supported as per the System Requirements document, but I have something that works for me :-)