Behind any successful business, you can bet that there's an Information Technology system hard at work - and hopefully one with the characteristics of operating at its peak efficiencies and benefiting from effective capacity planning and performance analysis.
In today's e-business on demand era, these characteristics involving performance and capacity management are more critical than ever. Systems that are available without disruption are essential. And having the capacity or being able to clearly understand what capacities are needed to capitalize on new business opportunities that require the use of new software technologies can be critical to being prepared in an on demand world. System resiliency has become increasingly critical.
Unfortunately, the typical capacity planning and performance analysis processes that help you manage your IT system to be at a peak of readiness in an e-business on demand world are time consuming and expensive to purchase. As a result, most customers fail to implement any process. The repercussions that businesses face can be poorly performing systems, capacities that are lacking and potentially missed business opportunities.
The solution?
IBM Performance Management (PM) for System i, a dynamic, easy to use, performance and capacity planning function integrated into OS/400 and IBM i5/OS®, is specifically designed to address just this challenge. PM for System i automates many of the functions associated with capacity planning and performance analysis-automatically for the IBM System i platform. It's simple, there's nothing that you need to do other than activate the function and periodically check that data is being collected and transmitted to IBM. You will then be provided an Internet access password via email (or postal mail if email is not known) that allows you secure access to your graphs.
What do you receive with PM for System i?
Capacity planning and performance analysis reports and graphs (both No Additional Charge and Fee Offerings are available) are provided to give a crisp picture of your current system's operating efficiencies. This includes IT environments from the more simple straightforward system implementations to a dynamic, multi-partitioned, multi-OS, Capacity Upgrade on Demand environment. Based on current trends, these reports will let you know when you should consider rectifying an approaching capacity problem. Ultimately, PM for System i puts you in control... as opposed to your system being in control of you.
Based on your collected and summarized PM for System i data, you can easily size your next system upgrade. For no additional charge and through the web, you have an option to move your summarized PM for System i data over to the IBM Workload Estimator to get a preliminary recommendation on the system you may need in the future to meet your growth requirements. Or you can use the tools to size what upgrades are needed to run middleware e-business technology applications like WebSphere and Domino or how you might benefit from server consolidation, an AIX or Linux application or logical partitioning.
First, included in both offerings:
- Graphs Available on Demand - PM for System i graphs are available electronically where and when you need them through web based browser access, securely and privately. Note: You will require Adobe Acrobat to view or print.
- PM for System i integration with IBM Workload Estimator - PM for System i data for your system can now be integrated with the IBM Workload Estimator to help you easily size your next System i upgrade based on your utilization and growth. Additional capabilities include the sizing for Domino, WebSphere or other specific applications, including the sizing necessary to accommodate the consolidation of several workloads onto one system and sizing to logical partitions.
If your System i model, iSeries server or AS/400 is covered under an IBM Hardware Maintenance Agreement or Warranty, you'll have the benefit of these additional functions at no extra charge:
- PM for System i Management Summary Graph: This graph provides a quick snapshot of your system's current utilization and growth trends. Updated monthly, this graph gives critical management information for average and peak average workloads for both first and second shift. Processor utilization for both interactive, batch, and disk capacity used is included. And to stay informed of your system growth, a bar graph projects the time remaining until a performance threshold will be exceeded. Click here for a sample Management Summary Graph.
- PM for System i Letter of Notification: In the event that you do not review your reports via the Internet, you will receive a letter that will inform you when your system is within six months of reaching a performance threshold or capacity limitation.
The monthly Report set includes:
- 26 detailed reports and graphs: These reports and graphs, available through an IBM Global Services fee offering, provide the detailed information you need to clearly visualize the growth of your system, and to help diagnose existing performance problems. Click here to view samples of the detailed reports and Graphs.
Interactive Graphing Client
The PM for System i Interactive Graphing Client is the new feature enabling you to interactively modify and graph your performance data within one business day of receipt by IBM - This capability is enabled only when you subscribe to the PM for System i fee service offering.
Now on a daily basis, PM for System i can help you ensure high availability to your internal and external clients, manage your system service level, identify constrained resources and analyze unexpected peaks among other things.
For a brief video on how to utilize the Interactive Graphing Client, please click to play here.
To access a demonstration of the new graphing feature, go to PM for System i Reports Login and sign in using 'mycompany' for the User ID and 'demoview' for the password. - Manage your system with more flexibility. Data and trends are not only collected and calculated for "average" utilization across the measured time period, but for "peak average" utilization as well, which means you have more flexibility to manage your system to the "peak" versus to the "average".
- New and improved PM for System i fee offering graph explanations. Many of the "shift average" and "peak average" analysis reports contain text clarification to accompany the graphs and make them easy to understand, user-friendly and enable you to visualize the trend more clearly.
- Explain growth and performance issues in non-technical terms. The stoplight report provides a very simple method that explains the issues surrounding growth and performance of your system to non-technical management.
To learn more about the Terms and Conditions of using PM for System i, click here.
PM for System i is an integrated function within i5/OS and OS/400 that automates many of the steps required in capacity planning and performance analysis...functions that are critical in helping ensure your systems are ready for the challenges of an e-business on demand era.
Simply activate PM Agent for System i and Collection Services will automatically collect system utilization information. This information can include CPU utilization and disk capacity, response time, throughput, application and user usage.
Note: The information collected is limited to non-proprietary system utilization data coming from Collection Services. Beginning at Version 5 Release 2 of OS/400, a 60 day history file of PM for System i data is automatically collected but not transmitted until you activate PM for System i. Again, the information is available when you need to know.
The data is then summarized and sent to IBM for analysis. Reports and graphs showing your system's utilization and growth are then returned periodically to you.
Information whenever you need it... wherever you need it! Click here to see activation instructions.
|
