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PM for Power Systems

IBM Performance Management for Power Systems

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Refer to the following important news items:

System View Graphs available on Power Systems running IBM i

The IBM Performance Management Development and Worldwide Operations team is pleased to announce the availability of System View graphs on Power Systems running IBM i and running Performance Management for Power Systems. This capability provides the end user with a single, consolidated view of processor utilization versus remaining available capacity across all processors and partitions on the system.

This capability complements the prior PM for Power Systems reports, which show processor utilization at the partition level only, by providing the user a view of the system in its entirety plus a view of the individual partitions that make up the total system view.

Only customers subscribed to the detail PM for Power Systems reports either in a stand alone contract or as part of services premium offering (e.g. Enhanced Technical Support in Europe) will have access to the System View graphs.

The System View graph types available are:

  • Configuration Graph: provides a pictorial of total cores on the system versus how many are activated. Of those cores activated, how they are allocated is shown.
  • Monthly Graphs: provide a 12 month trend view of the entire system's utilization versus activated processor capacity. They also provide a view of the entire system's utilization versus a combination of the activated cores and capacity upgrade on demand cores.
  • Daily Graph: combines all the partitions on the system. The graph provides a total system view from both a combined CPU seconds perspective (average, peak average and maximum usage) and a combined core perspective.
  • Hourly Graph: provides a view of utilization by hour for the entire system.

Prerequisites:

  • IBM Power 6 hardware or above
  • Minimum of one partition running IBM i V6R1M0 or newer
  • Minimum firmware level xx340_061 or higher
  • Enable the IBM i partition for the collection of the shared pool and system wide processor utilization data before it is transmitted to IBM. The following settings are required to do this:
    • On an HMC: check 'allow performance information collection' on the partition properties / hardware / processors tab
    • If using IVM: on the 'lssyscfg' command, specify the 'all_perf_collection' to '1' to allow authority. (Note: the default is '0')

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Help screens linkage to Graph Reference Document

The IBM Performance Management Development and Worldwide Operations team is pleased to announce the availability of a new capability that enhances the user experience when desiring more information or explanation of a PM for Power Systems graph.

The 'Help' button at the top of each screen now links directly to the respective graph explanation in the PM for Power Systems Graph Reference document. This document not only provides detailed explanation of what each graph is intended to portray, but also provides additional insight into many other facets of PM for Power Systems.

This new Help function is in addition to the 'fly-over' help function announced previously. The fly-overs are designed to help the customer quickly access additional description for understanding the purpose of the graph or particular metric but at a summary level.

The PM for Power Systems Graph Reference Document can be found at: http://www.ibm.com/systems/power/support/perfmgmt.

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Shared processor pool reporting for IBM I

The IBM Performance Management Development and Worldwide Operations team is pleased to announce a significant enhancement to the IBM i detailed report offering of Performance Management (PM) for Power Systems that is designed to help customers manage their systems in a dynamic processor allocation environment. Shared physical processor pool reporting is now supported as of mid April, 2011.

Customers who are subscribed to the detail IBM Global Services fee report offering and who also have configured their systems to create a shared processor pool, will now receive three different levels of shared processor reports. Reports are provided showing 'total pool' utilization versus 'total pool' capacity:

  1. in a monthly comparison for the last year including a 3, 6 and 12 month projection of future pool utilization
  2. in a daily comparison for the last 90 days; and
  3. in an hourly comparison for the last 30 days.

Initially the only System i environments where shared processor pool reporting is supported is when all of the physical processors on the system are assigned to the shared pool. If all the available processors are not assigned to the shared pool, the graph will not be generated. This restriction will be eliminated in the near future.

Set up instructions for Shared Processor Pool Graphs

When configuring PM for Power Systems on IBM i to support the Shared Processor Pool Graphs, please follow these instructions / requirements:

  • Ensure currency on all IBM i PTF’s
  • IBM Power 5 hardware or above
  • Minimum of one partition running IBM i V5R4 or higher
  • Enable the IBM i partition for the collection of the shared pool and system wide processor utilization data before it is transmitted to IBM. The following settings are required to do this:
    • On an HMC: check 'allow performance information collection' on the partition properties / hardware / processors tab
    • If using IVM: on the 'lssyscfg' command, specify the 'all_perf_collection' to '1' to allow authority. (Note: the default is '0')

Current subscribers to the PM for Power Systems detail IBM Global Services fee report offering need not take any additional action to begin receiving the shared processor pool reports.

Similar support for AIX is under review.

For additional information on the specific graphs available with shared processor pools, refer to the PM for Power Systems Graph Reference Document (PDF, 3.24MB).

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Fly-overs now available on PM reports

The IBM Performance Management Development and Worldwide Operations team is pleased to announce the availability of text 'fly-overs' on the PM for Power Systems graphs. The fly-overs are designed to help the customer quickly access additional description for understanding the purpose of the graph or particular metric.

Fly-overs can be found behind most graph titles and legends in the interactive graphing function by simply putting the cursor over the text.

For additional information on the specific graphs and their meaning, visit the PM for Power Systems Graph Reference Document at: http://www.ibm.com/systems/power/support/perfmgmt

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PM for Power Systems AIX data collector enhanced to streamline activation

The IBM Performance Management Development and Worldwide Operations team is pleased to announce a significant enhancement to the integrated PM AIX Collection Agent that streamlines the activation of PM for Power Systems in the AIX operating system environment. This new capability began shipping in mid December, 2010.

Beginning with the installation of AIX 6.1 TL06 SP3 and AIX 7.1 TL 00 SP2, the PM AIX Collection Agent which collects performance data will automatically create and populate the PM data file needed for subsequent transmission to IBM as part of the PM for Power Systems process. The automated PM performance data file collection is an integrated function within topas, the integrated performance data collector within AIX. The user will no longer need to run the 'smit topas' or 'smit SetUpPM' commands to start creation of the file.

If you have previously configured topas to collect AIX performance data and transmit to IBM, installing the December 2010 Service Pack will not change any of the settings and your server/partition will continue to create and populate the PM data file needed for subsequent transmission to IBM.

Automatic creation of the file does not mean the file will be automatically transmitted to IBM. The user must enable transmission by configuring IBM Electronic Service Agent (ESA) call home function at the standalone server (no HMC), at the HMC, or via enabling ”performance management reporting” on the Service and Support Manager plugin for IBM Systems Director 6.2.1. (See below for how the service pack installation affects the call home function defaults.)

With the installation of the above AIX service packs (and future releases), ESA will automatically transmit the "PM" performance data file that was generated on the system’s behalf, per the following scenarios:

  1. ESA for standalone AIX server (unmanaged):  by default the file will transmit to IBM.
  2. ESA for Power HMC: the user should ensure that “transmit performance data” is configured at the HMC. Default transmission setting will vary by HMC version.
  3. ESA for Service and Support Manager 6.2.1 (IBM Systems Director): By default performance data reporting is set “Enabled”.

Installation of the AIX service packs affects ESA and PM configurations in the following manner:

  • ESA for AIX -- unmanaged environment (ie. ESA installed on an AIX server): Installation of the above service packs enables ESA to transmit performance data, and updates any prior configuration options selected within ESA. If ESA was not previously configured, then the default will be set to 'Transmit Performance Data' when the user installs the service pack and subsequently configures ESA.
  • ESA for Power HMC environment (ie ESA call home functions configured within the Power HMC): For most versions of the HMC, the default ESA configuration is set to ”Transmit Performance Data”. Installation of the AIX service pack at the partition will not change the existing ESA on HMC settings for the transmission of performance data. The user should verify desired settings.
  • ESA for IBM Systems Director environment: (ESA resides in the Service & Support Manager plugin) Installation of the AIX service pack at the server will not change existing ESA on Director transmission settings. The user should ensure that the performance data transmission checkbox reflects 'Enabled’ within Service and Support Manager 6.2.1 (Systems Director) to have ESA transmit the performance data.

The 'PM' performance data file created within topas as a result of this change defaults to an average of a 128k file size at the partition level. The file will contain one day of history. The user has the option to increase the number of days of history retained should subsequent re-transmission of the performance data be needed.

The new process on PM for Power Systems on AIX is now more similar to how the PM for Power Systems process works on IBM i.

If you wish to learn more about this new process or how to stop transmission or collection of PM for Power Systems data, visit our website: http://www.ibm.com/systems/power/support/perfmgmt/faq.html

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IBM Systems Director to transmit PM data

Within IBM Systems Director 6.2.1, generally available on November 19, 2010, transmission of IBM Performance Management for Power Systems (PM) data is facilitated for the AIX environment, providing clients convenience and flexibility when determining how to transmit their 'PM' data to IBM. Specifically, the Service and Support Manager (SSM) function within IBM Systems Director provides clients with the option to request that Systems Director find the PM data file created by the PM collection agent. If a file exists, the SSM will select the file and include it in its routine transmission of electronic service and support information as part of the 'call home' function. Clients retain the option to still use the IBM Electronic Service Agent as the data transmission software should they so choose.

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New detail File System graph available within PM for Power Systems

The PM for Power Systems team is pleased to announce the availability of a new file system detail graph for those AIX clients who are subscribed to the detail report level PM for Power Systems offering. Planned availability is mid October, 2010. Existing file system graphs show a composite single view of all file systems assigned to the partition. This additional new detail graph will provide the detail behind the summary by showing capacity utilization for up to ten of the most heavily used file systems combined in the composite. This new detailed report can help make it easier to understand the dynamics of current file system utilization and help with more efficient management of file systems going forward.

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The IBM Performance Management for Power Systems detail report has been significantly enhanced on IBM i

We are pleased to announce the availability of new 'pie' charts as part of the detail report .pdf in support of IBM i within IBM PM for Power Systems. These new charts, depicting the Top 10 analysis, are now included for Response Time, Transaction Volumes, Transaction Analysis, Low Priority (batch) Jobs and Print Outs. They are designed to help the customer more easily understand which jobs or users are the most frequent consumers of the system resource.

Additionally, a new Top 10 'pie' chart in support of the print queue graph is also available when accessing PM for Power Systems graphs interactively under the 'Facts' tab. A redesign of the previously available pie charts underneath the Facts tab has also been implemented to enhance readability.

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PM for Power Systems data collector integrated into AIX (PM AIX Collection Agent)

AIX now includes an integrated performance data collector in support of Performance Management (PM) for Power Systems. As an extension of the TOPAS data collector function, this agent automatically collects non-proprietary utilization and growth data at a server or partition level. At the user’s option initiated via a SMIT panel, the collected data is automatically transmitted to and retained at IBM through the installation and activation of IBM’s Electronic Service Agent either standalone or on Hardware Management Console (HMC). The PM AIX Collection Agent is now integrated within the AIX operating system starting with AIX 5.3 TL 9 and AIX 6.1 TL 3.

Note: If you had originally installed the original PM Collector (pmaix.rte), then additional setup is required such as entering customer information and Enabled Data Transmission.

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