02
Sat, Nov
2 New Articles

Case Study: Bytware MessengerPlus

Case Studies
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

 

The City of Farmington, New Mexico, is tucked into the northwest corner of the state, where it serves as the commercial center for the Four Corners region. The local population has grown dramatically over the last decade, recently passing the 50,000 mark, but that's a mere fraction of the crowd that shows up on weekends and holidays, when the influx of tourists can swell the population to 250,000, creating gridlock and straining the city's fire and police protection capacities. Critical services have to keep up as the population swells, and Bytware's MessengerPlus plays a pivotal role in keeping Farmington humming.

Maintaining the computer services vital to the booming community is the responsibility of Rick Weinstein, 46, who has been in his post of Information Services Administrator for a decade. Over that time, his staff has shrunk from six to two, so efficient monitoring of essential functions is job one. "My whole job, basically," says Weinstein, "is making sure the system is working and the network is running when it needs to be."

The lifeblood of Weinstein's operations is an IBM iSeries that Weinstein praises as "the best business computer in the world." The iSeries handles all of Farmington's financial transactions, stores all police reports and public safety records, operates as the backup for the 911 call center at the county seat in Aztec, and processes all billing information for the 44,000 customers of the city-owned power utility. In all, over 700 users depend on the iSeries. "It's an extremely crucial machine," Weinstein summarizes, "and MessengerPlus has been crucial in keeping it up and running." Even though backup systems are in place, any interruption in service could have catastrophic consequences. That's why Weinstein relies on Bytware's MessengerPlus to inform him of problems before they can disrupt the system.

MessengerPlus is an automatic monitoring and notification system that pages Weinstein the moment it detects a critical event. Most problems are fixed before the user community is even aware of them. "As Bytware says in one of their ads, 'Do you want to know when the fuse is lit or when the bomb goes off?' " says Weinstein. "MessengerPlus always tells me when the fuse is lit, such as when a job is hung or when the system is close to maxing out. I can't tell you how many times it's saved my cookies, so to speak. I cannot envision running this system without it. We run 24/7 with a total of three people; I've got to have a way of knowing what's going on with the system all the time, and this does it."

Weinstein cites the example of a software glitch that caused a runaway job to fill up a critical disk drive. "While we had other protections in place, if MessengerPlus hadn't noticed that the drive was reaching its capacity, this one job could have shut the system down." MessengerPlus was installed on the iSeries in 1998, and in the six years since, Weinstein has never had a problem with MessengerPlus and never had to reboot the iSeries. "Both products are incredibly stable," admires Weinstein. "My job as a systems administrator is to plan for the worst and hope for the best," he adds. "I'm kind of paranoid by nature, and MessengerPlus lets me rest a little bit, knowing that I have a way of knowing what's going on with the system, of anticipating problems and letting me be proactive."

Before MessengerPlus was installed, problems could go unchecked. "Backup jobs would get hung, and you'd arrive in the morning to a rude awakening," notes Weinstein. "One time, the main communication line between our iSeries here and the one in Aztec that serves the 911 call center went down, so police couldn't access their reports." Now, when MessengerPlus detects a problem, Weinstein is automatically paged. "If I'm not on site, 99% of the time I can use a secure Internet line from my home and fix the problem."

Even potentially major glitches can be identified and cured before the user community can be impacted. "One night, I got a page at 2:00 a.m.—these things never happen at 10:00 a.m., when you're awake—because an IBM disc drive was damaged. I was able to do the diagnostics from home, call IBM, and within an hour the drive was replaced and the system kept running. Undetected, the system could have abnormally terminated and shut down. Instead, the users never knew."

On another occasion, MessengerPlus signaled Weinstein when a backup process didn't complete. "Because I saw the message, I was able to come in a couple of hours earlier and start an abbreviated backup and was able to go ahead and protect the previous day's work, unbeknownst to any users, but I would not have known that if I hadn't had MessengerPlus."

Weinstein has tailored MessengerPlus to signal him about a variety of system functions. "We have a utility-billing job that runs every night, processing bills for our electric customers; MessengerPlus lets me know if that job doesn't complete for any reason. I can tell it to search my history log, and if we don't get a completion, it lets me know that. I can set it up dynamically to check our journals and let me know what's happened and what hasn't. It also allows me to ping each of my servers to let me know they're running and every interface is working. And it lets me know if we've had a power failure. I could go on ad infinitum over all the ways it helps me protect the system."

Weinstein is just as enthusiastic about Bytware's support staff as he is about its software. "The Bytware people are a very effective support team. Anytime I've had any questions, they've always been right there. The documentation is great, but that doesn't always solve the problem. There are some things you just don't get unless you talk to somebody. I consider the people to be as important as the product itself; the product works fantastically, and Bytware's product support is excellent."

Asked if he would recommend MessengerPlus to other communities that depend on reliable service from their iSeries systems, Weinstein replies, "Unequivocally. I've never had a problem. That speaks volumes about the quality, I think. It makes a small staff much more effective and efficient, because essentially it's like having another person there 24/7. I couldn't envision running my system without it."

About Bytware: Bytware pioneered automated monitoring and notification in the late 1980s with its Messenger product and revolutionized iSeries security at the start of the new millennium with StandGuard, followed by the release of StandGuard Anti-Virus (powered by McAfee) and, most recently, the Windows-style file protection utility StandGuard Recycle Bin. Bytware is committed to providing its customers with new, innovative, and cost-effective means to managing system events and security, and devotes 100% of its development and marketing resources to this end. Bytware is an Advanced Business Partner with IBM.


  http://www.mcpressonline.com/articles/images/2002/FarmingtonCaseStudy090604FinalV300.png
 
 Bytware, Inc.
 9440 Double R Blvd, Suite B
 Reno, Nevada 89521-5990
 Tel: 775.851.2900 or 800.932.5557
 Web: www.bytware.com

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: