Step by step, we'll coach you through the process.

Editor's note: This article introduces the white paper "How to Build a Requirements Roadmap for Proactive IBM i System Monitoring" available free from the MC White Paper Center.

Knowing you need proactive system monitoring in your IBM i environment is one thing; implementing a successful approach is another. It begins with planning. This white paper is for system administrators and managers who are looking for a practical guide to help them maximize a new or existing, proactive approach to system monitoring. It might be that a few simple tweaks are all that is necessary to elevate the overall performance and efficiency of your IBM i to optimal levels. For others, it might require a radical overhaul of both solutions and approach. Either way, this white paper will highlight the must-have monitors, shortcuts to greater efficiency, and checklists of requirements at each stage to get you started. This is how you can build a customized roadmap for proactive IBM i system monitoring.

All Seeing. All Knowing. All the Time.

If system expectations are set at a level that allows for zero margin of error, administrators and managers will have to look to their resources to achieve the seemingly impossible. No system is immune to problems, so the solution lies in the approach to dealing with those problems in the most effective way. Increased visibility will help identify problems, but no organization can afford to assign the manpower to watch every component at all times, and even if they could, it's likely that a few would still slip through the cracks—we're only human after all.

Many automated monitoring solutions exist that can help alleviate the burden of system and message monitoring, but their effectiveness should be judged on the degree of visibility they can offer to potential problems, the time they save, and the flexibility they offer in meeting the specific views and requirements of your existing and developing network. In short, they should accommodate the typical and likely problems that can be anticipated based on your system demands, applications, throughput, and configuration. In addition, they need to provide fast access to information that will pinpoint the cause of unforeseen issues and those that are otherwise difficult to isolate.

Last Things First. Setting End Goals and Asking the Right Questions.

Before asking how proactive systems monitoring can specifically help your environment, be sure to have a clear vision of the target standards that you aim to achieve. Is your definition of optimal systems performance based on clearly measurable targets like SLAs? Is there a requirement for 24/7 availability for systems and applications? Do requirements include indirect needs for team members (e.g., more time to work on projects or more flexibility to work between locations)?

As a starting point, identify your most challenging system issues, even if they are fairly general at this stage. It's a good idea to have a solid understanding of how the system is clearly underperforming, as well as the needs of your team, since this will highlight the areas that require the most urgent attention.

Want to Know More?

Download the free white paper "How to Build a Requirements Roadmap for Proactive IBM i System Monitoring" from the MC White Paper Center.

CCSS develops, supports and markets IBM i (on Power Systems and System i servers) performance monitoring and reporting, message management and remote management solutions. An Advanced IBM Business Partner, CCSS develops powerful solutions to support some of the world’s most demanding IBM i environments across many industries including insurance, banking, pharmaceutical and manufacturing. Existing customers that rely on CCSS’s feature-rich solutions include leading organizations such as Volvo, Mattel, Newell-Rubbermaid, The Royal Bank of Scotland, and Siemens Healthcare. 

CCSS is headquartered in Gillingham, Kent, UK with key regional headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA and Bonn, Germany together with a global agent network spanning Austria, Portugal, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden.