QSystem Monitor (QSM), the CCSS performance monitoring and reporting solution for Power Systems, running IBM i and System i servers, now includes important new disk capabilities to help managers identify sudden increases in disk usage, and eradicate the expensive investigation time that follows these events. The new disk functionality includes two real-time monitors that identify the largest library and largest object on the system, together with a new real-time disk collection feature.

"The beneficial impact of these monitors will be substantial," says Paul Ratchford, product manager for CCSS, "You need only ask a manager who's had to resolve a disk issue the hard way-the difference is vast in terms of the time it takes. If, for example, a system user was running a query and that query began to loop, resulting in a sudden surge of 10GB of disk space, the system manager would have to find that rogue query in the system without any immediate ability to identify where it was located, i.e. in which library. His only choice would be a painstaking analysis of the system log at a later date, due to the historical nature of the analysis data. Now this information is immediately accessible through the real-time online monitor."

The new real-time disk collection capability brings substantial new value to both the online monitor and the MONDSKINQ command. Now, the disk monitor can be told to perform a delta scan of the system at intervals during the day and will utilize real-time collection results for object based elements such as record count and object size. Analysis of disk issues using real-time information, rather than data from the last full collection, gives immediate insight as to the cause and location of sudden and potentially damaging disk use surges.

The first of the two new monitors is the real-time largest library monitor which utilizes the results obtained through the real-time disk collection capability. The online monitor, the central viewing and control module of QSystem Monitor, gives a visual representation of the largest library, and its real-time size, in the form of a dedicated bar (or bars, depending on how many largest libraries the user wants to see). Size thresholds can be attributed to a chosen color code, so libraries within the uppermost size threshold would be shown as red, those within the next size threshold shown as amber, the next range yellow and those with no threshold may be green. This simple system acts as clear and effective means of at-a-glance monitoring as it can be tailored to suit the needs of individual systems, making it highly relevant and specified, but also makes certain it is universally understood - if the bar is red, action is required!

By right-clicking this element, users can view details on the largest libraries in the system that conform to their object selection criteria--namely, the system, library name, size and any associated text.  The object selection criteria for this element limits the objects considered when calculating the size of a library. For example, by specifying QSYS* for library, the user sees the largest library beginning with QSYS on the system. Alternatively, by specifying SAVF for object attribute, the user sees the library containing the largest amount of save files in the system. The size returned will be the total storage taken by save files in the library, not the total library size. This selection capability allows for any combination of object selections to achieve a variety of different results. Additional specified library bars can be created and viewed in the online monitor next to the generic, ‘largest library'. A good example of this is an additional bar for libraries containing the largest amount of journal receivers. Again, a right click on this bar in the online monitor would give a list view of all the largest libraries containing journal receivers and all their associated information.

The second new monitor included in the latest release of QSM is the real-time largest object monitor and it performs under the same protocol as the largest library monitor by taking its information from the new real-time disk collection feature. Managers can use this monitor in exactly the same way as the library monitor and right click the bar in the online monitor to show a list, and the associated details, of the largest objects that conform to the object selection criteria. Important additional bars can also be created for viewing alongside the largest object bar in the online monitor, for example, the largest SAVF objects on the system.

For more information on QSystem Monitor, visit: http://www.ccssltd.com/products/QSystemMonitor.html

About CCSS

CCSS develops, supports and markets IBM i (on Power Systems & 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, Siemens Healthcare, RWE npower and Waterstone's.

CCSS has its headquarters in Gillingham, Kent, UK with key regional headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Bonn, Germany and Makati City, Philippines together with a global agent network spanning Austria, Portugal, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden.

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.