Server Monitoring

iSeries AS400 Monitoring

NimBUS for iSeries AS400 Monitoring aids in management productivity, system availability, and achieving peak system performance.

Primary features:

• Automated 7x24 system health check monitoring
• Automated data collection for historical performance reporting and trend analysis
• Automated SLA-based performance monitoring and service compliance reporting

Additional features:

• Monitors storage, jobs, users, processing unit, addresses, log file, directories and files, and more
• Alert escalation and flexible notification options, i.e. email, SMS, cell, pager, and more
• Windows-based GUI simplifies and centralizes monitoring configuration
• Customizable web-based alarm dashboards and reporting
• Modular monitoring probes - install just what is needed
• Extremely quick to install and easy to implement - initial setup in less than an hour with only seconds to minutes required for each additional iSeries AS400 system
• Integral with NimBUS multi-platform server support; UNIX, Linux, Netware, and Windows

Five (5) NimBUS probes run independently or concurrently for maximum visibility into the iSeries AS400 environment. The probes monitor message queues and log files, running jobs, directory and file integrity, plus monitoring for a myriad of system statistics such as processing unit, storage, users and more. Each probe has an intuitive configuration GUI that provides remote access to iSeries AS400 systems - examples of each probe GUI are included throughout this solution overview.

The NimBUS iSeries AS400 solution can generate real-time alarms when thresholds are crossed, generate performance data for both real time and historical performance reporting, and perform SLA-based monitoring with compliance reporting.

Figure below: This sub-sectional view of the NimBUS Manager lists the iSeries AS400 monitoring probes. Probes are easily configured and then dragged-and-dropped onto target systems for immediate monitoring - no system restart is required to activate or update the probe's configurations.

iSeries AS400 Mid-range Server - Functional Subsystems Monitored

Message Queue Monitor

The iSeries AS400 Fetch Message Probe eliminates the need to manually monitor message queues (OQSYOPR). The probe automates system message queue monitoring and combines this function with flexible notification. This combination allows for increased polling frequency and provides system administrator's mobility without concern that critical messages will be missed.

Figure below: The series of screen shots below illustrate (left to right) the Fetch Message Probe 'fetching' all messages from the iSeries AS400 message queue - when a message in the list is selected the alarm profile tool will be launched. The alarm profile tool provides for inputs so the probe knows how to recognize specific messages and which alarm severity should be assigned.

The iSeries AS400 Fetch Message Probe can be configured to report alarm conditions that are of high importance and require actions to be taken, such as:

• Printers out of paper
• System errors
• Malfunction on devices
• System IPL

Figure below: The NimBUS iSeries AS400 Fetch Message Probe uniquely detects system IPL (reboot or "hard stop") conditions.

Log File, Text File Monitor

The iSeries AS400 Log File Probe will monitor any text-based log files for entries requiring operator or system administrator intervention.

Figure below: To monitor a text-based log file simply create a new monitor profile. In the example below, the new monitoring profile is labeled, 'OS400 Log Watcher'. Once the profile is defined, the next step is to input the path where the log file is located on the iSeries AS400 system - a browser is available to facilitate locating the file. Next, regular expressions can be defined so that the parsing process can single out specific log entries requiring alert generation.

File and Directory Monitor

The iSeries AS400 File and Directory Monitor probe is ideal for monitoring authorized and unauthorized changes made to system directories and files.

The iSeries AS400 File and Directory Monitor probe will monitor specified directories to ensure they exist (or don't exist) in the file system, furthermore the probe will scan the contents of each directory to check for the existence (or non-existence) of any specified files. The probe will also monitor directory and file age (newest/oldest), size (space used), and quantity (number of files) - for each check the probe can be configured to record query response times.

Figure below: Defining a directory and file 'watcher' is a simple process - click on the probe to launch its configuration GUI. Right mouse click and select 'add watcher', input a name for the new watcher, and then browse to the directory/file requiring close attention. Once the directory and or file are selected, a number of monitoring choices (see tabs in the image furthest right) are available.

Job Monitor

The iSeries AS400 Job Monitor Probe monitors jobs to determine if they are running, not running, and the number of instances of a particular job. For jobs requiring close scrutiny, the probe configuration GUI provides a point and click facility to enable quick definition of the job's distinctive properties. Properties that can be used for singling out specific jobs are:

• Job name
• Job type
• Job subtype
• Active status
• Job owner
• Processing units used
• Temporary storage used
• Job description
• Job queue name
• Subsystem description

Figure below: The iSeries AS400 Job Monitor Probe can be configured to generate an alarm when the job matching the defined properties is; found, not found, or the job is found and has instances equal to the number defined in the job profile.

When the 'All active jobs' tab is selected in the probe GUI, all active jobs are fetched and displayed. Select any job to create a monitoring profile for it - numerous inputs are automatically populated. Where 'processing units' and 'temporary storage' is a critical defining property the probe support inputs and operators for those statistic values.

Statistics Monitor - iSeries AS400 System Statistics Probe

The iSeries AS400 System Statistics Probe retrieves a group of statistics (SSTS0100 and SSTS0200 formats) that represents the status of the iSeries AS400 system.

Examples of statistic information collected:

• Number of users currently signed on, number of users signed off with print files waiting
• Number of user jobs temporarily suspended by group jobs or system request jobs
• Number of batch jobs currently running, held waiting and ended
• Percentage of maximum addresses used for permanent and temporary objects
• Usage of the processing unit, storage capacity and system ASP
• Current number of system and user jobs

Figure below: The iSeries AS400 System Statistics Probe GUI provides point-and-click drop-down access to system variables (SSTS0100 and SSTS0200). Right mouse click in the 'Status' window to create a new (or edit an existing) monitoring profile. Building a new profile is as easy as selecting a statistic from the pre-populated drop down list, defining thresholds values, and defining the appropriate level of alarm severity. Statistic polling values are easily archived for historical performance reporting and trend analysis.

The iSeries AS400 System Statistics Probe can generate alarm messages and archive sample values for any of the following system statistics:

Total Jobs Monitor

The total number of user jobs and system jobs that are currently in the system. The total includes:

• All jobs on job queues waiting to be processed.
• All jobs currently active (being processed).
• All jobs that have completed running but still have output on output queues to be produced.

Batch Jobs Monitor

• Batch jobs waiting for messages
• Batch jobs ended with pending printer output
• The number of batch jobs that are in the process of ending due to one of the following conditions:
  • The job finishes processing normally.
  • The job ends before its normal completion point and is being removed from the system.
• Batch jobs held while running
• Batch jobs running
• Batch jobs waiting to run or already scheduled
• Batch jobs held on a job queue
• Batch jobs on a held job queue
• Batch jobs on an unassigned job queue

User Monitor

• Users currently signed on
• Users temporarily signed off (disconnected)
• Users suspended by system request
• Users suspended by group jobs
• Users signed off with printer output waiting to print

Processing Unit Monitor

• % Processing unit used
• % DB capability - maximum CPU utilization available for database processing on this server

Address Monitor

• % Permanent addresses
• % Temporary addresses

Storage Monitor

• Main storage size
• Current unprotected storage used
• Maximum unprotected storage used
• Total system ASP (Auxiliary Storage Pool)
• % System ASP used

It is possible to craft customized alarm messages for all iSeries AS400 probes to accelerate alert interpretation and resolution action. All monitored variable values can be automatically archived for performance reporting and trend analysis. The SLA manager will analyze realtime and archived performance data for SLA compliance/breach analysis and reporting.

Alarm Dashboards

The iSeries AS400 solution offers a Windows and web-based alarm console. The NimBUS Alarm Console can be applied to create and customize user specific iSeries AS400 monitoring "dashboards." Alarm dashboards can show up to the minute, color-coded status of critical iSeries AS400 functional subsystems and resources.

Performance Reporting

The iSeries AS400 solution supports historical and realtime performance reporting enabling resource trend analysis, load balancing, capacity planning and preemptive resolution for degrading conditions. A simple click activates the archival of sample values resulting from periodic alarm polling - the instant the archival option is selected (in the probe configuration GUI) a performance report is automatically generated and easily accessible. Performance reports are Windows-based and web-based.

SLA Monitoring and Compliance Reporting

The iSeries AS400 solution offers a robust SLA creation, monitoring, and compliance reporting solution. Quality of Service and performance data collected by the NimBUS for iSeries AS400 probes can be leveraged to calculate and report on service level compliance and breaches. All SLA and performance reports are viewable in Windows and HTML format via web-browser.

OS400 Version Support:

• OS400 V4.5 or higher

The iSeries AS400 probe is one in a series of NimBUS server platform probes with a similar look-and-feel. Server monitoring probes are also available for UNIX, Linux, Windows, and Netware - this broad platform uniquely positions NimBUS for heterogeneous server environments

The NimBUS for iSeries AS400 Monitoring solution requires minimal effort for implementation, training, and will not require extensive ongoing maintenance.

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