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Robot/SPACE 3.0: New features roundup

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Robot/SPACE 3.0 includes important new enhancements that will help you manage your disk space even better than before.

Active Job Storage Monitoring
Robot/SPACE monitors the amount of storage used by active jobs. A looping job or a server communication job can consume a large amount of temporary storage and push your disk storage to its capacity, causing a storage crisis. In addition to the job temporary storage monitor that evaluates temporary storage allocated by jobs, Robot/SPACE 3.0 offers two new monitors: Job QTEMP Monitor and Job Spooled File Monitor.

  • The Job QTEMP Monitor evaluates the storage allocated by the QTEMP library for active jobs on your system. It notifies you when active jobs are using excessive storage for their QTEMP library. QTEMP libraries are reclaimed automatically by the system when the owning job ends.
  • The Job Spooled File Monitor evaluates the storage allocated for spooled files by active jobs on your system and can notify you when active jobs are using excessive storage for spooled files.

In Robot/SPACE 3.0, job monitors now can track detailed information for every threshold exception, in addition to summary information.

For any job monitor, you can define a default job threshold to notify you of problems. Notification can be through a Robot/ALERT message (to an e-mail address, cell phone, or other device), a Robot/NETWORK status message, or a message to a message queue monitored by Robot/CONSOLE, allowing Robot/CONSOLE to run OPAL code to correct the situation.

Robot/SPACE 3.0 provides a new Robot/GUIDE to help you set up the Job Storage Monitors.

Storage Audits
Robot/SPACE 3.0 includes two enhancements to storage audits:

  • The Storage Audit properties panel now supports specifying *ALLAVL for the Auxiliary Storage Pool (ASP) Group in addition to a specific ASP or *SYSBAS. Select *SYSBAS to run the audit over objects from available ASPs from 1 to 32. Select *ALLAVL to run the audit from all available ASPs from 1 to 255.
  • The Storage Audit History window now allows you to display job information such as job sttributes, job spooled files, and the job log.

Storage Collections
Robot/SPACE provides “collection groups” to collect statistics for objects on your system (type, size, growth, last used date, and so on). You can collect statistics for native System i objects, IFS objects, output queues, and for clients connected to your System i with Robot/CLIENT.

Robot/SPACE 3.0 includes a number of enhancements to collection groups:

  • A new Advanced Options tab includes options for tracking member statistics (logical and/or source members) and using object size filters. Use the object size filters to exclude library object details or IFS file details of objects under a specified size.
  • IFS filters now support ASP group restrictions.
  • In addition to comparing library and object growth between collection runs, Robot/SPACE 3.0 now can compare members, output queues, IFS files, and IFS directories. You can display these reports from the Collection Explorer, or schedule them in Robot/SCHEDULE from the Collection Reports menu.
  • You can create on-demand reports of collection statistics. From the Collection Explorer, you can create collection history reports in PDF, HTML, or text format. Just right-click a library in Collection Group history, select Report, then select All Records or Selected Records.
  • You can view job information for collection jobs from the Collection Explorer. Easily look at the job attributes, job spooled files, and the job log for a collection group.

Queries and Reports
Robot/QUERY allows you to create customized graphs and reports from your collection group history by using specific selection and sort criteria. Results are viewable as growth history graphs, growth trend graphs, and/or reports. In Robot/SPACE 3.0 the following enhancements were made to Robot/QUERY:

  • A new command, SPCQRYRPT, allows Robot/QUERY reports to be scheduled. Previously, each query had to be run on demand from the Robot/SPACE Explorer.
  • The Reports section has additional collection comparison reports that allow you to generate reports to compare members, output queues, IFS files, and IFS directories.

Other Product Enhancements
Robot/SPACE 3.0 also includes the following enhancements:

  • The Import/Export function now allows you to move multiple items at one time.
  • Role-based product security allows you to create roles (such as administrators, operators, or users) and define what each role is allowed to do. For example, you can define who is allowed to change the setup of collection groups, storage audits, and so on. You also can define those who cannot change, or even view, those functions.
  • The Data Filter Manager has been enhanced so you can create, save, and edit filters. When viewing collection group history, the Data Filter Manager makes it easy to view specific data. You can also export filters to other systems using the Import/Export function.

Contributed by Jenny Dischinger and Jeff Pedretti, Technical Consultants