Resources

Article
Article

The Commercial Power of SQL-Based Monitoring

By Kurt Thomas on Thu, 09/15/2016
The SQL-based monitoring feature in Robot Monitor means organizations can now apply the valuable insights, analysis, and real-time notifications that they use for system information to information from broader business applications.
Monitoring
Blog
Blog

Do You Need Enterprise Scheduling Software?

By Tom Huntington on Tue, 08/30/2016
Job scheduling was simpler when you only needed to worry about your IBM i (AS400) server and its batch processes, but several dynamics have changed over the past decade which have forced us into worrying about processes on other platforms.
Automation
Blog
Blog

Big Data? BIG DEAL!

By Kurt Thomas on Tue, 08/30/2016
With the dawn of the big data era upon us, what can IBM i systems administrators expect in terms of the demands that will be placed upon them and what kind of resources will be required to cope? Find out what the managed services industry can teach us today about what the future holds for us tomorrow.
Monitoring
Article
Article

Automate the Un-Automatable

By Chuck Losinski on Tue, 08/30/2016
Automated job scheduling means your batch jobs run smoothly and your stress level goes down, but that’s only half the battle if you’re using labor-intensive, interactive applications that require you to fill out screens to submit a job.
IBM i Automation
Data recovery graphic
Article
Article

4 Reasons to Add VTLs

By Tom Huntington on Tue, 08/30/2016
Backup and recovery processes are among the unsung heroes of data center operations. Though end results may not be readily apparent on an everyday basis, natural and digital disasters have a way of humbling companies that do not take this risk management discipline seriously.
IBM i Automation
Blog
Blog

Is Your Boss an Automation Skeptic?

By Tom Huntington on Mon, 08/29/2016
There is little doubt among IT experts as to the potential benefits of implementing automation tools at deeper levels within the data center environment. Yet adoption rates have not always mirrored this optimism. Especially among the small business crowd, automation is still seen as something that is "nice to have" as opposed to mission-critical.
Automation
Article
Article

Disks Busy vs. ASP Busy in Robot Monitor

By Kurt Thomas on Thu, 08/25/2016
Did you know that the Disks Busy monitor reports the average percentage across all your ASPs, not just System ASP? You could be teetering near an I/O overload and not know it! If you have multiple ASPs, use the ASP Busy monitor instead. Here’s why.
Monitoring
Article
Article

High Availability Fail Tales (and How to Avoid Them)

By Kurt Thomas on Thu, 08/25/2016
Chasing a high availability state is a common goal for IBM i administrators and one that can be thwarted by a single issue left unattended. By sharing some of the most frequent tales of what went wrong from real-world environments, you’ll be able to avoid these same scenarios.
Monitoring
Article
Article

Monitoring the Demands of Fast Disk

By Kurt Thomas on Wed, 08/24/2016
The IT industry is decisively moving away from traditional hard disk drives (“platters”) in favor of Flash-based solid-state drives (SSDs). It’s a welcome change; it makes much more sense to circulate only electrons instead of disks of metal with electrons on them.
Monitoring