Tracking your system performance over time allows you to plan for
your system's growth and ensures that you have data to help isolate and identify
the cause of performance problems. Learn which applications to use and how
to routinely collect performance data.
Tracking system performance for the iSeries™ server
helps you identify trends that can help you tune your system configuration
and make the best choices about when and how to upgrade your system. Moreover,
when problems occur, it is essential to have performance data from before
and after the incident to narrow down the cause of the performance problem,
and to find an appropriate resolution.
TheiSeries server includes
several applications for tracking performance trends and maintaining a historical
record of iSeries performance
data. Most of these applications use the data collected by Collection Services.
You can use Collection Services to watch for trends in the following areas:
- Trends in system resource utilization. You can use this information to
plan and specifically tailor system configuration changes and upgrades.
- Identification of stress on physical components of the configuration.
- Balance between the use of system resource by interactive jobs and batch
jobs during peak and normal usage.
- Configuration changes. You can use Collection Services data to accurately
predict the effect of changes like adding user groups, increased interactive
jobs, and other changes.
- Identification of jobs which may be causing problems with other activity
on the system
- Utilization level and trends for available communication lines.
The following tools will help you monitor your system performance over
time:
- Collection services
- Collection services gathers performance data at user-defined time intervals
and then stores this information in collection objects on your system. Many
of the other tools, including monitors, Graph history, PM iSeries,
and many functions in the Performance Tools licensed program, rely on these
collection objects for their data.
- Graph history
- Graph history displays performance data collected with Collection Services
over a specified period of time through a graphical user interface (GUI).
The length of time available for display depends on how long you are retaining
the collection objects, and whether you are using PM iSeries.
- PM iSeries
- PM iSeries automates the
collection, archival, and analysis of system performance data and returns
clear reports to help you manage system resources and capacity.