Halcyon Software announced version 11 of Record and Playback, which automates IBM i system processes to improve productivity and reduce costs. This flexible and cost effective solution automates system processes and essential housekeeping tasks that previously required manual intervention, decision-making or out-of-hours attendance by IT staff. Additionally, it reduces costs and delivers significant increases in productivity for organizations using IBM i platforms in a wide range of market sectors including financial, retail and managed services.

Record and Playback V11 provides a simple way to record and capture every step associated with system processes. It can be used when jobs are run interactively, or when interactive screens would normally need input from the IT team. A new screen capture capability allows the recording of all keystrokes, including Function keys and the Enter key, that are necessary to submit a job and replays the sequence automatically at the appropriate time.

The software has the capability to create and playback scripts that enable system processes, complex, interactive jobs and applications to run automatically without the need for user interaction or staff attendance. Any subsequent actions, should the routines not successfully complete or require follow-up tasks, can also be automated, eliminating human error and significantly reducing the need to process repetitive, time-consuming or complex IT jobs. Record and Playback V11 delivers significant business benefits by reducing overtime costs and increasing efficiency by automating complicated and essential processes such as interactive job submissions, systems saves, back-ups and repetitive program functional testing.

“Record and Playback V11 is easy to use as it automatically creates scripts to cater for the most complex processes or tedious jobs without the user requiring high levels of IBM i programming skills,” commented Carole Chandler, Sales and Marketing Director of Halcyon Software. “We are making a significant investment in rewriting our full range of system monitoring and automation software tools, taking advantage of the latest technologies to ensure full and continued compatibility with current and future operating systems. This will reduce the level of support required and enable users to maximise their investment in systems monitoring and IT automation technology.

Halcyon Software has designed Record and Playback V11 to be faster and more intuitive to use than previous versions. Scripts can be easily edited at any time, without the need to re-record them, to add additional functionality or maintain compatibility with application software updates. This ensures that automated processes continue to run efficiently and eliminates business disruption. A unique new feature is the screen capture mode which allows users to visually check screen by screen the status of all playback sessions. This means IT administrators have full visibility of what actually happened on the IBM i system so that any external issues that caused failed sessions can be quickly identified and resolved.

Chandler added, “Record and Playback will enable users to automate essential system tasks, reduce service delivery costs and improve the productivity of your IBM i server infrastructure. It will also allow them to manage a rapidly expanding range of IT systems without requiring additional staff resources.”

Record and Playback V11 can also be used in conjunction with Halcyon’s Advanced Job Scheduler V11, which enables organizations to schedule and track complex job streams across different IBM i platforms to ensure that business processes are running smoothly.

Record and Playback V11 is available either as a standalone utility or as an additional component to any of Halcyon’s Suites for the IBM i. Existing users can upgrade to this latest release free of charge.

For additional information on Record and Playback V11, visit: www.halcyonsoftware.com/recordplayback

About Halcyon Software

Halcyon Software is a global leader in multi-platform systems management solutions that reduce the complexity and cost of monitoring critical business systems, core applications and processes. They help companies prevent business disruption, increase the efficiency of their IT services and save costs.  In most cases, Halcyon’s solutions increase IT efficiency by 30 – 40 percent, delivering significant savings and a rapid return on investment – often in less than six months.

Halcyon achieves this in three ways:

Monitoring: Halcyon’s monitoring software keeps a vigilant watch on the most critical IT systems and core applications on which business depends. IT administrators receive early warnings of any potential problems or ‘bottlenecks’ before they affect the organization.

Automating: Halcyon enables IT teams to set up ‘self–corrective actions’ to issues or problems to ensure that they never impact the business again.  IT teams can also automate regular tasks, checks or jobs which would normally be undertaken manually. This frees up valuable resources, saves costs and helps to eliminate human error. 

Reporting: Halcyon’s cloud-based reporting solution proves to management that the IT team is achieving the service levels demanded by the business or flags any issues so they can be quickly resolved. 

Halcyon’s products support IBM Power Systems servers running IBM i, AIX, Linux and Windows. With regional offices in the United States, Australia and UK, Halcyon also has a network of partners and distributors supporting territories world-wide. For further information, please visit www.halcyonsoftware.com