13
Wed, Nov
5 New Articles

Vision Solutions Releases Free System Health Check Tool

System Administration
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

Editor's Note: The software mentioned in this article can be downloaded from the MC Software Center.

Ever since the AS/400 days, IBM i and its predecessors have been marketed as business-oriented systems that are easy to administer and manage. That claim is largely accurate. Nevertheless, IBM i is not self-optimizing. Over time, databases need to be reorganized, obsolete files need to be located and archived so they don’t hog storage, and other actions must be taken to maintain peak system performance and avoid unnecessary disk costs.

System optimization requirements are not always obvious, and the optimization tasks require an investment in either human resources or in an automated optimization tool. The question thus becomes: has your system reached the point where that investment is justified? A free, downloadable tool from Vision Solutions—iScore— which can be run without a license key, helps to answer that question.

The iSCORE utility analyzes multiple system attributes to perform health checks on IBM i systems. It then generates a system health report that includes a numeric summary score, called the iScore, of the system’s state of optimization. The report can help to improve the overall total cost of ownership by highlighting opportunities to optimize system performance and disk utilization. A sample of the front page of an iScore report is shown in Figure 1.

The iScore utility analyzes individual IBM i instances. Thus, if you use LPAR and have multiple partitions running IBM i, you will have to run iScore in each partition separately.

A system or LPAR’s iScore is presented as a percentage that is intended to indicate the optimization potential for that system or LPAR. The score is an amalgamation of a variety of measures, but the report produced by the utility provides a variety of additional information that can help to pinpoint specific areas that may require attention.

In addition to the overall score, the iScore report also lists the categories of system attributes that the tool evaluates. For each category, the report shows a simple binary indicator that suggests whether that category deserves attention. For each category, the report also provides a numeric value indicating both the current state of the evaluated system or LPAR and the maximum healthy level.

The categories that the utility evaluates include the following:

Category

Factors Considered

IFS

The age, usage, and size of files in the IFS. Older, larger or unused files increase the score.

Indexes

The age and size of indexes. Unused indexes and access paths increase the score.

Jobs

Jobs’ inefficient use of temporary storage and QTEMP. Jobs using more temporary storage increase the score.

Journals

The age and size of journal receivers. Older or larger journal receivers increase the score.

Objects

The number of unreferenced, unused, or old objects on the system, which can impact saves, backups, disaster recovery, and high availability activities. Unreferenced, unused, or old objects increase the score.

Queries

The number of Query/400 reports on the system. More reports results in a higher score.

Records

The amount of deleted record space and the number of deleted records in files. Files with more deleted record space or deleted records increase the score.

Save Files

The age and size of save files. Older or larger save files increase the score.

Spool

The age and size of spool files. Older or larger spool files increase the score.

System

The amount of disk space used compared to the total disk space. Higher disk space use increases the scores.

 

In addition to the system health data, the iScore report also provides details of the evaluated system or LPAR and lists all licensed products running on it and all of its system values.

Once you have generated the iSCORE report, you can review it to understand the health of your system and areas that can benefit from cleanup or optimization. In addition, reports can be e-mailed to Vision Solutions or a Vision business partner for a more detailed interpretation.

The iSCORE utility runs on IBM i, however the installer runs on a PC that must have the Sun Java Runtime Environment 1.6 and FTP access to the IBM i system on which the iSCORE utility will be run. The software can be obtained by clicking here: iSCORE.

The following IBM i licensed programs must be installed on the system where iScore will run:

  • 5722SS1 / 5761SS1 *BASE (i5/OS V5R3M0+)
  • 5722SS1 / 5761SS1 0030 (QShell)
  • 5722SS1 / 5761SS1 0033 (P.A.S.E.)
  • 5722JV1 / 5761JV1 *BASE (IBM Developer Kit for Java)
  • 5722JV1 / 5761JV1 0007 (Java Developer Kit 5.0) / 0008 (J2SE 5.0 32 bit)

 iscoreunhealthy

Figure 1: iScore Report Front Page

Bill Hammond
Bill Hammond directs Vision Solutions' product marketing efforts for information availability software solutions. Hammond joined Vision Solutions in 2003 with more than 15 years of experience in product marketing, product management, and product development roles in the technology industry. As director of product marketing at Vision Solutions, Hammond is responsible for product positioning and messaging, product launches, and marketplace intelligence for the company's high availability, disaster recovery, systems management, and data management solutions. 

 

 

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: