Resources

Blog

Do You Need Enterprise Scheduling Software?

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.
Blog

Big Data? BIG DEAL!

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.
Article

Automate the Un-Automatable

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.
Article

Astronauts Rely on Checklists (and So Should You)

What do astronauts and IBM i admins have in common? Checklists! These seemingly simple yet effective devices serve as our external memories and deliver process consistency, but they’re not without limitations.
Article

4 Reasons to Add VTLs

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.
Blog

Is Your Boss an Automation Skeptic?

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.
Case Study

Halcyon Helps Computacenter Deliver Efficient Managed Services

Computacenter is Europe’s leading independent provider of IT infrastructure services. They offer consulting services as well as implementation and operation services for networks and data center infrastructures on or off client premises and in the cloud. ...
Article

Disks Busy vs. ASP Busy in Robot Monitor

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.
Article

High Availability Fail Tales (and How to Avoid Them)

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.
Blog

Modern RMM Tools for MSPs

Where managed services providers once delivered self-service and after-hours support for beleaguered IT teams, most have now evolved to offer remote monitoring and hosting. But has their technology been keeping pace?
Article

A Modern Approach to Performance Management

Using modern performance monitoring tools, you can build a successful strategy for performance management and quickly add value in your organization.
Article

Monitoring the Demands of Fast Disk

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.
Article

Small but MIGHTY: Controlling the *CLS Object Type

While the instinct for administrators and IT managers is to always hunt down a culprit – a rogue job, an inactive journal receiver, or something else – sometimes the very building blocks of a common process, or rather the specifics that define processes, can be where the trouble at hand resides.
Article

Monitor, Capture, and Send Log Events With Powertech SIEM Agent for IBM i

In recent years, regulatory initiatives like Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA, PCI, and GLBA have placed increased emphasis on the need to monitor and secure sensitive information. For example, The Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard dictates one of the most stringent requirements of all—logs must be reviewed daily, and a minimum of three months of logs must be available for analysis.
Blog

Three Reasons You Need an Updated Security Policy

If you still think creating and maintaining a security policy isn’t necessary, you could be setting up your organization for an unpleasant surprise. Check out the top three reasons businesses need an up-to-date security policy.
Blog

IT Security Compliance 101

In this compliance 101 primer, we'll look at three high-profile breaches from the past year, each of which shows what can go wrong when data oversight isn't up to snuff. Along the way, we'll discuss some basic fixes that can help shore up network defenses.