Manage the IBM i systems environment and Java application performance glitches from a single ‘window’

IBM i customers can analyze and manage the performance of their IBM i environments and their multi-platform Java applications from a single, easy-to-use browser-driven interface, thanks to a new launch from global software and services company, Macro 4.

Crawley, UK, May 18, 2011 – The latest version of Macro 4’s SUPERMON performance management software combines performance management for IBM i systems with functionality for managing the performance of Java applications running on a variety of platforms including Windows, AIX, Unix, mainframe and IBM i.

“Our software can track and analyze the IBM i systems environment to help identify a wide range of performance problems, including CPU, storage and I/O issues - and pinpoint Java application performance issues right down to glitches in the software code. It can be configured to automatically fire off alerts as soon as critical thresholds are breached so administrators get early warning that a problem could be brewing,” said Alan Ackers, R&D Head for Macro 4.

Mr Ackers notes that many IBM i customers now run Java applications, both on IBM i and other platforms, and Macro 4 is making it easier for them to track and resolve performance problems by ‘funneling’ all of their IBM i and Java application performance data into a single interface, regardless of where the Java applications are running.

”We’re helping organizations find and resolve performance problems before they start affecting customer service or productivity,” he said. “The source of a Java performance problem can be hard to find – it could be due to inefficient code, or a call to a database running on a different platform. Or there might even be insufficient CPU available – for example to support a sudden increase in customers accessing an application on your website. Now IBM i users can get to the bottom of problems more easily, because all the information they need is in one place.”

The SUPERMON software can manage performance on local systems and remote networked systems. Administrators, developers and testers can launch the software from a browser and drill down into system and application data for detailed analysis, in order to quickly identify trends and potential problems and take appropriate corrective action. They can drag and drop data from different parts of the application, create charts and graphs, monitor overall performance or specific parts of the system or application, and measure how workload affects different aspects of performance.

“The SUPERMON software is designed for use in live production environments, as well as in quality assurance and load testing,” said Mr Ackers.

Macro 4 has been developing systems automation and performance management software for the IBM i since the 1980s and is continuing to expand its offering in this area, with an increasing focus on cross-platform support for organizations running Power Systems and multi-platform Java applications.