Monitor Virtual Tape Performance & Availability with IBM Z IntelliMagic Vision for z/OS

    IBM Z IntelliMagic Vision for z/OS enables performance analysts to manage and optimize their z/OS Virtual Tape environments more effectively and efficiently.

    Prevent risks, save time, and optimally configure your environment.

            
        

            
        

    Monitor and Optimize Virtual Tape Costs & Performance with Built-In Health Insights

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    Proactively Analyze and Prevent Risks

    Utilize built-in health insights and artificial intelligence to proactively identify risks, ensure availability, and optimize your Virtual Tape environment. 

            
        

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    Save Time and Quickly Resolve Issues

    Quickly spot and resolve issues using thousands of out-of-the-box reports, built-in live edit, compare, share, and drill down features. 

            
        

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    Expedite Learning and Enhance Domain Expertise

    Detailed built-in explanations, guided drilldown options, and end-to-end z/OS support facilitates easy system understanding and knowledge transfer.

            
        

    Built-In Intelligence at Your Fingertips

    Monitor All Cache Flows in a TS7700 Cluster

    Monitor all cache flows in a TS7700 cluster

    Cache bandwidth in a TS7700 is one of the most important keys for performance. If the cache bandwidth is exhausted, that may impact job runtimes and also the RPO for disaster recovery locations.
    IBM Z IntelliMagic Vision for z/OS provides insights into which activities are consuming this resource over time. This information gives the input for tuning measurements, e.g. changes to premigration behavior or deferred copy parameters.

    Recovery Point Objective Monitoring – Replication Backlog

    Replication backlog - data that needs to be copied

    A lot of customers have a third datacenter in a remote location today. Due to performance reasons the data in this location is usually not synchronously replicated. So it is essential to understand how much data is not replicated at a certain point in time.
    The chart below shows the so-called replication backlog, which means the amount of data not yet replicated.

    RPO Monitoring – Average Deferred Queue Age

    Average Deferred Queue Age

    The second question the customer worries about is how many minutes or hours the replication of the data is behind data creation. IBM Z IntelliMagic Vision for z/OS answers this question as well.
    The waiting time until the copies are processed is too long. This triggers an exception warning to indicate that this should be investigated.

    Local Replication Times

    Virtual Tape Performance Average Sync Replication Time

    Other replication types can also be measured. Depending on the technology used, this can be different. The following example shows the measurement of the synchronous replication times in a VSM environment.

    Controlling the Limits

    Migration Backlog - data that needs to be migrated

    In an IBM TS7700 license for cache enablement, host throughput increments and premigration queue length exist. To understand if these limits are reached, different metrics need to be monitored.
    This example shows the migration backlog which shows how much data is waiting in the premigration queue and may trigger throttling.

    Host View of Tape Usage

    Virtual Tape performance Host view of tape usage

    The virtual tape information (e.g. BVIR for the TS7700 family or SMF User record from Oracle HSC) provides information from the hardware view. That means there is no information on which applications use the tape environment and to what extent. The Host view provides this information by application, so the number of mounts, read/write throughput, compression and much more information can be seen.

    IBM Z IntelliMagic Vision for z/OS provides the ability to see the most common applications “out of the box,” but also the possibility to customize this for user needs. This example shows the Host throughput.

    AIOps via SaaS Delivery

    Cloud Software as a Service (SaaS) icon

    Advantages to adopting a cloud model include rapid implementation (no lead time to install and setup the product locally), minimal setup (only for transmitting SMF data), offloading staff resources required to deal with SMF processing issues or to install product maintenance, and easy access to IntelliMagic consulting services to supplement local skills.

    Monitor All Cache Flows in a TS7700 Cluster

    Monitor all cache flows in a TS7700 cluster

    Cache bandwidth in a TS7700 is one of the most important keys for performance. If the cache bandwidth is exhausted, that may impact job runtimes and also the RPO for disaster recovery locations.
    IBM Z IntelliMagic Vision for z/OS provides insights into which activities are consuming this resource over time. This information gives the input for tuning measurements, e.g. changes to premigration behavior or deferred copy parameters.

    Recovery Point Objective Monitoring – Replication Backlog

    Replication backlog - data that needs to be copied

    A lot of customers have a third datacenter in a remote location today. Due to performance reasons the data in this location is usually not synchronously replicated. So it is essential to understand how much data is not replicated at a certain point in time.
    The chart below shows the so-called replication backlog, which means the amount of data not yet replicated.

    RPO Monitoring – Average Deferred Queue Age

    Average Deferred Queue Age

    The second question the customer worries about is how many minutes or hours the replication of the data is behind data creation. IBM Z IntelliMagic Vision for z/OS answers this question as well.
    The waiting time until the copies are processed is too long. This triggers an exception warning to indicate that this should be investigated.

    Local Replication Times

    Virtual Tape Performance Average Sync Replication Time

    Other replication types can also be measured. Depending on the technology used, this can be different. The following example shows the measurement of the synchronous replication times in a VSM environment.

    Controlling the Limits

    Migration Backlog - data that needs to be migrated

    In an IBM TS7700 license for cache enablement, host throughput increments and premigration queue length exist. To understand if these limits are reached, different metrics need to be monitored.
    This example shows the migration backlog which shows how much data is waiting in the premigration queue and may trigger throttling.

    Host View of Tape Usage

    Virtual Tape performance Host view of tape usage

    The virtual tape information (e.g. BVIR for the TS7700 family or SMF User record from Oracle HSC) provides information from the hardware view. That means there is no information on which applications use the tape environment and to what extent. The Host view provides this information by application, so the number of mounts, read/write throughput, compression and much more information can be seen.

    IBM Z IntelliMagic Vision for z/OS provides the ability to see the most common applications “out of the box,” but also the possibility to customize this for user needs. This example shows the Host throughput.

    AIOps via SaaS Delivery

    Cloud Software as a Service (SaaS) icon

    Advantages to adopting a cloud model include rapid implementation (no lead time to install and setup the product locally), minimal setup (only for transmitting SMF data), offloading staff resources required to deal with SMF processing issues or to install product maintenance, and easy access to IntelliMagic consulting services to supplement local skills.

    End-to-End Infrastructure Analytics for z/OS Performance Management

    zSystems Performance Management

    Optimize z/OS Mainframe Systems Management with Availability Intelligence

    Benefits

    Optimize z/OS Systems performance management using AI-driven analytics to proactively monitor and manage your z/OS environment, prevent disruptions, reduce costs, and preserve the reliability and availability that mainframes are known for.
    Explore z/OS Systems Performance Analytics

    Db2 Performance Management

    Prevent Availability Risks and Optimize Db2 Performance

    Benefits

    The volume and complexity of Db2 Statistics data and Db2 Accounting data creates a major challenge for analysts who want to derive value from the rich metrics available.
    Easy visibility into key Db2 metrics through SMF records is crucial to proactively prevent availability risks and to effectively manage and optimize performance.
    Explore Db2 Performance Analytics

    CICS Performance Management

    Monitor and Profile CICS Transactions and Regions with IBM Z IntelliMagic Vision for z/OS

    Benefits

    CICS SMF Transaction data is a rich source of performance insights, but its volume can make analysis challenging using traditional approaches that rely on static reports. Proactive assessment of key Statistics metrics across all regions is essential to identify potential risks to availability.
    IBM Z IntelliMagic Vision for z/OS enables performance analysts to manage and optimize their z/OS CICS transactions more effectively and efficiently, as well as proactively assess the health of their CICS regions.
    Explore CICS Performance Analytics

    Virtual Tape Performance Management

    Proactively Manage Virtual and Physical Tape Environments

    Benefits

    With tape virtualization, tape storage became easier and more economical, but at the same time, more difficult to understand which changes or hardware upgrades are the best choices. With tape libraries being shared across multiple z/OS images, the full picture can only be obtained by aggregating workload and tape hardware information from all z/OS LPARs.
    IBM Z IntelliMagic Vision for z/OS enables performance analysts to manage and optimize their z/OS Virtual Tape environments more effectively and efficiently.
    Explore Tape Performance Analytics

    Disk & Replication Performance Management

    Automatically Detect Disk Performance Risks & Quickly Resolve Issues

    Benefits

    As Disk speeds and throughputs have increased, z/OS applications have come to rely on fast and consistent storage performance. To respond quickly to unexpected disk and replication issues, it is essential that you have insight into the health of the various components in your storage environment.
    IBM Z IntelliMagic Vision for z/OS enables performance analysts to manage and optimize their z/OS Disk and Replication environment more effectively and efficiently.
    Explore Disk Performance Analytics

    MQ Performance Management

    Optimize and Analyze MQ Activity and Performance

    Benefits

    MQ is widely used across z/OS environments, but sites often find it challenging to derive the valuable performance insights potentially available from MQ SMF Statistics and Accounting data due to limitations in existing reporting and available tooling.
    IBM Z IntelliMagic Vision for z/OS enables performance analysts to manage and optimize their z/OS MQ configurations and activity more effectively and efficiently, as well as proactively assess the health of their queue managers.
    Explore MQ Performance Analytics

    z/OS Network Performance Management

    Automatically Monitor Mainframe Network Security and Protect Your Data

    Benefits

    TCP/IP is the core of the communication for the z/OS mainframe, both for traffic into and out of the mainframe and internal communication among z/OS images and processor complexes. Proper management is necessary to secure and protect system availability.
    IBM Z IntelliMagic Vision for z/OS automatically generates GUI-based, interactive, IBM best-practice compliant rated reports that proactively identify areas that indicate potential upcoming risk to TCP/IP health, performance, and security.
    Explore z/OS Network Performance Analytics

    z/OS Connect: Modern Mainframe API Environment

    Optimizing Mainframe API Monitoring for Improved Resource Management

    Benefits

    IBM Z IntelliMagic Vision for z/OS enhances mainframe API monitoring and profiling, providing crucial visibility to address issues at the API or service level, ultimately aiding performance analysts in better resource planning and management reporting.
    Explore z/OS Connect Analytics

    See Why IntelliMagic is Trusted by Some of the World’s Largest Mainframe Sites

    IntelliMagic Vision for z/OS is an excellent comprehensive mainframe reporting tool that can ingest raw SMF/RMF statistical data, tape management configuration (TMC) data, DCOLLECT data, and proprietary ISV SMF data (Hitachi Mainframe Analytics Reporter SMF records, Oracle VSM SMF data) unlike any other product on the market.
    Anonymous-04 | Insurance Company
    Read our case
    Using IntelliMagic Vision for z/OS helps me to choose areas for optimization and also aids me in understanding how to configure for the future
    Loretta Cyr | The Hartford
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    We use [IntelliMagic] Vision [for z/OS] to provide information for our mainframe disk environments. [IntelliMagic] Vision [for z/OS] provides many reports to help us understand our disk performance activity. This insures that we provide the best response time to the mainframe. It also provide us insight to capacity planning as well
    John Virzi | TIAA
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    It saves us a lot of work in collecting and editing metadata about our storage environment.
    Paul van Velsen | Dutch IRS
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    We started with a test installation of the DASD analyses and then decided to use them. Then we gradually expanded the functions (system, CF, XCF, MQ, TCP/IP and tape). This year Db2 was added and we have replaced and optimized SAS programs with IntelliMagic Vision for z/OS.
    Walter Auerochs | DATEV
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    Vision allowed for expedited generation of charts, more time dedicated to analysis than report generation.
    Daniel Cannon | The Hartford
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    Proactively Manage Virtual and Physical Tape Environments

    With tape virtualization, tape storage became easier and more economical, but at the same time, more difficult to understand which changes or hardware upgrades are the best choices. With tape libraries being shared across multiple z/OS images, the full picture can only be obtained by aggregating workload and tape hardware information from all z/OS LPARs.

    IBM Z IntelliMagic Vision for z/OS automatically generates GUI-based, interactive, rated reports that proactively identify areas that indicate potential upcoming risk to Virtual Tape health and performance.

    With IBM Z IntelliMagic Vision for z/OS you can:

    • avoid tape performance outages
    • make wise tape hardware investments
    • optimize tape usage

    IBM Z IntelliMagic Vision for z/OS can be used in z/OS tape environments with virtual tape libraries – including disk-only virtual tape – and with traditional physical tape libraries, and offers out-of-the-box visibility and seamless navigation to manage every component of your z/OS infrastructure under a single solution.

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    Discuss your technical or sales-related questions with our mainframe experts today

    Solutions for your Problems

    Elevate IT Team Impact

    Empower new staff and experts. Replace antiquated reporting with automated, intelligent analytics.

    Benefits

    Artificial Intelligence using built-in expert knowledge and statistics assesses and rates key metrics as good versus bad from a performance or efficiency perspective for the analyst.
    Force multiplier - Invite AI to the team to help both new and expert team members in a tight job market.
    Cloud Delivery - Immediate access with no maintenance needed.

    Optimize & Reduce Costs Safely

    Save money without compromising service levels or availability.

    Benefits

    Reduce cost with superior visibility into drivers of cost such as inefficient CPU utilization, configuration and priority issues, imbalance of workloads across hardware resources, consolidation opportunities, etc.
    Reduce hardware spend without negative impact on service levels.
    Avoid the costs of service delivery problems without both human cost and application unavailability cost.

    Prevent Performance Problems

    Predict and Prevent many IT issues without incurring typical false positive and false negative issues.

    Benefits

    Automatically quantify risks in the z/OS infrastructure for peak workloads or configuration issues prior to production impact being felt by application end-users. Go beyond KPI to KRI (Key Risk Indicators) root cause monitoring.
    Continuous Health Assessment of application and infrastructure stress; assesses millions of metrics using context-specific expert knowledge and statistical techniques.

    Resolve Issues Quickly

    Accelerate Mean Time To Resolution for unpredictable problems with AI-augmented diagnosis.

    Benefits

    Rapidly identify where problems are occurring with infrastructure wide exception (anomaly) tables, intelligent navigation through the data from big picture to extremely granular levels, automated compare of time periods, and more.
    See and understand what applications are affected, what part of the infrastructure, what time frames, and get clues as to probable cause.

    Flexible Deployment and Monitoring

    In the Cloud

    Cloud based deployment can be accessed from everywhere in the world and is easy to share with colleagues

    Services & Support

    Take advantage of IntelliMagic's experienced performance experts for standalone custom services or daily monitoring

    On Premise

    Install the software on premise and use it offline for total control of your installation

    Supported Tape Systems

    IBM Z IntelliMagic Vision for z/OS supports native and virtual z/OS attached tape from many different vendors:

    • IBM TS7770, IBM TS7760, IBM TS7740, IBM TS7720
    • EMC DLm
    • Oracle StorageTek VSM
    • IBM VTF Mainframe
    • Oracle StorageTek Physical Tape Solutions
    • Luminex Mainframe Virtual Tape Solutions

    All major tape management software catalogs are supported: CA1, RMM, TLMS, Control-T, and Zara.

    The virtual tape library statistics are supported for all models of  IBM TS7700 family using BVIR activity records and for Oracle StorageTek virtual tape. For EMC DLm and IBM VTF Mainframe support for the native SMF data is available.

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    Connect With an Expert

    Discuss your technical or sales-related questions with our mainframe experts today