SoftLanding Gives Supermon A New Look
August 9, 2017 Alex Woodie
They say looks aren’t everything. But for the folks at SoftLanding, the new Web interface created for the Supermon performance monitoring tool will help customers see exactly how their IBM i servers are running, and that’s definitely something.
Supermon for iSeries is a real-time performance monitoring tool that UNICOM Global acquired with its 2009 acquisition of Macro 4, one of several acquisitions the Los Angeles-area company made during that stretch. The software – which bears the name of a server that IBM hasn’t sold in over a decade – enables customers to monitor IBM i-specific server performance metrics like CPU usage, memory usage, and response times.
The new Web front-end unveiled last month should make it easier for administrators to monitor their servers, says SoftLanding Operations Manager Jim Fisher.
“The new Web front end gives technicians an easy way to stay in touch with how the system is performing when they are working remotely, or are on the move,” Fisher says. “No matter where they are, users can view charts and graphs of performance right across the network and be alerted to potential problems before they escalate.”
This isn’t the first time that Supermon for iSeries has supported a graphic interface. SoftLanding also offered a Java-based client for Supermon with prior releases, along with the classic 5250 screen. Users could also export performance data to Excel, where they could build graphs and spreadsheets to their hearts’ content.
But the new interface, which sports a “stop light” configuration, should elevate performance data reporting with the product to new heights.
Administrators can understand high-level IBM i performance metrics at a glance with Supermon for iSeries’ new interface.
“This high-level graphical view is also ideal for companies that rely on non-IBM i technicians to monitor overall system health,” Fisher says. “Performance status is displayed using green, amber and red colors, so it’s easy to see if all is well or if there’s an issue that needs handing over to IBM i specialists for further investigation.”
The software can also help with the investigation portion of the process through the Supermon for iSeries Advisor function. SoftLanding says this function “simplifies the task of interpreting performance data and helps you make informed decisions.”
Supermon for iSeries lets administrators monitor metrics for one or more IBM i servers at intervals they determine from a single console. In that respect, Supermon for iSeries functions as a tactical tool for detecting performance issues in real time. The product also lets users compare recent server performance metrics against historical averages, which gives it a more strategic use for longer term capacity planning purposes.
In addition to basic CPU and memory information, Supermon for iSeries tracks other performance metrics, including communication line performance, disk performance, IOP, jobs (including high CPU and response times), system pools and page faulting, priority classes, general system information, and user group data, Fisher says.
In addition to the Supermon product, SoftLanding sells a Universal Gateway dashboard that’s designed to give administrators a broader outlook of high-level information across a variety of products and solutions.
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