IBM Updates Tivoli Job Scheduler
December 15, 2009 Alex Woodie
|
IBM last week announced a new release of Tivoli Workload Scheduler, its enterprise job scheduler for applications running on i OS, z/OS, Windows, Unix, and Linux operating systems. With version 8.5.1, IBM has added new dynamic scheduling capabilities for virtualized servers, as well as new graphical views designed to eliminate distractions and help administrators better understand the scheduling environment. System i shops may not be aware that, in Tivoli Workload Scheduler, IBM offers a cross-platform enterprise-strength job scheduler that can help to manage application workloads running across different servers. Tivoli Workload Scheduler doesn’t actually run on i OS- and i5/OS-based System i and Power Systems servers, which isn’t surprising, since few, if any, Tivoli products actually run on the platform. In this case, the software requires a DB2 for LUW, Oracle, or Informix for Intel 64-bit database to run. But Tivoli Workload Scheduler agents do deploy to the platform formerly known as AS/400, allowing customers to manage i OS workloads with the software. IBM says the enhancements delivered with version 8.5.1 complete the development effort it started three years ago, and will help to minimize common scheduling errors. On the GUI front, the “rich visual representations” of jobstream objects within the Dynamic Workload Console component should go far in helping administrators to understand what’s going on with their workloads. Specifically, the graphics show job flows, including any dependencies among various jobs. “The new graphical views enable development and operational teams to work in an integrated way and to grasp complex situation in a very short time,” IBM says in its software announcement. On the workload optimization front, the introduction of agents with dynamic scheduling capabilities should allow users to implement resource-based scheduling, and drive more efficiency into their workload schedules. Specifically, the agents move beyond the simple concept of average server utilization, and into the more nuanced fields of priority pools, automatic provisioning requests, and energy consumption optimization. Tivoli Workload Scheduler version 8.5.1 became available last week. For more information, see U.S. Software Announcement 209-434.
|
