Network Monitoring

IBM i Monitoring (Updated)

Posted by Tyler Larson on January 31, 2025

Operating System Monitoring

What is IBM i?

IBM i (formerly known as AS/400 or iSeries) is a robust, integrated operating system designed for business computing. It is known for its high availability, scalability, and reliability, making it a critical component for many enterprises. IBM i powers applications across industries, handling workloads ranging from ERP systems to data analytics and high-transaction business processes.

Why is IBM i Monitoring Important?

Monitoring IBM i systems is essential for maintaining their performance and ensuring uninterrupted business operations. Without proper monitoring, organizations can face:

System Downtime: Unanticipated CPU or disk overloads can disrupt operations.
Performance Degradation: Long-running SQL jobs or active job bottlenecks can slow down critical processes.
Storage Issues: Inefficient storage usage can lead to system crashes or slow response times.
Missed Alerts: Failure to monitor message queues or system warnings may result in unresolved errors or security breaches.

Capabilities

Nagios provides comprehensive monitoring of your IBM i servers, including metrics like CPU and disk utilization, ASP usage, number of active jobs, and long-running SQL jobs, plus much more. The official IBM i Nagios SQL plugin, SNMP, and JTOpen all support these services.

Monitoring IBM i with Nagios provides administrators and operators with a centralized view of all IT assets in addition to the core IBM i metrics. You will also be able to graph and report on historical performance and have the flexibility to configure thresholds to your liking, not to mention the capability to create your own custom plugins. Key monitoring capabilities include:

System-Wide CPU Utilization: Monitor overall CPU usage to detect system overloads.
Job-Specific CPU Monitoring: Analyze CPU usage for individual jobs to identify resource-intensive tasks.
Active Job Monitoring: Track the number of active jobs.
Active Users: Monitor the number of active users on the system.
Disk Utilization Checks: Monitor disk usage and health to avoid capacity issues.
ASP Usage Monitoring: Keep track of Auxiliary Storage Pool (ASP) usage to ensure optimal system performance.
Long-Running SQL Jobs: Identify SQL jobs that exceed expected runtime.
Temporary Storage Usage: Monitor temp storage to prevent resource exhaustion.
Message Queue Monitoring: Analyze specific messages from queues and check the status of message IDs.
Subsystem Job Monitoring: Get detailed job information in specific subsystems.
Page Fault Monitoring: Monitor page fault rates to detect potential memory issues.
Custom Plugins: Create and deploy custom plugins for unique monitoring requirements.

Benefits

Implementing Nagios for IBM i monitoring offers several benefits, including:

Enhanced System Performance: Proactively detect and resolve performance bottlenecks.
Improved Availability: Reduce the risk of downtime by monitoring critical system metrics and alerts.
Scalable Monitoring: Easily monitor both standalone IBM i systems and large, complex environments.
Customizable Thresholds: Set thresholds for your specific needs for more precise monitoring and alerting.
Historical Data Analysis: Graph and report on historical performance to identify trends.
Streamlined Troubleshooting: Quickly diagnose and address system issues with detailed alerts and insights.

Why Choose Nagios for IBM i Monitoring?

Nagios is a trusted name in IT monitoring, offering a robust platform that seamlessly integrates with IBM i systems. Key reasons to choose Nagios include:

Custom Plugins: Provides flexibility to create custom monitoring solutions tailored to your environment.
Scalability: Easily expands to monitor additional systems and workloads as your business grows.
Centralized Monitoring: Integrates with other Nagios solutions for a unified monitoring experience.