Tracking performance

Tracking your system performance over time allows you to plan for your system's growth and ensures that you have data to help isolate and identify the cause of performance problems. Learn which applications to use and how to routinely collect performance data.

Tracking system performance helps you identify trends that can help you tune your system configuration and make the best choices about when and how to upgrade your system. Moreover, when problems occur, it is essential to have performance data from before and after the incident to narrow down the cause of the performance problem, and to find an appropriate resolution.

The system includes several applications for tracking performance trends and maintaining a historical record of performance data. Most of these applications use the data collected by Collection Services. You can use Collection Services to watch for trends in the following areas:

Trends in system resource utilization. You can use this information to plan and specifically tailor system configuration changes and upgrades.
Identification of stress on physical components of the configuration.
Balance between the use of system resource by interactive jobs and batch jobs during peak and normal usage.
Configuration changes. You can use Collection Services data to accurately predict the effect of changes like adding user groups, increased interactive jobs, and other changes.
Identification of jobs that might be causing problems with other activity on the system
Utilization level and trends for available communication lines.

The following tools will help you monitor your system performance over time:

Collection services: Collection services gathers performance data at user-defined time intervals and then stores this information in collection objects on your system. Many of the other tools, including monitors, Graph history, PM iSeries™, and many functions in the Performance Tools licensed program, rely on these collection objects for their data.
Graph history: Graph history displays performance data collected with Collection Services over a specified period of time through a graphical user interface (GUI). The length of time available for display depends on how long you are retaining the collection objects, and whether you are using PM iSeries.
PM iSeries: PM iSeries automates the collection, archival, and analysis of system performance data and returns clear reports to help you manage system resources and capacity.

Parent topic:

Managing system performance