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Remote Managed Services iSeries


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A comprehensive suite of remote managed services is available to Invision’s iSeries (also known as System i, Power System, and AS/400) customers. These services allows you to take advantage of our highly trained 24x7x365 team to manage select tasks, or to provide end-to-end systems management. Remote managed service packages are offered at gold or platinum levels. Contact us for immediate assistance. 

Invision can provide remote management of your iSeries infrastructure, housed at your facility or Invision's world class data center. We remotely monitor and respond to operations-level events and logs, and escalate actions based upon your company's defined protocol. This is a low impact, quick activation service that offers high value for businesses that require more than 9 to 5 support. The following hosted iSeries services are available as gold or platinum level packages:

  • Monitor QSYSOPR message queue
    Regular monitoring of message queue to discover and escalate errors.

  • Monitor line/controller/device status
    Monitoring and restart/retry of remote configuration devices as defined by customer.

  • Monitor CPU and DASD usage
    Regular monitoring to ensure that prescribed usage levels are not exceeded. Actions to be taken as agreed to with customer.

  • Monitor job queues
    Regular monitoring of job queues to ensure that queued job totals do not exceed prescribed levels.

  • Monitor/restart writers
    Print queues and write jobs monitored and error messages addressed as defined by customer.

  • Monitor backups
    Observe backup jobs to ensure successful completion, take action as defined by customer.

  • Monitor journal usage, when applicable
    Journal levels monitored where needed, particularly for customers using high availability solutions.

  • Reset profiles/passwords
    Locked profiles can be reset by the Invision NOC. The customer must provide a list of personnel authorized to approve such requests. Existing passwords cannot be discovered; rather new passwords will be given and set to *EXPIRED.

  • Reprint forms
    Release of saved or held forms from queues where needed.

  • Tape mounting as part of backup, SAV/RST or system refreshes
    Invision will mount tapes for customers who wish to perform their own saves and restores.

  • Call escalation – client defined
    Escalation procedures are jointly created by Invision and the customer, and these procedures are followed by the Invision NOC on a 24x7x365 basis.

  • Creation of profiles (system application)
    Invision will create user profiles based upon existing templates, and will communicate these profiles to the new user. These requests must be based upon authorization lists provided by the customer.

  • Creation of line/controller/device
    Invision will create new iSeries communication object configurations as needed by the customer.

  • OUTQ creation and maintenance
    Invision will create new print queues as required by the customer.

  • TCPIP monitoring and maintenance
    The status of any TCP/IP communications devices and configurations will be monitored and appropriate action taken as defined by customer.

  • Monitor WRKSYSACT screen, terminate runaway jobs
    Invision will monitor the WRKSYSACT screen for customers who have this utility, which is part of IBM Performance Tools. Invision will also terminate ‘runaway’ jobs that are using excessive CPU or DASD to ensure system integrity.

  • Monitor system service tools
    Per-shift check of system service tools to check for hardware and licensed code errors. Hardware errors will be escalated to IBM or any other service provider designated by the customer.

  • Maintain basic and core system security
    Logs will be checked to ensure that system security is not breached, and Invision will also, upon customer request, advise as to changes in system values that can help maintain system security.

  • Month-end scheduling and performance
    Invision will monitor scheduled month-end processing to ensure system integrity and performance are maintained.

  • Ad-hoc requests for batch, SAV/RST, or other jobs
    Invision will process batch jobs, save requests, and restore requests submitted by authorized customer personnel through the Invision NOC. Save requests may require tapes to be returned from off-site storage. Invision will manage tape retrieval only if we are responsible for tape management.

  • Tape library maintenance
    Management of on-line tape library system provided by customer or acquired through Invision, whether external (e.g., Recall or Iron Mountain), or on-line (e.g. BRMS, Robot/SAVE).

  • System tuning based on performance
    Invision will manage storage pools and job priorities to aid system performance.

  • System configuration and recommendation based on client growth
    Invision will recommend system upgrades, where necessary, in the event that system capacity is insufficient for established workload.

  • PTF analysis, ordering and installation
    Invision will contact the customer to advise that a new cumulative PTF package should be installed. The package will be ordered and installed by Invision at a time agreed to by Invision and the customer. Invision will also recommend single PTFs based upon IBM advice to correct specific issues.

  • Creation of CL programs
    Invision will write CL programs to assist the customer with operational issues and efficiencies.

  • Client application maintenance (SAV/RST, stop/start, error repair, adds/deletes)
    Invision will assist with basic maintenance to customer applications. We will troubleshoot errors and provide fixes for CL and RPG based applications.