Even for the smallest organizations, there comes that moment when an event triggers the realization that monitoring operations with your eyes alone isn't enough.

Written by Bytware

Editor's Note: This article introduces the white paper "Solving the Little Things with Automation for IBM Power Systems" available free from the MC White Paper Center.

At some point, IT departments both large and small choose to hand the task of overseeing their IBM Power Systems to the server itself.

There are many benefits to this move, and in this paper we'll talk about some of them. We'll look at how you can get started with the basic concepts of automated monitoring, how these capabilities can be expanded through automated notification, and how regulatory compliance plays into the process. Finally, we'll look at how smaller organizations can harness the power of automation without breaking the bank.

Adopt a modern approach, add to your skill set, and meet the service-level agreements of your organization.

Written by Halcyon Software

Editor's Note: This article is an introduction to the white paper "3 Essential Steps to Successful Performance Management," which is available free from the MC White Paper Center.

The art of performance management is often made to look cumbersome and complex, but does it have to be?

This new white paper by Ash Giddings, IT industry expert, discusses the art of performance management today. He reflects on the IT industry of the 1980s, recognizing how different it is today, or is it?

This resource will help make your decision easier and your rollout more manageable.

Written by Help/Systems

Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt from the white paper "IBM i Scheduling Survival Guide," available free from the MC Press White Paper Center.

Imagine yourself at the base of a mountain, looking up. Jagged outcroppings obscure your view of the peak, though you know it must be up there…somewhere. You've heard stories about the pride and satisfaction that comes from reaching the summit, and you consider making the climb. And yet, from your perspective, all you see are obstacles and uncertainty.

Learn how to improve the flow of essential information around your organization, save costs, and free up your time.

Written by Halcyon Software

Editor's note: This article introduces the white paper "6 Recommendations for Smarter Spooled File Processing on Your IBM i" free for download from the MC Press White Paper Center.

This new white paper by Ash Giddings, IBM i industry expert, discusses how not to fall into the trap of ignoring or sometimes deleting large volumes of spooled files. These unassuming files can contain important nuggets of information and data that may be critical to business operations.

Advanced system management technology is arriving just in time to fill a void created by retiring IBM i system administrators.

Written by Chris Smith

The promise of true autonomic computing systems may soon be within reach if IBM's Flex System Manager appliance lives up to its promise of optimizing all aspects of controlling system workloads and resources. As far as many IBM i shops are concerned, the device couldn't have come at a better time.

With today's focus on IT simplification, green computing, and reducing operational costs, virtualization is an essential cornerstone toward your organization achieving such goals.

Written by Joe Cropper

With a little bit of time and patience, you can learn just how easily virtualization can completely change the way you and your enterprise do business. Do you ever find yourself wondering if you can better utilize all those systems in your data center? Are you looking for easier ways to manage your IT environment? Wouldn't you be thrilled if you could reduce your data center's energy footprint and lower your utility costs? Are you looking for ways to increase your business continuity? If you answered "Yes!" to any of these questions, the good news is that these are all byproducts of employing virtualization technology in your organization.

IBM is offering a 90-day free trial for users to experiment with its new "patterns" predefined workload definitions.

Written by Chris Smith

One of the interesting things about the IBM booth at COMMON this spring was the collection of PureSystems hardware displayed on tables where people could pick it up, examine it, and ask questions about each individual element. This is unusual for IBM. However, the company realized that the systems were so different from what people were familiar with that they needed to have a car-show type experience in order to feel as though they understood the inner workings. Now people can go a step further.

While IBM i-based companies are beginning to run secondary applications in the cloud, many firms are running mission-critical PHP applications there, choosing to take advantage of the cloud's scalability.

Written by Chris Smith

While the question for enterprises a year ago was whether to move an application to the cloud, those same companies today are asking which application workloads to move to the cloud.

Despite IBM's years-long emphasis on offering cloud services, it has yet to offer a commercial cloud service for hosting IBM i applications, preferring to limit its offerings to development in the cloud and the IBM virtual loaner program. For whatever reason, IBM is letting other vendors fill the void, and filling the void they are.