Managing Disk Subsystems using IBM TotalStorage Productivity Center

Chapter 1. IBM TotalStorage Productivity Center overview 7

TotalStorage Productivity Center for Data monitors storage assets, capacity, and usage

across an enterprise. TotalStorage Productivity Center for Data can look at:

 Storage from a host perspective: Manage all the host-attached storage, capacity and

consumption attributed to file systems, users, directories, and files

 Storage from an application perspective: Monitor and manage the storage activity inside

different database entities including instance, tablespace, and table

 Storage utilization and provide chargeback information.

Architecture

The TotalStorage Productivity Center for Data server system manages a number of Agents,

which can be servers with storage attached, NAS systems, or database application servers.

Information is collected from the Agents and stored in a database repository. The stored

information can then be displayed from a native GUI client or browser interface anywhere in

the network. The GUI or browser interface gives access to the other functions of TotalStorage

Productivity Center for Data, including creating and customizing of a large number of different

types of reports and setting up alerts.

With TotalStorage Productivity Center for Data, you can:

 Monitor virtually any host

 Monitor local, SAN-attached and Network Attached Storage from a browser anywhere on

the network

For more information refer to the redbook IBM Tivoli Storage Resource Manager: A Practical

Introduction, SG24-6886.

1.3.2 Fabric subject matter expert: Productivity Center for Fabric

The storage infrastructure management for Fabric covers the Storage Area Network (SAN).

To handle and manage SAN events you need a comprehensive tool. The tool must have a

single point of operation and it tool must be able to perform all the tasks from the SAN. This

role is filled by the TotalStorage Productivity Center for Fabric (formerly the IBM Tivoli SAN

Manager) which is a part of the IBM TotalStorage Productivity Center.

The Fabric subject matter expert is the expert in the SAN. Its role is:

 Discovery of fabric information

 Provide the ability to specify fabric policies

– What HBAs to use for each host and for what purpose

– Objectives for zone configuration (for example, shielding host HBAs from one another

and performance)

 Automatically modify the zone configuration

TotalStorage Productivity Center for Fabric provides real-time visual monitoring of SANs,

including heterogeneous switch support, and is a central point of control for SAN

configuration (including zoning). It automates the management of heterogeneous storage

area networks, resulting in”

 Improved Application Availability

– Predicting storage network failures before they happen enabling preventative

maintenance

– Accelerate problem isolation when failures do happen

8 Managing Disk Subsystems using IBM TotalStorage Productivity Center

 Optimized Storage Resource Utilization by reporting on storage network performance

 Enhanced Storage Personnel Productivity - Tivoli SAN Manager creates a single point of

control, administration and security for the management of heterogeneous storage

networks

Figure 1-6 describes the requirements that must be addressed by the Fabric subject matter

expert.

Figure 1-6 Monitor and Configure the Storage Infrastructure Fabric area

TotalStorage Productivity Center for Fabric monitors and manages switches and hubs,

storage and servers in a Storage Area Network. TotalStorage Productivity Center for Fabric

can be used for both online monitoring and historical reporting. TotalStorage Productivity

Center for Fabric:

 Manages fabric devices (switches) through outband management.

 Discovers many details about a monitored server and its local storage through an Agent

loaded onto a SAN-attached host (Managed Host).

 Monitors the network and collects events and traps

 Launches vendor-provided specific SAN element management applications from the

TotalStorage Productivity Center for Fabric Console.

 Discovers and manages iSCSI devices.

 Provides a fault isolation engine for SAN problem determination (ED/FI - SAN Error

Predictor)

TotalStorage Productivity Center for Fabric is compliant with the standards relevant to SAN

storage and management.