CCSS Enrich Notification Channels with Routing of QMessage Monitor Messages via Syslog

July 15, 2009 – CCSS, the performance monitoring and message management specialists for users of the IBM® Power Systems™ and System i™ platforms, today announces a new notification capability for their solution QMessage Monitor (QMM). Messages that are generated by the system and managed by QMM can now be routed via Syslog to Unix type platforms, or any platform that supports Syslog. This is especially useful in larger, multi-platform computing environments and brings critical system information to the attention of multi-tasking or broader network teams that are responsible for systems beyond, or those that share dependencies with, the IBM i Server. As with all QMessage Monitor messages, those to be routed via Syslog benefit from the filtering, auto-response, event or command triggers as defined in the message rule set up.

This latest addition highlights the rich notification channels supported by QMM that have made it one of the most flexible and easily adaptable solutions in the industry. Product Manager for CCSS, Paul Ratchford says, “Part of the underlying equation for any messaging solution is not only the types of messages that are being generated, but also, how they are delivered. With each company and network environment, the needs are unique so we need to provide the maximum number of choices so customers can tailor the delivery to suit their resources, shift patterns and communications preferences. The addition of Syslog is a good example of how we’re always looking at both sides of that equation and seeing how we can do more, and better, for our customers.”

QMessage Monitor messages benefit from the real-world understanding of how System Managers and their colleagues need to be notified of real-time system events or information. At the console level, users can be notified to breaking urgent messages by a number of different means. Firstly, messages can arrive on a centralized console with a nominated flashing color code or associated icon for simple pictorial alerting. This can be optionally enhanced with audio alerts that range from a simple ‘ping’ noise to a speech software voice that reads the message aloud or even a heart-stopping air-raid siren, as was the preference of one CCSS customer for particularly urgent messages. In data center environments, visual and audio alerts are especially effective at informing a team, rather than just an individual, that an urgent situation requires immediate attention.

Escalation procedures in QMM can be a useful means of enforcing personal responsibility to a smaller team, such as those that cover a particular shift or geography, or for alerting specific individuals in a chain of command. Procedures can be linked to a calendar of staff availability to ensure set patterns of notification remain robust to both planned and unplanned personnel availability situations. In this case, a message that is not answered on the console can be sent via SMS or Email to mobile/smart phones. The recipient can then reply to messages sent directly from the system, regardless of their location. Notification messages can also be sent to confirm that the message was or was not received (for example, if someone’s phone was switched off, out of signal reach etc). At this stage, the urgent message may be sent onto an enterprise management console via SNMP or to someone else on a different platform via Syslog. The order of escalation and the associated choice of communication channel are bespoke to each message and therefore can be used to support audit or regulatory compliance.

Any message, from a simple looping job to an event triggered message such as ‘end-of-day failed to start at 7pm,’ can now be shared with a spectrum of users and managers at the console level, on their mobile or smart phones, or even on a corporate intranet or enterprise scale application. CCSS’s QRemote Control solution extends the freedom of remote management via mobile phone to include virtually any business metric. For example, sales staff can log orders via their phones or store managers can input till takings totals, access data or run commands. Resource stretched teams working from home or other locations where accessing the system via laptop isn’t always practical or possible can also take advantage of this flexibility. Similarly, System Managers can access data for more extensive problem evaluation via the in-built SNMP client without ever compromising security, audit compliance, or being encumbered by the limitations of on-site management.

For more information on QMessage Monitor, please visit:
http://www.ccssltd.com/products/qmessage-monitor/

ENDS

About CCSS
CCSS develops, supports and markets IBM i (on Power Systems & System i servers) performance monitoring and reporting, message management and remote management solutions. An Advanced IBM Business Partner, CCSS develops powerful solutions to support some of the world’s most demanding IBM i environments across many industries including insurance, banking, pharmaceutical and manufacturing. Existing customers that rely on CCSS’s feature-rich solutions include leading organizations such as Volvo, Mattel, Newell-Rubbermaid, The Royal Bank of Scotland, Siemens Healthcare, RWE npower and Waterstone’s.

CCSS is headquartered in Gillingham, Kent, UK with key regional headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Bonn, Germany and Makati City, Philippines together with a global agent network spanning Austria, Portugal, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden.

www.ccssltd.com

IBM, Power Systems, System i, are trademarks of the International Business Machines Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.