How to Minimize IBM Power i Server Breakdowns

IBM Power i servers are famously reliable, often running for months or even years without interruption. But when a breakdown does occur—typically on large servers running complex, multi-job workloads—it’s a serious event.

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In most cases, the root cause is hard to identify. Was it a job that suddenly consumed too much CPU, memory, or disk I/O? Without detailed diagnostics, even IBM support specialists may struggle to find the answer.

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Historically, continuously collecting resource data for all jobs would have been unthinkable. It would consume too much CPU, I/O, and disk space. But that’s no longer the case.

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At iPerformance ApS, we’ve developed GiAPA, a lightweight monitoring tool that collects detailed resource usage from every job and task—every 15 seconds. It pulls this data directly from IBM’s performance collector APIs and includes:

• CPU time in milliseconds
• Memory allocation
• 15 types of I/O
• And more

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Whenever a job exceeds 4% CPU usage in a 15-second interval, GiAPA automatically collects additional details—such as program call stacks and file access data. All data is stored in a compressed binary format, keeping disk usage low and CPU impact below 0.1%.

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If GiAPA helps prevent even one crash, it already provides significant ROI. But in most installations, the real value is broader:

• Operations teams can investigate issues even after the fact
• Developers can detect and fix inefficiencies before they become problems
• Management can monitor long-term usage trends by application, department, or user group

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With GiAPA, you don’t just reduce the risk of server crashes—you gain complete visibility into how your Power i system is used, by whom, and for what.