IBM Director Multiplatform Now on System iIBM Director is both a remote systems management tool and monitoring solution which was made for both servers and PCs on Intel platforms.
The idea was to be able to provide multi-systems management where administrators could easily keep an eye on their hardware and at the same time monitor anything critical. The basic layout was the software was installed onto an Intel server, called the ‘management server’ from which you were able to manage any connected Linux or Windows servers on the network.
The product comes with IBM System x servers and BladeCenter products. It also can be purchased for use on non-IBM systems.
With the arrival of IBM Director Multiplatform, this same ability is now available for the System i and other servers. Designed to manage larger environments that may contain servers, desktop computers, workstations, laptops and other devices, IBM Director MP can manage up to 5000 systems in total.
The setup and structure is along the same lines as Director (see diagram), however this time the management server can be Windows, Intel or an System i server. Also, the servers to be managed are no longer limited to only Windows/Intel.
IBM have also allowed Director MP to support a wider range platforms including:
- i5/OS,
- AIX,
- Power Linux,
- IXS Windows etc
Director Multiplatform is installed through IBM Virtualization Engine on System i, System p and System x servers and offers an easy to use client user interface and a web based interaction with the management server.
System i users and administrators now have the ability to easily manage individual systems or groups of equipment. They can also provide monitoring of alerts, with the ability to remotely access troubled servers and well as control them to provide support.
IBM Director Multiplatform takes care of tasks such as:
- User Administration,
- Inventory,
- Monitoring,
- Events,
- Group Management,
- Action Plans,
- Process Management,
- Remote Session, and
- File Transfer.
