An Alternative Dynatrace Extension for IBM i
i-Rays brings observability to IBM i
A buzzword in IT today is “observability”. As IBM describes it, “Observability is the ability to understand the internal state or condition of a complex system based solely on knowledge of its external outputs, specifically its telemetry.” I have a more simple description – it’s the ability to understand what is happening end-to-end in distributed business transactions. The technology surrounding IBM i has been focused on observability to understand the business workload. IBM i often sits in the middle, a sometimes overlooked centerpiece in the observability puzzle. The business data, the crown jewels of the business are, in Db2 for i.
There are various technologies in the world for gaining observability in your environment. Dynatrace is popular and many IBM i shops use Dynatrace to better understand the business transactions that surround the IBM i. However, observability of the i itself is limited. Dynatrace offers a default extension for IBM i, using various IBM i Services to access system information. While these services are easy to use, the extension itself can lead to performance problems, particularly when identifying top jobs consuming CPU. I’ve encountered several Dynatrace monitored systems suffering performance issues due to Dynatrace native extension for IBM i commanding the most resources. Generic platform vendors often deliver generic solutions, without understanding the intricacies of IBM i architecture. This is not a problem specific to Dynatrace alone — it is about a lack of familiarity with the unique architecture of IBM i, which is not common knowledge.
Today i-Rays offers an alternative Dynatrace extension. Built by IBM i performance experts who leverage the built-in performance data already available, you install nothing and enjoy low overhead. Couple excellent data collection capabilities with machine learning and proprietary AI, i-Rays can identify unexpected changes in performance signatures to stop problems before they appear.
If your IBM i shop has embraced Dynatrace, I recommend looking into i-Rays as an alternative to the default extension, to maximize observability of your most important asset.
For teams not using Dynatrace, iRays can operate as a standalone solution or integrate with any monitoring platform through OpenTelemetry.