Data center optimization

Moving mature and stable applications and databases off mainframes and onto smaller machines is not a right move and it has not given any good result, but some IT managers are doing this to cut costs.

If you are considering moving applications or databases off the mainframe, keep in mind the plight of the fleet manager—degradation in performance can be far more costly to the business in the long run. It is important to consider the value of the business services supported by the applications or databases, and whether that value is increased or decreased by moving to other seemingly less-costly platforms.

When you truly understand the business value behind your technology, you'll find that the mainframe is irreplaceable when it comes to certain applications and databases, and you can readily justify its cost.

That's where business service management comes in. With an effective BSM approach in place, you can find the right platform for your data center and manage it with a business-oriented approach. By doing so, you'll increase the business value of your mainframes, as well as that of other platforms—and have the tools to demonstrate that value to senior management.

Right-Platforming and the Role of BSM

Right-platforming means selecting the optimum platform for each job. The right platform must have the required processing and storage capacity to support business services. It must deliver those services at the required levels of reliability, availability and performance. In addition, the platform must have sufficient scalability to meet expected future requirements. And, the more mission-critical the application, the more important the unique characteristics of the mainframe become.

Beyond its foundational strengths, the mainframe is also increasingly adaptable. Its role has evolved from the standalone computer, isolated in the data processing center, to an integral and core component of the organization's distributed IT infrastructure.

BSM solutions provide a number of important features that can facilitate this transition. With respect to mainframe management, a comprehensive BSM solution portfolio provides two important capabilities that permit you to leverage the unique capabilities of the mainframe to deliver maximum business value:

• It supports individual management and instrumentation of the mainframe with such features as comprehensive monitoring and alert management, event management, optimization, batch environment management and control, and business-oriented capacity planning.
• It weaves the mainframe into the fabric of the IT infrastructure and seamlessly integrates management of the mainframe into the overall management fabric of the distributed data center environment.