What does CA Vantage GMI do?

Products

• Vantage Storage Resource Manager

Issue/Introduction

In the mainframe arena, CA sells many software products that have been around for a decade or more but still perform critical tasks within the data center.  We are always looking for ways to provide additional value to the customers of these products.  CA Vantage GMI (Graphical Management Interface) is one such initiative.  

The introduction of CA Vantage GMI has created significant interest and many questions from our customer base.  This document explains CA Vantage GMI, the features it provides, the relationship it has to CA Vantage SRM, and many other details.

You would like to decommission the chargeable components of CA-Vantage and get the free version named GMI.

Environment

z/OS

Resolution

1. What does CA Vantage GMI do?

CA Vantage GMIallows the user to easily manage all of their interfacing CA mainframe products with a common Windows Client graphical interface.  Several CA Vantage SRM object displays are also provided that assist the users to better manage their storage environment.

2.  Which CA products does CA Vantage SRM and GMI interface with?

The CA mainframe products that interface with CA Vantage SRM and GMI are:

CA 1 - Tape Management

CA ASTEX – Performance Reporting

CA CREWS - Catalog Recovery

CA Datacom/DB – Data Base Management

CA Disk  - Data Management

CA IDMS/DB - Data Base Management

CA MasterCat - Catalog Management

CA PDSMAN – PDS Management

CA SYSVIEW – Systems Management

CA Tape Encryption

CA Encryption Key Manager

CA TLMS - Tape Management

CA Vtape VTS - Virtual Tape System

Other products are being considered for inclusion in the CA Vantage GMI program.

3.  Is there a charge for CA Vantage GMI?

CA Vantage GMI is provided for no charge, as an additional benefit to customers who have a license for any of the interfacing CA mainframe products.

4.  If I have CA Vantage SRM, do I need CA Vantage GMI?

Customers with a license for CA Vantage SRM have access to the interfacing products they are licensed for, so they do not need CA Vantage GMI.

5.  How does CA Vantage GMI work?

CA Vantage GMI consists of two components: A started task that runs on the mainframe, and a Windows Client that is installed on a workstation or server. 

6.  What else is included with CA Vantage GMI?

CA Vantage GMI provides the following Storage Resource Management views and functions from CA Vantage SRM:

• Storage Groups
• Monitor usage of the SMS Storage Groups and user defined pools
• Volumes (DASD)
• Monitor usage and status of all online and offline DASD volumes
• z/OS System Resources
• Monitor status and discrepancies in APF and Link list data sets, and more.
• Current enqueues
• z/OS System Parameters
• Operator Console Log, and more
• Catalog Management
• List all catalogs, alias and alias cross-reference
• Locate catalog entries and be able to delete or uncatalog entries
• DFSMS Constructs
• List the details of all the SMS constructs – DC, SC, MC and SG
• Reporting
• Output object data to files, Web locations, Email, mainframe, or print
• Customize object views and report layouts to any specification
• Generalized Summaries
• Specialized reporting to group and summarize data based on any attributes or values

7.  How does the installation of CA Vantage GMI compare with the installation of CA Vantage SRM?

• CA Vantage GMI is installed using an identical file as CA Vantage SRM.
• The release numbers for CA Vantage GMI and CA Vantage SRM are the same.
• The same CD is used to install the Windows Client for both CA Vantage GMI and
  CA Vantage SRM.
• After the installation of CA Vantage SRM, if the license key for SRM is not found
  (LMP key 0C), then SRM reverts to GMI functionality.

8.  Can CA Vantage GMI be upgraded to CA Vantage SRM?

• CA Vantage GMI can be easily upgraded to CA Vantage SRM Base along with any optional features.
• Re-installation is not needed because the install libraries are identical.
• The upgrade is activated with LMP keys so a trial or purchase can be setup quickly.
• CA Vantage SRM optional features can not be added to CA Vantage GMI.
• The LMP key for the CA Vantage SRM Base product is required before optional features can be added, such as Automation or the DFSMShsm Interface.

9.  What product interfaces does CA Vantage SRM have?

CA Vantage SRM is a comprehensive product that provides access to key management information from storage devices and software products from many vendors.  CA Vantage SRM allows the user to monitor, manage and report on all of the following software and devices:

• Backup and Archive Management        CA Disk
                                                       IBM DFSMShsm
• Catalog Recovery and Management      CA CREWS
                                                       CA MasterCat
• Data Base Management                     CA Datacom/DB
                                                       CA IDMS/DB
                                                       IBM DB2
                                                       Software-AG ADABAS
• Performance Management                  CA Astex
• RAID Systems                                  IBM,  Sun StorageTek,  EMC,  Hitachi
• Robotic Tape Systems                       IBM,  Sun StorageTek,  ADIC/Grau
• Tape Encryption System                    CA Tape Encryption / CA Encryption Key Manager
• Tape Management Systems                CA 1
                                                       CA TLMS
                                                       IBM DFSMSrmm
                                                       ASG-Zara
• Mounted zSeries File Systems             IBM UNIX System Services
• Virtual Tape Systems                        CA Vtape  (software solution)
                                                       IBM VTS
                                                       StorageTek VSM
                                                       EMC DLm

10.  What other features does CA Vantage SRM have?

Following are some of the features and capabilities of CA Vantage SRM:

• Data Set Objects
• View all data sets in your system to locate problems like excessive size, poor blocksize, over allocated, excessive extents, multi-volume, etc.
• Take direct action on problem data sets through the Client
• View VSAM detail data from the VVDS
• Locate Uncataloged Data Sets
• Locate Catalog entries where no data set exists
• Data Set Groups – Monitor application space usage by tracking:
• Data sets on Primary storage.
• Data sets on Secondary storage (backed up and/or migrated)
• Tapes usage by application
• RAID Devices – Specialized RAID views for all vendors
• Object Logging
• Store object data for historical reporting
• Trend Reporting
• Forecast resource usage to a future date
• Tape Resource Reporting, optional feature
• Monitor, Manage and Report on:
• Tape Mgmt. Systems
• Tape Robotics
• Virtual Tape
• Detail reports by device and by media
• Perform audits between Tape Mgmt. systems, catalogs, OCDS, Silos
• Automation, optional feature
• Respond to threshold violations of any field in any object
• Respond to Messages from the Console, or DFSMShsm or CA Disk
• Submit a job to take corrective action
• Issue commands
• Issue messages to operator
• CA Disk Interface, optional feature
• Actions can be performed with more flexible options via CA Disk
• Restore and Auto Restore activity can be logged
• Audit the Archvols against the catalog, tape mgmt. system, or robotic system
• DFSMShsm Reporting, optional feature
• Significant number of reports to help you manage what HSM is (and is not) doing
• Database Reporting, optional feature
• Detail reports of DB2 and Adabas

 

So, that is a brief overview of the features in CA Vantage GMI and CA Vantage SRM.

Please contact your CA Sales person to get more detailed information and to arrange a trial.

To see a demonstration of the Windows Client, visit the Training Video Library using the links on the CA Vantage GMI or the CA Vantage SRM product home page at:  Support.CA.com

For any questions about the setup and use of CA Vantage GMI and CA Vantage SRM, please contact CA Technical Support.

The following table summarizes what is included with
CA Vantage GMI and with CA Vantage SRM.

 

Objects & Features	CA Vantage SRM Base product with interfacing CA product	CA Vantage GMI with interfacing CA product
CA 1	Yes	Yes
CA ASTEX	Yes	Yes
CA Crews	Yes	Yes
CA Datacom/DB	Yes	Yes
CA Disk – FILES Reporting,                 Auto Restore Manager	Yes	Yes
CA TLMS	Yes	Yes
CA IDMS/DB	Yes	Yes
CA MasterCat	Yes	Yes
CA PDSMAN	Yes	Yes
CA SYSVIEW	Yes	Yes
CA Tape Encryption	Yes	Yes
CA Vtape	Yes	Yes
Volumes	Yes	Yes
Storage Groups	Yes	Yes
DFSMS Constructs	Yes	Yes
Catalog Management	Yes	Yes
Hardware Errors	Yes	Yes
z/OS System Resources	Yes	Yes
Generalized Summaries	Yes	Yes
Datasets  (All Online)	Yes	No
Dataset  (Application) Groups	Yes	No
RAID Objects – All Vendors	Yes	No
Object Logging for Historical Reporting	Yes	No
Trend Reporting	Yes	No
CA Disk Interface –         Actions, Restore Logging, Audits	Option	No
Automation Option	Option	No
Database Option	Option	No
DFSMShsm Interface	Option	No
Tape Resource Option – Tape Mgmt, Robotic and Virtual	Option	No
IBM UNIX System Services	Option	No
Allocation Option	Option	No

Additional Information

As usual if you need any additional information, please contact the CA Vantage technical Support team.