VISUAL Message Center:
iSeries Support Agent

Most systems management solutions on the market today, including those provided within operating systems such as OS/400, will alert operators to system problems by forwarding messages or events to them. When you are faced with a potential disaster, knowing is not enough — you need to be able to take action!

The Power to Solve Problems…

With the iSeries Support Agent, you can. As well as simply being alerted to problems, operators can now diagnose, and even solve those problems. Whenever an application problem is detected, the iSeries Support Agent drills down to inspect any iSeries job and displays otherwise inaccessible internal job information. Problems in batch or interactive jobs can be researched and diagnosed in record time. You can even view and control end-users' screens.

…Before Your Business is Affected!

iSeries Support Agent even allows operators to save the day by making corrections to critical running jobs, usually allowing them to correctly carry on processing. Since its introduction in 1997, iSeries Support Agent has solved problems in thousands of critical jobs around the world, representing operational savings of millions of dollars. See our case study for more information.

Amazing New Features

iSeries Support Agent will let you see what any user is doing in your iSeries. Like having a powerful X-ray into any single job to easily view things like:

Job name, real user name, IP address (no more guessing who is who in ODBC/JDBC sessions — support JD Edwards World, BPCS, easily!)
Actual end-user screen (no need to ask for permission to the end user if you are authorized)
Running (or last executed) SQL statement (discover what's really going on at these Client/Server and WebSphere jobs)
Library list, open files, spool files, and the full DSPJOB listings from a graphical interface
Otherwise unavailable valuable data like the Local Data Area (*LDA) and Temporary Job library (QTEMP) contents
Running Source Code! (even with the line that is being executed in most cases)
Program Navigator and Application Explorer (save valuable time and avoid mistakes by having a full, live description of the program structure, context, and related objects in a navigable tree)

Moreover, you can actually execute a command in the failing job to solve a problem, edit the *LDA or QTEMP, change the library list on the fly, and more! Or use the advanced VISUAL Remote Control feature to take full control of the keyboard of the remote job. No other product gives you so much power!

Technical Details

Capture any running iSeries interactive or batch job. Use the unique ability to access and edit internal job information to diagnose and solve problems.

Screen Capture, Internal Job Information and Command Entry

See current user screen, up to last keystroke (interactive jobs only)
Take control of remote user keyboard (interactive jobs only)
See job log
See and edit local data area (LDA) in character and hex format
See and edit QTEMP contents
Drill down to inspect objects
See and edit library list
See job call stack, including parameter value
Drill down from call stack to view running source code
Prompt and run any command to solve problems, such as edit library list, LDA, sign off job

Application Information

The Application Explorer is a navigable graphical tree of objects referenced by each program, perfect for understanding apps when no fresh documentation is available.

Click to drill down to see:

Source code (see below)
Display files
Printer files
Data files

Includes parameters and current values for OPM programs

Debug Information

From the call stack, drill down to view actual running source code:

Advanced "Find" function
Indicate actual statement in execution for OPM and ILE programs
Highlight and right click variables to get variable values as tool tips, or use Data Dictionary (below)
Edit variable values to solve problems, such as looping jobs
Retrieve source code automatically from any system object, program service program, or ILE module
Retrieve source from remote iSeries systems
Shows source member information (date of creation, modification, save, restore, etc.)

Data Dictionary shows:

Variable values
Indicators
Field and subfield values
Character and hex support
Show/hide pointers
Source code not required

Program Navigator makes complex program logic easier to understand:

Fan-In Tree: shows a navigable hierarchical structure that depicts all the internal and external calls in a program (including GOTOs, EXSR, CALLs, etc.)
Fan-Out Tree: shows all references for each label, subroutine or call for easier understanding of dependencies and faster browsing
Click on branches to immediately position source code

Start a debugging session and get complete control of program execution by using our VISUAL Debugger for Windows as a companion product.

VISUAL Message Center Agents/Modules
Smart Console	Centralizes the collection and management of information from all networked servers and agents
Notifier	Ensure high system availability with two-way SMS messaging and escalation lists
iSeries Server Agent	Collects and manages batch messages from any iSeries message queue (e.g., QSYSOPR). Monitors job activity and status, job queues, devices, history log (QHST)
Server Agent for Windows^®	Collects and manages application, system and security events from any Windows server (NT, 2000, XP)
iSeries Interactive Agent	Collects and manages all interactive iSeries user error messages
iSeries Performance Agent	Collects and manages critical performance parameters from iSeries servers. Includes powerful graphical console
iSeries Security Agent	Detects and audits possible threats to system and data integrity
iSeries Support Agent	Remote problem diagnosis tool for operators. Provides unique capabilities for resolving problems in production processes
TCP/IP Services Agent	Monitors availability and performance of any networked TCP/IP service, including POP3 email, SMTP, FTP more. Includes graphical Java console
Reporting System	Create over 40 graphical historical reports of your systems direct from the Smart Console. Reports on performance, events, systems usage, security, errors, users, and more.