HP OpenVMS Availability Manager User's Guide 3.1

This document is the HP OpenVMS Availability Manager User's Guide, published in March 2010. It serves as a comprehensive guide for system managers on using the HP Availability Manager software to detect and resolve system availability problems.

The Availability Manager is a system management tool that monitors OpenVMS nodes (and Windows for the Analyzer/Server components) on an extended Local Area Network (LAN) or Wide Area Network (WAN). It collects, analyzes, and displays system and process data through a graphical user interface (GUI), using its own network protocol for LAN and IP/TLS for WAN communications.

Key areas covered by the guide include:

• System Components and Operation: Explains the roles of the Data Collector (on monitored OpenVMS nodes), Data Analyzer (the GUI interface), and Data Server (for WAN connectivity). It details how these components interact and communicate securely, including the use of security triplets (network address, password, access code) and TLS for encrypted data transfer.
• Performance Problem Identification: Describes how the Data Analyzer identifies issues by collecting data, checking it against user-defined thresholds and occurrences, and posting events in the Event pane. It outlines different data collection types (CPU, memory, I/O, disk, lock contention) and their intervals.
• Monitoring and Displaying Data: Provides detailed instructions on navigating the System Overview window, displaying summary and detailed node data (e.g., CPU modes, memory usage, I/O rates, disk status, lock contention), and OpenVMS Cluster-specific data (ports, circuits, virtual circuits, channels).
• Corrective Actions ("Fixes"): A crucial feature allowing real-time intervention to resolve availability problems. Fixes are categorized by target (node, process, disk, cluster interconnect) and include actions like adjusting quorum, crashing a node, deleting/suspending processes, modifying process priorities/limits/memory, canceling disk mount verifications, and adjusting LAN device/channel parameters.
• Customization: Offers extensive customization options for the Data Analyzer's behavior, including data collection settings, data filters, event escalation (e.g., sending notifications to OPCOM or HP OpenView, or triggering user-defined procedures), and security features (passwords).

The guide is intended for system managers who are familiar with Microsoft Windows terms and functions. It helps them configure, use, and customize the Availability Manager to maintain and improve the availability, accessibility, and performance of their OpenVMS nodes and clusters.