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it_user577524 - PeerSpot reviewer
Technical Services Professional, z/OS Systems Programmer at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Vendor
Provides insights to a z/OS operating system and the ability to modify it.

What is most valuable?

Actually, all the features are valuable. The product gives deep insight into a z/OS operating system by means of many powerful commands, each of which provides information within seconds. By contrast, using normal system commands would take minutes, or sometimes even hours, to get similar information, if at all. Similarly, there are many powerful commands for modifying a z/OS operating system.

I can emphasize this with the following examples:

1. Instead of using z/OS system commands on a system console in order to get some information from the system or to modify the system, you can use CA SYSVIEW commands to do exactly the same. Compared to a system console these commands provide a tremendously more user-friendly interface to the system and the output is being displayed much more clearly arranged and accessible than console output. This means much more efficiency, e.g. for system operators.

A specific example of this is all the Dynamic Linklist commands you can use to display and modify the MVS linklist concatenation.

2. There are a lot of commands providing system information as well as system modification for which there is no similar native support from z/OS, especially in a case of emergency. This means that, without a product like CA SYSVIEW, you either had to write your own programs providing such information/modification or you even had no chance at all to deal with such a situation. This means high productivity, e.g. for system programmers.

A specific sample for this is the ACTIVITY command with all its line commands you can use to display and modify all running address spaces in various ways, e.g. displaying allocated data sets, active enqueues, task structure, canceling address spaces of even individual tasks.

How has it helped my organization?

Several times it saved us tens of thousands of Euros by tremendously reducing the time necessary to solve a severe operating system problem.

What needs improvement?

As with every piece of software, there’s always room for improvement. But for our shop, the most important features of the product have been working perfectly for a very long time.

As for the JES2 component of the product, CA might improve the overall performance when accessing the JES2 spool. I do know that CA is using system interfaces from IBM to get the JES2 data, and I suspect that the actual room for improvement is in that interface. Maybe CA cannot do very much to improve performance, but it would be great to get better performance in this area.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using this solution since 1993.

Buyer's Guide
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October 2024
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

There are rarely stability issues, just minor issues when they do occur.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

There have been no scalability issues.

How are customer service and support?

In the 90s, the European first-level support was sort of lukewarm. This changed positively with the beginning of this century, and it still persists.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We had a previous solution, and we switched because CA SYSVIEW was clearly superior.

How was the initial setup?

The installation was, and still is, straightforward, provided that you are a moderately experienced z/OS systems programmer.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

The only additional candidate then was OMEGAMON from IBM.

What other advice do I have?

A great deal of the product is definitely suitable for z/OS system specialists with some years of job experience. In other words, z/OS beginners will probably not be able to appreciate all of the product’s features. Thus, it should be evaluated by an experienced systems programmer.

Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
PeerSpot user
it_user558453 - PeerSpot reviewer
Tech Analyst at a insurance company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
We replaced BMC MainView with CA SYSVIEW for cost reasons.

What is most valuable?

We're using CA SYSVIEW to monitor performance and availability on the mainframe. We replaced MainView by BMC with it. It was a cost savings for us.

How has it helped my organization?

It integrates very nicely with other products from CA, like OPS/MVS, and it's easy to learn.

What needs improvement?

There are some parity features, things you can do in a JES2 or JES3 shop, which you can't with CA SYSVIEW. For example, purge output from the spool. So better parity between JES would be useful.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It has been very stable. We've only been using it for a couple months, but we haven't had any problems with it.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We're a pretty small shop, so I'm sure we can scale it up to what we need it to do.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is very good. They get back to us very quickly and usually have a very good answer. Even if it's one I don't want to hear, but they're good about that.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We previously used MainView from BMC. Our contract was up for renewal, and the sales lady offered CA SYSVIEW as part of the contract renewal. The pitch was cost savings, and it was priced better, so we went with that.

For us, vendor is general. It's mainly the product that we care about, but cost is definitely in there. This does pretty much the same thing that MainView does at a cheaper cost. That's why it won.

How was the initial setup?

I installed CA SYSVIEW. The actual product install is very simple. The web interface install is far from easy. The manual isn't very straightforward on that at all because it's pieces of a different product. Installing it on web interfaces was a challenge.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We didn’t evaluate any alternatives for this product.

What other advice do I have?

Just take your time and set thresholds and alerts properly.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
SYSVIEW Performance Intelligence
October 2024
Learn what your peers think about SYSVIEW Performance Intelligence. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2024.
814,763 professionals have used our research since 2012.
it_user778677 - PeerSpot reviewer
Lead System Programmer at a logistics company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
CA is easy to work with and the support is extraordinary for this product
Pros and Cons
  • "Between the tech support and the person I was working with, they have been extraordinary."
  • "The documentation, like installation guides and stuff, put it all in one place.​"

What is our primary use case?

For UPS, we are trying to match up end-to-end between distributive and the mainframe. So far, the AutoSys view, it looks good on a mainframe. We are just having trouble matching it up on the distributive side, but the data collection and everything looks fine to us mainframe folks.

How has it helped my organization?

The benefits are kind of what we are looking for. We are not there yet, and end-to-end, we are trying to tie it up with our distributive apps to match them up with the mainframe apps. Therefore, everything is tied through one single pane of glass.

What is most valuable?

Like a Megamind does, it provides CPU contention batch job information. We are looking more for our kicks regions and stuff, which it self discovers, then they have some work to do. However, it has been very valuable so far.

What needs improvement?

The product itself seems very good. The documentation, like installation guides and stuff, put it all in one place.

For how long have I used the solution?

Still implementing.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We are still in early stages. Right now, it looks fine from what I see of it. We have only really put the CISS regions on it. We have not pushed out anymore online or anything yet.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Yet to be determined.

How are customer service and technical support?

Between the tech support and the person I was working with, they have been extraordinary.

I was surprised at how easy it was to work with them. I have worked with them in the past and I did not always find it that way. In the past, I am going back about 10 years. Now, they seem to have come a long way.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We were and still are using Megamind. We still are because it has been customized for our online regions, but it does not give us the end-to-end. So, that is the reason we are going for the SYSVIEW and the APM, as well.

It was dictated to me from upper management. Apparently someone from CA spoke to one of our upper management. It was the end-to-end solution to what we have been looking for at UPS.

How was the initial setup?

It was a little tedious, but it was brand new to us. The documentation kind of jumps around because there are all different parts. However, the support has been outstanding.

There was a lot to do and different multiple pieces to it. It is not just one piece because of the way a SYSVIEW operates, touching almost every part of the operating system.

We knew it was coming like that. Just being the only person, it takes a lot of time. We do not really have a direction set for what we are trying to accomplish, so that makes it a little tougher.

What about the implementation team?

So far, I am the in-house team.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Compuware and another vendor, but CA came in with the best deal.

What other advice do I have?

You need to be partnered with CA. Work alongside of them. It makes it a lot easier because of the amount that goes into installing this product. You will need a little help.

Most important criteria when selecting a vendor: usability and scalability.

Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
PeerSpot user
Principal Consultant at SBBWorks, Inc.
Consultant
Leaderboard
The stability is very reliable, but I would like to have the ability to correlate transactions that cross technologies
Pros and Cons
  • "​The stability is very reliable. We have not had any issues."
  • "If a unit of work ID is associated with a CICS, a DB2, and a MQ transaction, and having that capability correlate to those different technologies via one business application transaction which would be beneficial."

What is our primary use case?

SYSVIEW is a performance analysis tool. It is used to analyze various transaction-based subsystems and evaluate when there are problems that need to be addressed, and it is also looking for trends over time.

What is most valuable?

The areas which it covers, CICS and DB2, are primarily the best for identifying problems which need to be resolved.

What needs improvement?

Having spoken with the product owner, we discussed the interests of being able to identify the unit of work ID giving us the ability to correlate transactions that cross technologies. For example, if a unit of work ID is associated with a CICS, a DB2, and a MQ transaction, and having that capability correlate to those different technologies via one business application transaction which would be beneficial.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is very reliable. We have not had any issues.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It definitely scales. I have had no issues in terms of performance of the software.

What other advice do I have?

Give it a try. Do not deny it because of other possible influences that may or may not be valid with this particular solution.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user488856 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior System Specialist z/OS at a tech company with 501-1,000 employees
Vendor
I really like the XSYSTEM functions in case I'm having trouble logging on to an LPAR.

What is most valuable?

The CICS option is used very frequently. For myself, I mostly use the z/OS part. I also really like the XSYSTEM functions in case I'm having trouble logging on to an LPAR.

How has it helped my organization?

We have automated the monitoring of our CICS regions and CICS transactions. This leaves much less manual monitoring for the CICS people than before.

What needs improvement?

The creation of dashboards could be made much easier, such as the way it is done in BMCs MainView for example. Currently, you need to do some programming to create dashboards, which is time consuming and error prone. A dashboard you can create in seconds in MainView takes much, much, more time to create in SYSVIEW.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We have never had any issues with stability. The product runs without any problems. On the rare occasion that there is a problem, the recovery is really good, so there was never an outage of SYSVIEW at all.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have had no issues with scalability. Additionally the product needs fewer CPU resources than other products.

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support is very good. You always get an immediate response as to who is taking care of your issue, and you get regular feedback of what’s going on. Normally the cases are solved in a much shorter time frame compared to competitors.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We previously used Omegamon. I think we switched because of financial reasons. Probably CA made a quite good offer, but this was before I started here, so I don’t know about the details.

How was the initial setup?

The setup is not really complicated, but there are many configurations options, where you can easily get lost.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I can’t say anything about pricing and licensing as I’m just the techie and have nothing to do with contracts.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

The decision for switching to SYSVIEW was made long before I started here.

What other advice do I have?

Start with a small and easy configuration and get it running. Make yourself familiar with the product, then switch on additional features one at a time and get familiar with it. Otherwise, you may get lost in options, features, and parameters. The product is quite comprehensive.

Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
PeerSpot user
it_user778533 - PeerSpot reviewer
Software Engineer at Automatic Data Processing, Inc.
Real User
It is easy to navigate through and has a lot of features and functions

What is our primary use case?

SYSVIEW has numerous uses. There are so many different things:

  • CICS transactions
  • CPU utilizations
  • TSO users.

How has it helped my organization?

It performs exactly as we have it customized. We have never had a problem with it. It is always well-maintained and it does everything we ask for it to do.

It is easy to navigate through. It has a lot of features and functions to it, so people can do their jobs. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I never had a problem with it whatsoever. It is 100% always up.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I have never had a problem with it.

How is customer service and technical support?

Same as always with CA. They are on top of things. I have never had an issue.

How was the initial setup?

It was straightforward. There is really no additional customization from one version to the next. It is really easy. It is not a very difficult product to install and customize. 

What about the implementation team?

I do the installation and the customization of it. I also maintain it and keep it up-to-date.

What other advice do I have?

SYSVIEW has everything you need.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner.
PeerSpot user
it_user493500 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Technical Specialist, Mainframe Engineer at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
We use it to define alarms based on product-provided metrics. In CICS monitoring, we even use autocancel functions based on threshold settings.

What is most valuable?

Almost all of the features are valuable but specifically z/OS (base), CICS, IMS and MQ.

The TCP/IP feature is used a little, and the CAPTURE feature occasionally, helping a lot when dealing with some issues.

How has it helped my organization?

One of the most important usage for us is implementation of alarms based on product-provided metrics (especially on loops). In CICS monitoring area, we even use autocancel functions based on threshold settings.

What needs improvement?

Perhaps the IMS monitoring part could be improved (at least according IMS specialists).

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using it for over three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I have not encountered any stability issues. Most issues have been minor errors or performance issues (most of those were handled by appropriate parameter settings).

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I have not encountered any scalability issues; setting is quite granular.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is very skilled and helpful.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I previously used the BMC MainView family of products. We switched to CA mostly for cost reasons.

How was the initial setup?

Initial installation and setup is quite straightforward but after that, some customization and planning is necessary if you want to get the best out of the product. But the customization part (or parameters for customization) is quite well documented.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Before choosing this product, the IBM solution was another option under consideration.

What other advice do I have?

In previous releases, the default setting was consuming too much CPU perhaps, but since 14.1, this was tuned quite well. Still, I would advise checking the interval setting in SCHD* parmlib members in case you want to keep CPU usage by SYSVIEW as low as possible. Using ZIIP is also good thing, where applicable.

Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
PeerSpot user
Computer Systems Programmer at a tech company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Leaderboard
It provides information that supports our duties in problem alerts, problem investigation, and performance monitoring and management.

What is our primary use case?

System monitoring and issue alerting. Problem investigation and resolution. System status and configuration details.

How has it helped my organization?

It pulls together a lot of utilities provided by other tools/products into one consistent umbrella.

What is most valuable?

CICS, JES, and MVS aren't necessarily valuable, just very useful. SYSVIEW provides information that supports our duties in problem alerts, problem investigation, and performance monitoring and management.

What needs improvement?

For one particular environment, the capturing, recording and presentation of IBM CPUMF data would be useful.

IBM Mainframes now produce data on processor cache performance. There is a mechanism for capturing that data within z/OS. It is useful for comparing machines and the impact of the number of partitions and logical to physical processors ratios.

For how long have I used the solution?

More than five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We've had no issues with the stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's been able to scale for our needs.

How are customer service and technical support?

They're very good.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We switched due to a corporate directive.

How was the initial setup?

It wasn't very difficult to implement.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I am not involved with licensing, as this is done at a corporate level.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I was not involved in the decision to purchase this product.

What other advice do I have?

It is a very powerful and reliable tool with a relatively easy to follow interface.

Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
PeerSpot user
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Updated: October 2024
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Buyer's Guide
Download our free SYSVIEW Performance Intelligence Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.