IBM - Collecting Data for TPC: Terminology and Component Overview Página 1 de 4

Collecting Data for TPC: Terminology

and Component Overview Información del
documento​​

Tivoli Storage
Technote (FAQ) ​ Productivity Center
for Data​​
Question
Collecting data documents aid in problem determination and save time Versión de software:​
resolving Problem Management Records (PMRs).
All Versions
Cause Sistema(s) operativo(s):​
Support request for problem determination data.
AIX, Linux,
Windows
Answer
This document defines some terminology and the major components in a Nº de referencia:​
TPC environment to aid in problem determination. This is intended as a ​ 1300208 ​
supplementary document to the other TPC collecting data documents.
HIGH LEVEL COMPONENT RELATIONSHIPS Fecha de modificación:​
​ 2009-06-23​​

TIP server communicates with:

TPC server (to launch the TPC gui and pass authentication/login
information for single sign-on)

TPC-R server (to launch the TPC-R gui and pass
authentication/login information for single sign-on)

TPC server communicates with:

DB2 (to read/write collected data, configuration information, report
definitions, etc.)

Agent Manager (for data and device server registration)

TPC agents on same server, and other servers (data agents, fabric

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agents)

CIMOMs (to talk to devices)

Agent Manager communicates with:

DB2 (to read and write information about agents and registered
servers)

Common Agents (for registration, and monitoring of agent status)

TPC data and device servers (for resource manager registration)

TPC agents (SRA, data agent, fabric agent, data subagent, fabric subagent)
communicate with:

Common Agent (data agent and fabric agent only, not applicable for
SRA)

TPC server (data server, device server)

devices (disk, SAN - storage area network - attached devices, etc.)

TPC for Replication (TPC-R) server communicates with:

DB2 or Derby database (to store copyset, device, and session
configuration information)

Source and target disk storage subsystems

LDAP server communicates with:

TIP server (if TIP/TPC is configured for LDAP authentication)

TPC device server (if TIP/TPC is configured for LDAP
authentication)

TPC-R server (if TIP/TPC is configured for LDAP authentication)

TERMINOLOGY
DB2 (IBM DB2 Database Management Software) - This software is
used by TPC for it's repository database, which is where data collected by
TPC is stored, as well as TPC configuration information, report definitions,
etc. The default name of the TPC repository database is TPCDB. DB2 is
also used by the Agent Manager for its agent database, which stores
information about registered servers and agents that are deployed. The
default name of this database is IBMCDB.
Derby (Apache Derby Database Software) - This is the lightweight
alternative database option that is available as an alternative to DB2 for
TPC for Replication (TPC-R).
TIP (Tivoli Integrated Portal) - This software supports the single sign-on
interface to TPC and also TPC-R. It supports the strategic direction of a
single integrated interface to launch Tivoli applications.
TPC (Totalstorage Productivity Center) - This is the name of the suite
of products comprising the TotalStorage Productivity Center. There are
different editions of TPC. Standard Edition is the full product suite
including licensing for all TPC sub-component functionality. Basic Edition
(or Limited Edition) is a limited functionality TPC version including
licensing for only one of the TPC functions.
SSPC (System Storage Productivity Center) - This is a special version
of TPC that is available as a pre-installed solution delivered with IBM
DS8300 storage and SVC (SAN Volume Controller) software. As
delivered, the TPC software is 'TPC Basic Edition for Disk' which provides
only the TPC for Disk functionality, does not include the Agent Manager,
and does not include or support installing TPC agents. There is a process
customers can use to upgrade SSPC to a full TPC Standard Edition
environment.
TPC Data Server - This is the part of TPC that sends jobs and requests for
data to TPC data agents, receives results and stores them in the repository
database, generates reports from data in the repository. It also manages
history aggregation, job logs, removed resource retention, and more.
TPC Data Agent - This is the legacy agent part of TPC that resides on

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monitored servers and runs jobs sent by the TPC server and returns the
data that is collected. It also is the component that runs batch reports.
TPC gui - The TPC user interface. TPC has both a local/native gui and
also a web gui interface.
TPC Device Server - This is the part of TPC that provides server
oversight for TPC for Fabric, Disk and Device functionality.
TPC for Disk - This part of TPC handles most of the disk storage
subsystem reporting, and also includes functionality for LUN (logical unit
number) provisioning on RAID (redundant array of indexed disks) storage
subsystems.
TPC for Devices - This is essentially the same as TPC for Disk with
respect to the TPC components that are involved. Performance Monitoring
is one of the major functionalities of this component.
TPC for Fabric - This is the component of TPC that allows users to view
and monitor their SAN (Storage Area Network) infrastructure devices.
This includes network switches, storage, HBAs (host bus adapters), and
any other SAN attached devices. Also referred to as the TPC Fabric
Manager. Note that there are vendor products called 'Fabric Manager' that
are NOT part of TPC.
TPC Fabric Agent - This legacy agent collects "in-band" (i.e., over the
SAN fabric) information from the various SAN attached devices and send
the data to the TPC server.

SRA (Storage Resource Agent) - This is a native (i.e., code written for
the specific agent server operating system) TPC agent that replaces legacy
data and fabric agents in TPC 4.2. See TPC Infocenter or TPC Hints &
Tips for more information.

TPC for Replication - This is functionality is used by enterprise storage

customers to manage global and metro mirror copy services for high
availability and backup/recovery.
TPC for Tape - This functionality allows customers to manage and report
on their tape storage assets.

TPC for Databases - This is TPC functionality that is part of TPC for
Data that allows customers to monitor and report on databases in their
environment, such as MS SQL, Oracle, DB2, etc.
Agent Manager - This is part of the TPC infrastructure that control TPC
legacy data and fabric agent deployment. It registers agent machines in its
database (IBMCDB) via the Common Agent software, which is installed
on all machines where legacy agents are deployed.
Common Agent - TPC data, and fabric/device agents are subagents
deployed by the Common Agent software, and register with their
respective TPC servers (data agents -> data server, fabric/device agents ->
device server) via the Common Agent. A typical Common Agent
installation includes one or more installed subagents.

Subagent - A subagent is an application agent deployed under a Common

Agent. Examples are the TPC data agent and TPC fabric agent.
CIMOM (Common Information Model Object Manager) - This is
middleware software that is used by TPC (and other applications) to
communicate with storage devices, and also SAN devices such as
switches. TPC uses both IBM and vendor CIMOMs depending on the
devices being used. Examples of CIMOMs are the IBM DS Open API,
EMC's Solutions Enabler, and the Engenio/LSI SMI Provider. CIMOMs
can also be external (i.e., software installed and running on a dedicated
server) or internal (build into the device - such as on the DS8300 HMC
(hardware management console)).***Note: Instead of a CIMOM, TPC 4.2
uses the native device API for DS8k, SVC, and XIV storage subsystems.

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SMI Provider (Storage Management Initiative) - This is another type of

CIMOM (see 'CIMOM' above). One example is the Engenio/LSI SMI
Provider used by TPC to communicate with DS4000 family storage
subsystems.
TPCDB - The default TPC repository DB2 database (see 'DB2' above).
IBMCDB - The default Agent Manager DB2 database (see 'DB2' above).
LDAP Server (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) - This server
manages user account authentication as an alternative to traditional OS
authentication. It is not a TPC component, but a component in the
customer environment that TIP interfaces with if TIP and TPC are
configured for LDAP authentication.

Cross Reference information

Segment Product Component Platform Version Edition

Tivoli
Storage
Storage Productivity
Management Center
Standard
Edition
Tivoli
Storage
Storage
Productivity
Management
Center Basic
Edition
System
Storage
Storage
Virtualization
Productivity
Software
Center
Tivoli
Storage
Storage
Productivity
Management
Center for
Disk
IBM
TotalStorage
Storage
Productivity
Management
Center for
Fabric
Tivoli
Storage
Storage
Productivity
Management
Center for
Replication

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