IBM CSM to IBM Systems Director Transformation Guide

8 IBM CSM to IBM Systems Director Transformation Guide

2.1 Comparison

While this entire book is a reference comparing and contrasting IBM Cluster Systems

Management for AIX and IBM Systems Director, a bit of background can be useful to

understand some of the major differences between the products.

IBM Cluster Systems Management for AIX is, at its core, a command line-driven set of

programs to assist the AIX Administrator managing multiple operating systems and Logical

Partitions (LPARs) with as few steps as possible. CSM evolved from the predecessor product

IBM Parallel Systems Support Programs (PSSP), which was developed in concert with the

RS/6000® SP hardware product in the early 1990s. The tight integration of both hardware

and software control was a key component used by many customers. With the spread of High

Performance Computing clusters in the Linux and x86 arena, CSM (unlike PSSP) adapted to

support those technologies.

IBM Systems Director for AIX developed from a predecessor product, IBM Director, with a

background in the Microsoft Windows x86 world focused on monitoring and managing large

numbers of disparate desktop and server systems. As management of all the IBM server

hardware platforms from a consolidated pane-of-glass became a priority, IBM Director

multiplatform was the first step to bring it all together. IBM Systems Director Version 6 was a

major rewrite of the previous products using the cross-platform Eclipse-based development

environment setting a new, higher baseline for the single pane-of-glass concept.

2.2 Terminology

As with many transformations, we must understand new terminology introduced in the new

environment. Naming conventions for some familiar components in IBM Systems Director

(Systems Director) are very different from the ones used in IBM Cluster Systems

Management (CSM). Here, we will briefly discuss the terminology important for the

administrator transforming from CSM to Systems Director. Fully detailed definitions are

available in IBM Systems Director for AIX Planning, Installation and Configuration Guide

Version 6.2.1, GI11-8709-06.

2.2.1 Components

IBM Systems Director is a server-client based solution consisting of IBM Systems Director

Server and two client-side operating system agents: Common Agent and Platform Agent. IBM

Systems Director can be installed on various IBM-supported operating systems.

򐂰 Agent Manager

Serves as authentication and authorization component for Common Agents. Multiple

Management Servers can utilize a single, common Agent Manager.

򐂰 Management Server

The management server is an operating system instance running the IBM Systems

Director Server code. It provides a central point of control for aggregating and managing

discovered systems based on a service-oriented architecture.

򐂰 Common Agent

IBM-provided software installed on an operating system required to enable a rich set of

security, deployment, and management functions from a Systems Director perspective.