IBM i (AS/400) Monitoring Solutions Comparison

This document provides a comprehensive comparison of IBM i monitoring solutions and their capabilities.

Solutions Overview

1. Netdata IBM.d AS400 Module

Repository: https://github.com/netdata/netdata Language: Go Connection: ODBC (unixODBC + IBM i Access ODBC Driver) Architecture: Direct ODBC connection with configurable reset statistics IBM i Version: 7.2+ (enhanced features for 7.3+, 7.4+) Unique Features:

• Real-time, high-resolution metrics
• Statistics reset control
• Cardinality management
• Extensive network, disk health, and HTTP server monitoring

2. Datadog IBM i Integration

Repository: https://github.com/DataDog/integrations-core/tree/master/ibm_i Language: Python Connection: ODBC (IBM i Access ODBC Driver) Architecture: Subprocess-based query execution with connection pooling IBM i Version: 7.2+ (enhanced support for 7.3+) Unique Features:

• Message queue monitoring with severity filtering
• Job queue detail breakdown (released, scheduled, held)
• Normalized CPU metrics
• Job queue duration tracking

3. Prometheus JDBC Exporter (ThePrez)

Repository: https://github.com/ThePrez/prometheus-exporter-jdbc Language: Java Connection: JDBC (IBM JT400 bundled) Architecture: Multi-threaded metric collection IBM i Version: Any version with JDBC support Unique Features:

• Custom SQL queries
• Multi-row/single-row modes
• Service Commander integration
• Interval-based or point-in-time collection

4. IBM i Remote Prometheus Monitoring (Chadys)

Repository: https://github.com/Chadys/ibmi-remote-prometeus-monitoring Language: Python Connection: ODBC (pyodbc) Architecture: Prometheus client library with continuous refresh IBM i Version: 7.2+ (gracefully handles version differences) Unique Features:

• Prometheus-compliant naming
• Automatic unit conversion
• Graceful downtime handling
• Multi-server support

5. Check_AS400 Nagios Plugin

Repository: https://github.com/cjt74392/check_as400 Language: Java Connection: Telnet (optionally SSL/TLS) Architecture: Command-line plugin for Nagios IBM i Version: 5.3+ (adaptations up to 7.3) Unique Features:

• Multi-language support (EN/FR/DE/IT)
• iCluster/MIMIX high availability monitoring
• Job-specific checks and troubleshooting
• Problem management integration

6. IBM Nagios for i (Official) - ARCHIVED

Repository: https://github.com/IBM/nagios-for-i (No longer maintained) Language: Java Connection: JDBC (IBM JT400) Architecture: Daemon server or standalone process IBM i Version: 7.1+ (DiskConfig not supported in 7.5+) Unique Features:

• SQL Services based monitoring
• Daemon mode for efficiency
• HMC monitoring support
• Nagios XI wizard integration

7. New Relic AS/400 Integration

Repository: https://github.com/newrelic-experimental/nri-as400 Language: Java Connection: JT400 native APIs Architecture: 5 separate OHI for New Relic Infrastructure IBM i Version: Any version supporting JT400 Unique Features:

• Message queue checkpoint management
• Separate OHI components for modular deployment
• Detailed job-level monitoring with MSGW status
• Storage pool thread transition metrics

8. Uptime Infrastructure Monitor AS/400 Plugin

Repository: https://github.com/uptimesoftware/ibm-as400-monitor Language: Java Connection: JT400 native APIs with program calls Architecture: Plugin for Uptime Infrastructure Monitor (v7.3-7.7) IBM i Version: Any version supporting JT400 Unique Features:

• PTF (Program Temporary Fix) monitoring
• Multiple specialized monitor types
• Custom command execution (DRIFT/RTVASPPERC)
• Simple plugin-based deployment

9. Zabbix AS/400 Templates

Repositories:

• https://github.com/zabbix/community-templates
• https://github.com/muutech/zabbix-templates Language: N/A (template configurations) Connection: SNMP or Agent emulator (requires external implementation) Architecture: Templates for Zabbix monitoring system (v3.0+) IBM i Version: Depends on SNMP support or agent emulator Unique Features:
• Process discovery
• Output queue monitoring
• SNMP-based memory monitoring
• Note: Templates only - requires separate implementation

Metrics Comparison

Legend

• ✅ = Fully supported
• ⚠️ = Partial support
• ❌ = Not supported
• 🔧 = Configurable/Custom
• 📊 = With performance data

System & CPU Metrics

Metric	Netdata	Datadog	Prometheus	Chadys	check_as400	IBM Nagios	New Relic	Uptime	Zabbix
CPU Utilization	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	⚠️¹
CPU Configuration	✅	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
CPU Capacity	✅	✅	✅	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
CPU Rate/Activity	✅	❌	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
Min/Max CPU	✅	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
Per-Job CPU	✅	✅	🔧	❌	✅	✅	✅	❌	⚠️¹
Top CPU Jobs	✅²	❌	🔧	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	⚠️¹

¹ Depends on agent emulator implementation ² Enable collect_active_jobs to capture top CPU jobs

Memory & Storage Metrics

Metric	Netdata	Datadog	Prometheus	Chadys	check_as400	IBM Nagios	New Relic	Uptime	Zabbix
Memory Pools	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌	❌	✅	❌	⚠️¹
Pool Threads	✅	❌	✅	✅	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌
Main Storage	✅	❌	✅	✅	❌	❌	✅	✅	⚠️²
Temp Storage	✅	⚠️	✅	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Storage Buckets	✅	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
Address Usage	❌	❌	✅	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌

¹ Depends on agent emulator ² SNMP version supports via HOST-RESOURCES-MIB

Disk & ASP Metrics

Metric	Netdata	Datadog	Prometheus	Chadys	check_as400	IBM Nagios	New Relic	Uptime	Zabbix
Disk Busy	✅	✅	🔧	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	⚠️¹
Disk I/O	✅	✅	🔧	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	⚠️¹
Disk Space	✅	✅	🔧	❌	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Disk Health	✅	❌	🔧	❌	✅	⚠️²	❌	❌	✅
SSD Metrics	✅	❌	🔧	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
ASP Usage	✅	✅	🔧	❌	✅	✅	❌	✅	✅
ASP Storage	✅	❌	🔧	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌

¹ Depends on agent emulator ² Not supported in 7.5+

Job & Workload Metrics

Metric	Netdata	Datadog	Prometheus	Chadys	check_as400	IBM Nagios	New Relic	Uptime	Zabbix
Active Jobs	✅	✅	🔧	❌	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Job by Type	✅	❌	🔧	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
Job Status	✅	✅	🔧	❌	✅	✅	✅	✅	⚠️¹
Job Queues	✅	✅	🔧	❌	✅	❌	✅	✅	⚠️¹
Subsystems	✅	✅	🔧	❌	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌
Job Temp Storage	✅	✅	🔧	❌	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌
Job Threads	✅	❌	🔧	❌	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌

¹ Depends on agent emulator

Network & Messaging

Metric	Netdata	Datadog	Prometheus	Chadys	check_as400	IBM Nagios	New Relic	Uptime	Zabbix
Network Connections	✅	❌	🔧	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
Network Interfaces	✅	❌	🔧	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
HTTP Servers	✅	❌	🔧	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
Message Queues	✅	✅	🔧	❌	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Output Queues	✅	❌	🔧	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	✅
Message Checkpoints	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌

Special Features

Feature	Netdata	Datadog	Prometheus	Chadys	check_as400	IBM Nagios	New Relic	Uptime	Zabbix
HA Monitoring	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅¹	❌	❌	❌	❌
PTF Monitoring	❌	❌	🔧	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅	❌
System Values	❌	❌	🔧	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
Plan Cache	✅	❌	🔧	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
Custom SQL	❌	⚠️	✅	⚠️	❌	✅	❌	⚠️²	❌
Problem Detection	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Long Running SQL	❌	❌	🔧	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌
Login Test	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌

¹ MIMIX and iCluster support ² Custom commands like DRIFT/RTVASPPERC

Implementation Comparison

Aspect	Netdata	Datadog	Prometheus	Chadys	check_as400	IBM Nagios	New Relic	Uptime	Zabbix
Deployment	Plugin	Agent	Standalone	Standalone	Nagios Plugin	Nagios Plugin	NR OHI	Plugin	Template
Multi-Server	✅	✅	❌¹	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	⚠️²
Statistics Reset	✅	❌	✅	✅	N/A	N/A	✅	✅	⚠️²
Auto-adapt Version	✅	✅	❌	✅	❌	✅	✅	✅	⚠️²
Daemon Mode	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	⚠️²
Security	🔒	🔒	🔒	🔒	⚠️³	🔒	🔒	🔒	⚠️²
Maintenance	✅ Active	✅ Active	✅ Active	✅ Active	✅ Active	❌ Archived	⚠️ Experimental	❓ Unknown	N/A⁴

¹ One remote server at a time ² Depends on agent emulator implementation ³ Telnet unencrypted by default, SSL/TLS optional ⁴ Template only, requires implementation 🔒 Encrypted connection

SQL Services & APIs Used

Service/API	Netdata	Datadog	Prometheus	Chadys	check_as400	IBM Nagios	New Relic	Uptime	Zabbix
SYSTEM_STATUS()	✅	✅	🔧	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
SYSTEM_ACTIVITY_INFO()	✅	❌	🔧	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌
ACTIVE_JOB_INFO()	✅	✅	🔧	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌
MEMORY_POOL()	✅	❌	🔧	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
MEMORY_POOL_INFO	❌	✅	🔧	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
SYSDISKSTAT	✅	✅	🔧	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
MESSAGE_QUEUE_INFO	❌	✅	🔧	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌
NETSTAT_INFO	✅	❌	🔧	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
HTTP_SERVER_INFO	✅	❌	🔧	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
SYSTMPSTG	✅	❌	🔧	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
QWCRSSTS API	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅	✅	❌
QUSRJOBI API	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌
Telnet/Screen Scraping	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
SNMP	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	⚠️¹

¹ SNMP version available 🔧 Configurable via custom SQL

Unique Capabilities by Solution

Netdata:

• Network interface and HTTP server monitoring (exclusive)
• SSD health and age monitoring
• Comprehensive temporary storage tracking with buckets
• Plan cache monitoring
• Message and output queue metrics with cardinality safeguards
• Built-in cardinality limits to prevent metric explosion
• Statistics reset control

Datadog:

• Message severity filtering
• Job queue duration tracking
• Normalized CPU metrics

Prometheus JDBC:

• Full custom SQL support
• Multi-row/single-row collection modes
• Service Commander integration

Chadys:

• Automatic unit conversion to Prometheus standards
• Graceful downtime handling

check_as400:

• HA monitoring (MIMIX/iCluster)
• Problem detection and management
• Multi-language support (EN/FR/DE/IT)
• Login test capability

New Relic:

• Binary message queue checkpointing
• Storage pool thread transition metrics

Uptime:

• PTF (Program Temporary Fix) monitoring (exclusive)
• Custom command execution (DRIFT/RTVASPPERC)

Zabbix:

• Template-based configuration
• Process discovery
• SNMP support option

Notes on IBM i Version Compatibility

All solutions adapt functionality based on IBM i version:

• 7.2: Basic functionality for all solutions
• 7.3+: Enhanced queries, active job info, subsystem monitoring
• 7.4+: Full SYSTEM_STATUS() detailed info (Netdata)
• Legacy (5.3-7.1): Only check_as400 fully supports