TSM made easy

Predatar Knowledge Tracker App is a fast-track to TSM problem solving.

Predatar Knowledge Tracker is designed to take the headache out of managing many of the essential backup housekeeping tasks.  It enables around 75% of the vital, but often repetitive backup tasks to be handled by first line IT engineers, releasing the more skilled technicians for high level strategic tasks.

Managing backup operations is a time consuming task – backup operations require you to move an ever increasing amount of data in a limited time window.  With constrained budgets the job of a backup administrator is often spent juggling resources to get data protected and copies sent off-site.

Combined with data growth you have rapid changes to infrastructure caused by networking changes, commissioning new servers, adding virtual technology – all this change keeps backup administrators on their toes. 

Predatar’s key partner, Silverstring, has been leading the way in helping TSM administrators around the world spend less time fire-fighting and more time on strategic tasks such as improving capacity utilisation and tuning performance.

Now with the addition of Predatar Knowledge Tracker clients have new options to resource this vital, but sometimes repetitive job.  With Knowledge Tracker we estimate that up to 75% of the most commonly occurring tasks can be handled by first line IT engineers, so freeing up the time of the backup specialists.  For larger companies, with many backup servers and shared administration resources, Knowledge Tracker makes collaboration easier and problem solving many times faster.

When combined with the Predatar platform, Knowledge Tracker prevents duplication of effort, improves visibility and reporting, and reduces risk.  With Predatar clients spend less time checking for problems and more time improving performance and protecting data.

The launch of Predatar Knowledge Tracker is an important step in Silverstring’s vision of helping clients get the greatest return on their investment in their TSM system. In 2006 Silverstring launched the first automated event management system designed specifically for TSM users. In 2010 we launched the world’s only object level storage resource management software for TSM and in 2011 we brought integration of TSM into industry leading system management solutions.

Predatar Knowledge Tracker currently provides over 700 fast fixes and as Silverstring’s user and partner base around the world grows, Predatar Knowledge Tracker will continually benefit from the community of TSM specialists all contributing to the product and adding to the number of available TSM fixes.

Examples of quick fixes from the more than 700, and growing, available in Predatar Knowledge Tracker:

• Tips for improving TSM restore performance from tape
• What to do when tape drives go offline
• How to recover scratch tapes and reduce media expenditure
• How to implement encryption in order to be FIPS compliant
• TSM re-label process when using Virtual Tape Libraries
• How to relocate TSM database and recovery log volumes
• Troubleshooting VMware backups
• How to perform an emergency recovery log extension
• How to move a library manager to a new TSM server
• How to handle expiration for TSM NDMP backups
• Tape drive replacement procedures
• How to restore a TSM database

Alistair Mackenzie, Managing Director of Silverstring, says “We don’t see the investment in headcount keeping pace with the investment in storage software and hardware. As a result, much of the new technology doesn’t get implemented properly, if at all, making it harder for skilled backup administrators to keep on top of the data deluge. By automating many of those tasks and sharing knowledge, Predatar helps make people more productive.”

To find out more about Predatar Knowledge Tracker or to request a call back simply email info@predatar.com