MB Software & Consulting, Inc. finds and fixes the root causes of IBM i (iSeries, AS/400) performance problems. For more than 30 years we have paired our own analysis software with hands-on consulting, so customers get answers and repairs from the same team.
We started in 1995 because IBM i midrange customers needed a thorough root-cause analysis tool-set and didn't have one. We built a complete suite of tools for application performance improvement and systems optimization, and offered specialized consulting alongside it. That combination is still what sets us apart today.
The Workload Performance Series is a complete root-cause analysis tool-set. It shows which applications, job streams and database access paths are costing you capacity.
That visibility turns a vague complaint like "the system is slow" into a specific, ranked list of jobs, programs and files to fix.
Our consultants work through what the software finds and repair the issues at the source, so the same problem doesn't come back next quarter.
Because the people who fix the problem know the tools that found it, nothing gets lost between the diagnosis and the repair, and your business keeps running smoothly and efficiently.
Tune first, upgrade later. Software, job stream and database improvements are often orders of magnitude less costly than a capital-intensive hardware upgrade, and they keep paying off after the upgrade you no longer need.
A new machine running the same inefficient work simply runs out of room again. Fixing the work itself frees capacity on the system you already own, and every future system benefits too.
That is why we always start with the software. We look at how your programs, job streams and databases use the system, then fix what is wasting capacity: long-running batch jobs, inefficient SQL, missing or unused indexes, and files that need to be purged, archived or reorganized.
Only when that work is done do we look at hardware, and by then you'll know exactly how much you need, if any. Our white paper Software-based Performance Tuning explains the approach in detail.
The software looks at virtually every aspect of your application processing environment. Most problems turn up in one of three places:
- Hardware bottlenecks: CPU peaks, memory faults and pages, and disk percent busy, so you know whether the hardware is really the limit
- Software culprits: duration by line of source code, SQL code analysis and tuning, batch job scheduling and application workload distribution
- Data tuning needs: purge and archive, file reorganization, database tuning, index optimization and efficient data normalization
Because the data collectors are easy to customize, we can focus on the specific areas that matter most in your environment.
- Founded: 1995
- Platform: IBM i (iSeries, AS/400)
- Software:Workload Performance Series
- Services: performance tuning, systems optimization and consulting
- Access: green-screen and cloud-based Customer Portal
- Clients: around the world
- Exceed IT service deliverables: meet and beat the service levels you've promised
- Guarantee a 200% ROI: savings that outweigh the cost
- Minimize total cost of ownership: get more from the system you have
- Solve root causes: fix problems, not symptoms
- Eliminate processing bottlenecks: remove what slows your work down
- Avoid unnecessary upgrades: spend on hardware only when you need it
A comprehensive, integrated suite of modules for IBM i (iSeries, AS/400, System i) servers. Unlike other systems management tools, it pinpoints root-cause performance issues and provides easy-to-implement solutions that can be put to work immediately, such as database tuning, application changes and better systems-management techniques.
- System Navigator
- Workload Navigator
- Query Optimizer
- Application Optimizer
- Journal Optimizer
- Disk Navigator
- Spool Navigator
It gives each part of your organization what it needs:
- Executive management: lower costs and upgrades only when they are justified
- Systems administration: early warning of problems and clear direction on what to fix
- Software development: the exact programs, statements and files to improve
Used regularly, it makes it easy to proactively pinpoint and correct the specific causes of performance issues, saving money, increasing productivity and improving quality throughout your organization. See the full product line.
The Workload Performance Series began as a green-screen application for performance tuning and application monitoring. Over the years it has gone through many versions, each one shaped by what our customers needed to see and fix on their systems.
Along the way MB Software has earned a reputation as an authority on application performance tuning and as a consulting organization unlike any other, with a focus on real value for each customer. That reputation has grown to include clients from across the globe.
Companies across many industries rely on our software and services to keep their IBM i systems running at their best, including:
Read what our clients say on our Testimonials page.
Today the software also runs as a modern, cloud-based SaaS Customer Portal, and the green-screen tools remain fully supported for those who prefer them.
However you choose to work, you get the same comprehensive systems analysis, support and services.
Our pricing has grown beyond the traditional license, so you can choose what best fits your needs and budget:
- Traditional software license for permanent ownership
- Monthly software subscription for lower upfront cost
- Software leasing for a fixed term
- Monthly services subscription for ongoing expert help
Whichever option you choose, every software and services plan includes at least:
- Monthly GoToMeeting sessions for training and consulting with our team
- Full access to all green-screen tools
- The cloud-based Customer Portal
- Our newest software, commands and API bundle as they are released
See the results on your own system before you commit:
- Free 30-day trial of the Workload Performance Series
- Free Display Journal Data (DSPJRNDTA) command with a perpetual license for one LPAR
- Software, commands and API bundle for $500 USD per LPAR
Installation, configuration and maintenance support is included. Download now.
Our white papers share what we have learned in over 30 years of tuning:
Want to see what we would find on your system? Contact us to talk through your performance goals.