IMS has focused traditionally on ensuring a single system image. IMS has provided workload management information for systems management and has provided support of VTAM's Generic resources and Multi-node Persistent Sessions to help with the balancing and recovery of work across the Sysplex. These tools provide support for speeding up and reporting on performance, extend the functions of and assist with testing of IMS, and provide system tools for querying, validating, managing, and tuning the IMS Database, These include for example tools necessary to maintain and repair databases.
Many tools serve multiple purposes.
IBM offers tool functionality, like IMS Control Suite, that is not available from any other vendor. IBM offers high performance tools that are competitive within the industry at an affordable price. Tivoli helps manage the applications, do functional management for software distribution and inventory, manage the resources like networks, applications, and databases. Tivoli is delivering to customers a solution that addresses the cross-platform management challenges. Tivoli management is being made easier for customers since all IBM hardware and software products are being integrated and certified Tivoli Ready.