Category: Information Technology, IT

Finance Terms every IT Professional Should Know

Finance Terms every IT Professional Should Know

Lean Six Sigma Global, How to Lead a Project

Lean Six Sigma Global, How to Lead a Project

Every Artificial Intelligence AI Agent Explained

Every Artificial Intelligence AI Agent Explained

Agile Backlog Refinement Activities and Business Analyst BA

Agile Backlog Refinement Activities & Business Analyst

HPE NonStop ViewSys Overview and Timeline by Era

ViewSys is a legacy, interactive system monitoring utility for HPE NonStop servers that provides real-time visibility into system resource utilization. Similar to PEEK and Measure, it allows system operators to view resource consumption as it happens, allowing for immediate analysis of the impacts of process relocations or controller path changes. 

HPE NonStop ViewSys Overview

  • Purpose: Monitors system resources, including processor utilization, I/O performance, and memory usage, on NonStop systems.
  • Key Features: Provides online viewing of system resources, allowing for quick recognition of performance bottlenecks, which helps in performance tuning.
  • Functionality: Unlike Measure, which is typically analyzed offline, ViewSys offers an interactive, live, and graphical view of system performance.
  • Operation Requirement: Runs from HPE block mode terminals or non-Stop terminal emulators, presenting average resource usage for each polling interval. 

Detailed Historic Timeline: ViewSys & NonStop Monitoring Evolution

The history of ViewSys is deeply intertwined with the development of the HPE NonStop OS and its monitoring toolkit.

Era 1: Tandem Era (The Early Days)

  • 1976: Initial Tandem NonStop System introduced; basic system monitoring is manual and console-based.
  • 1980s (Mid-late): As Transaction Monitoring Facility (TMF) and Pathway are introduced, the need for interactive monitoring grows.
  • 1990s: ViewSys becomes a key utility for operators managing massive OLTP (Online Transaction Processing) workloads. 

Era 2: Compaq/Early HP Era (The Transition)

  • 1997: Compaq Acquires Tandem.
  • 2003: HP Acquires Compaq. The monitoring focus begins to merge with Integrity-based architecture.
  • 2004: The ViewSys User’s Guide highlights ViewSys alongside PEEK and Measure, standardizing its use for interactive monitoring.
  • 2005: Introduction of HP Integrity “NonStop i” (TNS/E) servers using Intel Itanium processors. ViewSys adapted to monitor Itanium systems. 

Era 3: Modern HPE Era (The Modernization) 

  • 2014: First NonStop X (TNS/X) systems on x86-64 are introduced. ViewSys remains a available tool, but modernization efforts begin.
  • 2015: Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) is formed.
  • 2016-2020: Shift towards Web ViewPoint Enterprise (by Idelji Corporation), which provides web-based dashboards for monitoring EMS events and system metrics.
  • 2020: Sales of Itanium-based systems end. Modern monitoring focuses heavily on NonStop X systems and virtualized environments.
  • Present: While legacy ViewSys may exist in older environments, it is largely superseded by modern GUI-based, browser-independent monitoring solutions like Web ViewPoint and Remote Analyst. 

HPE NonStop ViewSys Overview and Timeline by Era

Buy Project Management Templates bundle

Mark Whitfield’s project management templates are a comprehensive collection of over 200 editable Microsoft Office resources designed for Agile, Waterfall, and PRINCE2 7th Edition delivery. Built from over 30 years of project delivery experience at blue-chip companies like Capgemini, Barclays, and HSBC, these tools focus on practical, functional utility rather than “flashy” design. 

Core Template Categories

The bundle is primarily provided in MS Excel, MS Project (.mpp), MS PowerPoint, and MS Word formats. 

  • Planning & Scheduling:
    • Detailed Project Plans: Pre-configured MS Project (MPP) and Excel templates for SDLC, PRINCE2, and Agile Scrum.
    • Plan on a Page (POaP): Over 35 PowerPoint and Excel slide examples for high-level executive summaries.
    • Gantt Charts: Built-in tracking views for both MS Project and Excel.
  • Tracking & Control:
    • RAID Logs: Comprehensive registers for tracking Risks, Actions, Issues, and Dependencies, often including charts and automated dashboards.
    • RACI Matrix: Templates to define team roles and responsibilities (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed).
    • Finance Trackers: Detailed spreadsheets for monitoring forecasts vs. actuals, margins, variances, and expenses.
  • Reporting & Governance:
    • Status Reports: Weekly and monthly templates in Word and PowerPoint for internal and client health reporting.
    • Agile Specifics: Burn Down and Burn Up charts in Excel for teams without access to tools like Jira.
    • PRINCE2 Management Products: Standard documents including Project Briefs, PIDs, Business Cases, and Lesson Logs. 

Key Features and Insight

  • Lifelong Support: A one-time purchase includes free upgrades and additions for life.
  • Full Customisation: All files are fully editable, allowing project managers to tailor them to specific project sizes and methodologies.
  • Methodology Neutral: Templates are designed to work for traditional Waterfall (PRINCE2) or modern Agile Scrum environments, with specific notes on how to transition between them.
  • Visual Dashboards: Many Excel templates include built-in charts and pivot tables to provide instant visual readouts of project health, such as financial variance or RAID status. 

Availability

The full package is available for purchase on Mark-Whitfield.com or through the ProjectTemplatesSoft Etsy shop. 

Buy Project Management Templates bundle

Over 200 editable Microsoft Office resources designed for Agile, Scrum, Waterfall, and PRINCE2 delivery.

HPE NonStop EMSDIST, Event Management Service EMS Distributor Timeline by Era

HPE NonStop EMSDIST (Event Management Service Distributor) is a critical component within the HPE NonStop operating system responsible for distributing and managing event messages (logs) generated by the system, subsystems, or applications. It is part of the Event Management Service (EMS), which is essential for fault-tolerant monitoring. 

EMS events (via EMSDIST) seen in the Reflex 80:20 application ( now Sentinel (Nonstop Monitoring) by ETI-NET)

EMSDist Overview

  • Purpose: EMSDIST reads events from an EMS collector process ($0, $ZLOG, etc.) or a collector logfile, filters them based on user criteria, and sends them to a user-specified destination (such as a terminal, printer, or another file).
  • Key Functionality: It enables both real-time monitoring and historical analysis of events.
  • Event Handling: It handles EMS messages, including those generated by the EMS subsystem itself (messages 513-999) and those from EMS distributors (messages > 1000).
  • Integration: Often used in conjunction with TACL (Tandem Advanced Command Language) for automated event management scripts. 

Detailed Historic Timeline and Evolution

EMSDIST has evolved alongside Tandem / Compaq / HPE NonStop systems, transitioning from basic console management to complex distributed management systems. 

1. The Tandem Guardian Era (Late 1970s – 1980s)

  • Context: The emergence of Tandem NonStop systems focused on continuous availability.
  • EMS Origins: Initial event handling was largely via console messages. As systems grew, the need to manage logs across multiple processors led to early Event Management Service components.
  • Role of EMSDist: Early distributors primarily moved messages from local collectors to a central console or tape log.

2. The D-Series & TMF Era (1990s)

  • Context: Introduction of sophisticated transaction monitoring and distributed databases.
  • 1996: A significant EMS Reference Summary was released (PN 114754), formalizing the structure of EMS collectors and distributors.
  • Capabilities: EMSDIST became capable of filtering high-volume events, separating critical errors from warning messages (513-1019).
  • Evolution: Began integrating with the Distributed Systems Management (DSM) suite for better network-wide event visibility. 

3. The Compaq & Integrity (J-Series/H-Series) Era (2000s – 2010s)

  • Context: Shift from MIPS-based processors to Intel Itanium (Integrity) servers.
  • 2003-2005: Integration with Windows-based management systems (DSM/NOW) and improvements to the Multi Event Viewer (MEV).
  • 2014: HP Integrity NonStop Operations Guides emphasized using EMSDIST alongside modern tools like OSM (Open System Management) Event Viewer, especially for H-Series and J-Series systems.
  • Key Capability: Improved handling of large logs, with better time-based querying (TIME and STOP options) for auditing and troubleshooting. 

4. The HPE NonStop X & Modern Era (2015 – Present)

  • Context: Adoption of x86 architecture and cloud-ready systems (L-Series).
  • 2015: HPE takes over the portfolio, accelerating integration with HPE InfoSight for AI-driven log analysis.
  • Modernization: While EMSDIST remains, modern environments heavily leverage NS Software Essentials and third-party tools for advanced analytics.
  • Continued Importance: EMSDIST remains essential for analyzing historical logs via the LOGFILE option, especially when dealing with cold-standby or restored logs from tape/disk. 

Key Functional Milestones

  • Message Categorization: Formalization of messages 513-999 (collectors) and >1000 (distributors) for structured analysis.
  • Filtering Efficiency: Implementation of complex FILTER parameters allowed operators to filter events by process, user, or time.
  • Logfile Access: The ability for EMSDIST to process archived or older LOGFILE entries independently of the live $0 collector.
  • Template Support: Ability to use specific =_EMS_TEMPLATES for customizable output formatting. 

HPE NonStop EMSDIST, Event Management Service Distributor Timeline by year

IT Mark Whitfield, SC Cleared Senior Project Manager

Mark Whitfield is a highly experienced SC cleared Senior IT Project Manager and Engagement Manager with over 30 years in the IT industry, specializing in both Agile and Waterfall delivery for large-scale blue-chip companies, digital projects, and payment systems. After starting as a programmer, he transitioned into project management, eventually working with Capgemini and establishing a professional templates resource site. 

SC cleared Senior IT Project Manager and Engagement Manager

IT Project Management Overview

  • Key Expertise: Senior IT Project Management (Agile / Scrum / Waterfall / PRINCE2), Delivery Management, Business Transformation, and SC clearance.
  • Sector Focus: Banking, Finance, Transportation (Heathrow, NATS), Retail, Government (Local Regional Government – LRG), Aerospace & Defence, and Gambling.
  • Technical Background: Programming in COBOL85, Tandem TAL, SQL, C, C++, Java, and experience with HPE NonStop (BASE24) systems.
Tandem TAL Programming certificate, 1995
  • Tools & Methodologies: PRINCE2, Agile SCRUM, Microsoft Project (MPP), Excel RAID logs, and Jira.
  • Value Proposition: Focuses on improving revenue, cost, and Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) through structured SDLC methodologies. 

Detailed Historical Timeline

Era 1: Programming & Technical Development (1990–1995) 

  • 1990: Graduated in Computing and joined The Software Partnership (later Deluxe Data) in Runcorn as a programmer specializing in electronic banking software (sp/ARCHITECT) on Tandem Computers (now HPE NonStop).
  • 1990-1995: Developed code (COBOL85/NonStop SQL) for major banks, including TSB, Bank of Scotland, Rabobank, and Girofon.
  • 1993 (May): Completed Tandem Guardian Principles Course.
Tandem Guardian Principles Course, 1993
  • 1994: Deluxe Electronic Payment Systems acquired The Software Partnership.
  • 1995 (June): Completed HP NonStop Performance Analysis and Tuning.
Deluxe Electronic Payment Systems acquired The Software Partnership in 1994
HP NonStop Performance Analysis and Tuning, 1995

Era 2: Specialized Software & Product Management (1995–2013) 

Insider Technologies Limited (ITL) in Salford Quays
  • 1995 (August): Joined Insider Technologies Limited (ITL) in Salford Quays as a senior programmer, later moving into product / project management.
  • 1995-2013: Focused on monitoring (Reflex) and batch scheduling (MultiBatch) software for HPE NonStop systems, serving clients like Barclays and Alliance & Leicester.
  • 2000 (May): Completed Microsoft Project ’98 Certification and began training other ITL project managers on scheduling best practices.
  • 2007: Insider Technologies products (Reflex) integrated into FIS solutions.
  • 2013: Published work in the HP NonStop journal “The Connection”. 
HPE NonStop journal “The Connection” – article for the Insider Technologies product, RTLX

Era 3: Senior IT Project Management (2013–2016) 

  • 2013-2014: Worked at Wincor Nixdorf as an IT Project Manager (PRINCE2 / Agile Scrum) on a £5m+ LBG Self-Service Software Replacement (SSSR) program for Lloyds Banking Group, migrating ATM systems from HP NonStop to AIX.
  • 2014-2016: Joined Betfred as a Senior Project Manager, delivering payment gateways, sportsbook, and virtual gaming projects in Agile SCRUM for mobile and online platforms. 

Era 4: Engagement Management & Public Sector (2016–Present) 

  • 2016 (January): Joined Capgemini UK as a client-facing Engagement Manager (SC cleared).
  • 2016 (August): Founded Mark Whitfield Consultancy Ltd, managing independent IT, network, and improvement projects.
  • 2016-2018: Led Waterfall / Agile projects for automotive, local government, and postal services.
  • 2018-2019: Augmented into MuleSoft as a Delivery Manager for the Anypoint Platform.
  • 2023-2024 (Nov-Feb): Served as Technical Delivery Manager for a UK Government account, overseeing a £1m+ Fish Export Service (FES) to Common Entry Health Document (CHED) Inspection Portal (CHIP) project.
  • 2026: Continued to provide project management thought leadership and template resources for Agile/Scrum/PRINCE2. 
Agile Scrum Burn down Chart template in Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Project MPP MSP Project Plan Template examples
Plan On a Page POaP templates plus MPP MS Project and MS Excel Project Plan templates

Key Projects & Clients

  • UK Gov / Capgemini: Fish Export Service (FES) Cloud Migration.
  • MuleSoft: Anypoint Platform.
  • Wincor Nixdorf/Lloyds: ATM/Self-Service Software Replacement.
  • Jaguar Landrover (JLR), Heathrow, Royal Mail Group, NATS, Euroclear: Various IT and Digital projects.
  • Banking: Rabobank, Barclays, HSBC, Bank of England, Standard Chartered. 

IT Mark Whitfield, SC Cleared Senior Project Manager