This IBM® Redpaper™ introduces IBM Application Runtime Expert for i, which is a new product that has the potential to revolutionize how you do application service and support.

IBM Application Runtime Expert for i (ARE) can help you ensure consistent performance and deployment for any workload running on your system. ARE allows you to build and maintain an application knowledge base, one that can be used to automatically apply its knowledge to verify a system.

ARE provides a GUI that allows you to collect and verify a customized set of information, system settings, and attributes about:

• Applications
• IBM i System
• Runtime Environment

ARE collects the needed information and builds it into a template. This template can then be used in verifying the application and its environment on the same system where the template was built or on any other IBM i system.

When you run a template against an IBM i system, the system will be verified against the information stored in the template, and the results are documented in a set of reports. These reports give a clear and concise view of what has changed or what is different.

Templates can be updated easily to include new information and settings from the ARE GUI interface.

This Redpaper provides guidance for using IBM Application Runtime Expert for i and discusses the product’s features.