To be very clear IMNSHO in general most if not all GUI's are very bad.
They suck, all of them. Some suck less than others, but all of them
are very bad.

Things that make software worse include concepts like Java (hate it,
its inventors should be shot, but that's just an opinion) and
application frameworks that can do everything.

TSM is a complex product. It's the most powerful but also the most
complex backup and archive solution out there. No matter what, it's
impossible for a GUI to change a complex task into something simple.
Any attempt to simplify complex tasks is doomed.

So, if you want a simple backup product, don't buy TSM, if you want
something useful, do buy TSM, and just learn the commands. TSM command
structure is not completely consistent (define vs. register, why can't
we just define a node or admin? Why do some commands (define stgpool)
require some argument (devclass) as just an argument while others
(backup db) require the devclass as devclass=name?) but it's very
powerful. The only command that's really screwed up is the update path
command.

The best IBM could do (and does do) is provide a basic config on a new
server, though I'd like the option to not have any default pools or
management class defined on a new server, since the defaults are
usually undesirable.

Having said all of that. The ISC has come a long way. I've had a brief
look during the beta at the version that comes with TSM 6.1, and it's
a lot better than the version that came with 5.3. The ISC is as an
interface no worse than the webgui that most of you seem to love so
much. It's different, way different, but not really worse. They just
both suck. If you don't want to use the cli, go with the TSM 6.1 ISC,
it should work with all currently supported TSM server releases.


On 6 nov 2009, at 11:43, Francisco Molero wrote:

Hello,

Yesterady I was working with new TSM AC 6.1. and I was getting
several errors from Admin Center 6.1. Twice I got to restart the TSM
server/ac Machine becuase TSM AC hanged. I suffered the TSM AC 5.3..
But several years late. In my opinion,  the TSM AC look & feel is
not so good, it is too complicate to use for new and even for
experienced users.

I think TSM Manager and others software is an alternative for
experimented users but the first impression for the new users is to
drive off  TSM. Until now TSM users don't claim enought about AC..

I would like to know how many TSM administrators are using the AC,
and how many people are using only AC without TSM Admin command line
( dsmadmc or dsmadmc -console). This will be an example if the TSM
AC GUI is good or people only uses AC for two o three admin tasks.

IBM should solve this problem now and IBM should improve the TSM
GUI. One example is the XIV Gui.

I also think, IBM should simplify TSM too much, each day other SW
are doing the Backup tasks in a simple way and TSM needs a lot of
configurations.

Regards,

Fran

--
Met vriendelijke groeten,

Remco Post
r.post AT plcs DOT nl
+31 6 248 21 622