Configuration Best Practices › Symbolic Substitution for Batch SMF Reporting

Symbolic Substitution for Batch SMF Reporting

We recommend that you use symbolic substitution variables when generating batch CA Auditor scripts that perform SMF file analysis.

Business Value:

When you generate batch scripts, CA Auditor stores the specific values that you enter within the script file. If you execute an SMF search function in batch, the date value stored may default to the creation date of the script, which means that the date may be in the past the next time the script runs.

CA Auditor lets you define symbolic substitution variables within the CA Auditor Central Parameter File, which lets you make symbolic references to the current date value instead of making specific date references, thereby providing a consistent, reliable means of identifying and reporting the information represented by specific records.

Additional Considerations:

Although many SMF search functions are ad-hoc, running certain pre-defined SMF search sequences on a daily or weekly basis adds substantial value. The following SMF records provide information about significant system activity; therefore, using symbolic substitution for these records can provide substantial benefits:

00

Indicates an IPL record.

07

Indicates an SMF data lost record.

09

Indicates a device is varied online.

11

Indicates a device is varied offline.

22

Indicates that the configuration may have changed by use of the CONFIG command.

More Information:

For detailed record and substitution information, see the Technical Reference guide and the Usage Guide.