Performance Considerations › History Records Compared to Account Records › Considerations When Using a Summarized History File

Considerations When Using a Summarized History File

The differences between summary history file records and records contained in the Basic Accounting Table (or detail history records, level 6 and 7) give rise to these usage considerations:

• Data elements used in sort control field definitions are filled in only to the level specified by the history level on the SORT statement.
• All data elements which can logically be summarized are included in the history record regardless of whether they are specified in the DISPLAY statement for the report. If in doubt, use the Output Data Elements Table in the User Guide. Any data element which can appear in a summary line is in the summarized history file.
• Data elements in the history record which pertain to computer billing are not filled with valid data unless rate parameters are present during the creation of the summary file. Rate parameters are input through the use of the RATE, TSORATE, FORMRATE and RJERATE statements.
• Summarized history files can be processed by CA JARS to produce user-defined reports and additional history files, subject to the following limitations:
  • Reports designed to utilize the history file as input cannot provide data at a level of detail greater than that specified at the time the summarized file was initially produced.
  • CA JARS does not accept summarized file input with mixed record types (i.e., job records cannot be processed simultaneously with records produced at a sort break). (You cannot run a level-2 history file with a level-7 history file.)
  • When summary file input is present, RATE statement parameters cannot be applied or used to override existing data elements unless the summary file was created at the step level (level 7).
  • Distributed charge displays only if the file was created in a report which used a RATE statement.
  • Credit and Debit amounts appears as part of total charge.
• System Use Reports can be requested using detail history files created from raw SMF data.
• Device type and addresses can not be overridden in subsequent runs by using a history file as input.