4. CA MICS Facilities › 4.1 Overview

4.1 Overview

CA MICS has been designed to accept a wide range of data
sources in a number of information areas.  No single user
installation may ever use all the functions built into
CA MICS, and the likelihood of any two CA MICS installations
being identical is very small.

CA MICS installations can be tailored to individual sites by
a variety of standard means, through execution-time or
installation-time CA MICS parameters. This "tailoring"
answers questions such as:

    - Is JES2 or JES3 data to be kept by CA MICS, or are both
      types to be kept?

    - What type of CICS monitor is used?

    - What is the description of each processor that CA MICS
      will process?

Documentation for such standard specifications appears in the
PIOM, as well as in the individual data integration product
guides.

There is another level of tailoring applicable to CA MICS.
Installations have the option of deciding to make some
modification to the data source itself (such as changing the
content of a particular SMF record type).  Also, there are
data elements that may not be used by CA MICS, even though
they appear in the data sources, because such use is not
generally applicable to the user community and creates levels
of complication that are distracting to the normal CA MICS
installation.  This level of tailoring involves more than
just parameter specifications.  Some modification of the
standard CA MICS process must be done.

CA MICS provides a flexible approach to modification. A
considerable amount of CA MICS code and its environment is
generated.  This allows user modifications to be inserted by
changing as few lines as possible of existing CA MICS code to
perform the intended function.

This section discusses facilities for CA MICS installation
and user modification.  The purpose of each facility is
outlined here.  Subsequent sections discuss each facility in
detail.
CA MICS Component Generator (MCG)

The MCG accepts encoded descriptions of components and
their associated information areas, files, and data elements
within each file.  For example, it produces SAS code and
other material that builds files, summarizes data elements,
and ages files.  Typical user modifications that require a
knowledge of MCG operation include adding a data element to a
file or activating a file in a normally inactive timespan.
CA MICS JCL Generator (JCLGEN)

The JCLGEN accepts encoded descriptions of JCL.  It produces
executable JCL library members.  Typical user modifications
that require a knowledge of JCLGEN operation include changing
a data set name from the standard CA MICS convention.
User Exit Facilities

The User Exit Facilities provide points for easy
insertion of user SAS code in frequently modified parts of
CA MICS logic. Typical user modifications that require a
knowledge of user exit facility operation include extending
input data selection criteria or implementing data element
content changes at the detail level.
CA MICS Information Center Facility (MICF)

MICF is the online CA MICS inquiry and documentation tool.
MICF provides efficient access to CA MICS data and
documentation by experienced CA MICS users and provides
useful tutorial functions for novices.  Typical user
modifications that require a knowledge of MICF operation
include integrating MICF into user SPF dialogs or rewording
MICF screens or messages to accommodate unusual requirements
(like translating some messages into a language other than
English).
CA MICS Utilities

The CA MICS utilities include print formatting, cross
reference, and library maintenance programs.  Typical user
modifications that require a knowledge of CA MICS utilities
operation include modifying the DOCUMENT program to an
alternate document page structure or creating versions of the
cross reference utilities for special purposes.
CA MICS Functions

The CA MICS functions include common database control
functions, calendar data element derivations, and CA MICS
standard formats.  Typical user modifications that require a
knowledge of CA MICS functions operation include modifying
the content and use of common data elements, such as MONTH,
or adding special user information into standard CA MICS
status reports.