1. OVERVIEW › 1.2 Major Features
1.2 Major Features
The major features of the Batch and Operations Analyzer can
be grouped into four categories:
o Report facilities
o Use of SMF data
o General product flexibility
o Interface capabilities
Report Facilities
The Batch and Operations Analyzer provides the following
reports:
o Management Reports are run on a daily, weekly, and/or
monthly basis as part of the standard CA MICS processing.
These reports summarize the activities of the I/S
organization and assist in tracking batch service and
performance, monitoring the operations configuration, and
planning for future resource requirements.
o Standard Analysis Reports provide concise information in
the form of graphs, tables, charts, or plots. A number of
reports on batch activity, such as a graphic breakdown of
the components of job execution time, can be used for
exploring service-level problems, analyzing performance
and availability, and examining issues of throughput.
Typically these reports are run on an as-needed basis.
o Exception Reports allow you to define, capture, and report
on exceptional conditions encountered in daily processing.
o Ad Hoc Reporting facilities allow you to access
information in the CA MICS database either interactively
or in batch, via the CA MICS Information Center Facility
(MICF), a panel-oriented productivity tool.
Use of SMF Data
Another feature of the Batch Operations Analyzer is its
comprehensive handling of SMF data. The Batch and Operations
Analyzer:
o Consolidates data from multiple systems into an
information database and then provides a common access
method for reporting on both batch and operations
activity.
o Interprets encoded values in the input data so that
information is immediately usable in a logical form,
without further conversion and/or translation.
o Supports the classification of cost center information
based on organizational structure, by allowing each
organization to set its own account codes to link
individual batch activities with the responsible cost
center or organizational unit. This structure can be used
to report batch, TSO, started task, transaction programs
(TPs), and printing activity by user area (engineering,
payroll, manufacturing, and so on) or any other applicable
section or category.
o Provides the capability to group batch work by different
service criteria or other workload grouping. These
classifications, known as job groups, can be defined using
job classes, performance groups, accounting fields, or
other data elements. For example, a job group might be
assigned for all jobs with a ten-minute turnaround
objective.
o Supports SMF record analysis of batch, TSO sessions,
started tasks, and address spaces using SMF type 30
records.
o Supports and processes SMF type 30 Interval Accounting
Records, which can reduce data lost due to system outages
and can identify resource consumption at a more detailed
level than is otherwise possible.
o Supports and processes SMF type 33 APPC/MVS TP Accounting
Records to allow analysis and accounting for z/OS
scheduled TPs requested by both z/OS and non-z/OS (for
example, PS/2 or AS/400) programs.
o Provides batch workload device activity tracking that is
apportioned by hour and organized by SYSID, performance
group, device number, and hour of day. This file can be
used for performance and capacity planning studies to
maximize batch throughput. It is essential input for
system modeling applications.
o Allows you to track operational configuration changes by
system, and allows you to track potential problem areas
and the causes of reported problems.
o Allows downtime analysis and IPL reason classification
(using SMF type 90 records).
o Eliminates duplicate data during daily processing.
o Provides job-level printer activity statistics and a
printer activity file (supports SMF type 6 records from
JES2, JES3, external writers, PSF, and the CA Bundl report
distribution product).
General Product Flexibility
The Batch and Operations Analyzer also offers a number of
flexibility features, such as the following:
o Usage guidelines for applying batch and operations
management information.
o A wide range of standard exits to allow you to tailor the
product to your enterprise's specific needs.
o A printer output definition routine to allow you to
accumulate the number of lines printed or punched by
output type (including impact, laser, and so on).
o A suspend feature that provides full job accountability by
bringing together all job information even if the job's
system life cycle (from job input to purge) spans several
days.
o A Data Dictionary that describes the information found in
the Batch Information Area and Operations Information Area
files and how that information was derived.
Interface Capabilities
The Batch and Operations Analyzer integrates its data into
the CA MICS database, thus providing an interface with a
number of other CA MICS products including:
o CA MICS Accounting and Chargeback - The data provided to
CA MICS Accounting and Chargeback supports accounting for
consumed resources including job CPU time, lines of output
printed, and many other resource utilization measures.
o CA MICS Capacity Planner - The Batch and Operations
Analyzer maintains a database of both detailed and
summarized information about batch usage and performance.
The CA MICS Capacity Planner can use the information for
historical growth trend projections at the system,
performance group, or organizational structure levels.
o CA MICS Performance Manager - The Batch and Operations
Analyzer provides data for system tuning. CA MICS
Performance Manager uses workload characterization and
batch initiator simulation methodology and software to
accomplish workload analysis. In addition, it performs
z/OS behavior tracking by using information about batch
activity for analysis of the Real Storage Manager (RSM)
and for tape drive simulation analysis.
CA MICS database files are summarized in the same manner
across all products. Therefore, you can combine batch, TSO,
and operational information with information from other data
sources. Combining data from multiple data sources allows
you to compare and correlate batch and system information
with other application-specific data such as that from RMF,
CICS, IMS, DB2, and so on.
