4. EXCEPTIONS › 4.2 Setting Exception Values

4.2 Setting Exception Values

Exception test routines contain tests that determine the
conditions and definitions that classify the exception for
reporting and analysis.  The following is a sample exception
test:

*
*  03002
*  BATCH JOB ELAPSED TIME EXCEEDED LIMIT
*;
  IF JOBGROUP=1 AND JOBEXCTM > '00:01:00'T
  OR JOBGROUP=2 AND JOBEXCTM > '00:30:00'T
  OR JOBGROUP=3 AND JOBEXCTM > '00:59:99'T
    THEN DO;
    EXCCODE='03002';
    SEVERITY='I';
    MGMTAREA='PERFORMANCE';
    EXCDESC1='JOB ELAPSED TIME EXCEEDED LIMIT';
    EXCDESC2='JOBGROUP=' || PUT(JOBGROUP,3.)
           || ' ELAPSED TIME(H:M:S)='
           || PUT(PJBEXCTM,TIME.);
    LINK HIT;
  END;

This exception test is processed for each observation that is
in the latest cycle of the DETAIL Batch User Job Activity
File (BATJOB).  The test is positive only when the value of
the JOBGROUP element is one, two, or three and the JOBEXCTM
element exceeds the associated time limit.  For jobs in group
one, the duration must be greater than one minute.  For jobs
in group two, the duration must be greater than 30 minutes,
and for jobs in group three, the duration must be greater
than or equal to one hour.

When the test is positive, the exception is categorized by
providing the appropriate values for EXCCODE, SEVERITY, and
MGMTAREA.  EXCDESC1 provides a consistent label for the
exception.  EXCDESC2 provides variable information for the
conditions that caused the test to be positive.  The LINK HIT
statement invokes a routine that causes the exception
condition eventually to be written to the Exception Activity
File (ADMEXC) for later processing by the standard reports or
MICF inquiries.

For most organizations, the exception limits used here would
either cause too many exceptions or too few exceptions to be
reported, which defeats one of the purposes of exception
processing:  to report on "out of the ordinary" conditions
that warrant attention.  Therefore, each organization must
determine and set its own exception values.

Furthermore, the values for some exception conditions should
be determined uniquely for different environments within a
single organization.  For example, a system paging rate that
would be excessive during the nightly batch processing may be
normal during the daytime hours, which have heavy interactive
usage.  Also, different processors can support different
paging rates.  Numbers used as exception values should not be
defined without some analysis of installation history,
performance, and user requirements.

The CA MICS data base provides a most useful information base
for analyzing historical performance.  The exception value
analysis routine uses the CA MICS data base to produce a
statistical analysis of the values used in the standard
exception tests distributed with the products.

Using the results of this analysis, along with your
installation's internal political, security, or standards
policies; industry publications; and your own analysis of
data element behavior, you can determine how to modify each
exception test for your environment.  You can also modify the
exception test routine to add your own tests for additional
exception conditions not detected by the standard tests
delivered with the product.