1. Database Structure › 1.2 Database Structure and Organization › 1.2.1 Online Data Structure › 1.2.1.2 Timespan (Database Level 1)

1.2.1.2 Timespan (Database Level 1)

The Timespan level is the highest level in the Database.  It
divides the database into five unique timespans by which they
can be more effectively updated, archived, and retrieved.
The definition of these five timespans are as follows:

YEARS:  Contains data generally summarized and stored by zone
within year.  The installation may specify the number of
years for which data will be maintained online in this
Timespan.

Note:  Zone is a user defined time-period definition used
to delineate different service periods of a day and week
(e.g., prime shift service).

MONTHS:  Contains data generally summarized and stored by
zone within month.  The installation may specify the number
of months for which data will be maintained online in this
Timespan.

WEEKS:  Contains data generally summarized and stored by
hour and zone within week.  The installation may specify the
number of weeks for which data will be maintained online in
this Timespan.

DAYS:  Contains data generally summarized and stored by
hour within day.  The installation may specify the number of
days for which data will be maintained online in this
Timespan.

DETAIL:  Contains formatted raw measurement data stored
unsummarized, similar to the manner in which the data was
originally recorded by the applicable data collector.  The
installation may specify the number of days for which data
will be maintained online in this Timespan.

    Figure 1-4 illustrates the Database structure through
Level 1:


                 CA MICS ONLINE DATABASE
                           |
         +---------+-------+--------+---------+
         |         |       |        |         |
       DETAIL    DAYS    WEEKS    MONTHS    YEARS

Figure 1-4. Timespan Level Structure

To illustrate how data is summarized and maintained
within the different Timespans, the manner in which data
quantifying TSO system activity is processed and stored in
each Timespan is presented.

Data for this file, which will be named the TSO System
Activity File, is originally recorded by the CA TSO/MON PM
data collector.  A record is written to SMF every 5 minutes,
quantifying the service (response), load (CPU time, EXCPs,
etc.), and terminal access (logons, connect hours, etc.) for
a TSO system (SYSID).  This data is input to the CA MICS
daily update process.  Over a period of time, the following
data about the TSO system's activity is made available and
maintained in the CA MICS Database.

    DETAIL Timespan:  There is one record for each TSO System
    record written by the CA TSO/MON PM data collector.  The
    data is not summarized.

    DAYS Timespan:  The TSO system data has been summarized
    by hour within day for each SYSID.  There is one record
    per SYSID quantifying TSO's total activity for each hour
    of a day for the number of days maintained in the
    database.

    WEEKS Timespan:  The TSO system data has been summarized
    by hour within zone and week for each SYSID.  There is
    one record per SYSID quantifying TSO's total activity for
    an hour within a zone for the period of a week for the
    number of weeks maintained in the database.

    MONTHS Timespan:  The TSO system data has been summarized
    by zone within month for each SYSID.  There is one record
    per SYSID quantifying TSO's total activity for a zone for
    the period of a month for the number of months maintained
    in the database.

    YEARS Timespan:  The TSO system data has been summarized
    by zone within year for each SYSID.  There is one record
    per SYSID quantifying TSO's total activity for a zone for
    the period of a year for the number of years maintained
    in the database.

Consequently, if the requirement is to determine the
resources consumed by TSO yesterday from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.,
the DETAIL or DAYS Timespan files may be used.  On the other
hand, if a comparison of the TSO system's increase in
resource usage over the last three years is required, the
YEARS Timespan file is used.

This approach to providing data summarized and retained at
different levels through the Timespan structure, is used to
minimize the programming time required to write the program
necessary to retrieve and manipulate the data and to minimize
the computer resources required to process the program.