6. DATA SOURCES › 6.1 Data Collector Considerations

6.1 Data Collector Considerations

Before installing the Hardware and SCP Analyzer, the CA MICS
system administrator must address the data collection
considerations that RMF and HIS require.  These include space
considerations and the availability of the RMF and HIS data
in the SMF data sets.

The RMF records are written to VSAM data sets named SYS1.MANx
where x is any number or letter.  At least two data sets must
be specified.  When one data set is filled, data is then
written to the next data set specified.  The system operator
is notified that the MANx data set is full and then must
initiate a program to copy its contents into another file.
This frees the MANx data set for reuse.  The file receiving a
copy of the MANx contents later is used as input to the
CA MICS system.


Specification of the RMF Monitor I SYNC Parameter
-------------------------------------------------

The RMF Monitor I SYNC(nn) parameter may be used to specify
whether or not RMF intervals are to be synchronized with the
hour of the day, and, if so, the number of minutes after the
hour when synchronization is to occur.  The synchronization
is accomplished by shortening the first RMF interval so that
a subsequent interval within the first hour begins nn minutes
after the hour in which RMF is started.  If the requested
length of the RMF interval is evenly divisible into 60
minutes, all subsequent intervals will be synchronized.

For example, if INTERVAL(30) and SYNC(00) are specified and
RMF is started at 07:05, then the first interval will start
immediately and it will end at 07:30, for a duration of 25
minutes rather than the 30 minutes requested.  This
shortening will result in the second interval starting at
07:30, the requested synchronization point.  The ending
timestamp (ENDTS) for each RMF record written to SMF at the
end of an interval will be at 30 minutes after the hour and
on the hour.

In CA MICS, DETAIL RMF data may be summarized, not into the
hour in which the measured activity took place but into the
following hour, because the product summarizes by HOUR and
ZONE, both of which are derived from ENDTS.  In the above
example, data that were collected by RMF between 07:30 and
08:00 will have an ENDTS of 08:00:00.00 or possibly a few
seconds later due to internal delays.  The HOUR value for
this interval is 8, even though most of the measurements
represent information for the previous hour.

Specifying SYNC(59) and using an INTERVAL value that is
evenly divisible into 60 solves this problem.  As a result of
the SYNC(59), no more than the last minute of the last
interval within an hour is summarized into the next hour,
instead of the entire last interval.  The margin of error has
been reduced from INTERVAL minutes to 1 minute.

Instead of the RMF synchronization with the hour, if you use
the synchronization with SMF, with the SYNC(SMF) parameter,
RMF records will be written as specified via SYNCVAL and
INTVAL general SMF options.

Therefore, the CA MICS recommendation for RMF synchronization
is:

o RMF synchronization only:

  - RMF options:
    SYNC(59)
    INTERVAL(nn) where nn can be 05, 10, 12, 15, 20, 30 or 60

o RMF synchronization with SMF recording:

  - RMF options:
    SYNC(SMF)
    (INTERVAL value is ignored)

  - SMF options:
    SYNCVAL(59)
    INTVAL(nn) where nn can be 05, 10, 12, 15,  20, 30 or 60

For more information on SYNC and related RMF options, see the
IBM manual "Resource Measurement Facility (RMF) User's Guide
(SC33-7990)."

For more information on starting the HISPROC address space,
see the IBM manual "z/OS MVS System Commands (SA22-7627)."
IBM manual "Resource Measurement Facility (RMF) User's Guide
(SC33-7990)."