1. OVERVIEW › 1.2 Major Features

1.2 Major Features

The major features of the Hardware and SCP Analyzer can be
grouped into these categories:

Report Facilities

The Hardware and SCP Analyzer provides the following reports:

   o  Management Objective 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 IT organization and are designed to
      assist in tracking system resource utilization and
      planning for future requirements.

   o  RMF Postprocessor reports provide information on z/OS
      system resource consumption and performance.  These
      reports can be produced at a detail level and at a
      summarized level.  Typically these reports are run on
      an as-needed basis.

   o  Exception reports allow you to define, capture, and
      report on exceptional conditions recorded in the RMF
      data.

   o  Ad hoc reporting facilities allow you to access
      information in the CA MICS database, either
      interactively or in batch, via MICF, a panel-oriented
      productivity tool.

See Section 1.3 for more detailed information on Hardware and
SCP Analyzer reports.

Interface Capabilities

The Hardware and SCP 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 Capacity Planner - The Hardware and SCP
      Analyzer maintains a database of historical system
      hardware usage and performance data.  The CA MICS
      Capacity Planner can use this data to make growth/trend
      projections at both the system and user level.

   o  CA MICS Performance Manager - The Hardware and SCP
      Analyzer provides data for z/OS 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.

Comprehensive Use of RMF Data

Another feature of the Hardware and SCP Analyzer is its
comprehensive use of RMF data.  The Hardware and SCP
Analyzer:

   o  Consolidates data from multiple data centers into an
      information database and then provides a common access
      method for reporting on system activity.

   o  Interprets encoded values in the input data through the
      use of SAS features.  Thus, information is immediately
      usable in a logical form without further conversion
      and/or translation.

   o  Consolidates usage and resource consumption data at
      both the system and service class levels.

General Product Flexibility

The Hardware and SCP Analyzer also offers a number of
flexibility features, such as:

   o  A wide range of standard exits to tailor the product to
      your enterprise's specific needs.

   o  Calculation and derivation of useful measurement
      statistics not available from the RMF data to further
      characterize response, service, and utilization of the
      measured systems.

   o  A Data Dictionary, which describes the information
      found in the CA MICS Hardware (HAR), System Control
      Program (SCP), and Workload Management (WLM)
      Information Area files and how that information was
      derived.

   o  Support for the SAS compression option, which minimizes
      the amount of space needed to retain information in the
      CA MICS data base.