5. DATABASE FILES › 5.2 SNT Information Area › 5.2.20 VTAM Buffer Pool Data File (SNTVBS) › 5.2.20.3 Usage Considerations

5.2.20.3 Usage Considerations

This section identifies the special considerations or
techniques related to using the SNTVBS File.  Additionally,
several retrieval examples are provided to facilitate the use
of this file.


In the examples, a SAS macro variable is used to specify the
DDname part of the CA MICS file name. These macro variables
are a standard part of CA MICS and are available for all
files. The macro variable name has the form &diiit, where d
is the database identifier, iii is the information area
name, and t is the timespan.  For the examples, a database
identifier of P is used.  The identifier is installation
dependent, so you should find out what the identifiers are at
your installation.


Special Considerations/Techniques

1. Care must be exercised in using the special date and time
   data elements contained in each CA MICS file.  As the
   files' granularity increases in higher timespans, certain
   fields lose significance and should not be used in these
   cases:

   o HOUR should not be used in MONTHS.
   o DAY and DAYNAME should not be used in WEEKS or MONTHS.
   o WEEK should not be used in MONTHS.

2. The following data elements are user-defined.  The value
   in each is dependent on user-selected options or user-
   supplied SAS code:

   o NETWRKID - Network Identifier.  A one to eight-character
     descriptive name for each network represented in the
     data.  NETWRKID is set in the Network Identifier Exit
     Routine, SNTNIDRT, discussed in Chapter 7.

   o TMOFFSET - Time offset applied to the data in the file.
     The user can associate a time offset with each unique
     NETWRKID/SYSID combination.  This offset is used to
     adjust data times when data from multiple time zones is
     brought together in the CA MICS database.  To determine
     the original time at which the data was recorded,
     subtract TMOFFSET from the value.  Time offset is
     assigned in the SNTOPS member of prefix.MICS.PARMS,
     discussed in Chapter 7.

3. The following data elements lose significance once
   summarization has been performed.  These data elements
   should only be referenced when the last observed value in
   a summarization interval is significant.

   PRODVRRL - Product Version and Release
   TMOFFSET - Time Offset
   VBSUSR   - Jobname or Userid
   VBSEXPON - Dynamic Expansion On/Off
   VBSSTYPE - Storage Type


Retrieval Examples

1. Produce a report of the number of buffers allocated, used,
   and available, as well as the number of buffer expansions
   between the hours of 10 to 12 PM.

   PROC PRINT DATA=&PSNTX..SNTVBS01;
     WHERE HOUR GE 8 AND HOUR LE 12;
     ID NETWRKID SYSID SNTBFID SNTSSCP VBSSPOOL;
     VAR VBSBASE VBSPAVL VBSPUSE VBSNUMEX;

2. Produce a report showing the worst use of CRPL.

   PROC PRINT DATA=&PSNTX..SNTVBS01;
     ID NETWRKID SYSID SNTBFID VBSSSCP VBFUSR;
     VAR VBSBFR  VBSNCRPL VBSPCU;