5. DATABASE FILES › 5.4 TCP Information Area › 5.4.5 API Calls for Sockets File (TCPAPI) › 5.4.5.3 Usage Considerations

5.4.5.3 Usage Considerations

This section identifies special considerations or techniques
related to using the TCPAPI File.  In addition, 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. The API Calls for Sockets File (TCPAPI) is built by
   selecting data from SMF record type 118 and/or SMF record
   type 119.  The data of type INIT and TERM from SMF type
   118 records is selected.  An observation of type INIT is
   matched with the corresponding observation of type TERM
   before storing it in the STN file.  Any observation
   without an exact match is stored in the API Calls for
   Sockets Suspend File (TCPSAP).  Care must be exercised
   when combining observations from other TCP files to avoid
   duplication.
 
   The data from SMF record type 119 subtype 2 (TCP
   connection termination record) is also used to populate
   this file.  The TCP termination record contains the
   connection start time and connection end time, thereby
   eliminating the need to hold session start records in the
   suspend file to calculate the session duration.
 
   Consult your z/OS CS system programmer to turn off SMF
   record type 118 and to activate SMF record type 119. This
   will improve your DAY056 job performance.

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

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

3. The following data elements are user-defined.  The value
   in each depends 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.

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

   TCPRPORT - Remote Port Number (Data Connection)
   TCPLPORT - Local Port Number (Data Connection)
   TCPRADDR - Remote IP Address (Data Connection)
   TCPLADDR - Local IP Address (Data Connection)
   TCPSTACK - TCP/IP Stack Name
   TCPSOCID - TCP Socket Resource ID
   TCPSOCNM - TCP Socket Resource Name
   TCPVRRL  - z/OS CS TCP/IP Version/Rel.
   TCPUID   - User ID

Retrieval Example

Chart prime shift API Class for Sockets activity for sysid
PROD.  Use yesterday's data.

   DATA SELECTED (KEEP=SYSID DAY ZONE HOUR APIBYTEI APIBYTEO)
   ;
   SET &PTCPD..TCPAPI01;
   IF SYSID = 'PROD';
   IF 9 GE HOUR LE 17; /* SELECT PRIME SHIFT */

   PROC CHART DATA=SELECTED;
        VBAR HOUR / SUMVAR=APIBYTEI
        DISCRETE;
   TITLE 'DAYS TCPAPI01, PRIME SHIFT IN BYTE COUNT ';
   RUN;