Network Tracking System › How NTS Obtains Data

How NTS Obtains Data

NTS derives its data from the following sources:

• Standard host access method interfaces (VTAM)
• Other NTS regions
• The Multiple Application Interface (MAI) component of CA SOLVE:Access

VTAM Interfaces

VTAM is aware of all sessions that have at least one session partner defined in its domain. These sessions are presented to the local NTS region across a VTAM interface, resulting in NTS building up an image of the logical network activity in this domain.

VTAM interfaces to NTS include the following:

• A CNM interface, through which NTS requests are issued to VTAM, and RTM, VR, and ER information is collected
• A local VTAM interface (ISTPDCLU), through which the following sessions are conducted:
  • An LU-LU session with VTAM for the collection of SAW data (and some route configuration data)
  • An LU-LU session with VTAM for the collection of session trace data

Intersystem Routing

NTS uses the Intersystem Routing (ISR) feature to obtain more information about cross-domain and cross-network sessions.

VTAM is only aware of sessions that have at least one session partner defined in its domain. It is possible to centralize (or distribute) the monitoring of logical network activity by expanding the sources of data available to an NTS regions to include the following:

• SAW data collected by NTS regions in other domains
• Session trace, accounting, and RTM data collected by NTS regions in other domains

In a cross-network environment, extra configuration data relating to cross-network sessions is made available to the host that controls the SNA gateway. This data includes network addresses and route information for sessions in the adjacent network.

To make the most effective use of NTS, you must run NTS on the gateway host. Use ISR to link other NTS regions to the gateway host NTS region. This ensures that NTS has maximum accessibility to all session data.

The other NTS regions may or may not be in the same SNA network.

The user of an NTS region that is linked to other NTS regions is presented with a single image of the following:

• Sessions between resources throughout the networks
• Performance and problem determination data collected for these sessions

This single image is preserved in the NTS database and NTS SMF exit.

MAI Sessions

MAI is a component of CA SOLVE:Access that lets you operate multiple sessions concurrently.

MAI provides NTS with information about the logical relationship between the real half-sessions that form the MAI virtual session. When the MAI/NTS interface is first activated, MAI provides NTS with this information for all currently existing MAI sessions. MAI then notifies NTS as new MAI sessions are started.

Collect NTS Data

Before you can productively use NTS, you must activate session awareness processing. If session awareness processing is not activated, no NTS data is collected. The NTS function then available is the review of historical information in the NTS database only.

Open the VTAM CNM Interface

NTS uses the CNM interface to transmit various commands to VTAM and to receive solicited and unsolicited data from VTAM. You must open the CNM ACB before you can start session awareness processing.

Note: The CNM interface is primarily used by NEWS.

To open the CNM ACB, use the CNM parameter group.

Enable NTS Session Awareness

Before NTS can process session awareness data, it must establish a session with VTAM.

After a session is established between NTS and VTAM, VTAM sends session start notifications for all currently active sessions to NTS. This is the start of NTS session awareness and is termed a warm start. From this point, VTAM sends session start and session end notifications to NTS as they occur for as long as session awareness remains active.