Setting Up the Packet Analyzer › Packet Analyzer

Packet Analyzer

The Packet Analyzer is a feature of the SOLVE Subsystem Interface (SSI), which is set up during installation.

The Packet Analyzer provides the following:

Packet Tracing

The packet analyzer intercepts and stores IP packets that satisfy the trace criteria provided in a SmartTrace definition. The packets are stored in the SSI database for viewing by the region.

Note: For more information about SmartTrace definitions, see the User Guide.

Connection Information

The Packet Analyzer uses intercepted packets to keep track of connections. State and statistical information about each connection is stored in the SSI database. The Packet Analyzer also intercepts System Management Facility (SMF) records generated by stacks, and File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and Telnet servers to augment the connection information.

The region performs real-time query and periodic sampling of the data collected by the Packet Analyzer to produce IP connection lists.

You can enhance the connection information as follows:

• Provide rules to associate connections with a business application. The application name will be visible in connection lists, connection workload performance reports, and event recording.
• Associate user ID and LU names with the connection records through the security exits.

General Statistics

The Packet Analyzer intercepts packets and stores the general IP traffic and throughput statistics in the SSI database. Packet counts are maintained for interfaces, local addresses, ports, protocols, and networks.

Your region performs real-time query and periodic sampling of the data collected by the Packet Analyzer to produce the following:

• IP summary displays
• Performance monitoring for port throughput, address spaces, and stacks
• IP history displays for FTP and Telnet connections

The following diagram shows the flow of information through the Packet Analyzer: