Defining a Performance HDB

Defining a Performance HDB allows you to collect (load) and report historical performance data for later analysis. The definition alone does not cause any action by CICS PA.

Select option 2 Define from the HDB menu to define a new HDB. Then when prompted, select option 1 to create a Performance HDB.
Figure 1. New HDB Definition Menu
            New HDB Definition Menu     
                                        
Select an HDB type then press Enter.    
_  1. Performance - CMF List or Summary 
   2. Statistics  - CICS Statistics     
 
In the following example, we have given the HDB a name of CICSP1H and a description of Summary HDB for CICSP1.
Figure 2. New HDB Definition
  File  Systems  Options  Help                                              
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                              New HDB Definition                            
Command ===> _______________________________________________________________
                                                                            
Specify new HDB definition options then press EXIT to save.                 
                                                                            
Name . . . . . . CICSP1H_  APPLID  CICSP1__ +  Image ________               
Qualifier  . . . ________  _  Explorer                                      
Description  . . Summary HDB for CICSP1__________                           
  
Load Options:                           Selection Criteria:
 Template . . . .  PRODSUM_ +            _  Performance    
 Alert  . . . . .  ________ +                              
  Severity  . . .  ________ +                              
 Summary Interval  ________ (hh:mm:ss)                     

Data Retention Period:                                                      
 HDB: Years  ___  Months  2__  Weeks  ___  Days  ___  Hours  ___              
 DB2: Years  ___  Months  ___  Weeks  ___  Days  ___  Hours  ___              
                                                                            
Data Set Allocation Settings:                                               
 DSN Prefix . . . . . . JCH_______________                                  
 Management class . . . ________    (Blank for default management class)    
 Storage class  . . . . ________    (Blank for default storage class)       
  Volume serial . . . . ______      (Blank for system default volume)       
  Device type . . . . . ________    (Generic unit or device address)        
 Data class . . . . . . ________    (Blank for default data class)          
  Space Units . . . . . CYLS____    (TRKS, CYLS)                            
  Primary quantity  . . 10______    (In above units)                        
  Secondary quantity    10______    (In above units)                        
                                                                            
F1=Help  F3=Exit  F4=Prompt  F7=Backward  F8=Forward  F10=Actions  F12=Cancel
The other options are:
APPLID
APPLID is optional and specifies the CICSĀ® system that the HDB applies to. You can use Prompt (F4) to select from a list of CICS systems defined in your System Definitions.

Specify APPLID to ensure that only data for this CICS system is loaded into the HDB. At Load time, CICS PA will generate JCL that includes this APPLID in the command deck and DD statements for this system's SMF Files.

Qualifier
If Qualifier is specified, the value is used as the DB2 schema in place of the Database as specified in DB2 Settings. It is also incorporated into the DB2 table name:
qualifier.CPA_hdbname
Qualifier is mandatory if Explorer is selected, and optional otherwise. If Qualifier and Explorer are both entered then details of this HDB will be included in the manifest for the CICS PA plug-in the next time it is rebuilt for this qualifier.
Explorer
Select the Explorer option to make this HDB eligible for inclusion in the manifest for the CICS PA plug-in.
Template
The format and type of the HDB is determined by the Template.

In Figure 2 we have specified PRODSUM, the Template created in the previous step. You can use Prompt (F4) to select from a list of defined Templates. PRODSUM is a Summary Template and HDB CICSP1H inherits its attributes.

If you have selected the Explorer option, you must choose an internal template that has been predefined for use with the CICS PA plug-in.

Selection Criteria
HDBs have optional Selection Criteria that allows you to filter the CMF performance class records used to build the HDB. For example, the HDB only includes data for a particular application's transaction ids, such as TRAN=MY*. Select Performance to specify Selection Criteria.

Templates can also specify Selection Criteria. If the Template and HDB both have active Selection Criteria then both are checked and both must match for the record to be processed.

Template Selection Criteria typically focuses on the type of data being recorded. For example, if your Template is monitoring File Control activity then its Selection Criteria can specify FCTOTAL>0 to include only transactions that used File Control services.

HDB Selection Criteria typically focuses on the application targeted by the HDB. For example, if the HDB is for MY application then its Selection Criteria can specify TRAN = MY* to include only transactions in MY application.

The resultant HDB will include data for transactions matching MY* that use File Control services.

Alert
For HDBs that are based on a List template, this field specifies an alert definition to be used during the load. The loading of a List HDB that is defined with a Performance Alert definition results in the creation of an additional set of containers to store Alert records.
Severity
This field controls the type of transaction records and alerts loaded into the HDB in the same way as in the Performance List report. You can use this option to focus the loaded data on specific transaction types.
CRITICAL
Only transactions with critical alerts are loaded.
WARNING
Only transactions with critical alerts and warning alerts are loaded.
INFO
Only transactions with critical alerts, warning alerts, or informational alerts are loaded.
ELIGIBLE
Only transactions that are eligible for alert processing are loaded. Eligible transactions are those that have field values that match the Resource values in the Performance Alert Definition. All eligible transactions are loaded regardless of whether they generate an alert.
ALL
All transactions are loaded regardless of whether they are eligible or whether they generate an alert. Use this option to load a general List HDB for normal reporting while also generating any associated alert, thus avoiding the need to create two separate HDBs.
Summary Interval
Use this optional field to override the time interval defined in the template. This means that templates can be used in multiple HDBs that each require a different interval, thus avoiding the need to define and maintain HDB-specific templates.
Data Retention Period
These fields separately specify the length of time that HDB data sets and associated DB2 table rows are kept before they expire. Typically:
  • Summary HDBs need to keep their container data sets for many years for long-term trend analysis.
  • List HDBs used for ad hoc reporting might only need to keep their container data sets for a couple of hours or days.
Specify each retention period as a whole number of years, months, weeks, days, or hours. Only one choice is allowed.

If the HDB container data sets are no longer required after their data has been exported to DB2, you can specify a retention period of 0 in any of the HDB periods to make the HDB data sets expire immediately.

Container data sets and DB2 data are deleted by HDB Housekeeping after they have passed their expiry date. If you do not specify a retention period, the corresponding HDB data sets or DB2 data will never expire.

Use HDB Maintenance to check container data set status or to alter the HDB or DB2 retention period.

Data Set Allocation Settings
Data Set Allocation Settings specify the allocation attributes of the data sets that contain data for this HDB. CICS PA dynamically allocates container data sets at load time.
The format of the data set name is:
DSN-prefix.HDB-name.Dyyddd.Thhmmss.HDB
where the DSN prefix is the data set name high level qualifier.
If an alert definition is specified, the format of the data set name for the associated performance alert data is:
DSN-prefix.HDB-name.Dyyddd.Thhmmss.HPA

Specify allocation settings that satisfy your installation requirements. The size of container data sets is not critical. Typically you would specify a size that accommodates a single load request. For example, if you load data into the HDB daily, then 10 cylinders might be sufficient. However if CICS PA encounters an out-of-space condition (ABENDx37) during load, then it simply closes the data set and recommences loading in a new data set. You can decide to specify a larger size initially and adjust it later using HDB Maintenance.

Exit (F3) to save the HDB. You are now ready to use this HDB.