Configuring a CICS IA Collector connection

Before you can work with collectors, you must have an IA Collector connection configured. The CICS® IA Collector places details about interactions between CICS programs and resources in a set of DB2® tables.

Before you begin

You can configure a CICS IA Collector connection for each group of CICS regions that you want to collect CICS IA data from. The connection is to a selected controlling region. This CICS region must support Atomservice resources (so must be at CICS TS Version 4.1 or later) and must have a CICS TS connection to the other regions that it wants to control.

Contact your system administrator for details of the collector connections that you want to use.

You require a suitable credential, that is, a set of information that you use to authenticate the connection to the interface to the CICS regions for which you want to collect data. For details about creating credentials, see Defining connection credentials in the CICS Explorer® User Guide.

About this task

The following procedure describes how to configure a new CICS IA Collector connection.

Alternatively, you can load or import shared connection definitions from a central location, or connection definitions from another user. For details, see Using shared connection definitions in the CICS Explorer User Guide.

Procedure

  1. On the workbench menu, click Window > Manage Connections. The Host Connections view is displayed.
  2. From the list of connection types, select IA Collector, then click Add.
  3. In the Add IA Collector Connection window, complete the fields with the details that your system or database administrator provided:
    A screen image of the new connection dialog.
    Option Description
    Name The local name that you give to this database connection. Use this name to distinguish between different database connections.
    Host name The host name or IP address of the z/OS® host system for the interface to the CICS regions for which you want to collect data.
    Port Number The port number for the interface to the CICS regions for which you want to collect data.
    Secure connection (TLS/SSL) Select this check box if the connection uses SSL security.
  4. Do one of the following:
    • To save the configuration and connect immediately, click Save and Connect. In the Signon window, select the user credentials that you want to associate with the connection and click OK.

      Your new connection is shown in the Host Connections view. The credential that is associated with the connection is shown in brackets after the connection name.

      A screen capture of the Host Connections view with an IA Collector connection

    • To save the configuration without connecting, click Save and Close.

      Optionally, associate a credential with the connection. Right-click the connection name, click Set Credentials to show the available credentials, then click the credential that you require.

      A screen capture of the Host Connections view with the pop-up menu

      If you do not associate a credential with the connection at this time, you will be prompted for the credential when you start the connection.

      To start the connection later, select the connection from the list in the Host Connections view, then click Connect.

What to do next

You can export your connections to back them up or to share them with other users. In the toolbar of the Host Connections view, click the Export Connections to File icon Export Connections to File icon, then enter the required path and file name. The default file type is pref.