In this issue:

1. Compressing data for transfer
2. Loading data from a z/OS batch job
3. Read-only Repository
4. Extended wild card support
5. New Time Selection Controls
6. Performance Improvement
7. Request for data

It has been quite some time since the last EasySMF News, and there have been some significant updates in that time. Version 2.0.4 in March included a large number of new features and bug fixes. Version 2.0.5 includes improved support for loading compressed data and sample JCL to load data using a z/OS batch job.

Feedback on the various JCL samples included with version 2.0.5 would be welcome. Every z/OS site is slightly different, so sometimes samples need a bit of tweaking to get them working. If there was something you had to change that would be worth noting in the documentation (or just errors!) please let me know.

Compressing Data for Transfer

EasySMF now supports loading compressed data in Gzip format using the built in FTP function. SMF data is very compressible – typical compression is about 10:1 – so this could significantly reduce the time and network traffic to load the data.

Sample jobs are supplied to compress data using Gzip from the IBM Ported Tools with Dovetailed Technologies Co:Z Toolkit, and using a Java program with the IBM JZOS Batch Toolkit. Any other software that produces Gzip format output should also work – as long as the compressed data includes the RDW with the SMF data. Including the RDW proved to be the difficult bit when testing various tools.

Zip format is also supported if the data is loaded from a file on the PC e.g. using EasySMFLoad. That means that Zip is one of the supported formats for loading from a z/OS batch job…

Loading data from a z/OS batch job

Another sample job demonstrates loading data into EasySMF using a z/OS batch job. The process uses the Dovetailed Technologies Hybrid Batch products (Co:Z Launcher and Co:Z Dataset Pipes). The messages and return code from the EasySMFLoad command line program appear in the z/OS batch job output.

EasySMFLoad is invoked using SSH. The data can be transferred over SSH and optionally compressed in transit.

Read only repository

Read only access to the SMF data repository is now supported. This could be useful if you share the repository between multiple people.

Read-write access is still required for some functions, e.g. managing the data and if repository changes are required for a new version of EasySMF.

If repository changes are required for a new version of EasySMF they are normally made the first time the repository is opened with the new version. (You will receive a warning if the changes are not compatible with older versions.) If the repository is read only the new version of EasySMF will not be able to use it until it is opened by someone with write access.

Extended wildcard support

Wildcard and regular expressions are now supported for all the text based report parameters. This is particularly useful for service and report class reports, where you can now use regular expressions to exclude particular service or report classes. For example, the regular expression:

-/TEST/

will exclude anything matching *TEST*. To exclude only TEST but not TESTA, MYTEST etc. you need to add anchors to the start and end of the string:

-/^TEST$/

New time selection controls

The time selection controls have been rewritten. A few bugs have been fixed and some new features added:

• A button to zoom out to a wider view of the data. This is particularly useful if you have used the mouse to zoom in to a chart, and want to return to a wider view, but not the whole time range you zoomed in from. The button extends the time range to 3 times the current range.
• Additional predefined times. In addition to Today, This Week, This Month you can now select Yesterday, Last Week, Last Month.

Performance improvement

There was a bug prior to version 2.0.4 that resulted in unnecessary data being read when creating reports. This particularly affected reports where the reporting period was small compared with the period in the SMF dataset e.g. if you had monthly SMF data but ran a report for a day, or if you ran a report for a short running job.

Version 2.0.4 fixes that bug. Updating from 2.0.3 or earlier requires write access to the repository the first time EasySMF runs, and will scan the data to update information in the repository catalog. If you installed EasySMFLoad on another PC to load data it also needs to be updated.

Request for data

I’m looking for some type 30 data that includes the new Counter section. That is from z/OS 2.1, with Hardware Instrumentation Services active and SMF30COUNT specified in SMFPRMxx. Some z/OS 2.1 type 113 records would also be useful for some new reports under development. At this stage I don’t need a lot of data – a few hours from a test LPAR would be very helpful.

EasySMF Evaluations

EasySMF has a 30 day evaluation period. You can download it and start using it immediately.

Trial Extensions

New releases of EasySMF automatically provide a 7 day “re-evaluation” period if you have already used the 30 day evaluation so you can try out new features. Trial extensions can also be arranged – please contact info@blackhillsoftware.com if required.

Get the current version of EasySMF

In this issue:

1. EasySMF Version 2 Released
2. Report Spotlight: Job Status During Interval

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