Processing performance data for IBM zSeries specialty engines

zAAPs are special processors available with IBM mainframes beginning with IBM z9. zAAPs can run only Oracle Java work under the control of the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). Using zAAP engines can help to reduce the demands and capacity requirements on general-purpose processors, which can then be available for other workloads. The purchase price and maintenance cost of zAAP engines are usually lower than standard central processors. More importantly, zAAPs are not counted when determining the IBM software license charge, which makes it an attractive option for executing Java application code.

System z Integrated Information Processor (zIIP)

zIIPs are specialty engines for the IBM System z mainframe. The execution environment of  a zIIP accepts eligible work from z/OS, which manages and directs the work between the general purpose processor and the zIIP. The zIIP is designed so that a program can work with z/OS to have a portion of its enclave Service Request Block (SRB) work directed to the zIIP. Db2 for z/OS V 8 and Db2 9 for z/OS exploit the zIIP capability for portions of eligible workloads. For Db2, the following works can benefit from the zIIP:

• ERP or CRM application serving
• Data Warehousing applications
• Some Db2 for z/OS utilities

Using zIIP engines can help to reduce the demands and capacity requirements on general-purpose processors, which can then be available for other workloads. The purchase price and maintenance cost of zIIP engines are usually lower than standard central processors. More importantly, zIIPs are not counted when determining the IBM software license charge, which makes zIIP an attractive option for Db2 V8 and Db2 9 eligible work.

Data about zAAP and zIIP utilization

UIE collects data about zAAPs and zIIPs utilization from RMF type 70 and 72 and SMF type 30 records. To generate this data, you must have an appropriate version of z/OS (1.6 and later) and for zAAPs, JVM (1.4), and for zIIPs, Db2 V 8 (with enabling PTFs) or Db2 9. With these levels of software installed, the RMF and SMF records contain the following information about Service Classes, Report Classes, and Address Spaces:

• zUtilization—Actual utilization of zAAPs and zIIPs by individual z/OS images, Service and Report Classes and Address Spaces. On 2086, 2096, and 2094-4 xx, -5 xx and -6 xx processors, the MIPS rating of zAAP and zIIP processors can be different from the MIPS rating of general purpose CPs. For reporting purposes, the utilization of zAAPs and zIIPs is normalized to the utilization of general purpose CPs in the same physical system.
• zEligible utilization—Utilization (by the same objects) of general purpose CPs, which could have been used on zAAPs or zIIPs but was not because either zAAPs or zIIPs were not present or they were busy at the time executing other programs.
• zNonEligible utilization—Utilization of general purpose CPs that cannot be used on zAAP or zIIP in principle.

The information from the type 30, 70, and 72 records is used for modeling zAAP and zIIP engines and also displayed in the following Visualizer graphs:

• For CPU/System:
  • zAAP and zIIP Utilization
  • zAAP, zIIP, and CP Utilization Analysis
  • Partition by Engine Type Hierarchy
  • Partition Dispatch Time by Engine Type
  • zAAP Usage by Partitions
  • zIIP Usage by Partitions
• For Suites:
  • Actual and Potential zAAP and zIIP Utilization
  • zAAP, zIIP, and CP Utilization Analysis
• For Workloads:
  • Service Workload Actual and Potential zAAP and zIIP Utilization
  • Service Workload zAAP, zIIP, and CP Utilization Analysis
  • Report Workload Actual and Potential zAAP and zIIP Utilization
  • Report Workload zAAP, zIIP, and CP Utilization Analysis
• For Subsystem Address Spaces:
  • Actual and Potential zAAP and zIIP Utilization
  • zAAP, zIIP, and CP Utilization Analysis