This section is a guide to using the Strobe Application Performance Measurement System, a product designed for IBM z/OS systems. It explains how to use Strobe to measure and report on the performance of online applications and batch processing programs.

 How this space is organized

Planning-to-Measure-Using-Strobe provides an explanation of planning considerations for using Strobe.

AutoStrobe  only:  Planning-to-measure-by-using-AutoStrobe provides an overview of additional planning required to use AutoStrobe.

Measuring-with-Strobe-ISPF describes how to use Strobe with Strobe/ISPF to measure application performance.

Producing-Performance-Profiles-with-Strobe-ISPF describes how to create Strobe Performance Profiles.

Managing-Measurement-Requests-with-Strobe-ISPF describes how to manage Strobe measurement requests.

AutoStrobe  only:  Using-AutoStrobe-Scheduling explains how AutoStrobe users can set up a schedule for measurement requests.

AutoStrobe  only: Using-AutoStrobe-Request-Groups explains how to create and use groups of AutoStrobe measurement requests and how to cause measurement sessions to initiate concurrently.

AutoStrobe  only: Working-with-AutoStrobe-Measurement-History-Information describes how to collect, display, and manage AutoStrobe measurement session history records.

AutoStrobe only:  Building-and-processing-AutoStrobe-batch-candidate-lists explains how to add and schedule AutoStrobe batch measurement requests and how to build AutoStrobe batch measurement candidate lists.

AutoStrobe  only: Managing-AutoStrobe-Batch-Candidate-Processing-and-Monitoring explains how to manage AutoStrobe batch measurement requests and batch candidate lists.

AutoStrobe  only: Using-AutoStrobe-to-Identify-CICS-Transactions-for-Monitoring explains how to use AutoStrobe to create a list of CICS transactions, called candidates, for monitoring.

AutoStrobe  only: Using-AutoStrobe-to-Monitor-CICS-Transactions explains how to use AutoStrobe to monitor CICS transactions and to automatically trigger a measurement or warning when a transaction exceeds an average CPU or response time threshold.

AutoStrobe  only:  Using-AutoStrobe-to-Measure-New-and-Changed-Load-Modules explains how to use AutoStrobe to automatically measure new and changed load modules.

Using-Global-Monitoring explains how to use Global Monitoring, an enhanced feature of Strobe that dynamically collects CPU utilization and elapsed time data and automatically initiates measurements if normal thresholds are exceeded by more than the associated threshold factor.

Measuring-with-the-Strobe-Command-Language describes how to use the Strobe command language to submit and manage measurement requests.

Creating-performance-profiles-by-using-procedures describes how to use procedures to create the Strobe Performance Profile.

AutoStrobe  only: Printed-History-Reports describes printed History reports.

AutoStrobe  only: Data-Structure-of-Exported-Reports describes exported History reports.

Ways-to-Improve-Strobe-SQL-Analysis-Performance describes ways to improve the performance of Strobe SQL Analysis.

How to use this space

• All users should read Planning-to-Measure-Using-Strobe to learn how to plan for Strobe measurement.
• AutoStrobe users should read Planning-to-measure-by-using-AutoStrobe to learn about additional AutoStrobe planning requirements.
• All users should read Measuring-with-Strobe-ISPF, Producing-Performance-Profiles-with-Strobe-ISPF, and Managing-Measurement-Requests-with-Strobe-ISPF.
• AutoStrobe users should read Using-AutoStrobe-Scheduling  through  Using-Global-Monitoring , and Printed-History-Reports and Data-Structure-of-Exported-Reports.
• Users of Strobe SQL Analysis should read Ways-to-Improve-Strobe-SQL-Analysis-Performance.
• Read Measuring-with-the-Strobe-Command-Language and Creating-performance-profiles-by-using-procedures if you would like an alternative to Strobe/ISPF for measuring and creating Performance Profiles.

  Strobe Library

The Strobe product spaces include:

• Advanced-Configuration-Guide : Includes more advanced configuration tasks not described in the installation guide.
• Installing : Explains how to install and maintain Strobe.
• Using-the-Strobe-Application-Performance-Measurement-System : Explains how to decide which programs and online regions to measure, when to measure them, and how to interpret the reports in the Strobe Performance Profile.
• Messages: Lists all messages and abnormal termination (ABEND) codes, describes how to interpret them, and in many cases suggests a corrective action.
• Using-Strobe-options : Describes the optional features of the Strobe Application Performance Measurement System. This space is divided into parts, with each part describing measurement concepts applicable to, and specific data made available by, each of the following options:
  • Strobe for Adabas/Natural
  • Strobe for Advantage CA-IDMS
  • Strobe for CA Gen
  • Strobe for CICS
  • Strobe for Db2
  • Strobe for IMS
  • Strobe Interface
  • Strobe for WebSphere MQ
  • Strobe for z/OS UNIX System Services.
• : Explains how to use Strobe and AutoStrobe to measure application performance.
• Notices: The Release Notes describes the enhancements, required supported environments, and any technical notes or known issues for the current release.

On the  BMC Support  website, the  Strobe  documentation set also includes:

• BMC Installer Mainframe Products SMP/E Installation Guide: Describes the RFN and SMP/E installation procedures for installing all z/OS versions of BMC mainframe products.

Online Help

Strobe products provide the following online information:

• Strobe/ISPF Online Tutorials, Option T from the Strobe/ISPF Strobe Options menu
• Strobe/ISPF Online Message Facility, Option M from the Strobe/ISPF Strobe Options menu.

Other BMC Application Performance Management products

The following products work in conjunction with the Strobe Application Performance Measurement System. These tools extend the benefits of application performance management (APM).

 iStrobe

iStrobe enables you to view and analyze Strobe Performance Profile data on a workstation using a standard Web browser. Easy to install and easy to use, iStrobe guides you through the performance analysis process and offers recommendations for improving performance. iStrobe simplifies the performance analysis of applications that you measure with Strobe. For more information on iStrobe, see the iStrobe online help.

SQL Analysis

For users of iStrobe and Strobe for Db2, this option provides access path analysis and database and SQL coding recommendations for Db2 applications. SQL Analysis pinpoints the most resource-consumptive static or dynamic SQL statements, explains why these statements might be inefficient, and provides recommendations for improving the performance of the Db2 application. For more information on SQL Analysis, see Ways-to-Improve-Strobe-SQL-Analysis-Performance.

BMC APM Service offerings

For North American customers, for information about current service offerings, please contact your local BMC sales office or call BMC Support. You may also visit BMC AMI Strobe's Application performance monitoring and analysis page.

For other international customers, please contact your local BMC office or Strobe supplier for a complete list of Services offerings.

This section contains the following topics: