Monitoring Request Status Management

After you create the monitoring request, you can manage it from the Strobe - AutoStrobe Request Status panel. This section discusses how to:

  • Verify the collected basis data
  • Check the status of a monitoring request
  • Manage an monitoring request once a Strobe measurement has been initiated
  • View the monitoring request
  • Hold an monitoring request so that the program will not be screened
  • Release an monitoring request so that the next execution of the targeted program will be screened
  • Delete the monitoring request
  • Delete the basis data collected for that request.

Managing a Monitoring Request Once a Strobe Measurement is Initiated

When a Strobe measurement initiates, it sends the designated user a message. To check the status of a monitoring request and manage a request once a Strobe measurement initiates:

  1. Type 2 on the Strobe - AutoStrobe Options panel, and press Enter.
  2. The Strobe - AutoStrobe Request Status panel is displayed. See Understanding Monitoring Request Status Information for an explanation of the values on this panel.
  3. Review the STATUS - REASON column. Look for a status of HELD-MS indicating that a measurement has initiated a measurement for the targeted program.

  4. Create a Performance Profile from the measurement, review it, and make the performance improvements. Follow the instructions in Producing-Performance-Profiles-with-Strobe-ISPF, to create a Performance Profile. Measure again with Strobe to verify the effect of your performance improvements. 

    Tip

    You can also generate Performance Profiles using the Strobe - AutoStrobe Request Status panel using the P line option.

  5. Since you have changed the program, the existing basis data may not reflect the program’s current execution so you may want to delete it. To view and delete basis data, follow the steps in Verify Basis Data.

  6. Release the monitoring request to begin again to screen the program’s execution and collect new basis data.

    Tip

    Threshold calculations are based from the first ten times the program is screened, not the most recent ten.

    When you delete a monitoring request, the basis data for that request is retained and called archived data. You can access archived basis data records from the Strobe- AutoStrobe Archived Data List panel. For more information see Managing-Archived-Data.

Strobe - AutoStrobe Request Status Panel

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Strobe - AutoStrobe Request Status Panel (One Scroll Right)

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 Strobe - AutoStrobe Request Status Panel (Two Scrolls right)

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Understanding Monitoring Request Status Information

The Strobe - AutoStrobe Request Status panel shows all monitoring requests, their statuses, identifying information, monitoring information, and measurement information. The following sections describe the information provided on the panel.

Status - Reason

  • MONITOR - the job/step/program specified by the request is running and currently being monitored. When a request has this status, you cannot delete the request or the associated basis data.
  • MON - COL -the job/step/program specified by the request is running and currently being monitored for the collection of basis data.
  • HELD - the request is suspended; the program will not be screened. There are five types of HELD statuses:
    • WN - abnormal behavior was detected and the request’s AUTOACTION parameter is set to WARNING. The request will remain held until the user releases it. These requests appear at the top of the panel. For more information on the AUTOACTION parameter, see Adding a Monitoring Request.
    • MS - abnormal behavior was detected and the request’s AUTOACTION parameter is set to MEASURE. The program was measured, and the request will remain held until the user releases it. These requests appear at the top of the panel. For more information on the AUTOACTION parameter, see Adding a Monitoring Request.
    • SC - the request has a schedule and the current day is not on the schedule.
    • US - the user issued a hold against the request. It will remain held until the user releases it.
    • AC - security rules for the Strobe access filter are enabled and it has determined that the issuer of the request does not have the authority to access the job under which the program was running.

Important

If you designate a wildcard job name and the security match fails, you will not have access to monitor those jobs.

  • PENDING - the job/step/program specified by the request is not currently running, but when it does run, it will be monitored for abnormal behavior.
  • PEN-COL - the job/step/program specified by the request is not currently running, but when it does run, it will be monitored for the collection of basis data.

SWITCH TO AUTOSTROBE TRANSACTION STATUS

Typing Y displays the Strobe - AutoStrobe Transaction Request Status panel, which enables you to view the status for transactions. See Using-AutoStrobe-to-Identify-CICS-Transactions-for-Monitoring for more information. The default value is N, which does not change the panel.

Jobname

Lists what you specified in the Jobname field. This could be a job name or a prefix followed by a wildcard character * (asterisk).

Program

Lists what you specified as the program name.

Step Name

If you specified a step name or two single quotes, this field lists what you specified in the Step Name field. If you left the Step Name field blank, the field is updated to contain the name of the first screened step. If that step is unnamed, the field will be blank.

System

Lists the targeted system or *ALL for all systems in the sysplex.

Important

When you specify *ALL to indicate that the request will execute on multiple systems, one status is assigned to the request, but the monitoring and measurement information are recorded separately by system. The basis data collected for each system is saved separately.


Monitor Information

# - Number of times the program was monitored.

Important

This number represents the total number of times monitoring took place and will increment even if an internal error is encountered while monitoring a program.

If you delete basis data records, this number does not change.

  • Last Date - Date of the last time the program was monitored.
  • First Date - Date of the first time the program was monitored.

Measurement Information

  • # - Number of times abnormal behavior was detected for the program targeted in the request
  • Last Date - Date of the most recent instance of abnormal behavior detected for the program targeted in the monitoring request
  • Ownerid - TSO ID of the user who submitted the monitoring request

Last Measurement Reason

The most recently detected abnormal condition, one of the following:

  • Excessive elapsed time
  • Excessive TCB time
  • Abnormal I/O activity.

Managing Requests from the AutoStrobe Status Panel

From the Strobe - AutoStrobe Request Status panel you can enter these line commands to the left of the monitoring request:

  • V (View) - On the AutoStrobe Browse panel you can view status data about the request: jobname, program, and stepname that is monitored; threshold values; observation information; measurement information; monitoring request identifying information; and measurement parameters.

  • B (Basis Data)  - You can look at the basis data for the program covered by the request so that you can evaluate the validity of the thresholds that were calculated or that you have entered. You can delete one or more basis data records. The next observation of the program will be used to collect basis data so that ten observations of the program are completed. A list of the thresholds calculated from the basis data displays under the heading CALCULATED THRESHOLD. If the measurement is SYSTEM=*ALL, this command must be used on subentries only.

    Important

    If the elapsed time of the step is less than the value specified with the AUTODBMIN parameter (or the default of 2 minutes), the collected basis data is discarded because it may not be statistically representative.

  • H (Hold)  - You can hold the request so that monitoring does not take place until the request is released by the user. You cannot hold a subrequest (iterations of a request specified for *ALL systems).
  • R (Release) - You can change the status from Held to Pending. When the target program subsequently runs, it will be monitored.
  • P (Profile) - You can request a Performance Profile for the most recent monitoring-initiated measurement associated with the request.
  • C (Change) - You can change parameters for the monitoring request by typing values on the Strobe - Change AutoStrobe Request panel.

  • D (Delete)  - You can delete the request, and the basis data will be archived. You cannot delete requests that have Monitor status. This command cannot be used on a measurement in MON-COL or MONITOR.

    Important

    Monitoring requests do not have retention periods and are not automatically deleted. Once a request is no longer being used, you must use the Delete or the Delete with Basis Data line command to remove it.

  • X (Delete with Basis Data) - You can delete the request and the associated basis data. Nothing will be archived. This command cannot be used on a measurement in MON-COL or MONITOR.

Changing Monitoring Requests

The Strobe - Change AutoStrobe Request panel is displayed when you type C on the Strobe - AutoStrobe Request Status panel. The Strobe - Change AutoStrobe Request panel allows you to adjust measurement parameter values you set for the request when it was originally made. It contains the same fields as the Strobe - Add AutoStrobe Request panel.

Typing Y in the CHANGE MEASUREMENT PARAMETERS field causes the display of a Strobe panel for the type of measurement designated for the request being changed. For example if the ASSOCIATED ACTION for the request is A (active), then typing Y in the CHANGE MEASUREMENT PARAMETERS field causes the Strobe - Change AutoStrobe Request - Active Measurement panel to appear.

Strobe - Change AutoStrobe Request Panel

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Verify Basis Data

Basis data is collected during the first ten executions of the program targeted in the monitoring request.

Important

If the elapsed time of a screened program is less than two minutes, its basis data is ignored and not saved.

To view the basis data so that you can verify its validity:

  1. Type 2 from the Strobe - AutoStrobe Options panel and press Enter to display the Strobe - AutoStrobe Request Status panel.
  2. See Understanding Monitoring Request Status Information for information about the meanings of the Status field.
  3. Specify B to the left of the monitoring request for which you want to view the basis data and press Enter. The Strobe - AutoStrobe Basis Data List panel is displayed.
  4. Review the basis data and delete any basis data records that do not reflect normal processing. A value of “N/A” in the CALCULATED THRESHOLD field for elapsed time or TCB time indicates that screening did not occur of a sufficient number of executions of the program to obtain enough data to calculate this value. (EXCP values are presented for information only and not used in threshold calculations, so the CALCULATED THRESHOLD field is always set to N/A.)
  5. To delete basis data records, type D to the left of the record.

Important

Note the following:

  1. When you delete basis data records, subsequent monitorings of the program are used to collect basis data to replace the deleted records so that there is a total of ten basis data records. The related thresholds are then recalculated.
  2. If a job step being screened to collect basis data abnormally terminates or encounters an internal error, the collected basis data is not saved. This screening of the job step, however, is included in the count of the number of times monitoring took place. This count is displayed on the AutoStrobe REQUEST STATUS panel under Monitor Information.

After you have created the monitoring request, notification is sent to you when the associated Strobe measurement initiates for the target program. The message lists the number of the associated Strobe measurement, the program, job, and step name (if specified), and the reason for the initiation of the measurement.

Strobe - AutoStrobe Basis Data List Panel

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Archived Basis Data

When you use the D line command to delete a monitoring request, the basis data collected under that request is retained and stored in an “archived” state. Archived basis data is available to refer to or use again if you re-enter the deleted request to resume monitoring of the program.

 

Tip: For faster searching, add an asterisk to the end of your partial query. Example: cert*