Using Strobe and ISPF with Request Groups

To work with request groups, select Option G (REQUEST GROUPS) from the Strobe Options menu.

Strobe Options Menu

Press Enter to display the Strobe- Request Group Processing panel. From this panel, you can:

• Create new request groups
• Copy or merge request groups
• Create concurrent sets of request group elements
• Submit request groups (with or without a schedule)
• Edit request groups
• List the contents of a request group
• Delete request groups

Creating a Request Group

From the Strobe- Request Group Processing panel, you can create a request group in one of two ways:

• Enter a new group name
• Copy an existing group.

If you copy a request group, your new group will contain all of the request group elements that are contained in the request group you copied. For information on copying request groups, see Copying and Merging Request Groups.

Strobe- Request Group Processing Panel

The Strobe- Request Group Processing panel displays the request groups you have created. The date format shown on the panel depends on the date format specified in the Strobe parameter data set. You can change the order in which the request groups are listed on this panel. For more information, see Changing the Strobe - Request Group Processing Panel Format.

To create a new request group:

1. Select Option G from the Strobe Options menu.
2. Press Enter to display the Strobe- Request Group Processing panel.
3. Type the request group name in the GROUP NAME field of the Strobe- Request Group Processing panel. (Valid group names cannot exceed 18 characters in length and cannot include embedded blanks.)

4. Press Enter to display the Strobe- Request Group Elements panel.
   Strobe- Request Group Elements Panel

   

5. To create the request group, you must add at least one measurement request. For information on creating active and queued request group elements, see Creating Request Group Elements.

Copying and Merging Request Groups

You can also create a request group by copying an existing request group and giving it a new name. To copy a request group:

1. Select Option G from the Strobe Options menu.
2. Press Enter to display the Strobe- Request Group Processing panel.
3. Type C to the left of the group you want to copy.
4. Press Enter to display the Strobe- Copy a Request Group panel.
5. Type the name of the new group in the TARGET GROUP NAME field.
6. Press Enter to return to the Strobe- Request Group Processing panel.

7. The name of the new request group appears in the GROUP NAME column.
   Strobe - Copy a Request Group Panel

   

8. To change the request group elements, follow the instructions in Editing a Request Group.

To merge the contents of one request group into another request group:

1. Select Option G from the Strobe Options menu.
2. Press Enter to display the Strobe- Request Group Processing panel.
3. Type C to the left of the name of an existing group.
4. Press Enter to display the Strobe- Copy a Request Group panel.
5. Type the name of the request group into which you want to copy the contents of the request group in the TARGET GROUP NAME field.
6. Press Enter to return to the Strobe- Request Group Processing panel.

Creating Request Group Elements

Once you have named the request group, you must add at least one request group element for the request group to be created. As with other measurement requests, the request group elements that you add can be designated as active or queued.

To create a request group element:

1. Select Option G from the Strobe Options menu.
2. Press Enter to display the Strobe- Request Group Processing panel.
3. Type the request group name of a new group in the GROUP NAME field of the Strobe- Request Group Processing panel. If the request group already exists and you are adding a request element, type E to the left of the group name.
4. Press Enter to display the Strobe- Request Group Elements panel.
5. Type A to create an Add Active element or type Q to create a Queued element.
6. Press Enter to display the Strobe- Create an ‘Add Active’ Element panel or the Strobe- Create an ‘Add Queued’ Element panel.
7. Complete the appropriate fields (as described in Adding Measurement Requests for Active Jobs or in Adding Measurement Requests for Jobs Not Yet Executing) and press Enter.

Strobe- Create an ‘Add Active’ Element Panel

Creating a Set of Requests for Concurrent Measurement

Your request group can contain one or more sets of request group elements that measure different address spaces at the same time. These related request group elements are called a concurrent set. A concurrent set consists of two types of request group elements: one trigger request, and one or more related requests. The trigger request is the request that initiates the activation and termination of the related requests. A trigger request can be an active or a queued request group element, while the related requests must be active request group elements.

A concurrent set of requests measures multiple jobs simultaneously, providing you with a broad picture of what is happening on a system at a given time. For example, although you are most interested in measuring your online CICS region, it may also be useful to know what is happening in the associated Db2 region at the same time.

Follow these overall steps to create a concurrent set of request group elements:

1. Select Option G from the Strobe Options menu.
2. Press Enter to display Strobe- Request Group Processing panel.
3. Create the request group in which you want to place the concurrent set (as described in Creating a Request Group).
4. Create the trigger request, which can be an active or queued request element.
5. Create one or more related requests, which must be active request group elements.

Steps 4 and 5 are described in more detail in the following sections.

Creating the Trigger Request

To create a trigger request, complete the following steps:

1. On the Strobe- Request Group Processing panel, type a new group name in the GROUP NAME field or type E next to a request group to add the trigger request to that group.
2. Press Enter to display the Strobe- Request Group Elements panel.
3. Type A to create an Add Active element trigger request or type Q to create a Add Queued element trigger request.
4. Press Enter to display the Strobe- Create an ‘Add Active’ Element panel or the Strobe- Create an ‘Add Queued’ Element panel
5. Type Y in the CONCURRENT REQUEST field located at the bottom of the panel.
6. IX_described_53 6. Press Enter to display the Strobe- Concurrent Request panel.
7. Specify a name in the CONCURRENT SET NAME field. The name cannot exceed eight characters and cannot be the word “SCHEDULE.”
8. Type Y in the TRIGGER field.
9. Press Enter to assign the group element trigger request as the trigger request for the concurrent set.

Strobe- Concurrent Request Panel for a Trigger Request

Creating the Related Requests

To create the related requests that will be initialized by the trigger request, complete the following steps:

1. On the Strobe- Request Group Processing panel, type a new group name in the GROUP NAME field or type E next to an existing group to add the related request to that group.
2. Press Enter to display the Strobe- Request Group Elements panel.
3. Type A to create the related request. All related requests must be active request group elements.
4. Press Enter to display the Strobe- Create an ‘Add Active’ Element panel.
5. Type Y in the CONCURRENT REQUEST field located at the bottom of the panel.
6. IX_described_54 6. Press Enter to display the Strobe- Concurrent Request panel.
7. Specify a name in the CONCURRENT SET NAME field. The name cannot exceed eight characters and cannot be the word SCHEDULE.
8. Type N in the TRIGGER field.
9. Press Enter to assign the related request group element to the concurrent set.

Strobe- Concurrent Request Panel for a Related Request

Viewing the Elements in a Concurrent Set

When you return to the Strobe- Request Group Elements panel, the concurrent set name is indicated in the CONCURRENT column. If you designated the request group element as a trigger request, a (T) appears to the right of the concurrent set name, as shown in.

Strobe- Request Group Elements Panel with Concurrent Sets

The request group elements in a request group are sorted first by concurrent set name, with the trigger request appearing before the related requests, and then by job name.

Submitting a Request Group

Once you have created a request group, you can submit the request group for immediate processing, or schedule the request group to be processed at a later time, or on several dates and times. Select Option G (REQUEST GROUPS) from the Strobe Options menu. Press Enter to display the Strobe- Request Group Processing panel.

The Strobe- Request Group Processing panel displays the request groups you have previously created. The date format shown on the panel depends on the date format specified in the Strobe parameter data set. You can change the order in which the request groups are listed on this panel. For more information, see Changing the Strobe - Request Group Processing Panel Format

Strobe- Request Group Processing Panel - Submitting a request Group

Submitting a Request Group for Immediate Processing

To submit a request group for immediate processing:

1. Select Option G (REQUEST GROUPS) from the Strobe Options menu.
2. Type U next to the left of the name of the request group on the Strobe- Request Group Processing panel as shown in.
3. Press Enter. 

Submitting a Request Group to be Processed at a Later Time

To submit a request group for processing at a later time or a later date:

1. Select Option G (REQUEST GROUPS) from the Strobe Options menu.
2. Type T next to the left of the name of the request group on the Strobe- Request Group Processing panel as shown in.
3. Press Enter to display the Strobe- Request Scheduler panel.
4. Set up a schedule for Strobe to automatically initiate measurement sessions for the requests in the request group on the dates and times that you specify by following the instructions in Scheduling Measurement Requests.

Editing a Request Group

To edit a request group:

1. Select Option G (REQUEST GROUPS) from the Strobe Options menu.
2. Press Enter to display the Strobe- Request Group Processing panel.
3. Type E next to the name of the group you want to edit.
4. Press Enter to display the Strobe- Request Group Elements panel. From this panel, you can add new request group elements to the request group, as well as copy, delete, edit, or view the existing request group elements. To distinguish request group elements with the same job name, Strobe assigns a sequence number to each request group element in the request group.

Adding a Request Group Element to a Request Group

From the Strobe- Request Group Elements panel, you can add active or queued request group elements to your request group. Follow the steps in Creating Request Group Elements.

Copying a Request Group Element

Another way to add request group elements to a request group is to copy an existing request group element.

To copy a request group element within a request group:

1. Select Option G (REQUEST GROUPS) from the Strobe Options menu.
2. Press Enter to display the Strobe- Request Group Processing panel.
3. Type E next to the name of the group that contains the element that you want to copy.
4. Press Enter to display the Strobe- Request Group Elements panel.
5. Type C to the left of the request group element you want to copy.
6. Press Enter to display the Strobe- Copy an ‘Add Queued’ Element or the Strobe- Copy an ‘Add Active’ Element panel, depending on the type of request group element you are copying.
7. If desired, change any of the available parameters on the panel and press Enter.

A message in the upper-right corner indicates that the element has been copied.

Strobe- Copy an ‘Add Queued’ Element Panel

Deleting a Request Group Element

To delete a request group element:

1. Select Option G (REQUEST GROUPS) from the Strobe Options menu.
2. Press Enter to display the Strobe- Request Group Processing panel.
3. Type E next to the name of the group that contains the request group element that you want to delete.
4. Press Enter to display the Strobe- Request Group Elements panel.
5. Type D to the left of the request group element you want to delete on the Strobe- Request Group Elements panel.
6. Press Enter.

A message in the upper-right corner of the panel indicates that the request group element has been deleted.

Editing a Request Group Element

To edit the characteristics of a request group element:

1. Select Option G (REQUEST GROUPS) from the Strobe Options menu.
2. Press Enter to display the Strobe- Request Group Processing panel.
3. Type E next to the name of the group that contains the request group element that you want to edit.
4. Press Enter to display the Strobe- Request Group Elements panel.
5. Type E to the left of the request group element that you want to edit.
6. Press Enter to display the Strobe- Edit an ‘Add Active’ Element panel or the Strobe- Edit an ‘Add Queued’ Element panel, depending on whether you are editing an active or queued request group element.
7. Edit the request group element by changing any of the available parameters on the panel. To change any of the parameters on the subsidiary panels under SELECT ADDITIONAL PARAMETERS, type Y in the appropriate field.
8. Press Enter.

A message in the upper-right corner of the panel indicates that the request group element has been copied. 

Strobe - Edit an ‘Add Queued’ Element Panel

Viewing the Elements of a Request Group

To list the elements of a request group:

1. Select Option G (REQUEST GROUPS) from the Strobe Options menu.
2. Press Enter to display the Strobe- Request Group Processing panel.
3. Type L next to the name of the group that contains the element that you want to view.
4. Press Enter to display the Strobe- List Group Elements panel.
5. Type V next to the request group element.
6. Press Enter to view the characteristics of the request group element.

Strobe- List Group Elements Panel

Deleting a Request Group

To delete a request group:

1. IX_described_58 1. Select Option G (REQUEST GROUPS) from the Strobe Options menu.
2. Press Enter to display the Strobe- Request Group Processing panel.
3. Type D next to the name of the group that you want to delete.
4. Press Enter to delete the group.

Saving a Measurement Request in a Request Group

In addition to submitting the measurement request, you can also save an individual measurement request in a new request group or save the request in an existing group. To save the request, enter a Y in the SAVE REQUEST IN GROUP field on the Strobe- Add Active or the Strobe- Add Queued panel. The Strobe- Save Request in a Group panel is displayed.

The Strobe- Save Request in a Group panel displays the request groups you have previously created. You can change the order in which the request groups are listed on this panel. For more information, see Changing the Strobe - Request Group Processing Panel Format.

Strobe - Save Request in a Group Panel

Saving the Request in a New Group

To save a request in a request group, complete the following steps:

1. Select Option 1 ADD ACTIVE or Option 2 ADD QUEUED from the Strobe Options menu.
2. Press Enter to display either the Strobe- Add Active panel or the Strobe - Add Queued panel.
3. Enter Y in the SAVE REQUEST IN GROUP field on the Strobe- Add Active or the Strobe- Add Queued panel.
4. Press Enter to display the Strobe- Save Request in a Group panel.
5. On the Strobe- Save Request in a Group panel, enter a name for the request group in the GROUP NAME field.
6. Press Enter.

Strobe creates the new request group and adds this request as a request group element. A message indicating that the request group has been created is displayed in the upper right hand corner of the panel.

If you wish to add other requests to this request group, or change the request you just added, select Option G (REQUEST GROUPS) from the Strobe Options menu. Strobe displays the Strobe- Request Group Processing panel. From this panel, you can select the request group and modify it by adding new request group elements or changing existing ones.

Saving the Request in an Existing Group

Once you have some request groups created, you may want to save a new request in an existing group. To add a new measurement request to an existing request group, complete the following steps:

1. Enter a Y in the SAVE REQUEST IN GROUP field on the Strobe- Add Active or the Strobe- Add Queued panel.
2. Press Enter to display the Strobe- Save Request in a Group panel.
3. Enter an S next to the name of the request group in which you want the request to be saved.
4. Press Enter. Strobe adds the request as a request group element. If this group is scheduled, the new request will be processed according to the request group schedule.

Listing Request Group Elements

To list the contents of a request group before adding a new request, enter an L next to the request group name you wish to view on the Strobe- Save Request in a Group panel. The Strobe- List Group Elements panel appears, listing all of the request group elements.

Changing the Strobe- Request Group Processing Panel Format

You can control the sort criteria on the Strobe- Request Group Processing, the Strobe- Save Request in a Group, and the Strobe - Batch-Submission of Request Groups panels. For each column on the panel, you can choose whether to sort the values in the column, and how to sort the values in the column.

To change the sort criteria for any of these panels, enter Y in the Change Sort Criteria field and press Enter. Strobe displays the Strobe- Request Group Sort panel.

Strobe- Request Group Sort Panel

The Strobe- Request Group Sort panel lists the fields you can sort on the Strobe- Request Group Processing, the Strobe- Save Request in a Group, and the Strobe- Batch-Submission of Request Groups panels. For each field, you can choose whether to sort the values in the column by a particular sort sequence. DISPLAY shows the name of each column.

• To specify the category sort order, enter a number in the SORT COLUMN field. Enter 1 for the primary sort field, 2 for the secondary sort field, and so forth.
• To specify the sort order within a column, specify A for ascending or D for descending in the SORT SEQUENCE field.