Setting up long-term history data collection (optional)

The data that is written to the long-term history files consists of job, device, and system data records only. Long-term history files are smaller in number and size than regular history records. Therefore, you should be able to retain them much longer for online and batch viewing and reporting.

You can synchronize the long-term history data collection with the regular history data collection.

You can view long-term history data by choosing the Long Term Data option on the MainView EZMZOS menu. In addition, to display all available long-term views, enter LONGTERM on the COMMAND line.

To set up long-term history data collection

1. From the BBPARM data set, copy the BBDTLTxx member to UBBPARM, where xx is defined by the LTDC=xx parameter in the PAS JCL PARM field.

   Note

   If the LTDC=xx parameter is not defined, the default name for this member is BBDTLTDC.

2. In the control statements for long-term data collection in the copied member (shown in the following figure), change the ENABLED value to YES.

   <!-- Control statements must be in upper case -->
   
   <long_term_data_collection>               <!-- Required root tag       -->
     <enabled>NO</enabled>                   <!-- YES value enables long  -->
                                             <!--  term data collection   -->
     <interval_length>4X</interval_length>   <!-- Long term interval is   -->
                                             <!--  multiple of interval data
                                                   collection period      -->
     <interval_synch>NO</interval_synch>     <!-- Long term interval is   -->
                                             <!--  synched to the closest
                                                   hour interval boundary
                                                   when YES is specified  -->
     <data_collectors>                                              
       <class>ADDRESS SPACE</class>          <!-- Collect addr space data -->
       <class>DEVICE</class>                 <!-- Collect device data     -->
       <class>SYSTEM</class>                 <!-- Collect system data     -->
       <class>WAIT USE</class>               <!-- Collect Use Delay data  -->
     </data_collectors>
   </long_term_data_collection>

3. (optional) If you want to change the default long-term data collection interval, change the numeral in the INTERVAL_LENGTH value.The default, 4X, means that the long-term interval consists of four regular intervals. With the typical regular interval of 15 minutes, 4X means long-term data is collected every 60 minutes.

   Note

   MainView for z/OS synchronizes the regular data-collection interval with the CMF MONITOR Extractor (defined in the Extractor 'REPORT' control statement).

   Follow these guidelines when setting the INTERVAL_LENGTH value:

   • The long-term data collection interval cannot be less than 15 minutes or more than six hours. If you specify an INTERVAL_LENGTH value that would result in a long-term interval that is too short or too long, the minimum or maximum value is used, instead.
     For example, if the interval defined in the CMF MONITOR Extractor ‘REPORT’ control statement is two minutes, the INTERVAL_LENGTH value must be at least 8X.
   • If you want the long-term and regular intervals to be the same, and the regular interval is at least 15 minutes and not longer than six hours, set the INTERVAL_LENGTH value to 1X.

4. (optional) If you want to synchronize the long-term interval with the regular interval, change the INTERVAL_SYNCH value to YES.Synchronizing the long-term interval with the regular interval allows you to compare data from multiple systems over the same time frames.

   Follow these guidelines when setting the INTERVAL_SYNCH value:

   • The long-term interval cannot be longer than one hour.
   • The long-term interval must divide evenly into one hour.
     For example, a 5-minute regular interval with a 4X INTERVAL_LENGTH is valid because a 20-minute long-term interval divides evenly into 60 minutes. However, a 5-minute regular interval with a 5X INTERVAL_LENGTH is not valid because 60 minutes divided by 25 minutes equals 2.4 (not a whole integer).

   If the INTERVAL_SYNCH value is YES when the PAS starts, the first long-term interval is a partial interval. It consists of fewer than the specified number of regular intervals. Subsequent intervals consist of the specified number of regular intervals, and long-term history data collection is synchronized with regular history data collection.

5. Define and initialize a second set of interval recorder files for long-term history data.Use the same process that you use to create and initialize regular history data sets, but begin the DDnames with HST1 instead of HIST.

   For more information about defining the new HST1 files, see Managing historical data sets.