Enhance CICS Performance Monitoring with Rocket C\Prof: Problem Confirmation (Part 2)
April 24, 2023
This blog post is part of a series on enhancing CICS performance monitoring with Rocket C\Prof. Rocket Software’s IBM CICS transaction profiling solution complements established mainframe CICS performance monitoring solutions like Rocket TMON for CICS TS and Rocket TMON PA—part of the Rocket TMON ONE family—as well as IBM OMEGAMON for CICS and IBM CICS Performance Analyzer (CICS PA).
The first blog in this series explored the importance of proactive monitoring and issue detection with these tools; but that’s only the first step of three when considering how to address CICS issues:
- Detect any potential issues.
- Confirm their existence.
- Take the necessary steps to resolve them.
In this post, we will discuss how to confirm the existence of CICS issues after identifying potential issues.
CICS Problem Confirmation
Once a potential issue has been detected, it is important to confirm that the problem has occurred more than once and is likely to happen again. Real-time monitoring tools like Rocket TMON for CICS TS and IBM OMEGAMON for CICS are useful for detecting sudden problems, but they're not intended for spotting trends over time.
This is because the data they generate is usually only saved for a few hours as it can take up a lot of storage space in large systems with multiple applications running at once. That's why it is best to use a monitoring tool to respond quickly to problems, like alerting support staff to a sudden surge in transactions. However, there's still a chance the same problem could happen again unless the root cause is found.
This is where tools like Rocket TMON PA and IBM CICS PA come in. For example, CICS PA analyzes SMF 110 records to generate reports with detailed performance data, such as CPU usage, transaction response times, and resource utilization.
The acronym "SMF" stands for "System Management Facility," a component of the IBM z/OS operating system that records a wide range of system and application events as records, known as SMF records. These records provide a wealth of information that can be used for various purposes, including system performance monitoring, auditing, and troubleshooting. The type of SMF records specifically related to CICS system management is known as SMF 110.
SMF 110 records are typically kept for longer periods of time—from weeks to years—much longer than the retention period for data generated by monitoring tools such as TMON for CICS TS or OMEGAMON for CICS.
By analyzing SMF records, CICS PA can identify patterns or trends contributing to performance issues. CICS PA can generate over 250 tailored reports, each focused on a different aspect of system performance, such as CPU times or memory usage. These reports help users analyze trends, such as whether a problem occurs every Friday between 4 and 6 p.m., and determine whether an issue detected by the monitor is persistent and requires attention.
Resolving CICS Problems
By confirming CICS problems that are recurrent, users can ensure their organization is set up for long-term success and avoid compounding issues that could be negatively impacting your business and customers.
Once an issue is identified and confirmed, it’s time to take action to resolve it. Next up in the series, we’ll dive into how to leverage Rocket C\Prof to resolve CICS issues.
Ready to learn more? Find out what Rocket® C\Prof can do for your business.
