The collector uses a checkpoint data set to register data sets that it creates during the collection process. The C\Prof ISPF dialog use this checkpoint data set to locate the relevant data sets that contain the requested transaction information.
The checkpoint data set is a VSAM KSDS. The same data set can be used by multiple collector started tasks and can be used to register both archive and auxiliary trace data sets simultaneously. If you are running multiple collectors and you configure them to use the same checkpoint data set, you can access the data collected from all your collectors without changing the configuration file on the C\Prof primary option menu.
If you are recording for transaction profiling or using the IMPORT collection mode, you must use a checkpoint data set to register the resulting archive data sets. A checkpoint data set is optional (but highly recommended) for collection modes that write to auxiliary trace data sets. If you use a checkpoint data set, you can use the housekeeping feature to routinely delete collected data that has passed a specified retention period. For more information, see Cleaning up old collection data via housekeeping.
Prior to starting the collector, you must allocate and initialize the checkpoint data set. You can use the C\Prof ISPF dialog to generate JCL to perform this task. Instructions can be found in Step 3: Allocate configuration and checkpoint data sets.