Configuring for optimum performance

You can further reduce the impact of C\Prof collection on system performance and DASD by adjusting the amount and type of data that you collect from the CICS internal trace. This can be useful, for example, when running C\Prof in a production environment and you wish to capture only certain types of transactions or programs for profiling whilst maintaining system performance. These techniques may also be useful when the C\Prof collection server issues error message TXC0303E indicating that it was unable to keep up with the CICS internal trace.

Consider using one or more of the following techniques to optimize and improve the performance of your C\Prof collection topology.

Techniques for improving the performance of C\Prof collection

All types of collection

Technique Use the following methods or control statement(s)
Reduce CICS internal trace table wrapping (message TXC0303E). Increase the size of the CICS internal trace table. See Step 1: Start and configure the CICS internal trace.

Set the service class of the C\Prof collection server to be equal or higher than CICS with the SERVICE control statement.

Move a busy CICS region onto a separate collector. See Splitting collectors for operational management.
Reduce the frequency of data set allocation by setting a larger space quantity. Use the SPACE parameter with the SUMMARY, DETAIL, or AUXILIARY control statements.
Reduce the impact on DASD by assigning collected data sets to an SMS management class for quick migration to archival storage. Use SMS rules and ACS routines, or use the MGMTCLAS parameter with the SUMMARY, DETAIL, or AUXILIARY control statements.
Reduce (or increase) amount of data collected using granular control of CICS trace levels. STNTRxx

Record or snapshot to auxiliary trace data sets

Technique Use the following methods or control statement(s)
Reduce the amount of I/O by using a larger block size.

Note: Resulting auxiliary trace data sets will be incompatible with the CICS trace utility print program.
Use BLKSIZE=24576 as an independent statement, or in combination with SUMMARY, DETAIL, and AUXILIARY

Record for profiling

Technique Use the following methods or control statement(s)
Reduce amount of data collected by exclude all CICS-supplied transactions. EXCLUDETRAN=CICS
Reduce amount of data collected by excluding specific transactions or groups of transactions. EXCLUDETRAN=(name1, )
Reduce amount of data collected by collecting only specific transaction or groups of transactions from the CICS internal trace. TRAN=(name1, )
Reduce amount of data collected by collecting only those transactions that involve the named programs (as an initial program or a secondary call). PROGRAM=(name1, )
Reduce amount of data collected by collecting only those transactions that fall within a particular response time range. RESPONSE=(min,max)
Reduce amount of data collected by controlling collection of abending transactions. ABEND=value
Reduce amount of data collected by collecting summary data only. LEVEL=1

Applying control statements

You can apply these control statements in the following ways:

  • To all the CICS regions in the configuration file, by inserting the statements at the top of the collector configuration file before the first GROUP or CICS control statement.

  • To a specific group of CICS regions, by inserting the statements after the GROUP control statement. This will override the setting supplied

  • To a specific CICS region, by inserting the statements after the CICS control statement