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Creating workload management definitions using the WUI

This section contains examples of the tasks involved in creating and managing workload management definitions using the WUI.

Creating a workload specification

A workload group is used to associate one or more related workload definitions. An example of how to use this view can be found in Routing a specific transaction to a specific target region. This section describes how to create a workload group definition and add it to the data repository.

Associating a CICS system or system group with a workload specification

Each workload specification has a default target scope and one or more CICS systems or CICS system groups associated with it. These associated CICS systems or groups are known as the routing scope in EUI views. The default target scope is identified when you create the specification. Associated CICS systems and system groups are identified when you add the routing region to the specification.

Follow this procedure to associate a CICS system group to an existing workload specification:

  1. Click Administration views-->Workload manager administration views-->Workload specificationsto open the Workload specifications view.

    This view displays a list of existing workload specifications.

  2. Select a workload specification and click the Associate CICS group action button.

    This opens the Associate CICS group view.

  3. In the CICS system group field enter the specific or generic name of an existing CICS system group that represents one or more routing regions.
    Note:
    A CICS system or CICS system group acting as a routing region can be associated with only one workload specification at a time. A specification, however, can be associated with any number of CICS systems and CICS system groups.
  4. Select one of the following options to indicate how the CICS systems that make up the CICS system group are to use the workload specification associated with the CICS system group:
    FORCE
    All CICS systems currently associated with the CICS system group are to use the workload specification. (The workload specification attribute for each CICS system changes to INHERIT, indicating that the specification was acquired from the CICS system group). If you add a new CICS system to the CICS system group, it does not automatically inherit the FORCE option. You must specify NULL or FORCE when adding a CICS system to a CICS system group.
    NULL
    Those CICS systems in the CICS system group that are not associated with a workload specification are to use this workload specification. (The workload specification attribute for those CICS systems changes to INHERIT, indicating that the specification was acquired from the CICS system group).
    NONE
    Only the CICS system group is to be associated with the workload specification. The CICS systems in the CICS system group are not affected. That is, if there is no association between a CICS system and a workload specification, none is established; if there is an association, either explicitly established or inherited from another CICS system group, it is unchanged.
    Notes:
    1. If the CICS system group includes other CICS system groups, all of the CICS systems, including those in subordinate CICS system groups, are affected by the value specified in this field.
    2. The CICS systems designated as the default target scope when you created the workload specification must be accessible to the CICS systems identified as the routing scope. Therefore, you should verify that the appropriate CICS connections exist between each routing region and all of the CICS systems in the target scope identified here.
  5. Click Yes to update the workload specification in the data repository.

Once you associate a CICS system or system group to a workload specification, the specification is automatically installed whenever an associated CICS system is started. Any workload definitions associated with the specification through workload groups are also automatically installed.

However, if you associate the workload specification with a CICS system that is already active, the new specification is not immediately available. To turn workload management on:

  1. Click Administration views-->Topology administration views-->CICS System definitions to display a list of active CICS systems.
  2. Select the CICS system and click the Update action button
  3. In the Workload manager status field, specify YES, and click the Yes button at the bottom of the screen.

Creating a transaction group

A transaction group is an association of logically similar transactions. The similarity may be based on affinity requirements, common shared processing requirements, or any other user-determined characteristic. This section describes how to create a transaction group definition and add it to the data repository.

  1. Click Administration views-->Workload manager administration views-->Transaction groups to open the Transaction group definition view.

    This view displays a list of existing transaction group definitions. It has action buttons that allow you to create, update, and remove transaction group definitions, and to add a transaction to a transaction group.

  2. If you want to use some of the information from an existing definition in the creation of your new definition, select an existing definition by selection by selecting an adjacent check box in the Record column.
  3. Click the Create action button.
  4. Provide the following information, as appropriate:
    Transaction group Name
    Specify a 1- to 8-character name for the transaction group. The name can contain alphabetic, numeric, or national characters. However, the first character must be alphabetic.
    Description
    (Optional.) Specify a 1- to 30-character description of the transaction group.
    Affinity relation and lifetime checking status
    Specify whether the affinity relation and lifetime values are to be used when processing a transaction associated with this transaction group:
    ACTIVE
    Recognize the affinity relation and lifetime settings.
    DORMANT
    Recognize the affinity settings only when the lifetime is pseudoconversation (PCONV). Otherwise, do not recognize the affinity relation and lifetime settings.
    Primary search criterion
    Designate whether a user name (USERID) or logical unit name (LUNAME) is to be used as the search criteria for the transaction group. This field is ignored if the associated workload definition specifies separation by process type rather than by luname and user ID.
    Note:
    The specific or generic user and terminal names that are to be used as the search criteria are defined as part of the workload definition to which this transaction group is associated.
    Affinity relationship
    (Optional.) Indicate the affinity relation that is to be used when processing the transactions associated with this transaction group. Specify:
    N_a
    Not defined.
    USERID
    Base transaction affinity on the user ID.
    LUNAME
    Base transaction affinity on the terminal logical unit name.
    GLOBAL
    Base transaction affinity on all users at all terminals.
    BAPPL
    Base transaction affinity on the CICS BTS application.
    If you do not specify a value, no affinity relation is recognized for transactions associated with this transaction group. All dynamic transactions in the group that are initiated from any routing region by any user can be routed to any CICS system associated with the target scope.
    Affinity lifetime
    (Required when you specify a value in the Affinity relationship field.) Indicate the affinity lifetime to be used when processing transactions associated with this transaction group. Specify:
    N_a
    Not defined.
    DELIMIT
    Maintain transaction affinity until a transaction with a pseudoconversation mode of END is encountered.
    LOGON
    Maintain transaction affinity for the duration of the terminal session.
    PCONV
    Maintain transaction affinity for the duration of the pseudoconversation. That is, as long as each transaction ends with an EXEC CICS RETURN TRANSID command to invoke the next transaction in the sequence and no pseudoconversation mode of END is encountered.

    CICS does not support pseudoconversations for APPC (LUTYPE 6.2) devices.

    PERMANENT
    Maintain transaction affinity as long as the workload containing this transaction group is active.
    SIGNON
    Maintain transaction affinity as long as the user's session is active.
    SYSTEM
    Maintain transaction affinity as long as the target region to which transactions are directed remains active.
    ACTIVITY
    Maintain transaction affinity until the associated BTS activity ends.
    PROCESS
    Maintain transaction affinity until the associated BTS process ends.
    Note:
    The Affinity relationship and Affinity lifetime fields are related. If you specify a value in the Affinity relationship field, you must specify a value in the Affinity lifetime field. See Valid affinity relation and lifetime combinations and their meanings for valid affinity and lifetime combinations.
    Automatic affinity creation option
    Start of change(Required when you specify a value in the Affinity relationship and Affinity lifetime fields.) Indicate whether CICSPlex SM should automatically create an affinity relationship for transactions associated with this transaction group. End of change
    YES (or blank)
    CICSPlex SM creates an affinity using the values specified in the Affinity relationship and Affinity lifetime fields.
    NO
    CICSPlex SM does not automatically create an affinity. However, you can create one by using the SM_CREAFF function in the dynamic routing program (EYU9WRAM). The SM_CREAFF function provides greater control over the creation of affinities. For example, you can create an affinity to a target region that CICSPlex SM might not ordinarily select for dynamic routing. Refer to Dynamic routing with CICSPlex SM for details on EYU9WRAM and SM_CREAFF.
    N/A
    Affinity not defined (Affinity relationship and Affinity lifetime fields are blank).
    RTA event name
    (Optional.) Enter the specific or generic name of an analysis definition (RTADEF) or status definition (STATDEF) that may affect transactions associated with this transaction group. If you enter a generic value, a list of valid definitions is displayed.

    If a real-time analysis event is generated by this definition during the target region selection process, the severity level, if any, associated with the definition is used as part of the criteria in selecting a target region.

    Acceptable level of abend probability
    Specify the abend probability for a transaction associated with this group that should cause a target region to be considered unhealthy:
    0
    Ignore target region abend probability calculations.
    value
    Specify a value between 1 and 99 (inclusive) that indicates an unacceptable abend probability. For example, if you specify 25, a target region with a 25% or greater probability of abending for a transaction associated with this group is considered unhealthy and is avoided, if possible.
    Acceptable target region load level
    Specify the abend probability for a transaction associated with this group that should cause a target region's load level to be doubled:
    0
    Required when the Abend Health field is set to 0.
    value
    Specify a value that is greater than 1 and less than the Abend Health value.

    For example, if you specified 25 as the Abend Health value, you must specify a value, x, between 2 and 24 (inclusive) as the Abend Load value. Then, if the probability of abend for a transaction being routed to a given target region is between 0% and x%, the perceived load on that target region is adjusted upward. Once the abend probability reaches x%, the perceived load is doubled, which means the target region is considered to have twice the load that it really has. This loading factor makes the region less desirable as a target for routing.

    Notes:
    1. Once an affinity is active, all subsequent transactions are routed to the same target region for as long as the affinity remains active, regardless of its abend probability.
    2. For additional information about specifying abend health and abend load values, see Taking abend probabilities into consideration.
  5. Click Yes to create the new definition.

    The Transaction group definition view is redisplayed with an entry for the new definition.

Creating a workload definition

You can use workload definitions to route work requests to a specific set of target regions based on the terminal and user names, or the process types, associated with those work requests. The terminal and user names may be either specific or generic. For example, you can create a workload definition that causes all transactions initiated by any user from terminals with logical unit names starting with NET to be routed to the target scope identified as EYUCSG01. This section describes how to create a workload definition and add it to the data repository.

  1. Click Administration views-->Workload manager administration views-->Workload definitions to open the Workload management definition view.

    This view displays a list of existing workload management definitions. It has action buttons that allow you to create, update, remove and install workload definitions, and to add a workload definition to a workload group.

  2. If you want to use some of the information from an existing definition in the creation of your new definition, select an existing definition by selection by selecting an adjacent check box in the Record column.
  3. Click the Create action button.
  4. Provide the following information, as appropriate:
    Workload management definition name
    Specify a 1- to 8-character name for the workload definition. The name can contain alphabetic, numeric, or national characters. However, the first character must be alphabetic.
    Description
    (Optional) Specify a 1- to 30-character description of the definition.
    Trangroup group name
    (Optional) Enter the specific or generic name of a transaction group. If you enter a generic value, a list of valid transaction groups is displayed.

    If you do not identify a transaction group, the default transaction group for the specification is assumed. (For a description of this transaction group, see TRANGRP (Transaction groups).)

    Terminal LU name
    Enter a specific logical unit name or a pattern, using the format:
       [network_qualifier_name.]luname
    where both the network_qualifier_name and the luname are between 1 and 8 characters in length.

    A pattern can include the characters + (plus sign), * (asterisk), or both.

    User ID
    Enter a specific user ID or a pattern. A pattern can include the characters + (plus sign), * (asterisk), or both.
    Note:
    The Terminal Luname and User ID values are used when CICSPlex SM attempts to match a transaction with this definition. (See topic Transaction match criteria for additional information.)
    BTS process type
    Enter a specific process type or a pattern. A pattern may include + (plus sign), * (asterisk), or both.
    Note:
    If you specify anything other than an * in this field, the luname and user id fields must be set to an *. Similarly, if there is anything other than an * in either luname and user id, this field must be set to *. You cannot separate a workload by process type, luname and user id.
    Scope name of set of target systems
    Enter the specific or generic name of a CICS system or CICS system group to be used as target regions for dynamic routing requests. If you enter a generic value, a list of valid CICS systems and CICS system groups is displayed.
    Note:
    The specified CICS system or CICS system group must be accessible to the CICS systems identified as the routing scope with the workload specification to which this definition is associated. Therefore, you should verify that the appropriate CICS connections exist between each routing region and all of the CICS systems identified here as the target scope.
  5. Click Yes to create the new definition.

    The Workload management definition view is redisplayed and includes an entry for the new definition.

Creating a workload group

A workload group is used to associate one or more related workload definitions. An example of how to use this view can be found in Routing a specific transaction to a specific target region. This section describes how to create a workload group definition and add it to the data repository.

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