Transaction Profiling report

The Transaction Profiling report compares two sets of CMF performance class data. For example, the performance data for a particular CICS® application in two different time periods, or the performance data for all applications on two systems. The two sets of data to be compared are known as the report data and the baseline data. The Transaction Profiling report can show differences between the report data and baseline data as a "delta" (report data values minus their equivalent baseline data values) or as a percentage change.

To understand how the Transaction Profiling report compares the two sets of data, it is useful to think of the Transaction Profiling report as a consolidated view of two Performance Summary reports: one for the report data and one for the baseline data. CICS PA summarizes the two sets of data separately, then consolidates them by finding a row in the summarized baseline data whose key fields match a row in the summarized report data. CICS PA then compares the values of the non-key fields in the two matched rows. For more information about Performance Summary reports, see Performance Summary report.

You can request the Transaction Profiling report as part of a Report Set, as described here, or you can request the report independently of any Report Set, using option 7 Profiling on the CICS PA Primary Option Menu. The Profiling option offers more flexibility than a Report Set for the source of the report data and baseline data. Using a Report Set, the report data must reside in one or more SMF files and the baseline data must reside in a performance HDB. Using the Profiling option, the report data and baseline data can reside in performance HDBs or SMF files. However, the Profiling option only allows you to request one Transaction Profiling report at a time, while a Report Set allows you to define many Transaction Profiling reports. For more information on the Profiling option, see Requesting a Transaction Profiling report outside a Report Set.

To request the report in a Report Set, enter line action S against the Transaction Profiling Performance Report on the Report Set panel. If reports of this type have been previously specified, the list of Transaction Profiling reports is displayed. Otherwise, the Transaction Profiling Report panel is displayed for you to define your first report of this type.

Figure 1. Transaction Profiling Reports
   File  Filter  Edit  Systems  Options  Help
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    SAMPLE - Transaction Profiling Reports         Row 1 from 4
 Command ===> ________________________________________________ Scroll ===> ____
 
         ---- System Selection -----             Report                Selection
 /  Exc  APPLID +  Image +  Group +   Output     Form +     HDB +      Criteria
 S       CICSP001  ________ ________  PROF0001   CPUSUM__   HDBP001_     YES
 _       DEVT____  MVS1____ ________  PROF0002   CPUSUM__   HDBDEVT_     NO
 _       CICST001  ________ ________  PROF0003   TDSUM___   HDBT001_     YES
 _   *   ________  ________ RSYSGRP1  PROF0004   TDSUM___   HDBGRP1_     NO
 ******************************* Bottom of data ********************************
 

This panel displays the list of Transaction Profiling reports in this Report Set. You can select (edit), delete, or include/exclude any report, insert new ones, or rearrange them (move/copy).

The line actions that you can perform are the same as those for the Performance List Reports panel. See Performance List report.

To display the Transaction Profiling Report panel, enter line action S against the Transaction Profiling Performance Report on the Report Set panel, then if the list of previously specified reports is displayed, enter line action S against a particular report in the list.

Figure 2. Transaction Profiling Report (in a Report Set)
   File  Systems  Options  Help                                                
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      SAMPLE - Transaction Profiling Report                    
 Command ===> _________________________________________________________________
 
 Report System Selection:                Report Output:                        
  APPLID  . . ________  +                 DDname . . . . . . . . . PROF0001  
  Image . . . ________  +                 Print Lines per Page . . ___  (1-255)
  Group . . . ________  +                                                      
 
 Baseline Historical Database:            ---- Baseline Interval ------        
  HDB . . . . ________  +                      YYYY/MM/DD  HH:MM:SS.TH         
                                          From __________  ___________         
                                          To   __________  ___________         
 Report Format:                                                                
  Report Form . . . ________  +           Baseline Form . . ________  +        
  Title  . . ________________________________________________________________  
             ________________________________________________________________  
 
 Summary Options:                        Reporting Options:                    
  Time Interval . . 00:01:00 (hh:mm:ss)   Lines . . . . /  Report  /  Baseline 
  Totals Level  . . 8  (blank or 0-8)                   /  Delta   /  Change   
                                          Threshold . . ___ % Above            
 Selection Criteria:                                    ___ % Below Baseline   
  _  Performance                          Exclude . . . _  Within threshold    
                                                        /  Blank lines         
 Execution Option:                                                             
  /  Use External Sort                                                         
 
  Repository  . . : CICSPA.XYX.REPOSTRY                                  

Use this panel to specify the options of the Transaction Profiling report. The only mandatory options are DDname for the report output and Baseline Historical Database for the source of the baseline data. You can let the other options default.

The precision of numerical fields in the report is specified in Global Options (see Figure 1).

The options are similar to the Performance Summary report, with additional options for Transaction Profiling:

Report System Selection
Identifies the CICS APPLIDs whose records you want to select from SMF files for processing as the report data (for comparison with the baseline data in an HDB).

You can specify any combination of APPLID, Image, or Group, but these must be defined in your System Definitions. If you do not specify System Selection here or in the Global Options, then you are prompted at run time to specify the System Selection. This will apply globally to all reports and extracts without their own System Selection. This is recommended as it allows you to run your Report Sets against any of your defined Systems. Press the Prompt key (F4) to select from a list of defined Systems, Images, or Groups. To modify your System Definitions, select Systems in the action bar.

Specify one of the following:
  • A CICS APPLID. An APPLID that matches a defined System's name pattern is also allowed. For example, CICSP1 can be specified if CICSP* is a defined system.
  • An APPLID and an MVS™ Image. This identifies the MVS Image where your CICS system runs.
  • An MVS Image. All CICS systems executing on this MVS Image is selected.
  • An APPLID and Image combination plus a Group. This is useful for uniquely identifying a CICS system when there are multiple CICS systems with the same name defined.
  • A Group alone. CICS PA will select all CICS APPLIDs defined to the Group. For example, for transaction grouping, or for systems that connect via IRC/MRO, ISC/APPC, or IPIC.

CICS PA uses the System Selection in JCL generation to build the APPLID(applid1,applid2,applid3,...) and INput(SMFIN001,SMFIN002,SMFIN003,...) operands, and corresponding //SMFINnnn DD statements.

System Selection can also be specified either:
  • In Global Options. The report-level specification takes precedence over the global.
  • At run time. The run-time System Selection overrides the Global Options and optionally the report-level specification.
Report Output DDname
The DDname for the report output. Specify 1-8 alphanumeric characters starting with an alphabetic character. The DDname is mandatory and should be unique to separate the output of multiple reports. Multiple reports of the same type can use the same DDname without consequence, however a mix of reports using the same DDname might interleave the print lines.

CICS PA assigns a default DDname PROFnnnn where nnnn is a sequential number 0001-9999 to ensure each report has a unique DDname.

This option generates the OUTPUT(ddname) operand.

Print Lines per Page
The maximum number of lines, including headings, to print on each page of the report. Valid values are from 1 to 255. The default is 60.

A global value can be specified to apply to all reports. If a value is also specified here on the report panel, it takes precedence over the global for this report only.

CICS PA JCL generation translates this field to the LINECount operand.

Baseline Historical Database
The List or Summary Performance HDB, in the current Repository, containing the baseline data that you want to compare with the report data. You must have already defined this HDB and loaded it with data.

The current repository is specified in either option 5 Historical Database or option 7 Profiling from the Primary Option Menu.

Baseline Interval
Specify a date/time range or a time slot (times only) to filter the baseline data based on the transaction start time (START field) in the HDB records. HDB records with a transaction start time (START field) within the specified From-To interval are processed by CICS PA, otherwise they are ignored.

You specify the Baseline Interval in the same way that you specify the Report Interval when you run the Report Set. For details, see the description of the Start Date/Time, Stop Date/Time option in Set run-time options.

Report Form and Baseline Form
The names of SUMMARY Report Forms that specify the key fields that you want report data and baseline data records to be grouped and sorted by, the "non-key" fields whose values you want to compare, and the functions for summarizing the non-key field values (for example, as an average or a total).

You must have already defined the SUMMARY Report Forms that you want to use. To select the name from a list of SUMMARY Report Forms, position the cursor on the field and press Prompt (F4).

CICS PA JCL generation translates the SUMMARY Report Form specification into the FIELDS operand.

To understand how the Transaction Profiling report uses the Report Form and the Baseline Form, it is useful to think of it as a comparison of two Performance Summary reports. See Transaction Profiling report compares two Performance Summary reports.

Using forms for the Transaction Profiling report involves the following additional considerations to using forms in the Performance Summary report:

  • The Report Form specifies how the Transaction Profiling report summarizes the report data, and also which fields appear on the Transaction Profiling report.
  • If you do not specify a Report Form, the Transaction Profiling report creates one:
    • If the report data resides in SMF files (see the following note), the Transaction Profiling report uses a default form.
    • If the report data resides in an HDB, the Transaction Profiling report uses the HDB Template as the Report Form.

      For a List HDB Template, the Transaction Profiling report treats all character and date fields as key fields, and uses the average function to summarize the other, non-key, fields. The key fields must precede the non-key fields in the Template: otherwise, CICS PA reports an error.

    Note: If you request the Transaction Profiling report via the CICS PA ISPF dialog as part of a Report Set, then the report data must reside in SMF files. However, if you run the Transaction Profiling report independently of a Report Set, via the Profiling option on the CICS PA Primary Option Menu, then the report data can reside in SMF files or an HDB.
  • The Baseline Form and the Report Form together specify how the Transaction Profiling report summarizes the baseline data:
    • The Transaction Profiling report ignores any fields in the Baseline Form that are not in the Report Form. For example, if the Baseline Form contains key fields that are not in the Report Form, then these key fields are ignored when summarizing the baseline data. Similarly, any non-key fields that appear in the Baseline Form but not the Report Form are ignored.
    • The Transaction Profiling report ignores the order of the fields in the Baseline Form. For example, when summarizing the baseline data, the Transaction Profiling report uses the key fields in the Baseline Form that also appear in the Report Form, but according to the order of those key fields in the Report Form.
    • If you do not specify a Baseline Form, the Transaction Profiling report creates one:
      • If the baseline data resides in an HDB (see the following note), the Transaction Profiling report uses the HDB Template as the Baseline Form. As for any Baseline Form, the Transaction Profiling report ignores any fields in the HDB Template that are not in the Report Form, and also ignores the order of the fields in the HDB Template.

        For a List HDB Template, the Transaction Profiling report treats character and date fields as key fields, and uses the average function to summarize the other, non-key, fields.

      • If the baseline data resides in SMF files, the Transaction Profiling report uses the Report Form as the Baseline Form.
      Note: If you request the Transaction Profiling report via the CICS PA ISPF dialog as part of a Report Set, then the baseline data must reside in an HDB. However, if you run the Transaction Profiling report independently of a Report Set, via the Profiling option on the CICS PA Primary Option Menu, then the baseline data can reside in SMF files or an HDB.
  • When summarizing baseline data, the Transaction Profiling report uses only the time-of-day part of any START or STOP key field (transaction start or stop), ignoring the date part. The summarized baseline data for a time-of-day interval matches the summarized report data for that time-of-day interval on any date. For example, if you specify a report data interval of five days and a baseline data interval of five days, then the Transaction Profiling report summarizes each day of report data separately, but summarizes the five days of baseline data together. The Transaction Profiling report compares each daily set of summarized report data with the same set of summarized baseline data. To compare each weekday of the previous week with the same weekday from a week one year ago (compare Monday with another Monday, Tuesday with another Tuesday, etc.), you must run five separate Transaction Profiling reports.
  • In a Performance Summary report, in addition to key fields, you can select one numeric field as Ascending or Descending to activate Alternate Sequencing. The Transaction Profiling report ignores any Alternate Sequencing.
Typically, you only need to specify a Report Form, not a Baseline Form: this ensures matching fields in the two sets of summarized data (assuming that the report data and the baseline data actually contain the fields specified in the form). However, a different Baseline Form is useful in the following cases:
  • To specify selection criteria that apply only to the baseline data (you can specify selection criteria inside a form).
  • To group the baseline data using fewer key fields than the Report Form uses to group the report data.

    If you omit key fields from the Baseline Form that appear in the Report Form, then the Transaction Profiling report matches rows in the two sets of summarized data based on their common key fields. The typical effect is that several rows of summarized report data (with more key fields) match one row of baseline data.

  • To limit which non-key fields show values in the Baseline, Delta, and Change lines.

    If the Baseline Form omits some of the non-key fields specified by the Report Form, then the Transaction Profiling report shows blanks for these missing fields in the Baseline, Delta, and Change lines.

Title
Title of the report. Specify up to 128 characters of text to describe the report. CICS PA concatenates the two lines of 64 exactly as entered to make one line which prints at the top of each page of the report below the heading. The default is blank (no title).

If the report uses a Report Form, and a title is specified on both, the title on this report panel takes precedence.

This option generates the TITLE1('left-half') and TITLE2('right-half') operands.

Time Interval
The time interval applies when you want to summarize transaction activity over time. It is used when you specify a SUMMARY Report Form that includes time stamp sort key fields, such as START or STOP. When reporting, CICS PA accumulates the data for each interval in the report period and writes a report line for each.

Summary HDBs only Data in a Summary HDB is already summarized by the interval that was used to load the data into the HDB. To further summarize the data, specify a multiple of the interval that was used to load the data. If you specify an interval that is equal to or less than the interval used to load the data, the report uses the data as-is, without further summarization.

Specify a value in the range 00:00:01 (1 second) to 24:00:00 (24 hours). The default is 00:01:00 (1 minute).

A time interval of less than one hour must fit evenly into the hour. CICS PA will round it down to the nearest interval that aligns to the hour. For example, 1.35 is reduced to 00:01:30 minutes which will produce 40 interval report lines for each hour of data.

A time interval of more than one hour must fit evenly into the day. CICS PA will round it down to the nearest interval that aligns to the day. For example, 10.30.23 is reduced to 08:00:00 hours which will produce 3 interval report lines for each day of data.

Minutes take precedence for an abbreviated entry. For example:
1
becomes 00:01:00
1.1
becomes 00:01:00 (rounded down from 00:01:01)
1.1.1
becomes 01:00:00 (rounded down from 01:01:01)

This option generates the INTERVAL(hh:mm:ss) operand.

Totals Level
Specify a number between 1 and 8 to accumulate subtotals for up to 8 sort fields, print the subtotals when the sort field changes, and print a grand total at the end of the report. This generates the TOTALS(n) operand for n between 1 and 8. Default: 8.

Specify 0 for no subtotals, but print only the grand total. This generates the TOTALS(0) operand.

Leave blank if you do not want to include total lines in the report. This generates the NOTOTALS operand.

Lines
Specifies the lines of data that you want the Transaction Profiling report to show for each non-key field in the Report Form:
Report
Summarized report data value. This line is always implicitly specified.
Baseline
Summarized baseline data value.
Delta
Report minus Baseline.
Change
Percentage difference between Report and Baseline. For example:
Report        1.0     0.1
Baseline      0.4     0.5
Change%   +150.00  -80.00
This option generates the REPORT, BASELINE, DELTA, and CHANGE values of the PRINT operand.
Threshold
Specifies minimum thresholds for the Change values that you want the report to include. Change values are the percentage difference between the report data and the baseline data (for details, see the Lines option):
  • If a Change value is within the thresholds, the report excludes the Change value and its corresponding Delta value (shows them as blanks).
  • If all values on a Change line are within the thresholds, and you have also specified the Exclude within threshold option, then the report excludes that entire block of report data (the Change line, its corresponding Report, Baseline, and Delta lines, and its key field values).

You can specify either or both of the following thresholds:

% Above Baseline
This threshold applies only to positive Change values; that is, where the Report value is greater than the Baseline value. The allowed values for this threshold are integers in the range 0-999.

For example, a threshold of 150 excludes Change values smaller than +150%.

If you specify a threshold of 0, the report includes all positive Change values.

% Below Baseline
This threshold applies only to negative Change values. The allowed values for this threshold are integers in the range 0-100.

For example, a threshold of 80 excludes Change values smaller than -80%.

If you specify a threshold of 0, the report includes all negative Change values.

If you omit both thresholds or you specify both thresholds as 0, the report includes all Change values.

If you specify a value for % Above Baseline but you omit % Below Baseline, then the report:

  • Applies the threshold to positive Change values
  • Excludes all negative Change values

If you specify a value for % Below Baseline but you leave % Above Baseline blank, then the report:

  • Applies the threshold to negative Change values
  • Excludes all positive Change values

This option generates the THRESHOLD(nnn,nnn) operand.

Exclude within threshold
Excludes all lines, including the Report line, where the difference between every non-key field in a row of summarized baseline data and the same fields in the matching row of summarized report data are all within the thresholds.

The Baseline Form can specify a subset of the non-key fields in the Report Form, leaving the summarized baseline data with fewer non-key fields than the summarized report data. Specifying this Exclude within threshold option, together with a Baseline Form that contains only one non-key field, enables you to produce a Transaction Profiling report that only shows data where that field is not within thresholds. For example, if you specify a Baseline Form where the only non-key field is average response time, then you can produce a Transaction Profiling report that shows only the transactions that are not within an acceptable percentage difference of a baseline average response time.

Selecting this option generates the EXCEPTIONSONLY value of the PRINT operand. Otherwise, the PRINT operand specifies FULL (the default value).

Exclude blank lines
Excludes any Baseline, Delta, or Change lines whose data consists entirely of blank values. Blank values on these lines indicate either fields with no baseline data or, on the Delta and Change lines, fields where the difference between the report data and the baseline data is within the specified thresholds. This option has no effect on the Report line, which shows the summarized report data even when this option excludes all other lines. To exclude all lines, including the Report line, when the difference between the report data and the baseline data is within the thresholds, select the Exclude within threshold option.

Selecting this option generates the NOBLANKLINES value of the PRINT operand (the default value). Otherwise, the PRINT operand specifies BLANKLINES.

Performance Selection Criteria
You can specify Selection Criteria to filter input records on time period and field values to restrict reporting to the data that is of interest to you. These Selection Criteria apply to both the report data and to the baseline data.

CICS PA JCL generation translates these Selection Criteria to identical SELECT(PERFORMANCE operands in the PROFILING(REPORT(...)...) operand and the PROFILING(BASELINE(...)...) operand.

You can also filter report data and baseline data records using different Selection Criteria, by specifying Selection Criteria inside the Report Form or the Baseline Form. Selection Criteria in the Report Form apply only to the report data, even if you do not specify a Baseline Form. Selection Criteria in the Baseline Form apply only to the baseline data.

CICS PA JCL generation translates Selection Criteria in the Report Form to the SELECT2(PERFORMANCE operand in the PROFILING(REPORT(...)...) operand, and Selection Criteria in the Baseline Form to the SELECT2(PERFORMANCE operand in the PROFILING(BASELINE(...)...) operand.

If both the report and a Form specify Selection Criteria, then a record must pass selection by both specifications to be included in the report.

Line Actions:
Display the menu of line actions.
S
Display the subpanel where Selection Criteria can be specified for this report. For details, see Specifying Selection Criteria.
A
Activate the Selection Criteria so they are generated for this report when the Report Set is submitted. Selection Criteria can only be activated if one or more Select Statements are specified and not all are excluded. An asterisk * indicates they are active.
D
Deactivate the Selection Criteria. Any you have specified here will not be used.
Use External Sort

Select / to use an external sort utility to process summary records. This is the default. It generates the EXTERNAL(ddname) operand. This provides the DDname of the work data set used by the external sort utility. CICS PA assigns an External Work File from a pool of External Work Files with default DDnames in the format CPAXWnnn where nnn is a sequential number 001-999 to uniquely identify the work file.

An external sort should be used when processing large volumes of data.

If not selected, an internal sort is used.


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Timestamp icon Last updated: Saturday, 8 February 2014


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