A dictionary record holds definitional information about each data
field in a performance class data record. It contains information
for predefined CICS® fields,
and from any user fields in the Monitoring Control Table (MCT) specified
for the CICS run.
When CICS monitoring is
switched on, and you activate the monitoring performance class (MNPER=ON), CICS first writes a performance
class dictionary record to the current SMF data set, and then begins
to write the monitoring performance class data records. A new dictionary
record, which always precedes the monitoring performance class data
it relates to, is written whenever the user:
- Starts CICS with the performance
class active, and CICS monitoring
on.
- Changes the status of the monitoring performance class from inactive
to active, with CICS monitoring
on. If monitoring is off and the monitoring performance class is switched
from inactive to active, a dictionary record is scheduled to be written
the next time monitoring is activated.
However, if SMF switches data sets during the period when CICS monitoring is writing performance
class data, CICS does not write
a new dictionary record, and therefore a CICS performance dictionary record is not the
first monitoring performance record on the new SMF data set.