External sorting

Some CICS PA reports and extracts sort records to produce their output. CICS PA uses the SORT utility (DFSORT or equivalent product) to perform External Sorting.

The reports and extracts that use sort are:

The CICS PA reports and extracts use External Work data sets to save records that are to be sorted.

If the EXTERNAL operand is not specified, CICS PA assigns an External Work File from a pool specified in the JCL. External Work Files in the pool are identified with unique DDnames prefixed by CPAXW. Each report that requires an External Work File and does not specify the EXTERNAL operand is assigned one from the pool. You must ensure that there are enough External Work Files in the pool to handle all the reports that need one.

The Summary Report can perform either an External Sort or an internal program sort. If the EXTERNAL operand is specified, CICS PA performs the External Sort. Otherwise, CICS PA sorts the records in virtual storage. In most cases, an internal program sort can be used. However, if the SUMMARY report sort key has too many unique values, an External Sort should be considered. For example:

The following DD statements are required for External Sorting:

CPAXWnnn DD
External Work Files. These DD statements define the External Work Files used by the reports that sort their records. CICSPA commands refer to these DD statements via the EXTERNAL operand (see EXTERNAL).

The CICS PA dialog automatically generates these DD statements at job submission time, based on the External Work Data Sets specification in the Reporting Allocation Settings profile options.

External Work DDnames need not be prefixed by CPAXW. CICS PA will accept any DDname via the EXTERNAL operand.

CPASWKnn DD
Sort Work Data Sets. These DD statements define the Sort Work Files used by DFSORT (or equivalent product) on behalf of the reports that sort their records. nn is the Sort Work File sequence number. See Table 1 for a list of reports that use SORT.

The CICS PA dialog automatically generates four (4) DD statements at job submission time, based on the Sort Work Data Sets specification in the Reporting Allocation Settings profile options.

SORTLIB DD
This is the library in which DFSORT (or equivalent product) is installed, and can be omitted if SORT is installed in the link-list. See Table 1 for a list of reports that use SORT.
SYSOUT DD
Sort Message Data Set.This DD statement defines the file used for SORT messages. It is required if DFSORT is used. See Table 1 for a list of reports that use SORT.
Table 1. CICS PA reports, default DDnames, and external sort requirements
Report or Extract Description Default Report Output DDname Default Extract Output DDname External Sort Required?
LIST Performance List Report LISTnnnn N/A N
LISTX Performance List Extended Report LSTXnnnn N/A Y
SUMMARY Performance Summary Report SUMMnnnn N/A Optional
TOTAL Performance Totals Report TOTLnnnn N/A N
WAITANALYSIS Wait Analysis Report WAITnnnn N/A N
PROFILING Transaction Profiling Report PROFnnnn N/A Optional
CROSS Cross-System Work Report CROSnnnn N/A Y
TRANGROUP Transaction Group Report TRGPnnnn N/A Y
BTS BTS Report CBTSnnnn N/A Y
WORKLOAD Workload Activity Report WKLDnnnn N/A Depends
Start of changeTRACKINGLISTEnd of change Start of changeTransaction Tracking List ReportEnd of change Start of changeTTLSnnnnEnd of change Start of changeN/AEnd of change Start of changeYEnd of change
Start of changeTRACKINGSUMMARYEnd of change Start of changeTransaction Tracking Summary ReportEnd of change Start of changeTTSUnnnnEnd of change Start of changeN/AEnd of change Start of changeYEnd of change
LISTEXCEPTION Exception List Report XLSTnnnn N/A N
SUMEXCEPTION Exception Summary Report XSUMnnnn N/A N
RESUSAGE Transaction Resource Usage Reports (File Usage Summary, Temporary Storage Usage Summary, DPL Usage Summary, List) FILEnnnn, TEMPnnnn, DPLSnnn, RESUnnnn N/A N
STATSALERT Statistics Alert Reports STALnnnn N/A Y
DB2 DB2 Report DB2Rnnnn N/A Y
MQ WebSphere® MQ Report MQ00nnnn N/A N
LOGGER System Logger Report LOGRnnnn N/A Depends
OMEGAMON® OMEGAMON Reports OMEGnnnn N/A N
GRAPH(TRANRATE) Transaction Rate Graph Report GRTEnnnn N/A N
GRAPH(RESPONSE) Response Time Graph Report GRSPnnnn N/A N
CROSS Cross-System Work Extract XSYSnnnn CPAOXSYS Y
EXTRACTPERFORMANCE Performance Data Extract EXPTnnnn CPAOEXPT Depends
RECSEL Record Selection Extract RSELnnnn CPAORSEL N
LOGGER System Logger Extract LOEXnnnn CPA0EXPT  
EXTRACTSTATISTICS Statistics Extract STEXnnnn TSxxxxnn, TGxxxxnn N