README for IBM Application Performance Analyzer Plug-in for Eclipse V12.1.0.4

Contents

What's new in this release?

Version 12.1.0.4 adds further enhancements to APA:

The What's New topic in the Application Performance Analyzer help documentation describes the new and changed items in more detail. To display the topic, click Help > Help Contents > IBM Application Performance Analyzer User's Guide > What's new in version 12.1.0.4.

Version 12.1.0.4 also includes the Application Performance Analyzer bridge for CICS Explorer plug-in which utilizes the CICS Explorer connectivity framework across IBM Eclipse-based products. The IBM Application Performance Analyzer bridge for CICS Explorer help documentation describes the functionality in more detail. To display the topic, click Help > Help Contents > IBM Application Performance Analyzer bridge for CICS Explorer User Guide.

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Plug-in Overview

Application Performance Analyzer Plug-in Overview

The Application Performance Analyzer plug-in V12.1.0.4 provides the functionality to run the Application Performance Analyzer for z/OS GUI on Eclipse-based applications such as IBM CICS Explorer. Version 12.1.0.4 includes all features included in all Application Performance Analyzer for z/OS GUI releases up to 12.1.0.4.

The Application Performance Analyzer plug-in has built-in support for both local and remote (z/OS) repositories. The local repository is populated and refreshed automatically with the most recent transaction data, with the exception of the observation reports. Reports are downloaded on-request by selecting 'download reports' from the context menu of the Observation List or clicking "Download Reports" in the Reports View.

When launched, APA automatically loads and displays the local repository of the Startup APA Started Task (STC). If you wish to connect to the z/OS STC (remote repository), connect to APA and the remote repository will be downloaded to the Application Performance Analyzer for z/OS GUI.

The target audience for this document is for an experienced Application Performance Analyzer user. The purpose of this document is to provide details needed to setup and run the Application Performance Analyzer for z/OS GUI.

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System requirements and prerequisites

The following minimum hardware levels are required to run the Application Performance Analyzer Plug-in for Eclipse V12.1.0.4:
  • CPU - Intel® Pentium® 4 or equivalent.
  • RAM - 768 MB in addition to the operating system requirements.
  • Hard disk - 500 MB available space.

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One of the following levels of Windows operating system software is required to install Application Performance Analyzer Plug-in for Eclipse V12.1.0.4:
  • Microsoft® Windows® XP 32-bit
  • Microsoft Windows Vista 32-bit
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2003 32-bit
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2008 32-bit
  • Microsoft Windows 7
  • Microsoft Windows 8
The following levels of software required to install the Application Performance Analyzer Plug-in for Eclipse V12.1.0.4:
  • IBM desktop products based on Eclipse 3.6. APA can be installed but is not supported on products based on Eclipse 3.7 or higher.
  • Application Performance Analyzer for z/OS Version 12.1 or above.
Application Performance Analyzer for z/OS :
  • The z/OS Application Performance Analyzer Listener 12.1.x started task must be installed and active on z/OS. Refer to Chapter 6 in the Application Performance Analyzer for z/OS Customization Guide for more information.

The Application Performance Analyzer Plug-in for Eclipse V12.1.0.4 is available in the following national languages:

  • English

Downloading Application Performance Analyzer Plug-in for Eclipse V12.1.0.4

The Application Performance Analyzer Plug-in for Eclipse V12.1.0.4 can be downloaded from the Problem Determination Tools Plug-in website. The download file is called APA_plugin_12104.zip.

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Updating an existing installation of APA

If you already have APA installed you must do the following prior to installing the APA V12.1.0.4:

  • Uninstall APA
    From the Help menu, click install New Software > click on "What is already installed" > select APA/GUI plug-in > click Uninstall

  • Delete the APA Perspective
    From the Window menu, click Preferences > Eclipse Platform > Perspectives >click on APA/GUI, click on the Delete button, then click on Apply.
If APA V12.1.0.4 was installed over a prior release and the steps, above, were not performed, an error "Unable to read workbench state", "Unable to restore perspective: APA" will occur. To correct the error, the APA perspective must be reset by:
  • Reset the APA Perspective
    Make APA the active perspective
    From the Window menu, click Preferences > expand "General" > click on "Perspectives" > select/click "APA" > click Reset
    From the Window menu, click "Reset Perspective ..."
Note: Any customized preferences for APA will be lost, downloaded APA repositories and reports will be carried forward to the new release.

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Installing Application Performance Analyzer Plug-in for Eclipse V12.1.0.4

The following steps are required in order to install Application Performance Analyzer Plug-in for Eclipse V12.1.0.4 :

  1. Extract all the contents of APA_plugin_12104.zip to any writable directory of your choice, for example, C:\APA.
  2. Start IBM Eclipse-based desktop product (eg. CICS Explorer).
  3. In the action bar click "Help" -> "Install New Software".
  4. The "Install" pop-up appears.
  5. Click "Add", a pop-up is displayed, then click "Archive".
  6. In the "Repository Archive" pop-up, navigate to the location where you extracted the files from APA_plugin_12104.zip. Select the unzipped folder and click "Open".
  7. In the "Add Repository" popup, click "OK".
  8. The "Install" window/ "Available Software" displays the plug-in. Click the "APA" top level checkbox, verify that all checkboxes in the tree are selected, and click "Next".
  9. Accept the terms of the license agreements, and click "Finish".
  10. You will be prompted to restart, click "Yes".

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Getting Started Using Application Performance Analyzer Plug-in for Eclipse V12.1.0.4

Follow the steps below to startup the Application Performance Analyzer Plug-in for Eclipse V12.1.0.4.
  1. To access Application Performance Analyzer, click "Window" -> "Open perspective" -> "Other".
  2. Select "APA" and click "OK".
  3. Follow the instructions in the IBM Application Performance Analyzer bridge for CICS Explorer User Guide for details on how to configure credentials and connections for APA and how to connect to APA on z/OS.
  4. Once the connection is established, the Select STC dialog is displayed in which a default startup APA Started Task (STC) must be selected. A list of active APA Started Tasks (STC's) is displayed. The default STC is the started task which will be selected at the startup of Application Performance Analyzer. The Default STC is displayed for the first successful login only, then saved as a preference that can be changed from the "Set as Default STC" context menu item of the STC List view.
  5. Application Performance Analyzer will then populate the Observations List.
You can find more information on how to use the Application Performance Analyzer Plug-in for Eclipse V12.1.0.4 in the help of CICS Explorer. In the action bar, click "Help", and scroll down and select "Help Contents". Expand the section called "IBM Application Performance Analyzer User Guide". For the Application Performance Analyzer bridge for CICS Explorer plug-in, expand the section called "IBM Application Performance Analyzer bridge for CICS Explorer User Guide".

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Security Considerations

As part of the logon process for the Application Performance Analyzer for z/OS GUI, there is an option to save your password on the workstation. If you select this option, the password will be encrypted before it is saved. Please be aware that while your password cannot be visually determined, it may be compromised by applying various computer algorithms.

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Technical Support

This plug-in is available at no charge to all licensed users of IBM Application Performance Analyzer for z/OS V10, or later. It is supplied under the standard terms and conditions of the IBM International Program License Agreement (IPLA) and of the associated License Information and other documentation, and provides a defect correction entitlement for those licensed users entitled to service for IBM Application Performance Analyzer for z/OS V10, or later. Service is available for this plug-in for as long as the IBM Application Performance Analyzer for z/OS product with which the plug-in is to be used is generally supported by IBM. In addition, IBM reserves the right to discontinue service on this plug-in when it is withdrawn from marketing by IBM. Please reference "IBM Application Performance Analyzer for z/OS" as the entitled product when contacting IBM and requesting support for this plug-in.

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