2© 2012 IBM Corporation

Overview of Dialog Tree

Profile

IMS System Identification

Forms (Filters)

Interactive Log Analysis

Summary

IMS Problem Investigator

ISPF Dialog Tree

Main Menu

Profile

Option 1

Entering Option 0 from the Main Menu Pops up the four profile selections

Here are the IMS PI settings filled in for a session. These setting will be saved on PF3

Problem Investigator Load library

Problem Investigator Session and Settings values

Your usual Job Card and information

System Definitions

Option 4 from the Main Menu

Here we have the IMS subsystem with the specific information filled in

After saving using PF3 you see a new entry with the IMS ID defined

Verify the 'System Updated' message

IMS System ID, Version and Reslib

Enter “/” to Edit an existing Report Form

Enter the Recon and MDA datasets

Forms

Option 3 on the Main Menu

Entering the Forms panel for the first time there will be no entries. To create a form entry type NEW on the command line.

Entering a “/” on an existing entry pops up the options for that entry.

Enter “NEW” to create as new report form.

To modify an existing form use “/” to pop up the selection menu for that form.

In the pop up for a NEW Form entry provide the name you want call the Form.

Fields with a “+” are Promptible. Pressing PF4 expands to the options available for this field. Here we see the options for the record type to be in the Form.

...... to get a popup of the possible values for that field. Here are the values acceptable for Record Type.

Enter the name of your form here

Fields with a “+” after them can be prompt using PF4 ......

We have entered IMS on the first field. Pressing PF4 on the next field pops up all the options for the IMS Logs. The entire list needs to be scrolled through and more than one log can be selected. Here I have select the x'01' Log record – Incoming messages.

This is the popup for IMS Log Record Types. More than one can be selected.

Here is the completed panel. Note that a Form can be modeled on a previously created Form for using similar records, fields and styes.

Pressing Enter from the previous panel moves to all of the possible fields that may used or not used in the Form. Unless explicitly deleted using line commands, the field displayed will be in the Form.

Here is a list of all of the fields of Log Record type x'01'. All of these fields are included unless specifically deleted. Fields can be deleted using the line commands of “D” for single fields or “DD” to “DD” for groups of fields.

After a PF3, the Form is saved. As in other entries in PI, entering a “/” will pop up the options available to that entry. Any current entry may be edited or copied (used as a Model) for a new Form entry.

Verify the Form Saved message upon exit.

Process Logs

Option 1 on the Main Menu

Entering Option 1 from the Main Menu opens a panel for manually entering the log file to analyzed.

After the Log Dataset name is entered, using a “/” on the first field will pop up the available options. Entering an “R” repeats the current line, an “I” inserts a new line for more Log datasets.

Initial view shows not logs to be analyzed

IMS Log to be analyzed. Multiple Logs allowed

Toview the possible menu selections for the log enter “/” here........

All operations for the Log Dataset are listed. We are going to analyze this log, so Option 1 is used.

… the “?” pops up the possible line actions

We select action “1” to analyze the log records on this SLDS

Selecting Option 1 for Analyzing the log will show all the log records in sequential order as they are on the log. There is no Filtering on, so all records are shown.

Tlog record type

Time of the record being written.

A brief description of the log record

Let's take a look at a Checkpoint record. The Checkpoint record is a type x'40' and there are many subtypes records written during a checkpoint. Here let's look at a x'4004' SMB record. This is a control block describing a transaction defined in the IMS system.

The line command of “S” allows a deeper dive. That is .......

We have entered an “S” on the Log record to look at. This dives into that specified record with a Dsect map of the record and the current field values and flags.

...seen using the IMS Dsect mapping of individual fields and the current content of those fields

When the cursor is placed over one of the Dsect fields and enter is pressed........

Placing the cursor on any field in the mapped Dsect and pressing enter will pop up the definition of that field. Her we place the cursor on CHKNO and see that it is the Checkpoint Number. The number of Checkpoints written since the last Cold Start.

.... a definition of that field is displayed in the popup.

When a 'flag' field from the Dsect is selected, all setting that are possible for that flag are displayed along with if that setting is in use or not. For this flag, SMBFLG2 we see that this is a generated SMB – a transaction.

When a Flag field is 'cursor'd', all potential settings in that flag are displayed with whether the setting is ON or OFF.

In this instance this is the only flag 'on' showing the transaction

Ok, Let's filter the Log to only look at specific records. This is a technique that can reduce time to narrow in on a particular item to analyze. I want to look at incoming transactions to identify a specific transaction within a set time frame.On the top menu line, I pull down the Filter option and enter 3 to set a new filter.

To change the filter of the current log being analyzed we pull down the Filter options and enter “3”.

Filtering can be turned Off or On from here also

The building of a Filter is similar to building a Form. Here we enter the Filter name and Description. Under the Log is shows IMS and Code is a promptable field if needed. I want to display all the input messages on this log, so an 01 is entered for the code. I can further reduce the data displayed by conditionally selected other fields within the 01 record. For instance a transaction name.

A ame and description of the filter to be created and used.

IMS type og Log and the x'01' record to filter in.

If needed, conditions can be added to look for specific field values in the record. e.g. USERID

The Filter is automatically in use once PF3 is used to save it. Now all We are seeing are the 01 records from the log being analyzed.

Now we only see the x'01' Log records.

So again we can enter an “S” on a log record and dive into the Dsect map and contents of the log record.

Note the clear data in the MSGTEXT Field.

We have found the transaction that needs further analysis. By entering “TU” next to it I have invoked 'Tracking by Unit of Recovery' for an IMS process. I also have to back and turn off the filter to see the additional log records in this Unit of Recovery

In order to see additional log record types other that x'01' Filtering needs to be turned off.

The “TU” line command allows a complete 'Unit of Recovery' log records to be tracked.

In the analysis we want to take look at the time each step (log record) used along the way. By placing an “R” on the first record line, every log record after that will now show a relative time. This time is how long that particular step took. This time may be used to determine if a bottleneck is occurring.

The line command of 'R' changes the time format to Relative.

The column is now showing how much time elapsed from record to record as the transaction progresses.

By looking through the relative time in the right most column, we see that there is large jump from the x'35' record to the x'37' record. A jump of almost 7 hundreths of a second from the previous record. HORRORS!.

Noticable increase in time usage.

Since we are sending out a message, let's take a look at what that message is. We dive into the Dsect map and populated fields of that outgoing message.

We backed up to the outgoing message from where the jump in time is noted. Then drilled down into the Dsect of the x'01' rcord.

...and scroll down to the actual text of the message. Here we see it is IZTRAN and a bunch of what appear to be options and other text in the clear.

And scrolled down to the actual text being sent - to the input termial in this case.

This is really an MFS screen being returned to the user. Likely it is the first time this transaction and screen were used and that explains a slightly longer time.

36© 2012 IBM Corporation

One Time Set up

Modifiable views – on the fly

Log Record Analysis by Fields

Transaction Tracking

Message Content View

IMS Problem Investigator