About monitoring dashboards

Layout of a dashboard

Figure 1 depicts the layout of a dashboard that contains two metric groups that are displayed in a single row. A monitoring dashboard has a name area, an actions area, and a metric groups area. Each metric group has a name area, a bar graph area, a legend area, and a sample and interval area. For a description of each area, see Areas in a monitoring dashboard.

Figure 1. Sample layout for a dashboard that has two metric groups

Areas in a monitoring dashboard

• Dashboard Name Area. Displays the name of the monitoring dashboard and indicates whether the dashboard is collecting samples or retrieving historical data. If the dashboard is collecting samples, (Running) is displayed. If the dashboard is retrieving historical data, (Retrieving historical data [starttime- endtime] : range in seconds) is displayed. Otherwise, (Paused) is displayed. When you create a new dashboard, by default, z/OSMF assigns the dashboard the name New Dashboard. This name is a placeholder for the actual dashboard name. To save the dashboard, you must assign it a unique name. You cannot assign it the default name.
• Dashboard Actions Area. Contains the Actions menu and the Start, Pause, Stop and Save buttons. If the dashboard is retrieving historical data, the Stop button is enabled so you can stop the retrieval. If the dashboard is collecting samples, the Pause button is enabled. Otherwise, the Start button is enabled. If you made changes that have not been saved, the Save button is enabled. Otherwise, the Save button is disabled (grayed out).

  A saved dashboard does not contain any samples or performance data. The dashboard collects the samples each time you open or start it and stores all of the collected samples in the sample buffer. By default, a dashboard can store up to 10,000 samples in the sample buffer. When the maximum is reached, the oldest samples are overridden with the newer samples. When you close the dashboard or rearrange the metrics in a metric group, z/OSMF clears the sample buffer. For details about changing the sample buffer size, see help topic Modifying dashboard settings.

  For a description of the actions listed in the Actions menu, see the section about Managing new or open dashboards.

• Metric Groups Area. Displays the metric groups that have been added to the dashboard. A dashboard can contain up to 20 metric groups. A metric group is a container that displays the samples that have been collected for the metrics in the group and provides controls that you can use to browse through the collected samples. A metric group can contain 1 - 8 metrics.

  More than one occurrence of a given metric can be added to a metric group provided that each occurrence is for a different resource type.

  The dashboard uses the MINTIME of the first metric listed in the group to determine when to collect a new sample. The MINTIME is the length of the Resource Measurement Facility™ (RMF™) Monitor III, the CIM server, or the Linux data gatherer collection interval. Only one sample is collected for a metric group during the collection interval. If the group contains multiple metrics, the data is combined into one sample and is displayed in a single bar graph.

  If the interval length for the first metric is not the same as the interval length for the other metrics listed in the group, the dashboard might display previously collected data in multiple intervals or intervals might be omitted. To change the metric that controls the collection interval, rearrange the metrics so that the metric with the desired MINTIME is listed first.

  Metric groups are divided into the following areas:

  • Metric Group Name Area. Displays the name of the metric group. You can expand or collapse the group by clicking anywhere in the name area.
  • Bar Graph Area. Displays the collected sample as a bar graph. The resource names are listed on the y-axis.

    If the resource name is displayed as a hyperlink, click it to display additional information about the resource.

    The dashboard offers linkage to view WLM service definitions for metrics that are related to WLM workloads, service classes, or report classes. Linking is offered if one of the following applies:
    • the displayed resource represents a WLM workload, service class, service class period, report class, or report class period.
    • the metric is filtered by a WLM related workscope, i.e., by workload, service class, service class period, or report class.

    If this action is not listed, the event type or handler needed to process the request might not be available. For more details, see your z/OSMF administrator.

    If linking is offered, a small arrow icon is shown right beneath the resource name. Clicking the icon opens a context menu. The context menu allows to switch to a different task or application to view the corresponding WLM definition. If the resource also offers additional information, you can also use the context menu to display the information about the resource (same as clicking the resource name link).

    Note: Messages may get displayed within a metric group if, for example, z/OSMF cannot obtain data from a RMF data gatherer. If such a situation persists, the browser increases its use of resources over time. Resolve the issue to ensure that the browser runs continuously.
    To decrease the complexity of the bar graph, it is recommended that you adhere to the following guidelines:

    • Create separate metric groups for list-valued and single-valued metrics.
    • Avoid mixing completely different metrics within the same metric group. For example, do not include % appl (TCB + SRB) by job and % delay by MVS™ image within the same metric group.
    • Include only one metric in each metric group. If you want to include multiple metrics in a single group, limit the number of metrics to five and do not include metrics for different sysplexes, system complexes, or images in the same group.
  • Legend Area. Contains a legend that lists the resource and metric pairs that are displayed in the bar graph and lists the bar color that is associated with each pair. If a filter or work scope is defined for the metric, the word [filtered] or the scope is also displayed. For the scope, the value for which you are filtering and the type of object is displayed. The type of object is identified by one of the following characters:
    • J for Job
    • W for z/OS® Workload Manager (WLM) workload
    • S for WLM service class
    • P for WLM service class period
    • R for WLM report class

    For example, if you select WLM service class period as the filter scope and enter DB2HIGH.1 as the value, [DB2HIGH.1,P] is displayed.

  • Sample and Interval Area. Provides the controls that you can use to browse through the samples that have been collected for the metric group. With the slider, you can scroll between samples. With the backward and forward arrows, you can move backward or forward one sample at a time.

    The samples are organized from left-to-right by the collection interval. If the slider is in the rightmost position, the sample collected for the most current interval is displayed in the bar graph area. Otherwise, the sample collected during the specified interval is displayed.

    Below the slider, the group displays the interval start and end time, the sample number, and the total number of samples that are stored in the sample buffer for the group. The date and time is displayed in the time zone of the resource associated with the first metric listed in the group. The sample number and the total number of samples have the format: ( sample-number / number-of-samples ). The interval start and end time and the sample number change as you scroll through the collected samples.