Using data set groups

The Dataset Group function provides a powerful facility for you to quickly examine and monitor the space and performance attributes of a collection of data sets. By defining a series of data set groups and masks, any collection of data sets can be displayed as a report within the portal, and Situations can be written to monitor the space or performance attributes of those data sets. This section presents examples and ideas of how this function can add value for storage management and administration.

Dataset Groups can be thought of as a more powerful version of the ISPF DSLIST utility (that is, 3.4). In addition to creating lists of data sets, OMEGAMON® allows you to name and save those lists in groups, and provides much more powerful name masking capabilities. In addition, all of the attributes associated with the data sets in the generated lists can be used in reports, alerts and Storage Toolkit actions. The OMEGAMON Dataset Group function, in its current form, is not intended as a direct substitute for ISPF 3.4. While ISPF 3.4 is geared towards producing interactive, user-generated ad-hoc lists of data sets and running simple actions against those data sets, one at a time, the OMEGAMON Dataset Groups are more static in nature, and are better used for viewing large sets of related files and their attributes (individually and as a group), generating alerts based on those attributes, and taking actions.

Note: The new Dataset Group function differs from the User DASD Group and Application functions in that Dataset Groups start at the system catalog by using a name mask to create a list of matching data sets; User DASD Groups start at the volume or storage group level, and Applications start at the job level, to create their volume/data set lists. The important difference here is that using Dataset Groups you do not need to know where a data set is located or which application accesses it. Using this data set orientation can be more useful for end-users and storage administrators who prefer to perform certain tasks from this perspective.

The following examples describe how to use OMEGAMON for Storage on z/OS® to monitor a number of events that might occur in your system. They are: