Issuing one notification for multiple conditions(1)

In the real-time analysis examples you've seen so far, CICSPlex® SM has monitored one or more instances of a resource in one or more CICS® systems, and each occurrence of a notifiable condition has caused an external message or an event notification to be issued.

So, for example, if the CDSA falls too low in three AORs, you see three sets of notifications. However, there are occasions when a single notification for a group of CICS systems, or even for the entire CICSplex, would be preferable.

To implement this consolidated reporting, you create an analysis point specification, in which you identify a single CMAS as the primary CMAS for analysis point monitoring (APM). The primary CMAS consolidates results from all the systems being checked to give a single result.

In this example, you will see how to monitor the number of current tasks throughout the CICSplex PLXPROD1. When the average number of current tasks in PLXPROD1 goes above a specified number, a single event notification will be issued, and an alert will be issued to NetView. The checking will occur from 09:30 through 11:30, for which period a time-period definition (PDFEARLY) has already been created. Also, the CICS system group CSGPLX01, which contains every CICS system in PLXPROD1, has been created.

If the current context isn't PLXPROD1, change the Context field on the main menu and click Set.

Create an evaluation definition:

From the main menu, click Administration > RTA MAS resource monitoring > Evaluations to display the Evaluation definitions tabular view (EVALDEF object).
Click the Create... button. The Evaluation definitions create view is displayed.

Complete the fields as follows:

Name

RTEPAY10

Description

Current tasks in PLXPROD1

Sample interval

Resource table

CICSRGN

Instance identifier of evaluated resource

Result set action

AVG

Field being evaluated

CURRTASKS

Upper bound of range for HW

Upper bound of range for HS

Upper bound of range for VHS

Click Yes to create the definition.

The current number of tasks is to be checked every 60 seconds. An average of 50 or higher will be notified, and the severity of the notification will increase as the average number of current tasks increases.

Note: For a complete description of the Evaluation definitions view, see Evaluation definitions.

Create an action definition:

From the main menu, click Administration > RTA MAS resource monitoring > Actions to display the Action definitions tabular view (ACTION object).
Click the Create... button. The Action definitions create view is displayed.

Complete the fields as follows:

Name

RTAPAY10

Description

High task load in PLXPROD1

Generate event

Yes

Name of view that might provide useful information

CICSRGN

Action priority

255

Message to send when event occurs

High task load in PLXPROD1

Generate external message

Generate SNA generic alert

Yes

CMAS to which NetView attached

CMSSYS1

Message text when alert raised

Task load climbing in PLXPROD1

Message text when alert cleared

Task load falling in PLXPROD1

MVS automatic restart

Click Yes to create the definition.

The Action definitions tabular view is redisplayed.

Note: For a complete description of the Action definitions view, see Action definitions.

Create an analysis definition:

From the main menu, click Administration > RTA MAS resource monitoring > Definitions to display the RTA definitions tabular view (RTA object).
Click the Create... button. The RTA definitions create view is displayed.

Complete the fields as follows:

Name

RTDPAY10

Description

Average current tasks

Analysis interval

Evaluation expression

RTEPAY10

Execute evaluation modification string

Action definition name

RTAPAY10

Count of true evaluations before VLS raised

Count of false evaluations before VLS resolved

Count of true evaluations before LS raised

Count of false evaluations before LS resolved

Count of true evaluations before LW raised

Count of false evaluations before LW resolved

Count of true evaluations before HW raised

Count of false evaluations before HW resolved

Count of true evaluations before HS raised

Count of false evaluations before HS resolved

Count of true evaluations before VHS raised

Count of false evaluations before VHS resolved

Click Yes to create the definition.

CICSPlex SM will sample the results of its evaluations every 60 seconds. An HW condition will be flagged when a severity of at least HW has been seen in four successive samples. An HS condition will be flagged when a severity of at least HS has been seen in three successive samples. A VHS condition will be flagged when a severity of VHS has been seen in two successive samples. Each of the conditions will be cleared only when two, less severe samples are seen in succession.

Note: For a complete description of the RTA definitions view, see RTA definitions.

Create an analysis group:
- From the main menu, click Administration > RTA MAS resource monitoring > Groups to display the RTA groups tabular view (RTA object).
- Click the Create... button. To base the new definition on an existing one, click the Record check box before clicking the Create... button. The RTA groups create view is displayed.
- Complete the fields as follows:
  Name RTGPAY10
  
  Description AP - CICSplex health checks
- Click Yes to create the definition.
The RTA group tabular view is redisplayed.

Note: For a complete description of the RTA groups view, see RTA groups.
Add the analysis definition to the analysis group:
- From the main menu, click Administration > RTA MAS resource monitoring > Definitions to display the RTA definitions tabular view.
- Click the Record check box beside the entry for RTDPAY10 and click the Add to RTA group... button. The Add to RTA group view is displayed.
- Type RTGPAY10 in the Resource group name field and PDFEARLY in the Period Definition name field.
- Click Yes to add the definition to the resource group.
The RTA definitions tabular view is redisplayed.

You can check that this step has worked by looking at the RTA definitions in RTA groups view (RTAINGRP object).
Create an analysis point specification:
- From the main menu, click Administration > RTA analysis point monitoring > Analysis point specifications to display the RTA analysis point specifications tabular view (APSPEC object).
- Click the Create... button to display the RTA analysis point specifications create view.
- Complete the fields as follows:
  RTA analysis point specification RAPPAY10
  
  Description Analysis point for PLXPROD1
- Click Yes to add the definition to the resource group.
The RTA analysis point specifications tabular view is redisplayed.

Note: For a complete description of the RTA analysis point specifications view, see RTA analysis point specifications.
Add the analysis group to the analysis point specification:
- From the main menu, click Administration > RTA MAS resource monitoring > Groups to display the RTA groups tabular view.
- Click the Record check box beside the entry for RTGPAY10 and click the Add to analysis point specification... button.
- On the Add to analysis point specification... view, complete the fields as follows:
  APSPEC name RAPPAY10
  
  Scope name CSGPLX01
- Click Yes to add the group to the analysis point specification.
The RTA groups tabular view is redisplayed.

You can check that this step has succeeded by looking at the Groups in analysis point specifications view (RTAINAPS object).
Identify the primary CMAS:
- From the main menu, click Administration > RTA analysis point monitoring > Specifications to display the RTA specifications tabular view (APSPEC object).
- Click the Record check box beside the entry for RAPPAY10 and click the Add primary CMAS... button. The Add primary CMAS view is displayed.
- Type CMSSYS1 in the CMAS name field and click Yes to make this system the primary CMAS.
The RTA specifications tabular view is redisplayed.

When you identify the primary CMAS, the analysis point specification, and any analysis groups and analysis definitions associated with it, are installed automatically. For this reason, you should create the analysis definitions and analysis groups before you identify the primary CMAS. You can check that primary CMASs have been successfully identified by looking at the Primary CMAS analysis point specifications tabular view (CMDMPAPS object).
Identify a secondary CMAS (optional):
- From the main menu, click Administration > RTA analysis point monitoring > Specifications to display the RTA specifications tabular view (APSPEC object).
- Click the Record check box beside the entry for RAPPAY10 and click the Add secondary CMAS... button. The Add secondary CMAS view is displayed.
- Type CMSSYS2 in the CMAS name field and click Yes to make this system the secondary CMAS.
The RTA specifications tabular view is redisplayed.

When you identify a secondary CMAS (which is optional), that CMAS assumes the role of the primary CMAS if it ever loses contact with the primary CMAS. That is, the secondary CMAS monitors resources in those CICS systems it can communicate with until its contact with the primary CMAS is restored.

You can check that secondary CMASs have been successfully identified by looking at the Primary CMAS analysis point specifications tabular view (CMDMSAPS object).