Time-to-reporting considerations
Learn about the benefits, considerations, and exceptions that apply to the time-to-reporting feature.
IBM
Guardium
S-TAP for Data Sets provides
faster real-time reporting for data set level events. When possible,
the S-TAP agent immediately
delivers data set level information to the Guardium system. The agent presents the
data as it occurs, giving you up-to-the-minute results without waiting
for jobs to end or SMF type 30 records to be generated.
Benefits
- Immediate reporting
- No need to wait for a CICS® address space to terminate, or a TSO user logs off.
- Reduced storage usage
- The agent immediately reports data set events to the Guardium system, which substantially reduces the agent storage requirement. The data set event record is complete and ready for transmission to the Guardium system as soon as z/OS® MVS™ creates the source SMF record.
Considerations
- Additional event records
- A notable difference as a result of this enhancement is the appearance of data set event records that were not identified in previous versions of this product. Collecting the data set event records in preparation for the SMF type 30 record caused seemingly similar records to merge. For example, a Close event could be reported for a KSDS event, although z/OS DFSMSdfp actually records this as two separate events (one for the Cluster Data component, and one for the Cluster Index component). Improved time-to-reporting now more accurately reflects data set events.
- Events Span Data Set Types
- With this feature, and the V10.0 addition of non-VSAM reporting, data set event records might span data set types. For example, when you delete a VSAM KSDS event, z/OS DFSMSdfp deletes a VSAM and a non-VSAM collection of components. Use the DS_TYPE policy filter to adjust this reporting.
Exceptions
To avoid waiting for the SMF type 30 record, the agent scans various z/OS system control blocks in the address space when z/OS is writing the data set SMF record. There are instances when these control blocks are unavailable because of the state of the address space. Before this scan is run, the agent assesses the state of the address space for compatibility. If the address space is not in a compatible state, the agent waits for the SMF type 30 record, which delays reporting of the event until the address space has terminated.