Using frequency distributions from IMS Monitor output

The reports that are derived from the IMS Monitor data records contain many summary lines where the mean time is given. If you are interested in the distribution of those timed events, rather than just average and maximum times, you can request the Report Print utility to individually record the events in a frequency distribution across a range of intervals.

Some distributions are not time dependent, such as those for transaction queue loads or transmitted block sizes.

The following tables show the major IMS Monitor reports and the type of frequency distributions generated for each report. Each type results in several distributions, depending on how many entries are in each section of the report. For each type of frequency distribution the data is cumulated in suitable intervals or ranges. The set of ranges used for each type is given an identifier, shown in the ID column.

How to get a frequency distribution output

To request the IMS Monitor Report Print utility to gather distribution data, include a DIS input control statement. This causes all report items with an entry under a column headed MEAN to have a corresponding frequency distribution as part of the Distribution Appendix report. Each report line includes an identifying reference number under the column headed Distribution Number. You can use the reference number to locate the distribution data flagged by that number in the appendix.

How frequency distribution ranges are defined

A set of ten intervals is defined for each summary line and the occurrences falling in each interval are cumulated. The interval ranges are preset with default end points. For example, the end points, for DL/I call elapsed time are: 0, 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000, 16000, 32000, 64000, 128000, 256000, INF (all times are in milliseconds). The default end points are chosen so that they are suitable to the event. The lower limit of the first interval always defaults to zero, and the upper limit of the tenth interval is infinity (INF).

Although several types of distribution can use the same set of end points, each type is assigned a distribution identifier. You can use this to redefine the end points. To override the default end points you include an input control statement to the Report Print utility. The statement specifies the type of distribution identifier and gives the desired end point values.

The DL/I call elapsed time end points could be respecified by:

D5   0,500,1000,1500,2000,4000,,,100000,500000

The values of the unspecified end points remains at their default values of 32000 and 64000 as does the last (INF).

The following example shows a sample page from the Distribution Appendix report, which gives an example of how ranges vary with the type of distribution. The lines are arranged in pairs, with the second one recording the cumulated counts.

  IMS MONITOR  ****DISTRIBUTION APPENDIX****   TRACE START 1993 130   5:55:15   TRACE STOP 1993 130  5:59:49 PAGE 0200
 
#    1...........0.....200000.....400000.....600000.....800000....1000000....1200000....1400000....1600000....1800000....INF
                      0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          1
#    2...........0.....200000.....400000.....600000.....800000....1000000....1200000....1400000....1600000....1800000....INF
                      0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          1
#    3...........0.....200000.....400000.....600000.....800000....1000000....1200000....1400000....1600000....1800000....INF
                      0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          1
#    4...........0.....200000.....400000.....600000.....800000....1000000....1200000....1400000....1600000....1800000....INF
                      0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          1
#    5...........0.....200000.....400000.....600000.....800000....1000000....1200000....1400000....1600000....1800000....INF
                      0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          6
#    6...........0.....200000.....400000.....600000.....800000....1000000....1200000....1400000....1600000....1800000....INF
                      0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          8
#    7...........0.....200000.....400000.....600000.....800000....1000000....1200000....1400000....1600000....1800000....INF
                      0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          1
#    8...........0.....200000.....400000.....600000.....800000....1000000....1200000....1400000....1600000....1800000....INF
                      0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          9
#    9...........0.....200000.....400000.....600000.....800000....1000000....1200000....1400000....1600000....1800000....INF
                      0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          1
#   10...........0.....200000.....400000.....600000.....800000....1000000....1200000....1400000....1600000....1800000....INF
                      1          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          7
#   11...........0.....200000.....400000.....600000.....800000....1000000....1200000....1400000....1600000....1800000....INF
                      0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          1
#   12...........0.....200000.....400000.....600000.....800000....1000000....1200000....1400000....1600000....1800000....INF
                      0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          8
#   13...........0.....200000.....400000.....600000.....800000....1000000....1200000....1400000....1600000....1800000....INF
                      0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          1
#   14...........0.....200000.....400000.....600000.....800000....1000000....1200000....1400000....1600000....1800000....INF
                      0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          1
#   15...........0.....200000.....400000.....600000.....800000....1000000....1200000....1400000....1600000....1800000....INF
                      1          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          8
#   16...........0.....200000.....400000.....600000.....800000....1000000....1200000....1400000....1600000....1800000....INF
                      0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          1

Default values of distribution definitions

Using an identifier provided in the frequency distribution tables and the wait time distributions table you can determine the default end points for the distribution by locating it in the following list:

D1, D2, D5, D6, D9, D10, D11, D12, D15 D18, D19, D20, D21, D22, D25, D27, D28, D29, D30, D31, D43, and D45
0, 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000, 16000, 32000, 64000, 128000, 256000, INF
D3
0, 50000, 100000, 150000, 200000, 250000, 300000, 350000, 400000, 450000, INF
D4
0, 200000, 400000, 600000, 800000, 1000000, 1200000, 1400000, 1600000, 1800000, INF
D7, D13, D44
0, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, INF
D8
0, 100000, 200000, 300000, 400000, 500000, 600000, 700000, 800000, 900000, INF
D14, D16, D17
0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 30, 90, INF
D23, D24, D26, D32, D40, D42
0, 2000, 8000, 24000, 50000, 100000, 150000, 200000, 250000, 300000, INF
D33, D34, D35
0, 2000, 4000, 8000, 16000, 32000, 64000, 96000, 128000, 160000, INF
D36, D37
0, 10, 20, 40, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1000, INF
D38
0, 1000, 10000, 100000, 200000, 500000, 800000, 1000000, 1500000, 2000000, INF
D39
0, 1000, 5000, 10000, 50000, 100000, 500000, 1000000, 5000000, 10000000, INF