ISPF dialog

Log browser

The log browser does not have its own primary menu option. You can start the log browser from the following options:

Option 1 Sessions

This is the recommended option for typical use; sessions offer a structured, team-oriented framework for problem analysis that encapsulates the details of each problem separately.

Option 4 Process

This option allows you to browse logs that you have added to your personal ad hoc list. This option offers a more direct way to browse logs than using sessions: add a log to your list, and then select it for browsing. However, this option lacks the structure and other features offered by sessions; it's just an ad hoc list of logs.

Option 0 Profile

Each Transaction Analysis Workbench user has a profile that consists of personal settings that affect the behavior of the ISPF dialog for that user. Each user can have different profile settings.

Option 1 Sessions

A session is a collection of information about a particular problem, such as the time it occurred, the systems involved, and a list of associated log files. Transaction Analysis Workbench stores sessions in a repository that can be shared between users. Sessions offer a structured, team-oriented framework for problem analysis, enabling you to manage each problem separately, while sharing problem analysis between users.

Option 2 Controls

The following controls allow you to customize how Transaction Analysis Workbench presents log data. Transaction Analysis Workbench stores these controls in a repository that can be shared between users and with other products.

Filters

Select only the log records that are relevant to you.

Object lists

Enable you to define a set of related field values once, and then refer to that set of values in many filter conditions.

Forms

Select only the fields, from a particular log record type, that are relevant to you.

IMS user log records

Format IMS log records written by IMS applications (log code X'A0' or greater).

Session templates are another type of control. Session templates are stored in the session repository.

Option 3 Systems

A system definition is a collection of information that associates the name of a system (such as an MVS image, an IMS region, a CICS® region, or a DB2® system) with details about that system, including the location of the log files to which it writes log records. You can use the Transaction Analysis Workbench ISPF dialog to create and edit system definitions.

When you register a session for a problem, you can specify various problem details, including the names of the systems involved. If you have defined these systems to Transaction Analysis Workbench, then you can use the automated file selection utility to locate the corresponding log files, based on the system names and a time period, rather than having to manually locate and specify the log files. If you do not use automated file selection, system definitions are for reference only, to associate a system name with its log files.

Transaction Analysis Workbench can share system definitions with other products. The repository to which Transaction Analysis Workbench saves each system definition depends on the system type.

Option 4 Process

Dialog option 4 Process offers an alternative to option 1 Sessions for browsing and processing log files. Under option 1 Sessions, you register a session, add associated log files to that session, and then work with those log files. Option 4 Process enables you to work with a personal ad hoc list of log files, independent of sessions.

Using sessions is typically a better choice. Among other benefits, using sessions allows you to manage problems individually and share problem analysis with other users.

Option 5 Analytics

Dialog option 5 Analytics creates JCL that forwards logs in CSV or JSON format to various destinations.