Using SMF data

SMF data examples: Most of the examples in this topic were taken from the GUIDE 35 Proceedings, “What To Do With SMF Data,” published by GUIDE International Corporation. These examples are based on the experience of the speakers at that session, Mr. Brian Currah and Mr. Mario Morino. As such, they have not been submitted to any formal IBM® test; SMF users should evaluate the applicability of these examples in their environment before implementing them.

The volume and variety of information in the SMF records enables installations to produce many types of analysis reports and summary reports. For example, by keeping historical SMF data and studying its trends, an installation can evaluate changes in the configuration, workload, or job scheduling procedures. Similarly, an installation can use SMF data to determine system resources wasted because of problems, such as inefficient operational procedures or programming conventions.

The following examples show the types of reports that can be created from SMF data. The examples should be viewed primarily as suggestions to assist you in beginning to plan SMF reports.