Understanding resource monitoring times
When you define your resource monitoring attributes, you must identify a monitor interval, period definition, and sample interval.
- Monitor interval
- The number of minutes during which data is to be collected and
accumulated. At the end of an interval, the statistics counters are
automatically reset.
A monitor interval is associated with a CICSplex and applies to all CICS® system and CICS system groups comprising that CICSplex. To create or display the monitor intervals associated with the CICSplex, use the CICSplex definition view.
When a CICS system starts, it determines how much of the current interval has elapsed for its CICSplex and begins from there. Thus, the interval for a CICS system may be less than the defined interval. For example, if the monitor interval for a CICSplex is 60 minutes and a CICS system associated with that CICSplex starts at 09:15:00, the first monitor interval for that CICS system is 45 minutes. Subsequent intervals will be 60 minutes in length.
- Period definition
- The range of hours during which resource monitoring is to be active
for a CICS system.
A time period definition can be associated with a monitor definition when you assign the monitor definition to a monitor group, as illustrated in Figure 1. If no time period definition is associated with the monitor group, resource monitoring is active as long as the CICS system using the monitor definitions in that monitor group is active.
When a monitor definition is not associated with a monitor group, no period definition is associated with the monitor definition. In this case, the monitor definition becomes active when you manually install it in a CICS system. It remains active as long as the CICS system is active or until you discard the definition. To display information about existing time period definitions or create new ones, use the Time period definition view.
- Sample interval
- The number of seconds between the collection of sample data for
a resource type; the data is reported in monitoring views as the current
sample.
A sample interval is associated with a resource type via a monitor specification, as illustrated in Figure 1.
Note: One full sample interval must elapse before information about the resources being monitored is included in a monitoring view. This ensures that enough time has elapsed for meaningful data to be collected. Depending on when a CICS system starts, more than a full interval may elapse.
