Browsing logs in your personal ad hoc list

Using your personal ad hoc list of logs offers a private alternative to using sessions. There might be occasions when you want to browse logs without registering a session. Simply add logs to your personal ad hoc list, and then select them for browsing.

About this task

This task can be summarized in three steps:

  1. On the Transaction Analysis Workbench Primary Option Menu, select option 4 Process.
  2. Enter the location of a log. For example, the data set name of a dumped SMF file.
  3. Enter S next to the log to browse its entire contents, or W to browse a time slice.

The following procedure expands on this summary, with details for different logs.

Procedure

  1. On the Transaction Analysis Workbench Primary Option Menu, select option 4 Process.

    Your personal ad hoc list of logs is displayed.

  2. In the Log File column, enter the data set names or the log stream names of one or more logs that you want to browse.
    • To specify a fully qualified data set name, enclose the name in single quotes. For example:
      'MVS1.SMF.MAN1.DUMP'
    • To specify a log stream, prefix the log stream name with the log stream type, followed by a colon. For example:
      OPERLOG:SYSPLEX.OPERLOG
  3. Depending on the type of log, you might also need to enter values in the following columns:
    Rel
    (IMS log files only.) Overrides, for this log only, the default IMS release specified in the IMS Release field at the top of the panel.

    You need to specify the IMS release because the format of IMS log records varies between releases. If you specify an incorrect release, Transaction Analysis Workbench might incorrectly interpret the log records.

    Filter
    (Optional, for any log.) Specifies a filter that you want to use when processing this log:
    • The name of a filter that is stored in the control repository
    • A log type
    • A log code
    • A log type and code separated by a colon (:), such as IMS:01 or DTR:3
    Zone
    (Optional, for any log.) Overrides, for this log only, the default time zone specified in the Zone field at the top of the panel.
    UNIT and VOLSER
    (Uncataloged data sets only.) The device type (UNIT) and volume serial number of the data set. If you specify VOLSER, you must also specify UNIT.

    To scroll hidden columns into view, press the Left function key (F10) or the Right function key (F11).

  4. Decide whether you want to browse entire logs or a time slice: a specific time period across one or more logs.
    • To browse entire logs, type S next to one or more logs, and then press Enter.
    • To browse a time slice:
      1. Type W next to one or more logs, and then press Enter.

        The Investigate panel is displayed, listing the selected logs.

      2. Specify the start and duration of the time slice that you want to browse, and then press Enter. To set the time slice to match the start and duration of a particular log, enter T next to the log.

        The Coverage column displays information about how much of the time slice, if any, each log covers.

      3. Select the logs that you want to browse:
        • To select all logs, enter S on the first line under the slash (/) column heading.
        • To select one or more logs, type S next to each log, and then press Enter.

      Time slicing uses a sampling method that favors speed over accuracy to locate log records in large files. The sampling method sometimes includes records that are just outside the specified time slice. When you specify a time slice, the log browser scrolls to the first log record in the time slice. If you press the Backward function key (F7), you might see records that are outside the specified time slice, but which have been included by the sampling method.

      The Duration column displays the length of time that each log covers. If the Duration column is not visible, press the Right function key (F11) to scroll the column into view.

    Tips:
    • For large log files and log streams, browsing a time slice improves performance.
    • To generate JCL that creates a CSV file, extract, or formatted record report, type SUB next to a log.
    • To see a list of available line actions, enter / (slash) next to any of the logs.
    • If you select multiple logs for processing, Transaction Analysis Workbench applies the values of Rel, Filter, and Zone of the top selected log to all selected logs.
    • To organize your list of logs, leave blank lines between groups of logs and enter comments in the Log File column. Comments must begin with an asterisk (*). You can use comments as headings for groups of related logs. For example:
      * Daily SMF files for MVSA
    • If you have organized your list of logs in a particular order, do not use the SORT command to sort the list; and do not select the point-and-shoot Log File column heading, which has the same effect. To undo a sort, and any other changes to the list, such as adding or deleting items, press the Cancel function key (F12), which leaves the panel without saving changes.

Results

The log browser displays the records in the selected logs.