Tivoli OMEGAMON XE for DB2 Performance Expert on z/OS:
The convergence of OMEGAMON XE for DB2 and DB2 Performance Expert
from CCR2, Issue 1 - 2006
 Paul Kenney
IBM Advisory Software Engineer
Houston, TX |
 Matthias Tschaffler
IBM Staff Software Engineer
Böblingen, Germany |
After IBM acquired Candle in June 2004, we considered how best to combine the Tivoli Monitoring and OMEGAMON product lines. The decision to merge the DB2 performance monitors developed by each company—IBM Tivoli DB2 Performance Expert for z/OS, which includes IBM Tivoli DB2 Performance Monitor for z/OS, and Candle’s OMEGAMON XE for DB2 on z/OS—resulted in one product that retains the best features of each.
We’re part of the merged development team, which brings together the DB2 Performance Expert team in Böblingen, Germany, and the OMEGAMON XE for DB2 on z/OS team in Houston, Texas. We’ve gained immense synergy by drawing upon the vast expertise of the original two product teams.
After a busy year, the merged team completed the first phase of the new combined product and released for general availability IBM Tivoli OMEGAMON XE for DB2 Performance Expert on z/OS V3.1.0 in December 2005.
The ultimate union
As mathematically-driven software engineers, we came up with a formula to express our excitement for the new combined product:
The equation reads: the union of OMEGAMON XE for DB2 on z/OS and DB2 Performance Monitor for z/OS, a subset of DB2 Performance Expert for z/OS, is the ultimate performance monitor in all infinity. We hope you agree as we share with you the highlights of this newly converged product.
Figure 1 – The converged product integrates with the Tivoli Enterprise Portal and other Tivoli OMEGAMON products
Seamless integration into the OMEGAMON family of products
Tivoli OMEGAMON XE for DB2 Performance Expert seamlessly integrates into the Tivoli OMEGAMON family of z/OS monitoring products, so you can include DB2 in your cross zSeries monitoring solution (see Figure 1). Via the Tivoli OMEGAMON Dashboard Edition, you can even combine monitoring information from different Tivoli OMEGAMON products in a single display (e.g. DB2 and CICS Transplex support).
Unified installation and configuration of all features
Information relating to monitored DB2 systems is entered one time using IBM Configuration Assistance Tool (ICAT) via Interactive System Programming Facility (ISPF) screens. All started tasks and batch JCL is customized using this single point of data entry.
Fewer started task address spaces required
The combined product requires fewer started tasks than previous versions of DB2 Performance Expert and DB2 Performance Monitor. Previously, one started task address space was required for each monitored DB2 subsystem; now only one combined address space for server started tasks is required on each LPAR to monitor all the DB2 subsystems on that system.
Browser-based graphical user interface
We’ve enhanced the OMEGAMON XE browser-based graphical user interface and renamed it Tivoli Enterprise Portal (TEP). The feature will be familiar to OMEGAMON users and new to DB2 Performance Expert or DB2 Performance Monitor users.
OMEGAMON XE users will find displays are enhanced for active and distributed threads, and support for z/OS Workload Manager Enclave. In addition, there are new displays that show information about the DB2 Connect Gateway and the performance of DB2 threads that originate from a distributed network environment. Since TEP is based on the Tivoli Enterprise Portal Server (TEPS), only a lightweight Web browser client is required on the workstation to display performance data. This reduces installation requirements and resources needed on individual workstations. TEP displays are easily customized; you can create your own workspace displays to show the performance data that is important to you.
Figure 2 – This Tivoli Enterprise Portal workspace lists the active threads for a DB2 subsystem called D832 in LPAR PMO3
In TEP, the link symbol  connects two related workspaces. In Figure 2, clicking on the link symbol on a line with an active thread opens a new workspace with additional thread detail, as shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3 – You can reach DB2 thread detail in the Tivoli Enterprise Portal with a single mouse click
Exception and situation monitoring
The TEP includes a powerful Situation Editor with Boolean logic capabilities and an automated Take Action response feature that allows Tivoli OMEGAMON XE for DB2 Performance Expert to detect and react to performance problems even when you are not logged on to the user interface.
For example, you could set up a situation that says, "If a thread has In-DB2 time greater than one minute, and the current time is between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., send e-mails to a certain list of people." During other hours, when you might be running batch processes, a long running thread wouldn’t trigger the situation. You can build situations on any attribute supported in TEP-even attributes not displayed on the out-of-the-box workspaces.
Consistent with other IBM solutions
Message numbers, as well as dataset and element numbers, are now consistent with IBM standards.
OMEGAMON classic interface
If you prefer to use OMEGAMON 3270-based displays – the classic user interface – for DB2 monitoring, you’ll find they now include DB2 Connect monitoring, as shown in Figure 4. TEP is updated for DB2 Connect monitoring as well.
Figure 4 – The OMEGAMON classic interface now includes DB2 Connect monitoring
Plans call for continued enhancements to the 3270 interface to meet customer requirements in the future.
DB2 Performance Expert reporter replaces OMEGAMON Historical Reporter
If you’ve used DB2 Performance Monitor or DB2 Performance Expert, you know about its robust reporting. Because of its comprehensiveness, we chose the former DB2 Performance Expert reporting system for the converged product, instead of Tivoli OMEGAMON for DB2 on z/OS Historical Reporter. We provide comprehensive documentation to help OMEGAMON Historical Reporter users migrate to the new reporting component.
Near-term history shows threads that have ended
Near-term history continuously captures DB2 instrumentation data. As threads end, OMEGAMON XE for DB2 Performance Expert writes data to a VSAM dataset for later display. With near-term history, you can review the performance of threads that have ended. Figure 5 shows a near-term history VTAM panel.
Figure 5 – The near-term history VTAM panel shows threads that have ended
Snapshot history captures your DB2 system at a point in time
Snapshot history takes samples of DB2 instrumentation data at periodic intervals and records that information in a VSAM dataset for later display by the Performance Expert client. With snapshot history, you can look at thread and DB2 system activity at a single point of time.
And you can get a view of your entire system, even threads that are not terminated. Snapshot history allows you to go back to look at DB2 system status immediately before a problem, such as a deadlock, occurred. This information could give you more context for problem determination.
Figure 6 – You can browse through the snapshot history using the Performance Expert history slider
Application Trace Facility helps you analyze a specific application
Application Trace Facility, which uses the classic interface, enables you to target a single application for in-depth analysis. The program collects DB2 performance data for a specific application and stores the data in a VSAM file that you can browse online to analyze detailed SQL information (see Figure 7).
Figure 7 – Browse detailed performance data for in-depth analysis with the Application Trace Facility
Trace SQL activity
From the Performance Expert client you can collect SQL trace data for a specific thread by calling the Collect Report Data (CRD) feature followed by the Reporter component. The generated report is tagged as HTML and displayed automatically in a Web browser window, as shown in Figure 8.
Figure 8 - Trace SQL data for a specific DB2 thread
Object Analysis reveals effect on disk access
The Object Analysis feature reveals DB2 objects and disk volume activity affected by DB2, so you can analyze the effect of an application on overall disk access. This feature can help you balance the load and determine where DB2 datasets should be placed to reduce access to hot volumes and systemwide disk contention.
Performance Warehouse
The Performance Warehouse automatically creates and upgrades DB2 tables to save accounting and statistics performance counters. This feature also provides a process engine to enable you to define and schedule processes, and rules of thumb and SQL performance queries to support your analysis.
You can schedule processes representing single or recurring tasks for automatic and repeated execution. These processes may consist of several steps, including trace data collection, reporting and generation of load files as input for the DB2 load utility. You can trace process executions from your workstation via the Performance Warehouse graphical user interface, which is launched from Performance Expert.
Out-of-the-box SQL queries and rules of thumb-expert rules to help you identify more complex performance problems and provide tuning recommendations-can help you analyze the tables of accounting and statistics data produced by the Performance Warehouse. You can adapt the rules of thumb and SQL queries provided with the product, or create your own using convenient table column wizards.
Performance Database saves extended trace data
The Performance Database is a DB2 database that can hold aggregated DB2 trace information spanning a long period of time. Unlike the Performance Warehouse, you’ll need to create and maintain these DB2 tables manually. To help you build and load the Performance Database, the product provides a sample library with Data Definition Language (DDL) and Data Manipulation Language (DML) definitions, along with the needed DB2 Load Statements. You can save specific performance data prepared and generated by the Reporter functions.
Explain DB2 SQL statements
The Explain function uses an easy-to-read format to help you examine the access path method chosen by DB2 for a given SQL statement. The solution can explain an existing entry in a specific PLAN_TABLE, an SQL statement from a previously bound plan or package, or a dynamically entered SQL statement. You can view detailed information on packages, DataBase Request Modules (DBRMs), tables, indexes and the SQL text. These SQL statements can be modified for online tuning.
The Explain function is available through Visual Explain or the ISPF Explain function. In addition, you can explain statements using the Reporter Batch Explain function.
Buffer Pool Analyzer
Buffer pool analysis helps you tune DB2 buffer pools and get the most out of your system resources. The feature enables you to optimize memory usage by recommending which specific buffer pools to change and by how much. By tuning your system, you can save CPU cycles, improve response and elapsed times, and simulate buffer pool behavior. The buffer pool analysis capability is also available as a standalone product.
The feature provides additional background information about current buffer pool behavior, including in-depth statistical data, comprehensive reports, and easy-to-read graphic information for all buffer pools and their objects.
To test the impact of changes before you apply them, you can simulate buffer pool tuning to get precise information about the likely effects of different buffer pool scenarios. These simulations enable you to execute what-if scenarios; the results reliably predict the effect of different placements and sizes on a system.
Which user interface?
DB2 Performance Expert client and ISPF Online Monitoring user interfaces remain available in the new combined product, but we recommend users become familiar with the TEP and the classic interface. The portal and classic interfaces offer superior ease of use and flexibility, for a better long-term solution.
Conclusion
IBM Tivoli OMEGAMON XE for DB2 Performance Expert on z/OS continues to grow and expand. DB2 is the foundation of many critical enterprise applications worldwide. We designed this host-based performance analysis and tuning tool to ensure your critical DB2 systems perform their best for your On Demand Business.
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