Using the data collection application

You can use ISMF panels to generate the job control language for the access method services DCOLLECT command. The job is expected to be executed while the DFSMS environment is active.

Perform the following steps to generate the JCL for the access method services DCOLLECT command.

Select option C, Data Collection, on the ISMF Primary Option Menu for storage administrators. This displays the Data Collection Entry panel.
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Supply values on the panel. The fields on the entry panel for the Data Collection application are primed to collect data only for active data sets and volumes. You can also collect information on migration data, backup data and capacity planning data. You can specify Y (Yes) in any combination of the fields for Select Data Collection options.
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If you are collecting information on active data sets or volumes, use the DOWN command to reach the next page of the Data Collection Entry panel.
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Supply values for one or more volumes or storage groups about which DCOLLECT is to collect information..
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If you want to specify volumes to exclude, use DOWN command to reach the last page of the Data Collection Entry panel.
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Supply values to specify volumes to exclude.
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When you have finished entering values on the Data Collection Entry panel, press Enter to display the DCOLLECT Job Submission Entry panel. On this panel, you can choose to submit the job you just specified, or save the job to a data set, which you can then edit. You can edit the job statement on this screen before submitting the job.
The JCL produced uses the access method services execute statement that you have already set up in the profile as a default. You can specify that you want to edit the execute statement on the Data Collection Job Submission Entry panel. When you press Enter, you can edit the execute statement.

The following list explains the fields on page 1 of the Data Collection Entry panel.

DATA SET INFORMATION: If you want information collected on active data sets selected by storage group or volume, specify Y, yes, in this field. Otherwise, specify N, no. The default is Y.
VOLUME INFORMATION: If you want to collect information on active volumes selected by storage group or volume, specify Y, yes, in this field. Otherwise, specify N, no. The default is Y.
MIGRATION DATA: If you want to collect information on migration data, specify Y in this field. Otherwise specify N, no. If you specify Y, you must specify a migration data set name in the MIGRATION DATA SET NAME field. The default is N.
BACKUP DATA: If you want to collect information on backup data, specify Y in this field. Otherwise specify N, no. If you specify Y, you must specify a backup data set name in the BACKUP DATA SET NAME field. The default is N.
CAPACITY PLANNING DATA: If you want to collect information on capacity planning, specify Y in this field. Otherwise specify N, no. If you specify Y, you must specify both a migration data set name and a backup data set name. The default is N.
SMS DATA: Specify Y, yes, in this field if you want to collect SMS information. The default is N.
DATA SET NAME: You must enter the name of an output data set in this field. DCOLLECT puts the information it collects in the data set you specify. The data set can either be an existing data set or a data set that is allocated during the data collection job while DFSMS is active.
OPTIONAL PASSWORD: If the data set is not system-managed and it has a password, you must specify the password in the OPTIONAL PASSWORD field. Password protection is less secure than RACF® protection. The data set must be cataloged. This field is ignored for system-managed data sets.
REPLACE CONTENTS: If you want DCOLLECT to overlay any data which is already contained in the output data set, specify Y, yes, in the REPLACE CONTENTS field. If you want DCOLLECT to append newly collected data to the data already contained in the output data set, specify N, no, in the REPLACE CONTENTS field. N, no, is the default, that is, data already contained in the output data set is not erased when the job is submitted. If the data set has never been written in, it does not matter whether you specify Y or N.
NUMBER OF DATA SETS: If you are specifying an output data set that is to be allocated during the data collection job, you should estimate the total number of data sets which reside on the volumes about which you are collecting data. Specify this number in the NUMBER OF DATA SETS field. This number is used to estimate the size of the output data set. If you save the JCL generated, instead of submitting it directly from this application, you can edit the DD statement for the output data set to change the space calculation.
MIGRATION DATA SET NAME: If you are collecting migration data or information for capacity planning, you must specify a data set name in the MIGRATION DATA SET NAME field. This data set must contain migration information. For DFSMShsm, this data set is the Migration Control Data Set (MCDS) for either the system you are running on or the system about which you want information. This data set must be accessible to the system running the DCOLLECT job.
BACKUP DATA SET NAME: If you are collecting backup data or information for capacity planning, you must specify a data set name in the BACKUP DATA SET NAME field. This data set must contain backup information. For DFSMShsm, this data set is the Backup Control Data Set (BCDS) for either the system you are running on or the system about which you want information. This data set must be accessible to the system running the DCOLLECT job.

When you are collecting capacity planning information, you must specify migration and backup data sets that are on the same DFSMShsm system.

On the second page, you specify one or more volumes or storage groups about which DCOLLECT is to collect information. If you specified Y (Yes), in the DATA SET INFORMATION or VOLUME INFORMATION fields on the first page of the DCOLLECT entry panel, you must specify at least one volume or storage group on this panel.

SPECIFY VOLUMES: In this field, you can specify the names of the volumes from which information is collected. The information collected can be about the volumes themselves or about the active data sets they contain. You can specify a full volume name (for example, SYSTSO), a partial volume name (for example, SYST*), an asterisk to indicate all online volumes, or six asterisks to indicate the system residence (SYSRES) volume.
DCOLLECT ignores repeated entries. If you specify a volume more than once, DCOLLECT collects information on that volume only once. This includes volumes belonging to storage groups that you have specified. If you specify a single asterisk, DCOLLECT ignores all other entries in the SPECIFY VOLUMES field. Although you can specify only 50 volumes on this panel, you can edit the job control language produced to specify up to 255 separate volumes.
SPECIFY POOL STORAGE GROUPS: In this field, you can specify the names of pool storage groups from which information is collected. Information from all of the volumes in a specified storage group is collected. Enter only pool storage group names. Only pool storage groups are appropriate for data set or volume information collection. The information collected can be on the volumes themselves or on the active data sets they contain. You must specify the full name of a storage group. You cannot specify a partial name or an asterisk for a storage group name.
Although you can specify only 10 storage groups on this panel, you can edit the job control language produced to specify up to 255 storage groups.

If you are collecting information only on active data sets, DCOLLECT collects information on the active data sets on the volumes and, in the storage groups you specify. It does not collect information on other data sets on those volumes and in those storage groups.

If you are collecting information only on active volumes, DCOLLECT collects information on the volumes and in the storage groups you specify. It ignores information about the data sets on those volumes.