What does Data Sensor do?

Data Sensor components collect statistics from an IMS database environment and store them as sensor data in an IMS Tools Knowledge Base repository.

Sensor data is the information collected by a Data Sensor component when, at an instance in time, it scans one or more IMS database environments and measures the specified conditions (or states) occurring in those environments.

The stored data can be used by Autonomics Director, Policy Services, and Management Console for database analysis, tuning purposes, and evaluations required by the autonomics process.

Data Sensor also prints the stored data in a report, and stores the report in the Output repository of IMS Tools Knowledge Base.

Data Sensor components

All Data Sensors are provided as stand-alone components that must be configured and run as a separate job.

Some Data Sensors are integrated with IMS Tools products and are run and controlled at the product level.

IMS Tools provides three Data Sensor components:

  • Full-Function Database Sensor (stand-alone and integrated)
  • Fast Path Database Sensor (stand-alone and integrated)
  • Recovery Sensor (stand-alone only)

The Fast Path and Full-Function Database Sensor components function in an IMS Tools space management and reorganization domain and capture statistics about the characteristics and organization of data in each database. Information is also collected from the system catalog, VSAM catalog, and Volume Table of Contents (VTOC).

The Recovery Sensor component functions in an IMS Tools recovery domain and captures information from the content of DBRC RECON data sets. Data is gathered about individual databases, HALDB partitions, Fast Path areas, and change accumulation groups.

Sensor data and autonomics

The data that is stored in the Sensor Data repository of IMS Tools Knowledge Base is used in Autonomics Director jobs to monitor and maintain the health, performance, and recoverability of the database. In the Autonomics Director jobs, the policy evaluation process of Policy Services is internally called.

Policy Services uses a policy definition to evaluate the sensor data against the threshold values specified for this condition. Policy Services can then provide a response to any events that exceed the threshold limits. The response can consist of sending warning notifications to administrators and making a recommendation to the IMS Tools product to take a specific corrective action.

When the jobs end, you can use Management Console to view graphical visualization and charting of sensor data, the exceptions that were detected by the policy evaluations, and recommendations for resolving the exceptions.

Autonomics Director, IMS Tools Knowledge Base, and Policy Services are components of IBM® IMS Tools Base for z/OS®. For more information about these tools and Management Console, see the following information:
  • Management Console User’s Guide
  • IMS Tools Base Autonomics Director User’s Guide
  • IMS Tools Base Configuration Guide
  • IMS Tools Base IMS Tools Knowledge Base User’s Guide
  • IMS Tools Base Policy Services User’s Guide