SMFUTIL
SMFUTIL is an SMF data management system. SMFUTIL operates as a replacement for the IFASMFDP system
utility in dumping and clearing the SYS1.MANxx datasets and as a SMF data selection processor to retrieve
SMF data from archive files to be used by another SMF data processing program (such as *SAS or *RMF).
This data retrieval is based upon user supplied data selection and/or validation criteria. This selection
is performed via control keywords that define the data requested and validation functions to be performed.
In addition, concatenation of unlike input device types (i.e. disk and tape) is supported. This can
greatly reduce the number of steps required to produce "current versus historical" types of reports
from SMF data where the current data resides in a disk-based GDG and the historical data is on tape.
SMFUTIL is also designed to greatly enhance the availability and accessibility of SMF data while reducing the resources required in processing and for data storage. SMFUTIL supports any block size on any output device type. Block size may be specified by the user or SMFUTIL will optimize automatically for any supported device in use (i.e. 32K for tapes).
Unlike other SMF management programs SMFUTIL will produce clean archived master files that are cataloged as normal datasets. All datasets produced by SMFUTIL are usable for direct input to any program requiring SMF data. SMFUTIL is not required as a "front-end" to reduce data volume input to an SMF application such as SAS when a large archive file is to be processed. Access to SMF data may be granted selectively based on "site specified criteria" by utilizing a security exit point built into SMFUTIL. SMF data records selected may optionally be passed to one or more user defined exit modules for processing.
A unique feature is SMFUTIL's ability to create multiple output datasets with a single pass of the input data. This enables the user to simultaneously create a daily and a month-to-date archive file and optionally create user defined datasets containing specific record types.
SMFUTIL has the ability to remember where it has archived SMF data, utilizing a proprietary SMF archive data directory. This enables users to retrieve data by supplying the date/time range and system ID required without having to know the datasets the data is stored on. They will be dynamically allocated by SMFUTIL. In addition, output datasets can be set up to be dynamically allocated if they are to be used. This avoids using output devices unless they are actually required, such as during a month split operation.