An optional database tier can be added to collect storage management events for later analysis, or to enhance performance for Explorer GUI display grids that contain a large number of records.
Components
The following components are used to add the third tier to the Explorer GUI:
- MON-RTM
- MON-ExplorerHDB
- MON-ExplorerLDB
Component descriptions
MON-RTM runs under DIF on the mainframes to collect and send storage management event records to the Explorer History Database (MON-ExplorerHDB) to be used for analysis and trending.
MON-ExplorerHDB runs as a service or daemon on a Linux server.
MON-ExplorerLDB runs as a scheduled task to create tables in a local MySQL database. This facility is only required when using the Explorer GUI local database support to enhance performance for large result sets.
MON-RTM Overview
MON-RTM is a base component of the SCC Monitor that runs on the mainframe. The Monitor manual usually refers to this component as RTM (Real Time Monitor). This component is an operating system extension that monitors realtime DADSM events at the data set level.
Whenever a data set is created, extended, renamed, deleted, or releases space, RTM intercepts the event.
The Monitor rules that control RTM can take actions or record the event in a variety of ways. The rules can write messages or records to log data sets, the user's JES message log, SMF records, MQSeries queues, or TCP/IP connections. User messages and records are installation definable.
A predefined storage management event records for use by the Explorer GUI. After performing the installation instructions found in the MON-RTM User Guide, Monitor will send the event records through a TCP/IP connection to the service which writes the records to the Explorer history database.
Explorer History Database Overview
The Explorer history database tier can be used to collect storage management events for historical and trend analysis. The mainframe MON-RTM component monitors real-time storage management events using the DADSM POST processing exit and feeds storage event records to a history database that resides on the MON-ExplorerHDB server.
The Explorer PC-GUI application can use the database for Storage Analysis and Trends evaluation.
The MON-ExplorerHDB service runs on a Linux server. The service captures the records produced by MON-RTM and writes the records to a MySQL database. MON-ExplorerHDB is a Java application and therefore can potentially run on any platform that provides a Java Runtime Environment (JRE).
Once installed and configured, MON-ExplorerHDB has been designed to operate continuously in the background as a Unix daemon or service.
Explorer Local Database Overview
The Explorer Local Database (MON-ExplorerLDB) feature provides the capability to retrieve storage information (for example, data set records, volume records) from the host and store these records in a relational database on the local client computer (for example, a PC).
Retrieval can be scheduled to occur automatically on a regular basis. Once stored in the relational database, this information can be easily and quickly manipulated by query commands within the Explorer GUI.
The MON-ExplorerLDB feature consists of two components:
-
ExpLocalDBMgr.exe—the Explorer Local Database Manager application. It runs on a PC workstation or server and is used to manage MON-ExplorerLDB configurations (create, edit, delete, schedule, and run configurations). -
explocaldb.exe—performs the actions defined in the MON-ExplorerLDB configuration by retrieving records from the host and inserting them into the relational database.
Three-Tier Explorer Configuration with the Database on a PC Workstation
Experience has shown that the Explorer databases can easily reside on the same workstation running the Explorer GUI client, and, if necessary, be shared with other clients. It is recommended to start with a PC workstation database before scaling to server solutions.
The diagram below illustrates the relationship between the three tiers of the system in a configuration where the database is located on one of the PC workstations and all the workstations share the same database.
Three-Tier Explorer Configuration with the Database on a Server
If your installation determines a server database is necessary, the diagram below illustrates the relationship between the three tiers of the system in a configuration where the history or local database is located on a server.