GAP - Generic Alert Processor

Enhanced Definition

GAP (Generic Alert Processor) is an IBM NetView component that processes unsolicited messages and events from z/OS and its subsystems, transforming them into standardized alerts or triggering automated actions. Its primary purpose is to enable proactive monitoring and automation by filtering, enriching, and acting upon system events in real-time.

Key Characteristics

- Event-driven processing: Processes messages and events as they occur, allowing for immediate analysis and response to system changes.
- Rule-based logic: Utilizes user-defined rules, often implemented using REXX, to analyze incoming events and determine appropriate actions based on message ID, text, and other contextual data.
- Alert generation: Capable of generating standardized NetView alerts (e.g., hardware alerts, software alerts) that can be viewed, managed, and escalated through NetView operators and other integrated tools.
- Automation integration: Directly integrates with NetView automation services, enabling rules to trigger commands, REXX execs, or other automation scripts to resolve issues or gather more information.
- Message filtering and enrichment: Can filter out irrelevant messages to reduce noise and add contextual information to alerts, improving their actionable quality and aiding in problem diagnosis.
- Customizable: Highly configurable through its rule base, allowing tailoring to specific operational requirements, system configurations, and application-specific event monitoring needs.

Use Cases

- Automated problem detection and notification: Automatically detects critical system conditions (e.g., abends, resource shortages, dataset full conditions) from MVS messages and generates alerts for operations staff.
- Proactive resource management: Monitors for specific thresholds (e.g., high CPU utilization for a job, low disk space on a volume) and triggers alerts or automated cleanup actions before an outage occurs.
- Integration with incident management: Generates alerts that can be forwarded to external problem management systems, creating tickets for operational issues identified on the mainframe.
- Application health monitoring: Watches for specific messages or events indicative of application failures, performance degradation, or successful completion, providing early warning or confirmation.
- Security event monitoring: Identifies suspicious activities or security-related messages (e.g., unauthorized access attempts, ACF2/RACF violations) and triggers alerts or automated responses to security teams.

Related Concepts

GAP is a core component within the IBM NetView for z/OS automation framework, often working in conjunction with System Automation for z/OS (SA z/OS). It processes MVS messages and WTOs (Write To Operator), transforming them into actionable NetView alerts. Its rules are frequently implemented using REXX, allowing for complex logic and integration with other NetView services and z/OS commands. GAP acts as an intelligent front-end for event processing, feeding into the broader automation and monitoring capabilities of the mainframe environment, and can trigger actions that affect CICS, DB2, IMS, and other critical subsystems.

Best Practices:

Start small and iterate: Begin with a few critical alerts and gradually expand the rule set, thoroughly testing each new rule in a non-production environment before deployment.
Document rules comprehensively: Maintain clear and up-to-date documentation for each GAP rule, including its purpose, conditions, actions, and any associated REXX execs, to facilitate maintenance and troubleshooting.
Leverage REXX for complexity: Utilize REXX execs for complex decision-making, data manipulation, or interaction with other z/OS services, keeping GAP rules focused on efficient event matching and triggering.
Minimize overhead: Design rules efficiently to avoid excessive CPU consumption, especially for frequently occurring messages. Use specific message IDs and text patterns to reduce unnecessary processing.
Regularly review and refine: Periodically review GAP rules to ensure they remain relevant, accurate, and optimized for current operational requirements, system configurations, and application changes.
Integrate with SA z/OS: For managing the lifecycle of applications and resources, integrate GAP alerts and actions with SA z/OS policies for comprehensive, end-to-end automation and recovery.