CICS/Response Time Monitor

The architecture of CICS/Response Time Monitor (RTM) is designed for efficient monitoring of CICS transaction performance on z/OS and zVSE/VSEn platforms. The main components include the Data Collection Agent, the Data Storage Facility, and the Reporting Engine. The Data Collection Agent resides within the CICS address space and collects performance metrics.

It monitors transaction response times, CPU usage, I/O operations, and other relevant data points. The agent uses CICS API calls to gather this information, minimizing the impact on CICS performance. The Data Storage Facility uses VSAM (Virtual Storage Access Method) files for storing historical performance data.

VSAM provides efficient data storage and retrieval on the mainframe. The Reporting Engine processes the data stored in VSAM files and generates reports. The engine uses a command-line interface (CLI) to execute commands and generate reports.

The CLI allows administrators to specify report parameters, such as time ranges, transaction names, and resource utilization metrics. The communication between components is primarily internal, using system calls and file-based data exchange. The Data Collection Agent writes data to VSAM files, which the Reporting Engine then reads.

RTM does not use external databases or network protocols for its core functionality. The product does not have a GUI interface. The system requires specific ports to be open for network communication.

The product's focus is on providing detailed performance metrics and reporting capabilities for CICS transactions.