Service Level Reporter

The architecture of Service Level Reporter (SLR) was centered around batch processing on the z/OS platform. The main components included data collection modules, a processing engine, and a reporting module. Data collection modules gathered data from SMF records and other sources.

The processing engine analyzed the data based on control statements and JCL, generating intermediate datasets. The reporting module then used these datasets to produce various reports on system resource usage and performance. The system used sequential datasets for storing SMF data and report output.

JCL was used to submit batch jobs, and control statements specified data sources, report formats, and processing options. For example, a JCL job would allocate the necessary datasets, execute the SLR program, and specify the control statements for report generation. Security was handled through z/OS security mechanisms, such as RACF, which controlled access to datasets and jobs.

SLR did not expose any APIs. The system's design was optimized for the mainframe environment, ensuring efficient processing of large datasets. The batch-oriented approach allowed for scheduled processing and minimized the impact on online system performance.

The primary data flow involved the collection of SMF records, processing by the SLR engine, and the generation of reports. The reports were then used for capacity planning, performance tuning, and chargeback accounting. The system's reliance on batch processing and sequential datasets reflects its design for the mainframe environment.

The lack of APIs and modern integration capabilities highlights its limitations compared to modern solutions. The system's architecture was designed to efficiently process large volumes of data within the z/OS environment.