Introduction to EntireX Mainframe Broker Monitoring

This document introduces EntireX Mainframe Broker Monitoring, using Command Central. It covers the following topics:

See also EntireX Mainframe Broker Monitoring using the Command Central GUI | Command Line.

Note:
Command Central functionality that is not EntireX-specific is described in the separate Command Central documentation or the online help provided with Command Central.

Scope

EntireX Mainframe Broker Monitoring is a package with which you can monitor EntireX Broker on mainframe platforms z/OS and BS2000. Define an instance of your mainframe broker, using Command Central under Linux or Windows. This instance - a so-called proxy - holds connection information to the remote broker. With the Mainframe Broker Monitoring package you can:

  • directly recognize whether the Broker is online

  • switch to the Administration page to list the registered services and server

  • check directly whether more server instances are needed.

  • see whether the KPIs are in a range expected by your organization

graphics/cc-mf_intro.png

The following KPIs help you administer, troubleshoot and resolve performance issues in EntireX Broker:

KPI Description
Clients Number of active clients.
Servers Number of active servers.
Conversations Number of active conversations.

Installing your EntireX Mainframe Broker Monitoring Package

Using the Software AG Installer

In the Software AG Installer, choose EntireX > Administration and Monitoring and check Mainframe Broker Monitoring 10.9.

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For more information see

  • EntireX Administration and Monitoring under EntireX Installation Packages in the General Installation documentation

  • Software AG Installer under Software AG Suite & Cross-Product Guides.

Using Command Central

See Getting Started with Command Central in the separate Command Central documentation under Software AG Suite & Cross-Product Guides.

Create an Instance for EntireX Mainframe Broker Monitoring

To monitor a mainframe broker, you need to define a proxy instance in Command Central.

Start of instruction setTo create an instance for EntireX Mainframe Broker Monitoring

  1. Log on to Command Central and navigate to Home > Instances > ALL > EntireX Mainframe Administration.

  2. Click the Configuration tab.

  3. Add connection information.

    The new proxy instance of your mainframe broker now appears in the list of instances.

    graphics/cc-mf_create.png

All options are described in more detail under Creating an EntireX Mainframe Broker Connection using the Command Central GUI.

Note:
You can also create a connection to a mainframe broker using the Command Central command line.graphics/toc_closed.png More info

Monitoring your EntireX Mainframe Broker

Start of instruction setTo monitor your mainframe broker

  1. In Command Central, navigate to Home > Instances > ALL.

    The instance myBroker you created in the previous step is displayed as EntireX Mainframe Broker myBroker.

  2. Click on this instance, select the Overview Tab to watch the following:

    • the status of the instance (online or stopped)

    • alerts

    • the following KPIs:

      • active clients

      • registered servers

      • ongoing conversations between them.

    graphics/cc-mf_monitor.png

  3. On the Configuration tab, choose Monitoring KPIs to adjust scaling and boundary values (maximal/marginal/critical) for the KPIs, clients, servers and conversations.

  4. If a defined boundary value is crossed, the color changes to direct your attention to the KPI:

    • orange: a marginal line is crossed

    • red: a critical boundary value is exceeded.

  5. If required, from the Configuration tab, choose Broker Connection to modify the connection parameters to your EntireX mainframe broker.

Notes:

  1. All options are described in more detail under Configuring an EntireX Mainframe Broker Connection using the Command Central GUI.
  2. When you create a mainframe connection, this is logged to file connection.log of the mainframe connection instance. Do not confuse this logfile with the broker log on the mainframe (see Tracing EntireX Broker under Tracing EntireX Broker for more information).

Note:
You can also configure your connection to a mainframe broker using the Command Central command line.graphics/toc_closed.png More info

Viewing your Registered Services and Servers

Start of instruction setTo view your registered services and servers

  1. Navigate to your instance EntireX Mainframe Broker myBroker.

  2. Use the Administration tab for an overview of services currently running.

    graphics/cc-mf_view.png

Watch the number of active Server Instances (replicates), Requests, Wait for Servers and Conversations for a service.

Of particular interest is the column Wait for Servers. This tells you the number and percentage of requests where clients had to wait because all running server instances were busy. Consider starting more server instances if those values are high.

See also Displaying Services and Servers in the platform-independent Administration documentation.

Note:
You can list server instances and running services using the Command Central command line.graphics/toc_closed.png More info

Supported Configuration Types

Command Central supports the following configuration instance:

Instance Type Use to...
MONITORING-KPIS MONITORING-KPIS Show and edit the Monitoring KPI settings such as marginal and critical bounds, etc.