> -----Original Message-----
> From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List 
> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of John Gilmore
> Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2012 10:58 AM
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: Re: useful? XML "encoded" SMF.
> 
> The case for offloading z/OS SMF processing from z/OS to Linux is not
> obvious to me.
> 
> I could, indeed, martial any number of arguments for keeping
> performance analysis for a platform on that platform; but what we have
> here, I suspect, is a kind of enthusiasm that would be proof against
> all rational argument.
> 
> John Gilmore, Ashland MA 01721 - USA
> 

In my case, it is strictly due to the lack of tools on z/OS. We used to have 
SAS and MXG. That was perfect. We then lost SAS due to cost. So we ran MXG on a 
PC running SAS. But that was then considered to be too expensive too. So we 
lost SAS and MXG. We now have _nothing_ and no money to buy anything. But 
management would still like to see graphs and charts. So we have a few HLASM 
in-house written programs. Which extract some information which is downloaded 
to a PC running Excel. Which is used to make the pretty pictures so beloved by 
management. In addition to this, our management is still pushing us to try to 
reduce our Group Capacity cap so that we will save even more money due to 
reduced license costs. 

So, if I could have XML formatted SMF data, I could easily download and process 
that on my Linux desktop. Because Linux, and the software I run on it, does not 
cost the company anything other than electricity to run the PC. And I have many 
tools on my Linux system which can process XML and then create graphs from the 
processd data.

IOW, it is not "enthusiasm ... against all rational argument", it is for my 
convience due to lack of money. If management didn't want the graphs, I 
wouldn't care one bit about SMF -> XML. And yes, I could write it myself. But 
my manager is against that due to the necessity of our doing maintenance to any 
in house written code if IBM makes changes to an SMF record that we use.

So, in reality, there is no real reason to think that IBM, and other vendors, 
would be interested in this. But dreaming is still free.

-- 
John McKown 
Systems Engineer IV
IT

Administrative Services Group

HealthMarkets(r)

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