Optimizing the retrieval of MSGCLASS output

You can specify selection criteria in the User Reports Entry Panel in various ways that will result in a very quick response. Below are several methods for achieving high performance when retrieving MSGCLASS output. In these suggested methods, we assume that you typically access MSGCLASS output using a combination of job name, job ID, and job completion status.

User Files are optimized for access by Report Name and Recipient (User) — selection criteria that appear in the Select By section of the User Reports Entry Panel. Selection criteria appearing in the Index Value Selection section are for local or global indexes.

Before consolidation, report names are as defined in the decollation DO NAME statement (in our example, the first eight characters of the job name), and the job name is the original name specified on the JOB card. After consolidation, MSGCLASS reports are assigned a report name, as defined in the CTVJAR control statements, and a job name of ARCHIVE.

Index values do not change, so jobs are located consistently both before and after the output is consolidated. However, accessing reports via local indexes may not respond as quickly as using report name or recipient criteria, especially for migrated reports.

Method 1: Use of optional global indexes

Global indexes differ from local indexes in the manner that they are located. Local indexes are created directly by decollation missions via the DO INDEX command, and they are located by first finding the desired report in the User File. Global indexes, on the other hand, are accessed directly.

A standard option is available to load local indexes into the Global Index Database. Control-D uses global indexes automatically when they are available. As a result, if the desired information is located, the report data is retrieved directly without having to first search through the User File.

Global indexes are usually stored in a DB2 database and provide very quick access and response even if the report is migrated. For more information, see Global Index Facility (Control-V Only).

Method 2: Recipient search

By using the job name as the recipient and the value specified in the job name selection field as the recipient value, you can configure a recipient search instead of an index-based search.

Perform the following configurations:

1. In the decollation missions, set DO USER to a value of %%JOBNAME(1,8).

   This creates reports with the same User name as the jobname.

2. In the CTVJAR control statements, set USER = %%USER.

   This creates a new consolidated report for each User name (jobname) appearing in the original reports picked up for consolidation.

3. Implement exit CTDX004. A sample is provided in member CTDX004J in the SAMPSRC dataset.

   This propagates the JOBNAME value specified in the User Reports entry panel into the USER (Recipient) field.

If necessary, this method can be modified to accommodate keeping non-consolidated reports for some amount of time in the Active User File and only consolidate when the output is migrated.

Method 3: Group jobs by functional areas and assign each area a unique recipient

Instead of using job names as the primary selection criteria, jobs can be grouped by functional areas. Assign each area (for example: Finance, HR, or Infrastructure) a unique recipient. The corresponding jobs for each unique area are then decollated by a different decollation mission and assigned to the appropriate recipient by the DO USER statement in each decollation mission. To retrieve a job, specify the job's assigned recipient in the USER field of the User Reports Entry Panel.