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z/OS Connect observability support enables traces and metrics for REST-API requests processed by z/OS Connect servers. Traces also contain additional metadata (attributes) that can be included in capacity planning or application tuning analysis for optimal observability results.

z/IRIS support for z/OS Connect transaction workflows

z/OS Connect Metrics Streaming 

z/IRIS supports SMF 123 version 1 and version 2 records for Metrics streaming. 

  • z/OS Connect version 1 metrics provides zosconnect_basic metrics. These metrics provide z/OS Connect request entry and exit timestamps, elapsed time and basic request method and user data.

  • z/OS Connect version 2 metrics provides zosconnect_advanced metrics. These metrics provide zosconnect_basic metrics and additional data about the System-Of-Record (SOR) entry and exit timestamps, elapsed times, more request data and HTTP response codes.

For more information about these metrics, see: z/OS Connect Metrics Streaming.

>> Activate z/OS tracing globally (SMF 123 version 1)
>> Activate z/OS tracing for each REST-API request (SMF 123 version 2)

z/OS Connect Trace Streaming 

z/IRIS creates traces from SMF 123 version 2 records that provide performance and system information for each REST-API requests processed on monitored z/OS Connect servers. Trace metadata/attributes can be used in capacity planning or application tuning queries to achieve end-to-end application analysis results.

Representation of z/OS Connect spans in an APM flame graph

Users have access to the following information for each Rest API request made by their applications processed, that are processed on z/OS Connect server:

  • request entry and exit times reported by the z/OS Connect server, and the calculated elapsed time (span time).

  • request entry and exit times reported by the System-Of-Record (SOR), which can be CICS or IMS systems, Db2 or batch programs.

  • SOR identifiers useful for support escalation to mainframe SMEs.

  • request and response payload, HTTP response and z/OS authorization identifiers.

>> Trace attributes with OpenTelemetry
>> Activate z/OS Connect tracing for each REST API request (SMF 123 version 2)

z/OS Connect Workflow Tracing

Using the z/IRIS Mainframe Workflow Tracing feature, users gain visibility into downstream applications that process the z/OS Connect APIs. This allows DevOps engineers to identify where bottlenecks occur during API processing on z/OS and determine whether APIs reached the target system of record.

z/OS Connect to Db2

z/OS Connect traces processed via the Db2 connector in a Db2 for z/OS subsystem are supplemented with a Db2 Accounting span or a Db2 Deadlock trace.

z/OS Connect Db2 workflow in Jaeger

z/OS Connect Db2 workflow in Datadog

Contact z/IRIS engineering about additional z/OS Connect Workflows tracing.

>> z/IRIS Mainframe Workflow Tracing