Creating Direct Inquiries
The process of creating a direct inquiry is straightforward. You tell MICF that you are about to create an inquiry. Name the inquiry and assign it to a catalog group. Next you define the inquiry. You can select to cancel, save, or execute the inquiry. If you decide to execute the inquiry before saving it, you will have an opportunity to cancel, save, or modify it after execution.
micsrm140
The process of creating a direct inquiry is straightforward. You tell MICF that you are about to create an inquiry. Name the inquiry and assign it to a catalog group. Next you define the inquiry. You can select to cancel, save, or execute the inquiry. If you decide to execute the inquiry before saving it, you will have an opportunity to cancel, save, or modify it after execution.
Tip:
If you have not done so already, we recommend that you invoke MICF and actually create some test inquiries as you read the rest of this section.To create a direct inquiry, select option 2, Database Inquiries, from the Primary MICF Menu (see Panels, Menus, and Commands for details). This menu takes you to the Database Inquiries panel. Enter the line command I (Insert) on any line in the Cmd column. The Insert Database Inquiry panel displays.
Insert Database Inquiry Panel
-------------------------- Insert Database Inquiry -------------------------- Option ===> Inquiry Name ===> ADHOC Title ===> Ad hoc Inquiry - Will Not Be Saved Author ===> your name Catalog Group Name ===> TSO Title ===> TSO Analysis 1 - Direct Inquiry Define a simple, single report inquiry using an output- oriented, "single panel" approach. 2 - Structured Inquiry Define an inquiry using a process-oriented, generalized (multiple-step) approach. 3 - User-Written Report Add a user-written report to the MICF inquiry catalog. 4 - Component Report Add a component report to the MICF inquiry catalog.
On this panel, you can specify the inquiry name (one to six characters), title, and author. Defaults are provided. You can override these defaults. The catalog group name and title are copied from the information that applies to the line on which you entered the I. If you want to change either of them, you can do so here.
Note:
If you want to change any of the information about this panel later, make a copy of the inquiry first.Since you are creating a direct inquiry, specify option 1 on the Command line at the top of the Insert Database Inquiry panel. The Direct Inquiry Selection panel displays.
Direct Inquiry Selection Panel
------------------------------- Direct Inquiry ------------------------------ Option ===> Composing CA MICS Inquiry: ADHOC - Adhoc Inquiry - Will Not Be Saved 1 - Color Graphics Direct inquiry functions for color graphics outputs. 2 - Printed Reports Direct inquiry functions for printed reports. 3 - Printer Graphics Direct inquiry functions for printer graphics outputs. 4 - Statistical Analysis Direct inquiry functions for statistical analysis. 5 - Inquiry Function Catalog Display Display a scrollable list of available direct inquiry functions.
To create a direct inquiry, proceed by completing each the following sections:
- Selecting the report to produce.
- Selecting aMICSfile.
- Selecting data elements to use in the report.
- Selecting extended options (optional).
Selecting the Report
The first four options on the direct inquiry selection panel are color graphics, printed reports, printer graphics, and statistical analysis. The types of reports in each of these categories are discussed in detail in Selecting Reports. To select a report for one of these types, enter the corresponding number in the command area at the top of the panel. A menu with the list of reports of the type you selected. Select one of these reports and you are on the appropriate report definition panel.
Another way to select a report and reach the corresponding report definition panel is to select the last option on the direct inquiry selection panel, Inquiry Function Catalog Display. This option displays a scrollable list of all the direct report types available through MICF. To select one, enter S next to the report name in the Cmd column. The corresponding report definition panel display.
Once you have reached a reports definition panel, select the
MICS
file and the data elements in the file to be used in the inquiry. These topics are covered in the next two sections. You can also do some report customization on this panel and more customization on the extended options panel. For more information, see Customizing MICF Reports.Selecting a MICS File
MICS
FileMICS
File Selection Panel---------------------------- CA MICS File Selection ---------------------------- Command ===> Scroll ===> CSR Inquiry Step: Direct Color Pie Chart CA MICS File ===> ? (fff) Timespan ===> ______ Database ===> _ -Database - Info. CA MICS Information Area ===> ___ (iii) Timespans Cmd ID Label Area File X D W M Y A - -- -------- --- --- ------------------------------------- - - - - - - _ ADM ADMINISTRATIVE _ BAT BATCH ACTIVITY _ CIC CICS _ HAR HARDWARE ACTIVITY _ OPS OPERATIONS INFORMATION _ SCP MVS SCP ACTIVITY _ TSO TSO ACTIVITY ****************************** BOTTOM OF DATA *********************************
Selecting a
MICS
file is easy whether you know the MICS
file name and database identifier.If you know the three-letter code for the
MICS
file that you want, simply enter it after the MICS
File prompt on this menu. The three-letter code is the file level definition (fff) shown in the Product Analyzers. These codes are also the last three characters of the file name that is shown in the file directory in the Product Analyzers.If the
MICS
file you want exists in more than one database in your installation, enter the database identifier (a one-character code) after the Database prompt. If the file exists in only one database, MICF automatically supplies the database identifier. Also enter the timespan and cycles to be reported. MICF will display the file name (the file title or long name) for you after you have specified the MICS
file.If you are not sure of the
MICS
file name that you want to use, enter a question mark (?) after the MICS
File prompt. MICF displays the MICS
File Selection panel (Figure 2-49).Select the information area in which you are interested either by entering an "S" next to the name of the information area in the Cmd column or by entering the three letter identifier after the Information Area prompt. MICF then displays a list of the files in that information area and the timespans in which they exist. Select one of these files either by entering an "S" in the Cmd column or by entering the three letter identifier after the
MICS
File prompt.If the file exists for only one timespan, MICF will put that timespan after the Timespan prompt. If more than one timespan is available, MICF prompts you with a message like this:
- Valid Timespans for thisMICSFile: DAYS, MONTHS.
- Enter one of the valid timespans.
If the file exists in only one database, MICF automatically fills in the database identifier. If it exists in more than one database, MICF displays a list of valid databases and prompts you to select the one to use.
After you have completed all the blanks on this panel, return to the report definition panel on which you typed the question mark by pressing END. The question mark is replaced with the file identifier you selected. Timespan, database, and file name are also completed.
Note:
If you want to return to the report definition panel without making any choices, enter CANCEL on the Command line at the top of the panel.Tip:
If you know some, but not all, of the information available through the MICS
file selection process, you can enter the information that you know and use a question mark for the items for which you need assistance.Selecting Data Elements
Sample Data Element Selection Panel
--------------------------- Data Element Selection -------------------------- Command ===> Scroll ===> CSR Inquiry Step: Direct Color Pie Chart Input File: MONTHS EXC - EXCEPTION ACTIVITY FILE Line Cmds: S Select H Data Dictionary Display Select ONE Data Element. Cmd Element Data Element Label (long name) - -------- ---------------------------------------- _ MGMTAREA Management Area _ MONTH Month of Year _ OBSERVNO Observation Number _ PROGRAM Program Name _ SEVERITY Severity Level _ SYSID System Identifier _ TIMESPAN Time Period _ YEAR Year of Century _ ZONE Time Zone ****************************** BOTTOM OF DATA *********************************
Data element selection operates the same way as file selection:
- If you know the elements that you want to use in the report, enter their names after the appropriate prompts.
- If you want to see a list of the elements available in the file that you have selected, enter a question mark (?) after a data element prompt on the report definition panel. A scrollable list of element names displays, such as that shown in the Sample Data Element Selection Panel.
Entering H in the Cmd column next to a data element on this list shows you the data dictionary entry for that element. Entering S returns you to the report definition panel, where the selected element replaces the question mark that you entered.
If you entered a question mark after a prompt for which more than one data element can be selected, you can select multiple data elements on the data element selection panel. Entering S causes the word "Selected" to be displayed next to the data element. When you return to the report definition panel by entering END, the selected data elements are entered onto the report definition panel in the order in which you selected them on the data element selection panel.
To leave the data element selection panel without selecting any data elements, enter CANCEL in the Command area at the top of the panel.
Selecting Extended Options (Optional)
Direct inquiries are designed to let you get usable results from
MICS
by specifying a limited amount of information about a single panel. The information that you specify on the primary panel for each direct inquiry allows you to perform a small amount of report customization. Extended options provide you with a means of further customizing your reports.To select extended options, respond Y to this prompt at the bottom of the screen: Select Extended Options. Direct inquiries have two types of extended options:
- Report formatting options
- Data manipulation options
The report formatting options are the same for both direct and structured inquiries and are detailed in The Extended Options Panel. The data manipulation options are discussed here. These formats are similar to the data manipulation steps used in structured inquiries. For more detail on data manipulation options, refer to the structured inquiry in Manipulating
MICS
DataThe following appear as extended options only in direct inquiries:
Common Data Selection
Use the Common Data Selection extended option to select a subset of the observations from the
MICS
file. You can limit the file that is based on date, time, zone, record numbers, or on combinations of these variables.Execution-time Data Selection
Use the Execution-time Data Selection extended option to allow dynamic, execution-time specification of the values upon which to limit the file. This allows you to compose a general inquiry that you can then temporarily customize each time that you execute.
With this option, you can select data based on data element values being equal to, greater than (or equal to), less than (or equal to), or not equal to an argument that you specify before the inquiry is executed. You can define both inclusive and exclusive comparison conditions. Comparisons can be restricted to the leading characters of character valued variables. You write your own user prompt on the Execution-time Data Selection extended options panel. MICF then displays this prompt after you tell it to execute the inquiry. After you reply to the prompt, MICF executes the inquiry.
General Data Selection
The General Data Selection extended option lets you extend the Common Data Element Selection process to any
MICS data element
in the file that you are analyzing. A full range of Boolean operators is allowed the same way that they are used in the Execution-time Data Selection.Data Summarization
The Data Summarization extended options panel provides space to specify 15 data elements as the file sequence keys. The file is sorted in sequence by the specified keys (from top to bottom) and then summarized to the granularity of the last data element in the list. Two data entry fields are provided for each sequence key. Specify the eight-character data element name in the first field. The data element name must correspond to a data element name in the input file. Specify a question mark (?) for a list of valid data elements.
The second data entry field is used to specify the sort sequence for that data element. Specify D to request that the file be sorted in descending order by this data element. Leave the second field blank or specify A to request ascending order for this data element (which is the default).
The panel comes with the sequence of the input file. The most common scenario is to drop data elements from the end of the list to reduce the granularity of the input file for reporting purposes. You can drop elements from the front or middle of the list by simply blanking them out. Blank entries in the middle of the list are NOT a problem.
Allow Runtime Override Of Database And/or Cycles
If you select the Allow Runtime Override of Database extended option, MICF prompts you before executing the inquiry for the unit database to use in the inquiry. The default (if one was specified) is shown and you can accept it by simply pressing END.
Similarly, if you select the Allow Runtime Override of Cycles extended option, MICF prompts you before executing the inquiry and gives you a chance to override the default value.
If you select both of these extended options, the execution-time prompts appear on the same panel and you can select to change both of them, one of them, or neither of them.
Note:
If you indicate Y (Yes) after the Allow Runtime Override of Database or Cycles prompts, you can leave the Database or Cycle prompts blank on the primary report definition panel.Sample Completed Direct Inquiry
Sample Completed Direct Inquiry
--------------------------- Direct Color Pie Chart -------------------------- Command ===> Composing CA MICS Inquiry: DS1 - Exception Counts by Zone Inquiry Step ===> Direct Color Pie Chart CA MICS File ===> EXC (fff) Timespan ===> MONTHS Cycle(s) ===> 00 - __ Database ===> P (PRIMARY) File Name: EXCEPTION ACTIVITY FILE Report Title ===> Exception Counts by Zone Chart of ===> EXCCOUNT (Value) Grouped by ===> ________ (Pies) Charted by ===> ZONE (Slices) Weighted by ===> ________ (Element) Generate Graph for Each Value of ===> SYSID _ ________ _ ________ _ ________ _ ________ _ ________ _ ________ _ ________ _ ________ _ ________ _ Graph Discrete Segments ===> N (Y/N) Minimum Segment Size (%) ===> ___ (0 - 100) Specify Extended Options ===> N (Y/N) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A sample of a completed direct inquiry is shown in Sample Completed Direct Inquiry. This inquiry produces a color pie chart for each SYSID in which each pie slice represents a different zone (for example, prime shift, night shift, weekend shift) and the size of each slice is determined by the number of exceptions that are counted during that zone. The data are drawn from the exception file, EXC, and are summarized to the months timespan in the primary database. The most recent data cycle (00) is used for the graph, which represents the exception counts for the month to date.