 






     Software
     Product
     Description

     ________________________________________________________________

     PRODUCT NAME:  DECtrace for VMS, Version 1.1        SPD 25.G1.01

     DESCRIPTION

     DECtrace is a VMS layered product that collects and reports on
     event-based data. This data is helpful for performance analysis,
     capacity planning, database tuning, error logging, and other
     areas in which detailed application or layered product specific
     performance and/or event information is useful. DECtrace event
     data can be gathered from any VMS layered product or combination
     of products that contain DECtrace service routine calls. Cus-
     tomers can also put DECtrace event calls in their application
     code to collect application-specific event and performance data.
     DECtrace is designed to operate with minimal performance impact
     on the system and can be used in both development and production
     environments. DECtrace supports both single-node and VAXcluster
     environments. It also offers both Full Development and Runtime
     license options, depending upon the capabilities required. The
     Runtime option provides a cost-effective means for deploying the
     DECtrace collection capability throughout the network.

     DECtrace considers an event to be an application-defined occur-
     rence. An event can have a start and an end (duration event) or
     can simply occur (point event). DECtrace allows events within
     layered products or customer application programs to be defined
     and data items to be associated with each event. These data
     items can be resource utilization statistics (for example, CPU
     time). Additionally, data items specific to the Digital layered
     product, third party layered product, or customer application
     can be associated with each event. These facility-specific data
     items might include information supporting database tuning,


                                  DIGITAL                  April 1991

                                                          AE-MK65B-TE

 


     DECtrace for VMS, Version 1.1                       SPD 25.G1.01



     application-level error logging, application transaction perfor-
     mance data, and a range of other information logging needs.

     DECtrace provides two major components:

     o  A set of service routines - Calls to these services, repre-
        senting the application events, are placed within the layered
        application software.

     o  The DECtrace administration component - Through the command
        line interface, the user can register the layered products
        and layered applications (called facilities), selectively
        collect from one or more of these facilities, display infor-
        mation about facilities and collections, and later format the
        data into the DECtrace VAX Rdb/VMS database or RMS file.

     DECtrace provides detail, summary, and frequency reports based
     upon the formatted event data in the DECtrace VAX Rdb/VMS
     database. Since the event data can be stored in a VAX Rdb/VMS
     database or an RMS file, users can write customized reports
     using DATATRIEVE, DECdecision, VAX RALLY, other 4GL tools, or
     standard 3GL languages such as VAX COBOL. The DECtrace formatted
     VAX Rdb/VMS database definitions can optionally be stored in VAX
     CDD/Plus. DECtrace event data can also be used by other applica-
     tions such as DEC RdbExpert, which optimizes the performance of
     VAX Rdb/VMS databases.

     DECtrace differs from other collectors; it is event based while
     most other collectors are timer-based. An event-based collector
     collects data at defined locations in the application code each
     time that code is executed. Timer-based collectors perform data
     collection at random places within the code.

     DECtrace advantages:

     o  Provides an easy way to collect and report on the actual
        resources used for each event.

     o  Determines the actual frequency of execution of events rather
        than an average or estimated frequency.

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     DECtrace for VMS, Version 1.1                       SPD 25.G1.01



     o  Provides a flexible mechanism for collecting application
        specific information, such as which functions are used by
        whom, how frequently are they executed, as well as any data
        available to the executing program.

     o  Collects data from single and multi-user test and production
        environments allowing one or more collections per node to be
        active at any given time.

     DECtrace does not attempt to analyze or modify the performance
     of an application. Its function is to collect and report the
     event data. Interpreting the reports is the responsibility
     of the user. Descriptions of the DECtrace data collected from
     Digital Layered products are available in the Using DECtrace
     with Digital Products guide. For a current list of supported
     layered products, refer to the System Support Addendum (SSA
     25.G1.01-x).

     Features

     DECtrace allows application or layered product software develop-
     ers to:

     o  Define events and data items specific to their software.

     o  DECtrace service routine calls at appropriate locations in
        the program source code. These locations are determined by
        the type of information to be collected and the way it will
        be used and/or interpreted by the user.

        DECtrace V1.1 provides an LSE template to aid in the coding
        process.

     o  Register these application programs with DECtrace.

     Collection can be turned on and off from the command line inter-
     face.


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     DECtrace for VMS, Version 1.1                       SPD 25.G1.01



     Users of DECtrace data may be applications developers, appli-
     cations performance analysts, database administrators, system
     managers, capacity planners, and others interested in event or
     performance data. The DECtrace user can:

     o  Display information about facilities and collections.

     o  Collect event data and format it into a VAX Rdb/VMS database
        or RMS file.

     o  Record the DECtrace formatted VAX Rdb/VMS database defini-
        tions into CDD/Plus, if CDD/Plus is installed on the system.

     o  Merge data from different collection instances.

     o  Produce default detail, frequency, and summary reports from
        the Rdb/VMS formatted database.

     o  Generate customized reports from the VAX Rdb/VMS database or
        RMS data file using 3GL or 4GL language products.

     Note: The capabilities available to the user are dependent upon
     whether the Full Development or the Runtime license option is
     installed. A full description of the license types and associ-
     ated capabilities is found in the SOFTWARE LICENSING section of
     this SPD.

     HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS

     VAX, MicroVAX, VAXserver, or VAXstation configuration as speci-
     fied in the System Support Addendum (SSA 25.G1.01-x).

     SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

     For Systems Using Terminals (No DECwindows Interface):

     o  VMS Operating System


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     DECtrace for VMS, Version 1.1                       SPD 25.G1.01



     o  VAX Rdb/VMS Runtime License. The Runtime License is required
        for DECtrace to create and access its administration, his-
        tory, and formatted databases.

     Note: The VAX Rdb/VMS Runtime License is included with VMS V5.1
     - V5.4, however, the user needs the VAX Rdb/VMS Runtime media to
     obtain the software.

     Refer to the System Support Addendum (SSA 25.G1.01-x) for avail-
     ability and required versions of prerequisite/optional software.

     ORDERING INFORMATION

     Full Development Software Licenses: QL-VW2A*-**
     Full Development Software Product Services:
        QT-VW2A*-**

     Runtime Software Licenses: QL-YV4A*-**
     Runtime Software Product Services: QT-YV4A*-**

     Full Development and Runtime Software Media:
        QA-VW2AA-**
     Full Development and Runtime Software
        Documentation: QA-VW2AA-GZ

     *  Denotes variant fields. For additional information on avail-
        able licenses, services, and media, refer to the appropriate
        price book.

     A minimum of DECtrace Runtime must be installed on each node
     from which events will be collected in a VAXcluster configu-
     ration. The Full License should be installed wherever DECtrace
     data formatting and reporting are to take place.

     DECtrace Full Development and DECtrace Runtime Licenses may be
     installed on different nodes of the same VAXcluster configura-
     tion.


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     DECtrace for VMS, Version 1.1                       SPD 25.G1.01



     SOFTWARE LICENSING

     Full Development Option

     DECtrace Full Development provides a library of DECtrace service
     routine calls and the ability to:

     1. Register facilities

     2. Create selection definitions

     3. Schedule collections and collect data

     4. Format the collected data

     5. Create reports using the DECtrace reporting
        mechanism

     Runtime Option

     DECtrace Runtime provides a library of DECtrace service routine
     calls and the ability to:

     1. Register facilities

     2. Create selection definitions

     3. Schedule collections and collect data

     The raw data collection files must be formatted by a node with
     the Full Development DECtrace license installed. The Full Devel-
     opment license is also required to use the DECtrace reporting
     mechanism to report from the formatted DECtrace database.

     This software is furnished under the licensing provisions of the
     Digital Equipment Corporation's Standard Terms and Conditions.

     For more information about Digital licensing terms and policies,
     contact your local Digital office.

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     DECtrace for VMS, Version 1.1                       SPD 25.G1.01



     LICENSE MANAGEMENT FACILITY SUPPORT

     This layered product supports the VMS License Management Facil-
     ity.

     License units for this product are allocated on a CPU-capacity
     and Clusterwide basis.

     For more information on the License Management Facility, refer
     to the VMS Operating System Software Product Description (SPD
     25.01.xx) or the License Management Facility manual of the VMS
     Operating System documentation set.

     For more information about Digital licensing terms and policies,
     contact your local Digital office.

     SOFTWARE PRODUCT SERVICES

     A variety of service options are available from Digital. For
     more information, contact your local Digital office.

     SOFTWARE WARRANTY

     Warranty for this software product is provided by Digital with
     the purchase of a license for the product as defined in the
     Software Warranty Addendum of this SPD.

     [TM] The DIGITAL Logo, CI, DATATRIEVE, DEC, DECdecision, DEC-
          trace, DEC RdbExpert, DECstation, DECsystem, DECwindows,
          MicroVAX, VAX, VAX CDD/Plus, VAXcluster, VAX COBOL, VAX
          DBMS, VAXft, VAX RALLY, VAX Rdb, VAXserver, VAXstation, and
          VMS are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation.







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