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Collecting and importing data with HCL Z Asset Optimizer
HCL Z Asset Optimizer includes programs that collect system and usage data, import, filter, and match this data, update the Repository tables, and make the data available for review and query.
Collecting scanned libraries with the Inquisitor for z/OS
The Inquisitor is a program that scans and collects information about partitioned data set (PDS) and partitioned data set extended (PDSE) program libraries. The Inquisitor Import program takes the collected data as input to form the basis of your software inventory.
Controlling the data extraction level
When performing a system scan, the SCANDIR verb is usually sufficient. For most libraries, SCANDIR is able to collect all the necessary information from the directory entries without the need to access member contents. For PDSE libraries, this includes collecting the bind (or link edit) date. For some specific system modules, SCANDIR will also analyze the member contents to extract additional data necessary to determine the software level of those modules.

Collecting and importing data with HCL Z Asset Optimizer
HCL Z Asset Optimizer includes programs that collect system and usage data, import, filter, and match this data, update the Repository tables, and make the data available for review and query.
- Updating the Global Knowledge Base
  HCL provides monthly updates to the Global Knowledge Base (GKB) so that you can keep your product inventory definitions up-to-date. You can also submit items to HCL support for inclusion in GKB updates.
- Collecting scanned libraries with the Inquisitor for z/OS
  The Inquisitor is a program that scans and collects information about partitioned data set (PDS) and partitioned data set extended (PDSE) program libraries. The Inquisitor Import program takes the collected data as input to form the basis of your software inventory.
  - Running the Inquisitor program
    The HZASINQZ job in the JCLLIB library performs the Inquisitor collection. This job is generated from the HZASCUST post-installation customization job.
  - PLX parameter of the Inquisitor program
    The PLX parameter can reduce the time it takes to scan and process different systems that have completely shared DASD, and therefore identical software inventories. When you set PLX=Y, the Inquisitor Import detects libraries that are mirrors or libraries that have not changed and quickly processes scans of these shared SIDs.
  - Inquisitor program parameters and files
    The Inquisitor program has mandatory and optional parameters that affect how data is collected. The program uses some mandatory files as well as some optional files.
  - Inquisitor program command syntax
    The Inquisitor program includes SYSIN commands and optional command operands.
  - Inquisitor examples
    These examples show some possible scenarios where you can customize the scope and type of processing when you run the Inquisitor program.
  - Designing Inquisitor requests
    When constructing statements for the Inquisitor SYSIN file, try to combine all selection and exclusion criteria to form a single SCANDIR request. A single Inquisitor request will not scan a VTOC or a library more than once.
  - Controlling the data extraction level
    When performing a system scan, the SCANDIR verb is usually sufficient. For most libraries, SCANDIR is able to collect all the necessary information from the directory entries without the need to access member contents. For PDSE libraries, this includes collecting the bind (or link edit) date. For some specific system modules, SCANDIR will also analyze the member contents to extract additional data necessary to determine the software level of those modules.
  - Extracting LE compile unit information
    Specifying the FULLIDR keyword on a SCANPGM request will also allow the Inquisitor to extract information about LE compile units. Such information is stored within the program object code when a program is compiled by an LE-family compiler such as current COBOL and PL/I compilers.
  - Scanning migrated libraries
    The Inquisitor locates load libraries by either scanning the VTOC of online volumes, or by searching the system catalog (CATALOG) for relevant data sets. When you use the Catalog Search Interface, you can return data sets for migrated libraries. VTOC scans do not find migrated data sets.
  - Scanning generation data sets
    Catalog Search Interface requests issued by the Inquisitor are limited to non-VSAM type A catalog entries. Generation data sets (which are members of a generation data group) are not scanned by Inquisitor CATALOG requests but can be processed by Inquisitor VTOC scans. Consider excluding generation data sets if you back up program libraries using generation data sets.
  - Logical Volume Mapping
  - Collecting information about the I/O configuration
    The Inquisitor can scan the input and output (I/O) configuration of a z/OS® system to collect information about the use of hardware assets such as storage devices. The SCANDEV command is used to request such a scan.
- Collecting UNIX files with the Inquisitor for z/OS UNIX
  The Inquisitor for z/OS® UNIX™ is a program that collects information about executable software existing in HFS and zFS data sets currently mounted and accessible to z/OS UNIX. The Inquisitor Import program takes the collected data as input to form the basis of your z/OS UNIX software inventory.
- Collecting usage data with the Usage Monitor
  The Usage Monitor is a server address space that runs as a started task. Work is queued to the Usage Monitor from all address spaces where programs are used. The Usage Monitor moves captured program usage data into the collection repository and periodically writes the accumulated data to a sequential file. The Usage Monitor runs APF authorized and is non-swappable.
- Importing Inquisitor data
  The Inquisitor Import reads data from Inquisitor scans, where the data is filtered and matched to products. The filtered, matched data is then copied to the Repository tables where it can be viewed and queried by the Analyzer reporting utility.
- Importing usage data
  The Usage import job imports data generated by the Usage Monitor and aggregates usage data for discovered or identified modules in the Repository tables in the database.
- Aggregating usage and discovery data
  The Aggregator is a program that populates the Asset tables.
- Activating the Automation Server
  The Automation Server discovers new data sets and processes them by starting a set of predefined actions that associate the data with data set name masks that form a catalog search. This search determines if any data set names matching the mask are to be processed.

Controlling the data extraction level

When performing a system scan, the SCANDIR verb is usually sufficient. For most libraries, SCANDIR is able to collect all the necessary information from the directory entries without the need to access member contents. For PDSE libraries, this includes collecting the bind (or link edit) date. For some specific system modules, SCANDIR will also analyze the member contents to extract additional data necessary to determine the software level of those modules.

If it is important to collect the bind dates of PDS load modules, then the SCANPGM verb can be used instead of SCANDIR. However, because SCANPGM reads multiple blocks for every member, the elapsed time required to scan each PDS library will increase by several hundred percent.

To perform maximum data extraction from every scanned program, use the SCANPGM verb with the FULLIDR keyword. This combination will greatly increase the elapsed time it takes to scan PDSE libraries as well as PDS libraries, so it is not normally expected to be used.

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