Multi threading calls from COBOL

Rohit Umarjikar · Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 6:55 pm

I have to optimise my current CPU utilization.
Scenario: I have to call 3 subprogrames from main program, so currently these programes are getting called one after another, but is there any way of calling these programes simultaneously?? if this can be achieved thru any of the CICS features then also its fine.
Please let me know in case of additional info.

Robert Sample · Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 7:00 pm

How is calling 3 subprograms in parallel going to have any impact on CPU time? They are all doing the same work, and using the same resources, so there's no CPU impact from what you want to do.

In CICS you can use START to create an independent transaction, so if you recode the subprograms to run as transactions, you could run all three of them in parallel. This may require massive changes to the application, of course, as they no longer would be subprograms but independent main programs, but it could be done. Of course, total CPU utilization will probably go up from the CICS overhead of starting three more transactions.

Bill Woodger · Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 7:28 pm

Rohit, perhaps you can describe your problem to us, rather than look for a solution which may not help you at all.

By "CPU utilization" you mean the user wants a better response time, for instance?

dbzTHEdinosauer · Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 7:32 pm

is this a batch application or cics?

dbzTHEdinosauer · Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 7:43 pm

a brief scenario of what your program does would help us to make suggestions.

Rohit Umarjikar · Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 8:35 am

Thank you for all your replies..
Actually in the current project, we have various services that needs to be called from CICS environment.So currently I am taking very small example here, I am calling three services(Sub programes) from a driver CICS program(CICS) so they are getting executed seqentially, now my question was like instead of calling it sequentiall, is there any of calling/executing them parallel?
@Robert: You said is perfectly, but this change will not be only for 3 subprograms, as a mass level these would be hundreds of program that may get impacted.

Rohit Umarjikar · Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 8:37 am

And yes, I really don't guess, how would CPU stats will be looking after this change, but yes certainly it will help to reduce the execution time.

Rohit Umarjikar · Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 8:41 am

Also in a Batch, is there any way where we call the subprogram and don't expect control back again in the calling program? in CICS we have XCTL concept so anything similar to that in a batch?

agkshirsagar · Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 10:21 am

Something to think about your last question- how do you end the called program; GOBACK or STOP RUN..? Not a good programming practice, IMHO.

Bill Woodger · Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 1:13 pm

"Hundreds" of modules? Batch as well?

What is it you are imagining that you can do in this way? You need to be doing discrete tasks on discrete data guaranteed to be unaffected by other things happening at the time, in reality or potentiality. I'd really like to see how you imagine doing this for hundreds of different modules.

One thing you'd have to ensure is that users don't access the same data for update at the same time. That'd be fun.

And in batch?

Exactly, in some detail, outline what you imagine you would like to do, along with the benefits you'd feel would accrue, please.

dbzTHEdinosauer · Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 2:39 pm

use TD queues with ATI in CICS if you want to have tasks started without returning.

in batch, use MQS with ATI to start tasks, which will not return.

Rohit Umarjikar · Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 3:41 pm

Thank you for all your inputs,
We are fianally thinking of implementing this by the use of MQs.

@Bill:
Also in a batch is there any way of doing the same stuff??
I am imaging below things,
1)ProgA calls ProgB,ProgC,ProgD sequentially and each subprogram is updating into some DB2 table, and these sub programes are independent on each other(No common tables between them)
2)Now instead of calling them sequentially, Can we call them parallel and get the updations done as the total elapsed time in a job can be reduced?

dbzTHEdinosauer · Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 4:07 pm

enrico-sorichetti · Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 4:20 pm

the whole topic is a complete waste of time ....
mostly due to poor terminology
let's start with

Rohit Umarjikar · Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 5:34 pm

Thanks a ton again!!
@Enrico:
I would certainly have enrich my terminology, so as to avoid the confusion.

Bill Woodger · Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 6:37 pm

For batch it is simple. Design your system so that related tasks are in one job, unrelated tasks in others. Of course, don't do this and have each processing a huge amount of input, most of which is ignored..

dbzTHEdinosauer · Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 12:16 am

you mention DB2.

how often are you issuing COMMITs?

Rohit Umarjikar · Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 12:59 pm

I am issuing commit once in the main program( i.e when call to all the sub progs are successful).

enrico-sorichetti · Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 1:11 pm

Bill Woodger · Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 2:09 pm

If you want to improve throughput, why not look at the problems in the existing programs, rather than try to invent some way around it?

You seem to be introducing extra complexity without any surety of benefit as regards throughput. Test it thoroughly with a dummy set of modules to prove the concept as it applies to your system. For performance issues the biggest improvements, after things caused by plain stupidity, are from changes to how existing logic is implemented, but to the extent of doing it "better" rather than doing the same thing is some magic new way.

By the way, can we assume you mean you commit once after each set of calls, rather than "once" fullstop?

Rohit Umarjikar · Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 7:25 pm

@Bill: Yes, I commit once after all 3 calls.
This was just a thought, that came to my mind of having MQs used..Let me now test this and if it really takes less time with 100% fuctionality then would be key success, otherwise I still need to think of some other thing around.
Thanks you All again for your thoughts/suggesstions.