|
Overview:
In release 3.0, users enjoyed added functionality that allowed them to
Collect OS Image Data and store it as an Image Configuration File (Image Packets).
Once stored, Image Configuration Files can be compared to current or
historical system images to determine change.
See "What's
New in IMAGE Focus 3.0". This IMAGE Change and Configuration Management functionally is further enhanced in Release 3.5 with the addition of
:
-
Data
Collectors for JES2, JES3, VTAM, and TCPIP;
-
Optional
JES2 Inspector;
-
New
Release Impact Analysis for OS/390 V2R10 and z/OS V1R1.
Those
moving to the newly announced z900 Series hardware and z/OS will
find that IMAGE Focus greatly enhances the power of the enterprise system management
process envisioned by IBM
with msys
for Setup.
The Purpose of this Document:
The purpose of this document
is to:
1) Describe the major enhancements to be found in IMAGE Focus 3.5.
2) Document for users the product operational changes related to
these enhancements. Comments should be directed by email to
developers or support
.
1 - IMAGE Focus Release 3.5 - Enhancements
The
enhancements to be found in IMAGE Focus 3.5 include:
-
Data
Collectors for JES2, JES3, VTAM, and TCPIP.
These Data Collectors "SNAP SHOT" the complete
parameter set of each Sub-System and store the results as
additional system configuration data in the Image Configuration
File of a named system. These enhanced Image Configuration Files
are fully compatible with all Image Focus - Image Compare
Functions.
-
Optional
JES2 Inspector.
The optional JES2 Inspector processes the
parameters used to define JES2 and determines JES2 operational
validity. During each Inspection, the SYNTAX of each parameter is
CHECKED and the system resources needed for the successful
execution of JES2 are VALIDATED. The
JES2 Inspector is fully integrated into IMAGE Focus, allowing
users to quickly Test, Document, Compare and Monitor their JES2
Sub-System environment.
-
New
Release Impact Analysis for OS/390 V2R10 and z/OS V1R1.
This analytic tool which can be used as a
migration aid, quickly determines the IMPACT that a newly
adopted release of the OS and JES2 will have on existing System
Images.
This is accomplished by INSPECTING existing systems against the
"RULES" that will determine and control the execution
of generally available or pre-announced releases for which
technical documentation is publicly available. In Release 3.5,
support provided includes OS/390 V2R10 and z/OS V1R1.
2 - IMAGE Focus Release 3.5 - Operational Changes
The
following operational changes should be considered in conjunction
with the IMAGE Focus User's Guide Release 3.0:
A new option, N -
New Release has been added to the Primary Menu.
It is the intention of NewEra Software, Inc. to provide Change and Configuration Management tools for OS/390, z/OS and their
sub-systems; JES2, JES3, VTAM, TCPIP and certain USER defined
sub-systems. In Release 3.5, the first step towards supporting the
sub-systems is taken with the addition of functional data
collectors for JES2, JES3, VTAM and TCPIP. In future releases,
"USER" will be able to define other operational
sub-systems, i.e., Tape Library Managements or Job Scheduling
Systems. The addition of these supported and planned sub-systems
has resulted in significant change to the Image Inspection Definition Screen.
In the revised screen IMAGE Naming, MVS IPL Input and Filtering remain unchanged. PARMLIB/IPLPARM and REPORT OPTIONS are deleted and replaced with a single section, PROCESSING OPTIONS. In this new section, the
OS and the Sub-Systems JES2, JES3, VTAM, TCPIP and USER are displayed as a matrix.
Processing options for this matrix include:
Inspection
This option will enable (Y) disable (N)
the various IMAGE Focus Inspectors. The OS Inspector default
setting is Y (YES). In Release 3.5 if the JES2 Inspector is
installed, the JES2 Inspector will be automatically selectable.
To enable JES2 Inspection, overtype the default setting of N (NO)
with the value Y (YES). This enable/disable of the remaining
Sub-Systems - JES3, VTAM, TCPIP and USER will not be selectable
in Release 3.5. See Data Collection below.
Careful naming of Images will allow users to define Images for Inspection at several different levels. For example, if both the OPSYS and the sub-systems are to be inspected together, the image may be named
"SJALL". If the inspection is the OPSYS and JES2 the image may be named
"SJOSJES2". If the inspection is only for the OS the image may be named
"SJOS". The addition of the matrix and the use of a reasonable naming convention should result in a substantial increase in number of images defined per user location.
Report Level
Report levels may be set individually for each component
of the matrix. In Release 3.5, if the value of Inspection is Y,
the Report Level default is 1 (Full Report). If the value of
Inspection is N, the Report Level default is NO REPORT. Reporting
Levels can be uniquely defined for each OPSYS and Sub-System
component. To define a Report Level, overtype the value by
entering a number that corresponds to the report level desired
for a specific component.
Member Display
This enable (Y) disable (N) function is unchanged from Release 3.0 and differs only with the addition of Member Display for the
Sub-Systems.
Store Package
This enable (Y) disable (N) function allows the user to
turn-on specific Sub-System Data Collectors and add the
resulting data to the Image Configuration Files (Image Packets)
that are created and stored during an Image Inspection. Note that only one Image Configuration File
exists per Image Name and that OS and Sub-Systems date is concatenated
into that single file. Multiple Configuration Files for a
specific image may be created by defining the image under an
Image Name.
The JES2 Inspector is an optional component of Image Focus but is included as part of the IMAGE Focus 3.5 BETA package.
JES
Inspection
The JES2 Inspector is used to inspect the parameters that start the JES2 sub-system. These inspections identify:
Problems identified would generally prevent the next start of JES2. Users should correct identified problems as they may turn into JES2 initialization errors.
JES2 New Release Analysis
The Release Level value by default is set to "1" and would result in an analysis of the impact of attempting to run JES2 Images developed under a prior release in an OS/390 V2R10 environment. Setting the Release Level to "2" performs the same analysis for
z/OS V1R1. The JES2 Inspector fully supports the Report Level.
Invoking
the JES2 Inspector
Image Focus will invoke the JES2 Inspector if:
-
The OPSYS Inspector finds a start command or sub-system definition for JES2 in the OPSYS parameters being processed.
-
And the OPSYS Inspector can locate the Started Task JCL for JES2.
-
And the OPSYS Inspector can determine the source of the JES2 parameters from that JCL and can successfully read those parameters.
Once invoked, the JES2 Inspector will first determine the level of the JES2 component on the system being inspected. The JES2 Inspector will then prepare to inspect the parameters using the rules for that release. If a New Release has been selected by using the Image Focus New Release function, the rules (if supported) for the New Release are used in place of the rules determined by JES2 component level.
2.4.3.2. Syntax Inspection
The JES2 Inspector will check the syntax of all JES2 parameters and sub-parameters (over 890 different keywords in all). This is an independent analysis of the JES2 syntax based on JES2 documentation and known working syntax. No components of JES2 are used.
The JES2 Inspector parsing phase will detect invalid syntax format, invalid keywords, and invalid keyword values. Keyword values are checked to be valid
- fixed, numeric, numeric range, hexadecimal, or masked specifications.
Part of the Syntax checking phase includes checking for mutually exclusive keywords, restricted keywords (only valid when another keyword is specified with a particular value), and obsolete keywords.
The syntax rules, used by the JES2 Inspector, have been developed from a review of the IBM JES2 Initializing and Tuning Reference. These base rules and the testing
of a large number of syntax variations using JES2 systems result in the Final Rule Set. The JES2 Initialization and Tuning
Reference is known to contain a number of inaccuracies. As these are discovered, the Final Rule Set is updated.
2.4.3.5. Syntax exceptions
Some JES2 statement syntax that was valid years ago and continues to work is not documented while other forms of syntax that are documented do not work at all. If the JES2 Inspector flags a statement as an error that in fact is being accepted by JES2, please contact NewEra customer support personnel. Most likely the statement contains old undocumented syntax or is not documented properly.
As the JES2 Inspector is an independent analysis of the parameter statements, it can help to identify parameter specifications that are old and in an undocumented form. In these cases, it is advised to change these obsolete statements to a newer documented form. This way surprises can be avoid in the future if/when IBM removes support for older obsolete specifications.
The JES2 Inspector does not fully support the inspection of the rarely used selection limiting keywords. The JES2 Inspector will ignore any JES2 Commands specified within the JES2 parameter deck.
Post-Parsing Phase
The JES2 Inspector post-parsing phase will validate certain collections of parameters and the inter-relationship between them. Currently, the JES2 Inspector post-parsing phases
are:
STC Definition Inspector
Allows Image Focus to locate other system components that are started under the JES2
sub-system. Image Focus must know which JES2 PROCLIB DD is used to locate started task JCL. The STC Definition Inspector will inspect the JES2 JOBCLASS PROCLIB= specification and provide the PROCLIB DD to Image Focus.
Initiator Inspector
Inspects the JES2 INITDEF and INIT statements and the relationship between them. It will check that the number of defined initiators does not exceed the maximum and that all of the initiators are explicitly defined. It will also check initiator definitions that may be syntactically correct but may produce undesired results.
Network Inspector
Inspects the JES2 NJEDEF, NODE, CONNECT, and APPL statements and the relationship between them.
New Release Analysis
- JES2
Moving from Release to Release
In order to take full advantage of the latest in processing power and software function, it is often necessary to move to a new release or version of the Operating System or one of its Subsystems. The impact of such moves is often unpredictable.
Release Announcements
As IBM makes new Release Announcements, it publishes significant documentation on the content of these releases. In Release 3.0, the operating scope of IMAGE Focus was
re-architected to "Understand Release Changes" and their potential impact on System and Subsystem Images. Release 3.0 "Understands" OS/390 V2R10 and the impact of moving Images created under prior releases beginning with V2R6-R9. In Release 3.5, support is added for z/OS V1R1. No releases prior to V2R10 will be supported.
Release Support
NewEra believes that all releases following z/OS V1R1 will be announced and related documentation made available 4 - 6 months prior to GA. If this assumption remains true, support for new releases should be available 2 - 3 months prior to GA. It is planned that such new release support will be available in the form of a PTF or module replacement downloadable from the NewEra Web Site.
As IBM makes new OS
and Sub-System Release Announcements, it publishes significant documentation on the content of these releases. In Release
3.5, the operating scope of IMAGE Focus has been re-architected to
enable it to "Understand" release-to-release changes and their impact on System Images
as defined under prior OS or Sub-System Releases.
In Release 3.5 this "Understanding" includes OS/390 V2R6,
V2R7, V2R8, V2R9, V2R10 and z/OS V1R1.
New Release Analysis begins by selecting Option "N"
from the main menu, thus causing an Image Selection Menu to appear. Selecting an image will cause the New Release Analysis
Screen to appear. Now, if not provided, enter/re-enter the MVS IPL Input and Filtering Input just as if the user were defining an Image for Inspection.
Reporting Options include Reports 1 - 4
and a new option, Option 5- RELEASE ANALYSIS.
Select
a RELEASE LEVEL by entering 1 if the name image is to be
compared to OS/390 V2R10 or a 2 if comparing to z/OS V1R1.
Note: For purposes of analysis only, releases prior to V2R10 will
not be supported. It is believed that all releases following
z/OS V1R1 will be announced and related documentation made available 4 - 6 months prior to GA. If this assumption remains true, support for
future releases should be available in IMAGE Focus 2 - 3 months prior to GA. It is planned that such new release support will be available in the form of a PTF downloadable from the NewEra Web Site.
Example:
Perhaps the simplest example of the power of New Release Analysis would be to compare an Image created under a release prior to V2R10 to the "Rule" used to build an Image under V2R10. In this case, IMAGE Focus would note:
"SWAP and PAGE Dataset PARMS are no longer supported".
In Release 3.5, the Report Operations Menu and the Image Selection Menu are enhanced with the addition of the Option P - Print. Placing this option next to a specific report will result in the display of the ISPF Hard Copy Utility Menu. Significantly, the name of the Data Set i.e. 'IBMUSER.IF30.REPORT.D2000276.T1527428' will be automatically entered, eliminating the need for user entry prior to printing a selected report.
|
