An Overview:

IMAGE Focus

IMAGE Focus is a unique System Management Application that systematically identifies, locates and inspects the thousands of critical parameters in a z/OS Sysplex of Images and subsystems. It supports real-time Image Change Control by monitoring and reporting on events that would result in an IPL failure. Image Configuration Files, which are shared with the NewEra product Stand Alone Environment (SAE), are automatically created as Images are inspected and documented.

IMAGE Builder

IMAGE Builder gives you enhanced access to IMAGE Focus Inspection Reports. From an Image Inspection Report, IMAGE Builder will extract Image and Sysplex Configuration data and present it as Views through a point-and-shoot user interface. Each Builder View is fully active in that you can select, sort, filter and drill-down into each configuration component. The Builder Selection Tool Sets are designed to give you access to each Data Set Element for repair, maintenance or documentation.

Operational Considerations

You access IMAGE Builder in one of two ways:

First, when in IMAGE Focus, you will find the Line Selection Command ‘IB’ on both the Image and Sysplex Report Selection Menus. Enter ‘IB’ on the Selection Line and press enter. If IMAGE Builder is installed, you will first see the selected inspection report, then depending on your selection, either the selected IMAGE or Sysplex Inspection Report. If IMAGE Builder is not installed, a message will appear letting you know it is not and directing you to download it from the NewEra Web Site, www.newera.com.

Second, when IMAGE Builder is installed you may access the application as you would any ‘CLIST’ under TSO using Option 6. In this case, you will first see the main IMAGE Builder Menu. From this menu select the Inspection Report Type you wish to work with and press enter. In the next screen enter the Inspection data set name or high-level qualifier. If you are in IMAGE Builder for the first time, the ‘DEMO’ data set name will appear by default. Use these ‘DEMO’ Inspection reports in conjunction with the IMAGE Builder Walk-Through. If you want to go directly to your own reports, follow the instructions on the screen or use PFK1 for additional Help. IMAGE Builder will remember your last used Inspection Report and re-display its data set name as you start your next session.

How to get IMAGE Builder

IMAGE Builder is available only as a download from the NewEra Web Site - www.newera.com. It is made available on a ‘No Charge’ basis to licensed IMAGE Focus Customers. It is our way of saying, “Thanks for your interest in Image Management and support of NewEra Software”.

What's New in Release 2.0.0

IMAGE Inspection

IMAGE builder now interfaces with the IMAGE Focus Batch Inspection Server ‘IFOBATA’. To run new Inspections you will use either existing Inspection Reports as a Model from which Builder will derive Images Definitions or Define completely new Images manually.

IMAGE Monitoring

IMAGE Builder now supports the asynchronous monitoring of Image Configurations with the addition of the IMonitor. The IMonitor is an easy to use personal agent that will keep individual IMAGE Builder users up-to-date on the integrity of the Images they define.

New Report Selection Interface

IMAGE Builder now provides a new Report Selection Interface. The enhanced interface now allows the use for up to 10 different Image or Sysplex Reports to be entered in a single selection list. The interface is further enhanced to allow for the use of the Virtual Member Names (LAST), (LIST) and (RUN). 

Access to IMAGE Tune-Up

IMAGE Builder and IMAGE Tune-Up are now accessed via the same main menu. Note however that the IMAGE Tune-Up Application is not included with the IMAGE Builder download. You may download the application from the NewEra Website.

Product Licensing

IMAGE Builder is currently made available to licensed IMAGE Focus Customers at ‘No Charge’. When you download and install IMAGE Builder, it will automatically self-authorize for a period of 90 days. If, at the end of the 90-day period you wish to continue to use IMAGE Builder, you will need to obtain a License Authorization Code from NewEra Technical Support. This code may be used as part of the Install Process or entered interactively by selecting Builder from the Main Menu with an ‘L’.

What’s New in Release 1.6.0

In Release 1.6.0 of IMAGE Builder, you will find the following new product features and enhancements:

Inspection FlexiRpt
Image Inspection Update
LPALst Monitor
LNKLst Monitor
APFLst Monitor
Sysplex Inspection Reports
Full Integration With IMAGE Focus

The IMAGE Interface

When an Image Inspection Report is selected Builder displays the Image Summary Screen.

In addition to providing a summary of Inspection Results and Settings the screen provides the function of Immediate Drill-Down so that you can isolate Inspection Results quickly by Inspection Type or Result. To do this place the cursor in the selection pointer, enter the value ‘S’ and press enter. Your requested view will be displayed. PFK3 to return. Note that each selection you make is marked with ‘*’ as a reminder of your selection.

Additional Menu Options Include:

Reports

This view displays a list of available IMAGE Focus Inspection Reports based on the High Level Qualifier detected as the root of the location to be used to store the current report. The Selection Tool Set in this view allows you to select a report from the list, view and print or delete a report.

Update

IMAGE Builder can update the Image Inspection Report you are currently using at any time using the Batch Inspection Facility provided by IMAGE Focus.

As you entered this panel IMAGE Builder extracted the Report Settings from the current report and will use those as the settings for the update. Two possible exceptions are Member Display, which will be set to 'Y' and Inspection Level which will be set to '1'. The name of the Current Report data set will be used as a model for the new Inspection Report. This data set name will be exactly the same as the current with the exception that a 'U' will replace the last digit of the current name. This allows the reports to be sorted together and accessed from either IMAGE Focus or IMAGE Builder 

You will need to be certain that the name of 'IFOBAT' Proc is correct. The default for this proc name is 'IFOBAT' so if you have another name you will need to provide it before you submit the job. 

Whenever you are ready to submit your update request, change the value to 'Y' and press enter. The Job is immediately submitted and the Job Status Pop-Up is displayed. Job completion is dependent on assigned initiator class. You check job status by updating the Job Status Pop-Up. If you don't want to wait, press PFK3 to return and then, from time to time, check the List of Available Reports.

DsView

This option will display the Data Set View. This view displays the complete content of the IMAGE Focus Data Set Report. Within the view, filtering functions allow you to drill down into specific Volumes or Data Set types including HFS, PDS, SEQ, VSAM, or PDSE. Each data set in the view can be accessed via a Selection Tool Set that supports view, edit, copy, print and more for additional detailed Information.

One View selection is ‘Image’. This view displays only those data sets used by z/OS to IPL the named System Image. Again the data is presented in an interactive state. Member name and member suffix are presented in separate columns for analytic convenience. A data set name filter allows for ‘Partial Name’ filtering so data sets with similar names can be grouped together into a custom view. The Selection Tool Set supports view, edit, copy, print and more for additional detailed information.

Command Line commands include View, Copy and Print. These allow you to capture the current view as displayed on the screen and print it or save it to the file you name.

FlexiRpt

The FlexiRpt View presents only the Inspection Lines from the selected IMAGE Inspection Report. Member data, the Data Set Report and other Non-Inspection data have been filtered out. Remaining lines are loaded into an ISPF table. 

As the report is built each line is classified by Type of Inspector: Opsys, JES, VTAM, Profile, Data and Resolver and Inspection Result; Errors, Warnings and Notices. Each of these views is selectable by placing the cursor under the view name and pressing enter. To select another view move the cursor and press enter again. To sort the data that is displayed in a view, you will need to place the cursor under a column heading and press enter. To reverse the sort order press enter again. To filter the view contents place the cursor under any value in a column, press enter. The table is redisplayed with content matching the selected criteria. An Inspection Line selected for filtering may be further refined in a Pop-Up display. Once filtered, placing the cursor in the same column and pressing enter will re-display the original view. 

You enter Line Commands on the Command Line and press enter to execute them. Command Line Commands vary from View to View. To review what is available in this view you enter 'CHELP' on the command line and press enter. Each row in a view is selected by placing the first letter of a Selection Tool name on the selection line and pressing enter. Row Selection Help and Menu are displayed when you place an 'H' on any Selection Line and press enter.

Monitors

The IMAGE Monitor Summary provides an overview of Monitor Activity, allows you to turn Monitors On and Off, and View or Update the Monitor Tracking Files. To select a Monitor place an 'S' in the selection line before its name and press enter. To turn a Monitor On set the value after the name to 'Y', 'N' for off. To view the Monitor Tracking File place an 'S' before the Date, press enter.

Volume: Displays the Volume Monitor Interface. Here you are able to check for changes in Volume Usage Patterns and update your Volume Backup Job. 

Member: Displays the Member Monitor Interface. Here you check for changes in the members used to IPL an IMAGE and their contents. 

APFLst: Displays the APFLst Monitor Interface. Data from the current PROGxx member is compared with a tracking file for changes in authorization.

LNKLst: Displays the LNKLst Monitor Interface. Data from PROGxx or LNKLSTxx is compared for changes. Extent and LNKLst Authorization is tracked. 

LPALst: Displays the LPALst Monitor Interface. Data from PROGxx or LPALSTxx is compared with a tracking file. Extent history is tracked.

The Sysplex Interface

When a Sysplex Inspection Report is selected, Builder displays the Sysplex Summary Screen.

In addition to providing a summary of Inspection Results for each Image and its Eligibility, the screen displays IPL definitions for each Image. You may Drill-Down into Inspection and Eligibility Results. To do this place the cursor in the selection pointer, enter the value ‘S’ and press enter. Your requested view will be displayed. PFK3 to return. Note that each selection you make is marked with ‘*’ as a reminder of your selection.

Additional Menu Options Include:

Reset Marks

Because Builder tracks your selections with an ‘*’ you may want to reset them. To do this set this value to ‘Y’ and press enter. All of the Selection Pointers will be reset to ‘>_’.

Data Set View

In this Selection Menu each row displays information unique to a specific IMAGE that is a member of the Sysplex. Image Inspection Results are displayed on the left next to the Image name. The Inspection Data Set Name is displayed to the right. The color Red is used to indicate that an Error was found during the inspection. Yellow is used to indicate Warnings, Green to denote a successful inspection. If the Inspection Data Set is available for use 'Y' is placed as the default selection value. If not Available this value is set to 'N'. Images with a Set Value of 'Y' are eligible to have their data sets consolidated into a single view along with other selected Images. You deselect Images by replacing a 'Y' with 'N'. 

Two options: Check Ds Report and Run Ds Monitor are set by default to 'Y'. The first checks each Inspection Report of the Data Set Report and, if not found, displays a Pop-Up Alert and the option to exclude the Image from the consolidation. The Second turns the Data Set Monitor on. This Monitor looks for any change in data set usage on an Image-by-Image basis. 

A focused view, containing only the Sysplex Data Set is displayed when you set the value of Sysplex Ds View to 'Y' and press enter.

Conflict

This Screen displays an overview of the parameters that determine Image Eligibility within the Sysplex. If eligibility problems are detected, the screen will be highlighted to focus your attention on specific problem areas. The status of each Sysplex Data Set and Related Volume is detailed so that you determine if conflicts are preventing Image Eligibility. 

Data Set Naming Conflicts - These occur when the primary and alternate Sysplex couple data set or additional couple data set(s) have the same name or the name of a specific couple data set(s) is not shared by all of the Images in the Sysplex. 

Data Set Placement Conflicts - These occur when the primary and alternate are placed on the same volume or the specified volume for specific couple data sets is not the same for all Images in the Sysplex. In addition, each Image must have access to the volume. 

You may drill-down for an alternative view of this data by Data Set or Volume classes by placing an 'S' on the selection line and pressing enter. Use PFK3 to return to the prior screen.

 Monitor

IMAGE Builder has detected a change in Sysplex Composition. The change may be due to adding, deleting or renaming Images, changing the definition of Sysplex resource like data set name or volume assignments, and changing the value of a Sysplex or MVS related parameter. Image additions and deletions are noted on the screen. !! is used to indicate that you should examine Other Changes. To do this, set the value of Examine Other Changes to 'Y' and Press Enter. This will display the Image Summary. In this Screen changes are grouped into three major categories: Parms, Data Sets and Volumes by Image. <***> Denotes specific areas of change with each category. 

To detect changes in a Sysplex Configuration, Builder creates a map of each unique Sysplex it encounters during the processing of a Sysplex Inspection Report. Subsequent Reports processed by Builder are compared against this stored map. When changes are detected, a Pop-Up is displayed if Global Monitor is set to 'Y' in your Profile Record. 

Options are provided that let you view the Sysplex Tracking Map and, as needed, update the map to the configuration found in the current report. If you update the map, Builder will confirm this action when it is complete by displaying a message and updating the Map Date shown on the screen. 

To learn more about IMAGE Focus and its major functions click below.