Why Inspect?
 

It is common for OS/390 installations to maintain several Systems and Images across shared DASD. Their creation, testing and maintenance is complex as it is likely that members with identical member names exist on different physical or logical volumes. Since these members each defines the content of a specific system images knowing which members relate to which System Image is critical in Image Management.

IMAGE Focus is a unique System Management Application that systematically identifies, locates and inspects the hundreds of critical inspection points in an OS/390 System Image.

Inspection Results detail each step of the Inspection with related finding. These steps and findings are made available as real time Reports which can be printed and used as System Documentation. Optionally, Inspection Results may be condensed into "Errors Only", Exception Reports to be used for trouble shooting and analysis.

Inspections are performed within Focus Application Sub-Systems. This unique method of system operation insures that production system images remain operational and that inspections are conducted as needed and if necessary, under the worst of system conditions.

Image Management begins with Image Selection.

Identifying and inspecting the components of an OS/390 Image, using Focus, begins with Image Selection. Entering exactly the same system parameters used by operations personnel into the Focus Image Selection Menu will cause Focus to identifies and locates needed resources and begins an inspection.

         
  O/S 390 IMAGE Inspection - Image Selection Menu
         
  COMMAND ===>    
         
  MVS IPL ADDRESS IS REQUIRED; OTHERS ARE OPTIONAL
         
  MVS IPL INPUT      
  MVS IPL ADDRESS ==> 0A80 (FOUR DIGITS)
  MVS LOAD PARM ==> 0122CS (UP TO EIGHT CHARACTERS)
  SYSCAT SUFFIX ==>   (IEA347A SPECIFY MASTER CATALOG PARAMETER)
  IEASYS00 SUFFIX ==>   (IEA101A SPECIFY SYSTEM PARAMETERS)
         
  FILTERING INPUT      
  HARDWARE NAME ==> - or - BLANK.. N (Y/N) (PROCESSOR NAME)
  LPAR NAME ==> - or - BLANK.. N (Y/N) (LPAR NAME)
  VM USERID ==> - or - BLANK.. N (Y/N) (MVS VM USERID)
         
  PARMLIB/IPLPARM      
  DATASET PREFIX ==>   (FOUR CHARACTERS)
         
  REPORT OPTIONS      
  REPORT LEVEL ==> 4 (1- ALL; 2- ERROR & WARNING; 3- ERROR ONLY 4- FINAL RESULT ONLY)
         
  MEMBER DISPLAY ==> N (Y/N; DISPLAY PARMLIB MEMBERS ON REPORT LEVEL=1)
         
         
         

What are Inspection Points?

At it’s lowest level each OS/390 Image is composed of hundreds of individual system elements. Each element is represented as a Keyword or Statement within the members IEASYMxx and IEASYSxx. These members in turn are accessed by Pointers derived from Statements found within LOADxx.

At the highest level the value of LOADxx is derived from Operator Input as the Inspection Process begins with the confirmation that IPL text exists on the IPL Volume and that the SYS1.NUCLEUS dataset can be opened.

Assembling these elements represents the network of dependencies needed for a successful OS/390 IPL. Each intersection within this network represents a potential Inspection Point.

Inspection Points Detailed:

1 - Validate Operator Input

Using the information from the MVS Image selection screen, this inspection includes checking for valid inputs for IPL address, MVS load parm, SYSCATxx, and IEASYSxx, assembling defaults for nonspecified information, and confirming an IPL DASD volume.

  • IPL Unit address for a valid disk device
  • Defaults for IPL parameters not supplied on panel

2 - Confirm the location and availability of critical resources

After parsing the load parm statement, this inspection confirms that IPL text does exist on the IPL volume, and that the SYS1.NUCLEUS dataset resides on the IPL volume and can be opened. Locates the SYSx.IPLPARM / SYS1.PARMLIB for the correct LOADxx member and opens that dataset.

  • If SYS1.NUCLEUS exists on IPL volume
  • If SYS1.NUCLEUS can be opened
  • IPL TEXT exists on IPL volume
  • IODF Unit address for a valid disk device
  • If SYSx.IPLPARM / SYS1.PARMLIB for LOADxx member can be found
  • If dataset containing LOADxx member can be opened

3 - Reads, Syntax Checks and Process Filters for LOADxx

This inspection reads the entire LOADxx member and check for correct syntax of each statement. Then it processes any filters against the member to extract out only those statements required for this image.

  • If all records in LOADxx can be read successfully
  • Syntax of each record in LOADxx member

Statements: (10)

IEASYM

IODF

LPARNAME

NUCLEUS

NUCLST

PAEMLIB

SYSCAT

SYSPARM

SYSPLEX

VMUSERID

4 - Locate exact member and data set

Using the information from LOADxx, this inspection locates the exact member and datasets to be used during the IPL of this image. It Check to see if IEANUCxx exists in SYS1.NUCLEUS, if the Master Catalog can be found and opened and the name and location of all PARMLIB datasets. Then, all PARMLIB datasets are also open to ensure their availability.

  • If member IEANUCxx exists in SYS1.NUCLEUS
  • If IODF dataset exists on IODF volume
  • Dataset name and volume of Master Catalog
  • If Master Catalog can be opened
  • Names and volumes of all PARMLIB datasets
  • If all PARMLIB datasets can be opened.

5 - Reads, Syntax Checks and Process Filters for IEASYMxx

This inspection locates and reads all IEASYMxx members and checks for correct syntax for each statement. Then it processes any filters against the member to extract out only those statements required for this image.

  • Names of all IEASYMxx members to be processed
  • If all records in IEASYMxx can be read successfully
  • Syntax of each record in IEASYMxx member (s)

Statements: (9)

SYSDEF

IEASYM

HWNAME

LPARNAME

VMUSERID

SYSPARM

SYSNAME

SYSCLONE

SYMDEF

6 - Read, Syntax check and Process for IEASYSxx

This inspection locates and reads all IEASYSxx members and checks for correct syntax for each statement. Then it processes any filters against the member to extract out only those statements required for this image.

  • Names of all IEASYSxx members to be processed
  • If all records in IEASYSxx can be read successfully
  • Syntax of each record in IEASYSxx member (s)

Keywords: (64)

ALLOC

APF

CLOCK

CLPA

CMB

CMD

CONS

COUPLE

CSA

CSCBLOC

CVIO

DEVSUP

DIAG

DUMP

DUPLEX

EXIT

FIX

GRS

GRSCNF

GRSRNL

ICS

IOS

IPS

LNK

LNKAUTH

LOGCLS

LOGLMT

LOGREC

LPA

MAXCAD

MAXUSER

MLPA

MSTRJCL

NONVIO

NSYSLX

OMVS

OPI

OPT

PAGE

PAGTOTL

PAK

PLEXCFG

PROD

PROG

RDE

REAL

RER

RSU

RSVNONR

RSVSTRT

RTL

SCH

SMF

SMS

SQA

SSN

SVC

SWAP

SYSNAME

VAL

VIODSN

VRREGN

7 - Final results of all STATIC SYSTEM SYMBOLS

Having completed all the steps until this point, this inspection will determine the final value for xx and if correct, will set the value for continued processing of the IPL.

8 - Read, Syntax check and Process for SMF

This inspection locates and reads all SMFPRMxx members and checks for correct syntax for each statement. Then it processes any filters against the member to extract out only those statements required for this image.

  • Names of all SMFPRMxx members to be processed
  • If all records in SMFPRMxx can be read successfully
  • Syntax of each record in SMFPRMxx member (s)

Keywords: (19)

INTVAL

SYNCVAL

ACTIVE

DSNAME

LISTDSN

SID

REC

MAXDORM

STATUS

JWT

DDCONS

PROMPT

SYS

DETAIL

SUBPARM

SUBSYS

DUMPABND

NOBUFS

LASTDS

9 - Read, Syntax check and process for COUPLE

This inspection locates and reads all COUPLExx members and checks for correct syntax for each statement. Then it processes any filters against the member to extract out only those statements required for this image.

  • Names of COUPLExx member to be processed
  • If all records in COUPLExx can be read successfully
  • Syntax of each record in COUPLExx member:

Statements: (6)

COUPLE

CLASSDEF

PATHIN

PATHOUT

LOCALMSG

DATA

Keywords: (11)

SYSPLEX

PCOUPLE

ACOUPLE

INTERVAL

OPNOTIFY

CLEANUP

MAXMSG

RETRY

CLASSLEN

CTRACE

VMCPUIDTOLERATION