> Manages the complexity of IMS or DBCTL environments by allowing updates to multiple systems with a single request and ensures system integrity through coordinated changes

> Improves availability and prevents costly errors by providing interactive analysis of the impact of a system resource definition change

> Eliminates IMS downtime and improves system programmer productivity by dynamically changing system resource definitions, thereby eliminating IMSGENS

> Streamlines the DBCTL learning curve for CICS system programmers, since DBCTL systems can be configured without an IMSGEN

Today, the complexity of IMS environments is increasing. Market globalization, corporate mergers and e-business issues challenge IMS professionals to deal with higher transaction volumes, demands for increased availability and more stringent service level agreements.

In addition to these new challenges, many organizations already have large business operations or regional applications that are defined in multiple IMS systems. Keeping those interdependent application definitions synchronized is critical, but often problematic, tedious and time consuming. Similar issues apply as more and more organizations move toward Sysplex environments and data sharing.

Data sharing and Sysplex technology require significantly more IMS system resources to be defined and synchronized across multiple IMS systems. At the same time that IMS environments are becoming more complex, the number of skilled IMS professionals has decreased, forcing those who are left to eliminate time-consuming, error-prone, manual tasks by automating and streamlining as many processes as possible.

The DELTA PLUS product from BMC Software builds on the DELTA IMS® product family and elevates change management to a new level to address the increased complexity of IMS environments. The DELTA PLUS for DBCTL product extends the DELTA PLUS functionality to CICS users. The DELTA PLUS VIRTUAL TERMINAL product allows manipulation of both IMS element and virtual device definitions. This component also provides the ability to view statistics about virtual devices.

DELTA PLUS, DELTA PLUS for DBCTL, and DELTA PLUS VIRTUAL TERMINAL provide functional capabilities in four key areas:

Dynamic changes

> Interactively add databases, programs, transactions and route codes without an IMSGEN

> Eliminate the need for resource addition and deletion related IMSGENs and the corresponding IMS downtime; provide a faster response to application developers requesting system resource definition changes.

> Verify the validity and accuracy of IMS resource definition changes prior to implementation using the Check facility

> Serially execute a single resource definition change or group of changes on multiple IMS systems – multisystem execution

Coordinated changes

> Implement a group of dependent resource definition changes as a single unit of work; changes are grouped together in a single DELTA list that is designated as a dependent DELTA list

This ensures that all changes in the DELTA list complete successfully on the specified IMS system or none of the changes will be performed.

> Synchronize a single resource definition change or group of dependent changes across a user-defined group of multiple related IMS systems – a coordinated change

If an IMS system is unavailable when the resource definition changes are implemented, the changes will be made to the system when it is restarted. This guarantees system integrity by ensuring that the systems never have inconsistent resource definitions.

Change management

> Provides an audit trail of resource definition changes recorded in a history file

> Records all resource definition updates made to the IMS control region in the DELTA PLUS log for an automatic, optimized IMS restart

> Provides ease of use and enhanced manageability with the ISPF/DELTA list editor; facilitates the creation and maintenance of DELTA lists

> Supplies a central point for issuing IMS commands to multiple IMS systems and receiving output from those commands – if a system resource is defined in multiple IMS systems, a single command will show it’s status in each system

IMS resource analysis

> Provides information about the defined relationships between IMS resources by means of the cross reference (XREF) feature; keeps this information current and available through online displays and batch reports

This allows IMS professionals to keep an inventory of the IMS environment and relationships between IMS resource definitions. For example, the XREF feature shows which programs and transactions may be affected if a change is made to a database resource definition. This reduces diagnostic and recovery time. The XREF feature is available through a simple IMS command or a batch job.

> Assists users in keeping multiple IMS systems synchronized with Compare utilities; automatically generates DELTA list elements that should be executed to keep systems synchronized

Virtual device definition

> Eliminates IMSGENs for 3270, SLUP and SLU2 terminals, local and remote LTERMs, and SLU1 and 328x printers

> Automatically defines virtual printers to IMS when output is available for eligible 328x or SLU1 printers

> Provides administrative features to manage your IMS virtual devices: including automatic device signoff or logoff, automatic dequeue of messages, and automatic exit of conversations

Helping You Maintain Advantage

BMC Software Education Services offers a strategic investment for your business, maximizing the value for your employees and Business Service Management initiatives. Education ensures successful product implementation, promoting mastery of all product capabilities and highest productivity with your BMC Software solutions. To explore our education offerings, visit our web page at http://www.bmc.com/bmceducation, or contact BMC Software Education Services by telephone or e-mail:

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E-mail: emea_education@bmc.com

BMC Software, Inc. [NYSE:BMC], is a leading provider of enterprise management solutions that empower companies to manage their IT infrastructure from a business perspective. Delivering Business Service Management, BMC Software solutions span enterprise systems, applications, databases, and service management. Founded in 1980, BMC Software has offices worldwide and fiscal 2004 revenues of more than $1.4 billion. For more information about BMC Software, visit www.bmc.com.

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