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BMC Mainframe: Parallel Sysplex Implementation, Customisation & Exploitation

The course is developed and delivered by © RSM Technology.

This in-depth, five-day course examines the issues involved in implementing the parallel sysplex environment. It covers hardware configuration issues, setting up the cloned z/OS environment, setting up the sysplex software environment, setting up sysplex data sharing, the system logger and the exploitation of z/OS components.

Extensive, real-world hands-on practical sessions occur throughout the course.

Major release:

BMC Mainframe Infrastructure Platform Training

Good for:

Users

Course Delivery:

Instructor-Led Training (ILT) | 40 hours

Course Modules

  • Implementation Stages
    • Parallel sysplex history
    • Why the fuss about continuous availability?
    • Just a little bit further?
    • Continuous availability of what?
    • Workload balancing is essential
    • So is sysplex data sharing?
    • Configuration is critical
    • Planning for a full availability sysplex
    • Planning and configuring the base sysplex
    • Stage 1 - systems management
    • Single system image courtesy of XCF
    • Do not bring all your old baggage with you!
    • Cloned images
    • Naming conventions
    • IBM's example naming convention
    • Collections and Groups
    • For example: CICS APPLIDs and jobnames
    • Using the SYSNAME in the convention
    • Controlling the sysplex
    • Operational issues
    • The JESplex
    • Advanced operations and automation
    • Stage 2 - resource sharing
    • Mixed environments
    • GRS ring
    • GRS star
    • RACFplex
    • SMSplex and HSMplex
    • WLMplex and RMFplex
    • TWSplex
    • VTAMplex
    • Batchplex and Pipeplex
    • JESplex
    • 'Tapeplex'
    • The full availability sysplex
    • Stage 2 - data sharing
    • CACHE
    • LIST
    • LOCK
    • Data sharing - a prerequisite for full availability
    • Data sharing - capacity and growth
    • Data sharing - the application environment
    • Setting up data sharing
    • IBM application data sharing exploiters
    • Disaster recovery & data sharing applications
    • Coupling Facility redundancy and capacity
    • Data Sharing and workload balancing
    • Workloads and workload balancing
    • Enclave
    • WLM application environments
    • Workload classification
    • Nested definitions
    • Non-IBM work units
    • Workload balancing in reality
    • Transaction affinities
    • Analysis tools
    • Licensing issues
    • So, I have continuous availability?
    • Continuous availability?
    • The network and continuous availability
    • DASD and data availability
    • Database availability
    • Continuous availability - DB applications
    • CICS (VSAM)
    • IMS/DB
    • Db2
    • Continuous availability - DST
    • Continuous availability - capacity
    • 'N+1' capacity
    • GDPS
    • GDPS configuration
    • It is a business decision!
  • Hardware Configuration
    • Configuration considerations
    • Our example system
    • Example system, logical view
    • Timer configurations
    • Server Time Protocol
    • Clock synchronization techniques
    • CLOCKxx
    • Switch concepts and terminology
    • Chained switches
    • CTCs
    • CTCs: connections vs paths
    • CTCS: connections and XCF paths
    • XCF paths and Operations
    • Example naming convention
    • Setting it up - Switch and CHPIDs
    • S Setting it up - primary and alternate paths
    • Setting it up - XCF signaling example
    • Advantages of the naming convention
    • Example system, a more logical view
    • Coupling Facility configuration options
    • Coupling Facility configuration considerations
    • Coupling Facility configuration comparison
    • Coupling Facility performance
    • CFCC: CFLEVEL and feature support
    • Coupling Facility connection options
    • Defining the Coupling Facility environment
    • Coupling Facility Channels (CFCs)
    • CFC connections
    • CFCs: Paths vs Subchannels
    • Create a CF LPAR
    • Coupling Facility links
    • Types of Coupling Facility links
    • Create CF Links
    • Connect LPARs together
    • Defining CIB Links
    • Defining CS5 and CL5 links
    • XCF signaling via the Coupling Facility
    • The consoles environment
    • Console configurations
    • Console names
    • CONSOLnn
    • Command Prefix Facility
    • OSC/ICC
    • DASD
    • Migrating your current configuration files
  • Software Configuration
    • A single image environment
    • Cloned images
    • Cloning support
    • What can and cannot be shared?
    • Configuration controls
    • IPL and the LOAD parm
    • LOADxx placement
    • LOADxx
    • Parmlib concatenation
    • IEASYMnn
    • Defaults
    • System symbols, types and rules
    • Static symbols
    • Dynamic symbols
    • Coding rules for these symbols
    • IEASYSnn concatenation
    • Specifying the system name (&SYSNAME)
    • IEASYSnn
    • SMFPRMnn
    • Setting up dynamic dump datasets
    • A cloned environment - example
    • What if the systems are not clones?
    • A not-quite-cloned environment - example
    • Using multiple symbols instead of multiple IEASYSs
    • Using multiple parmlibs
    • Symbols, started jobs and MSTJCLnn
    • Started jobs?
    • MSTJCLnn
    • The Symbolic Parmlib Parser
    • SYSRES integrity
    • What do we mean by SYSRES
    • Multiple SYSRES volumes
    • Dual master catalogs
    • Continuous availability
    • PROGnn and dynamic exits
    • Dynamic exits
    • PROGnn
    • SMF and dynamic exits
    • Multiple PROGnn members
    • The CSVDYNEX macro
    • Controlling the linklist via PROGnn
    • Rules regarding the linklist
    • Dynamic linklist reconfiguration
    • SETPROG - dynamic linklist and LPA
    • Manipulating the LPA via PROGnn
    • Dynamic SSI services
    • IEFSSNnn
    • JES and the sysplex
  • Setting up the Sysplex
    • Sysplex definitions
    • Sysplex configuration parameters
    • PLEXCFG=
    • COUPLE00
    • CLOCKnn
    • Sysplex Timer setup with 'critical system'
    • IPLing temporarily in ETRLOCAL
    • Multiple timezones in a sysplex
    • Local time, DST and DST changes
    • Multiple time zones implications
    • Sysplex Couple Data Sets
    • Performance issues
    • Migration issues
    • Formatting the sysplex Couple Data Sets
    • XCF groups
    • Couple Data Sets, allocation, and contents
    • What is in the Couple Data Sets?
    • Switching Couple Data Sets between IPLs
    • Other Couple Data Sets
    • Couple Data Set placement
    • Defining the XCF signaling paths
    • Signaling path configurations
    • Not all messages are equal!
    • Transport classes
    • Defining the transport classes
    • Message buffers
    • Defining the message buffers
    • Path reconfiguration
    • RMF: XCF usage by system
    • RMF: XCF usage by member
    • RMF: XCF path statistics
    • GRS
    • A GRS Star complex
    • GRS: Ring or Star considerations
    • Setting up a GRS ring
    • Miscellaneous parmlib changes
    • IBM's Parallel Sysplex
    • Configuration Assistant
  • Coupling Facility Management
    • HCD: defining the CF and CFCs
    • CFCs: Paths vs Subchannels
    • Subchannels
    • SYNCH vs ASYNCH CF requests
    • SMSG - SYNCH or ASYNCH?
    • 'Changed' CF requests
    • CFRM introduction
    • CFRM Policy in a CFRM Couple Data Set
    • Formatting the CFRM Couple Data Sets
    • Creating a CFRM Policy
    • Restricting access to IXCMIAPU
    • Coupling Facilities
    • IXCMIAPU - defining the Coupling Facilities
    • Structure considerations
    • Structure considerations - structure rebuild
    • Different rebuild processes
    • User-managed structure rebuild
    • 'User-Managed'
    • User-managed structure rebuild threshold
    • User-Managed Duplex rebuild
    • Limitations, rules, etc.
    • System-Managed rebuild process
    • Structure duplexing
    • IXCMIAPU - defining the structures
    • Allocating structures - CFRM vs IXLCONN
    • IBM product structures
    • IBM's CF Structure Sizer Tool
    • Activating the Coupling Facility environment
    • Maintaining CFRM Policy status
    • RMF: CF usage - structure summary
    • CF activity - CF Usage Summary - Structure
    • RMF: CF usage - storage & processor summaries
    • RMF: CF Structure Activity - list structures
    • RMF: CF Structure Activity - lock structures
    • RMF: CF Structure Activity - cache structures
    • RMF: CF - Subchannel Activity
  • The System Logger
    • Introduction
    • Who is using it?
    • Coupling Facility logstreams
    • Logstreams and list structures
    • DASD-only logstreams
    • System Logger environment
    • Duplexing Coupling Facility logstreams
    • Duplexing DASD-only logstreams
    • Offloading logstream data to disk
    • Log Data Sets
    • Managing logstream data
    • LOGR Policy in a LOGR Couple Data Set
    • LOGR Couple Data Sets - IXCL1DSU
    • LOGR policy concepts
    • LOGR policy parameters for a Coupling Facility logstream
    • LOGR policy parameters for a DASD-only logstream
    • Activating and updating the LOGR policy
    • System Logger services
    • Accessing logstream data
    • Using the LOGR subsystem
    • Operations log
    • D C,HC
    • SDSF main panel
    • SDSF OPERLOG or SDSF SYSLOG
    • CFRM Policy definitions
    • LOGR Policy definitions
    • D XCF,STR,STRNAME=OPERLOG
    • Introduction to LOGREC
    • DLOGREC
    • LOGREC CFRM Policy definitions
    • LOGR Policy definitions
    • D XCF,STR,STRNAME=LOGREC
    • System- managed duplexing
    • System-managed duplexing LOGR Policy
    • Commands to display the System Logger
  • Exploitation
    • JES2 in a parallel sysplex
    • JES2 MAS statements
    • JES2 XCF
    • JES2 checkpoint reconfiguration
    • JES2 CKPTDEF statement
    • JES2 structure size
    • CFRM Policy definitions
    • JES2 structure - error messages
    • JES2 checkpoint reconfiguration dialog
    • D XCF,STR,STRNAME=JES2CKPT
    • GRS introduction
    • GRS terminology
    • GRS RNLs - no wild cards
    • GRS RNLs - wild cards
    • GRS Ring
    • GRS Star
    • GRS Star processing
    • Sysplex Couple Data Set changes
    • GRS structure size
    • GRS structure CFRM Policy
    • Parmlib changes
    • D GRS
    • D XCF,STR,STRNAME=ISGLOCK
    • RACF in a basic sysplex
    • RACF in a parallel sysplex
    • RACF sysplex communication & datasharing
    • RACF communication
    • RACF data sharing
    • RACF data sharing problems
    • The four sysplex modes
    • The RACF database name table
    • Coupling Facility structures
    • Defining Coupling Facility structures
    • D XCF,STR,STRNAME=IRRXCF00_P001
    • Enhanced Catalog Sharing
    • Catalog sharing process
    • Implementing ECS
    • Catalog definitions using IDCAMS
    • ECS structure - CFRM Policy
    • D XCF,STR,STRNAME=SYSIGGCAS_ECS
    • The MODIFY CATALOG commands
    • F CATALOG,ECSHR(STATUS)
    • VTAM generic resources
  • VIPAs and Sysplex
    • VIPAs: Static VIPA, Dynamic VIPA
    • Virtual IP addressing - a reminder
    • Defining VIPA devices
    • Specifying the source IP address
    • Syntax for INTERFACE -- VIRTUAL interfaces statement
    • Examples of the INTERFACE statement for VIPA
    • IP solutions in a sysplex
    • Communication paths in a sysplex
    • DynamicXCF transport choices
    • IUTSAMEH
    • XCF Groups and their usage
    • Display XCF groups
    • DYNAMICXCF
    • DYNAMICXCF & HiperSockets
    • Dynamic VIPA - introduction
    • Dynamic VIPA takeover
    • Stack-managed DVIPA
    • Non- disruptive dynamic VIPA takeback
    • Application-specific DVIPA
    • IOCTL or Command-Activated DVIPA
    • Dynamic VIPA statements
    • MODDVIPA (EZBXFDVP) utility
    • Dynamic VIPA usage
    • When does the DVIPA move?
    • Load balancing and availability
    • Sysplex Distributor
    • How the Sysplex Distributor works
    • Backup capability
    • Recovery
    • The role of dynamic routing with Sysplex Distributor
    • Sysplex Distributor and policy
    • Sysplex Distributor and MNLB
    • Connection Optimizing DNS
    • Information flow overview
    • DNS weights
    • DNS/WLM registration
    • Starting the DNS serve
    • Distributed VIPA - introduction
    • Distributed VIPA statements
    • Single system IP perspective of the sysplex
    • TCPSTACKSOURCEVIPA/SYSPLEXPORTS
    • CFRM policy example