Overview
This 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 datasharing, the system logger and the exploitation of z/OS components.
Extensive, real-world hands-on practical sessions occur throughout the course.
This course is available 'on demand' (minimum 2 students) for public presentations or for one-company, on-site presentations.
Prerequisites
To gain maximum benefit from this course, students should first attend the course Parallel Sysplex Internals & Fundamentals, or already have a thorough understanding of the principles and mechanics of the parallel sysplex environment.
Delegates will learn how to
- identify the different stages of parallel sysplex implementation, and understand the benefits and implications of implementing each of these stages
- understand the hardware configuration for a parallel sysplex, including the Coupling Facility, CTC and sysplex timer environments
- set up a cloned, multi-system, shared SYSRES environment with appropriate SYS1.PARMLIB parameters (and a suitable backup SYSRES!)
- set up and maintain the controls for the parallel sysplex environment, including the Couple Data Sets, signalling environment, timer, GRS and parmlib member controls
- set up and maintain the CFRM environment
- set up and maintain an SFM environment
- interpret the various RMF reports associated with the sysplex environment
- set up and configure the following exploiters using the CF Sizer tool:
Tape Switching
JES2 Checkpoint
GRS Star
RACF datasharing
SMF
TCP/IP ports and DVIPA
VTAM generics
Enhanced Catalog Sharing
LOGREC
OPERLOG.
Outline
Implementation Stages
Parallel sysplex; Where are you going, and why?; Continuous availability of what?; Workload balancing is essential; So is sysplex data sharing: Configuration is critical; Planning for a full availability sysplex; Stage 1 - the base sysplex; Planning and configuring the base sysplex; Stage 2 - systems management; Single system image courtesy of XCF; Cloned images; Naming conventions; IBM's example naming convention; Collections and Groups; Mixed environments; 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; Enclaves; WLM Application Environments; Workload classification; Workload balancing in reality; Transaction affinities; DASD and data availability; Database availability; Continuous availability - DB applications; Continuous availability - DST; Continuous availability - capacity; GDPS; GDPS configuration.
Hardware Configuration
Configuration considerations; 9037 Sysplex Timer configuration; 9037 Sysplex Timer consoles; Setting the time on the 9037 initially; The 9037, TOD and 9672 BOC; ETR/TOD synchronisation; STP configuration; ESCON/FICON switch concepts and terminology; ESCON/FICON chained switches; ESCON CTCs; CTCs: connections vs paths; CTCS: connections and XCF paths; Switched CTC connections; Shared SCTC connections; Steps involved in setting it up; XCF paths, SCTCs and Operations; Example naming convention; Setting it up - Switch and CHPIDs; Setting it up - adding the SCTC CUs; Setting it up - CU Link information; Setting it up - adding the SCTC devices; Setting it up - primary and alternate paths; Setting iup XCF signalling; Advantages of the naming convention; 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; XCF signalling via the Coupling Facility; The Consoles environment; Console configurations; Console names.
Software Configuration
A single image environment; Cloned images; Cloning support; What can and can't be shared?; Configuration controls; IPL and the LOAD parm; LOADxx placement; LOADxx; Parmlib concatenation; Parmlib concatenation example; IEASYMnn; System symbols, types and rules; IEASYSnn concatenation; Specifying the system name (&SYSNAME); IEASYSnn; SMFPRMnn; Setting up dynamic dump data sets; A cloned environment - example; What if the systems aren't clones?; A not-quite-cloned environment - examples; Symbols, started jobs and MSTJCLnn; The Symbolic Parmlib Parser; SYSRES integrity; Multiple SYSRES volumes; PROGnn and Dynamic Exits; Controlling the Linklist via PROGnn; SETPROG - Dynamic Linklist and LPA; Manipulating the LPA via PROGnn; Dynamic SSI services.
Setting up the Sysplex
Introduction; Sysplex definitions; Sysplex configuration parameters; CLOCKnn; Sysplex Timer setup with 'critical system'; Multiple timezones in a sysplex; Multiple timezones implications; The Sysplex Couple Data Sets; Formatting the Sysplex Couple Data Sets; XCF Groups; Couple Data Sets, allocation and contents; Switching Couple Data Sets; Switching Couple Data Sets between IPLs; Other Couple Data Sets; Couple Data Set placement; Defining the XCF signalling paths; Signalling path configurations; Transport Classes; Defining the Transport Classes; Message Buffers; Defining the Message Buffers; Message Buffers example; Path reconfiguration; RMF: 'XCF Usage by System'; RMF: 'XCF Usage by Member'; RMF: 'XCF Path Statistics'; GRS; GRS: Ring or Star considerations; Setting up a GRS ring; Setting up a GRS star; Miscellaneous Parmlib changes; IBM's Parallel Sysplex Configuration Assistant.
Coupling Facility Management
Introduction; HCD: Defining the CF and CFCs; CFCs: Paths vs Subchannels; Synch vs Asynch CF requests; Synch vs Asynch example; 'Changed' CF requests; CFRM introduction; CFRM Policy in a CFRM Couple Data Set; Formatting the CFRM Couple Data Sets; Creating a CFRM Policy; Coupling Facilities; IXCMIAPU - defining the Coupling Facilities; Structure considerations; Structure considerations - structure rebuild; User-managed structure rebuild; User-managed structure rebuild threshold; User-Managed Duplex Rebuild; System-Managed Rebuild process; System Managed Duplex; 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'; 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 Coupling Facility Online Monitor.
The System Logger
Introduction; 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.
Exploitation
JES2 Checkpoint; GRS; RACF Datasharing; Enhanced Catalog Sharing.
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