Parallel Sysplex Customisation & Exploitation

Objectives

On successful completion of this course attendees will be able 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.

Who Should Attend

This course is designed for system programmers and support staff involved in setting up, customising and running a parallel sysplex environment.

Prerequisites

To gain maximum benefit from this course, students should first attend the RSM course Parallel Sysplex Internals & Fundamentals, or already have a thorough understanding of the principles and mechanics of the parallel sysplex environment.

ContentsImplementation 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; RACF Datasharing; Enhanced Catalog Sharing; GRS Star; LOGREC; OPERLOG; SMF; VTAM generics; TCP/IP ports & DVIPA; Tape switching.