by Stephen Viola, HCL

With Workload Automation some preparation is needed – installing HIPER maintenance, migrating off of releases that are going out of support (8.6 – April 30, 2018!!) , keeping up with the latest SPE fixes, etc.   Since Cy’s Corner 90, SPE 9307 became available and another SPE is planned for late 2017 ( more on this in Cy’s Corner 92 in December).   More about SPE 9307 later – I’ll put it at the end so those not using DWC can skip it.

The next big event is z/OS 2.3 which will be released September 29, 2017. So far there are no new APARs needed for TWSz or IWSz to be compatible with z/OS 2.3 but if you are still on z/OS 2.1 take note of the following APARs which were z/OS 2.2 specific:

• PI47502 – Z/OS 2.2 COMPATIBILITY – all releases of TWSz/IWSz
• PI58751 – only for TWS for Applications (“EEWSERVE”)
• PI69440 – only for WAPL (IWSz 9.3)

There should be a technote published soon regarding SOE and z/OS 2.2 and migration from SOE to WAPL – also check Dean Harrison’s “Tales from Across the Pond” newsletter.

For those using System Automation SA/390 note that there is a compatibility APAR for z/OS 2.3 (OA53633) and for the new SAzOS 4.1 release there is an OPEN APAR OA53864 for an abend in TWSz exit7 (EVJUX007).

There are a large number of new blogs. Here are a few of the titles:

• zCentric – Agent Password
• Analyzing Dynamic Agent Job Scheduling Internal Status
• How to protect actions and command in Workload Scheduler for z/OS
• DevOps scenario to deploy applications to another z/OS environment
• Logging extended-auditing information to record updates to the database
• It’s not just an extreme makeover! Revamped User Experience for Workload Scheduler Graphical Views
• Can your Workload Agent be ready Whenever, Wherever? Yes, it can…with Docker!

Important new technotes:

• # 2007704 SYSTSPRT DD must be added to server JCL if PI79321 is deployed (see discussion on SPE 9307 below)
• # 2007204 PTFs available for   PI85651

I mentioned HIPER maintenance earlier and here are the new ones since June 16 for 9.3:

UI49975 – APAR PI85368: WHEN OPSUMWS IS CODED IN JTOPTS AFTER APPLYING PI80105, ABEND  0C4 OCCURS.

UI47986 – APAR PI81820: ABEND S0C7 WHEN ADDING OCCURRENCE VIA PIF PROVIDING AD WITH APPL DEPENDENCIES

UI48892 – APAR= PI82890: ABEND S0C4 IN DP BATCH WHEN LOOP IS DETECTED

UI49743 – APAR= PI85651: OVERLAY OF BSAM ICQE CONTROL BLOCK WHEN USING DWC WORKLOAD DESIGNER FUNCTION FOR JOBLIB SEARCH

This last APAR PI85651 has a PTF for all releases, and APAR PI47702 was set PE . The PTFs for the older releases are:

•      8.6 – UI49740
• 9.1 – UI49741
• 9.2 – UI49742

Before discussing the SPE 9307 fixes, there are a few RFEs (requests for enhancement) that I have added recently – vote for these if they are of interest to you:

• ID: 107984: Performance impacts when using VSAM SHR(2) for CP files and heavy PIF processing is done
• ID: 109691: IWSz needs support for Java V8 higher than FP10 (for DB2 historical reporting)
• ID: 109694: S0C4 abends in EQQZHTCL very difficult to DIAGNOSE and resolve (includes using DATASPACE for trace info and having an RMID for C code modules)

SPE 9307

The rest of this newsletter will cover the June SPE for IWSz 9.3 which consists of these APARs:

• PI80105 DWC DASHBOARD FILTER ENABLEMENT: This APAR provides support for DWC Dashboard filtering. This function enables you to customize dashboards: search filters by job name, job stream name,job stream owner and   workstation name have been added.  It fixes also a problem in plan view   DWC queries occurring when IA times are used as filters.  There is also as mentioned earlier a related HIPER APAR PI85368 that is needed if PI80105 is applied.
• PI79321 DEVOPS SCENARIOS SUPPORT

One of the PTFs for PI79321 (UI48342) is the first one in a long while to have a dependency hold for ANOTHER product:

DEPENDENCY: To use the functions supplied with this APAR by using the DWC, you are required to install the DWC 9.4 Fix Pack 1. So to get the PTF installed, whether you intend to use the functionality or not, you will need to bypass the SMPE “DEP” hold .

There are also a number of ACTION HOLDS:

UI48340:

ACTION:  Run the following actions:

    1. Run step 1 of EQQJOBS to customize the sample:

EQQICNVS

    2. Run step 2 of EQQJOBS to customize the new skeletons:

   EQQDEVOZ

   EQQDEVIZ

   EQQDEVGZ

      3. Run step 4 of EQQJOBS to customize the new samples:

   EQQYXJPL

   EQQYXJPX

4. Each IWS for zOS dialog user needs to perform a Profile Reinit (0.0) on the first logon to IWSz after PTF application in order to properly run this enhancement.

5. Run EQQWPLCO to rename the WAPL maps so that they can be invoked by WAPL code.

6. Documentation has been updated and it is located in the EQQPDFDE file. To access the doc changes, receive the EQQPDFDE file from the SEQQMISC library by using the binary transfer type (F 80). The file extension of the file after you have restored  it on your PC file must be .pdf

There was a “refresh” of the IWSz 9.3 manuals on the download site as part of this SPE.  Links to the manuals. The controller needs to be cycled after applying these PTFs. Trackers do NOT need to be cycled. If you have an SERVER tasks that are not started/stopped by the controller (SERVERS parameter) you would need to cycle these as well.

The necessary fix pack 1 for DWC 9.4 is available on FIX CENTRAL:

From here, you select the operating system you want , and browse for any fixes (I chose LINUX for this example) and then browsing for any fixes and you will find the 9.4 DWC FP0001 code and readme file.

One other note – this is covered in FLASH 2007704- If the PTFs for PI79321 are installed an attempt to to download an application from the DWC can fail if the IWSz SERVER JCL for the server connected to the DWC does not contain the following DD statement::

//SYSTSPRT DD SYSOUT=*

This will be corrected by an APAR but go ahead and make this addition to the SERVER JCL that is connected to the zconnector/DWC.

Finally- in case you missed it at the ASAP conference there was a good presentation Tuesday about DWC and IWSz that mentioned the changes covered by this SPE – so review the presentation before you implemented this maintenance:

AU17 B701 – Dynamic Workload Console for IBM Workload Scheduler for z/OS

Have a great fall/autumn!

Steve

Stephen Viola
L2 Support IBM Workload Scheduler for z/OS
HCL

© ASAP University 2017 - Reprinted with permission from @ASAPUniversity