This release introduces the zos_started_task module, enabling you to automate the full lifecycle of z/OS started tasks. You can now start, stop, modify, check the status of, and cancel (even forcibly) started tasks directly from your playbooks. Instead of issuing complex TSO commands or operator actions, just specify the desired end 'state' of a started task and a few descriptors such as 'task_name', 'task_id', 'job_name' or 'member_name' for kicking off started tasks or an address space identifier 'asidx' to end them.
Example Playbook Tasks
- name: Start a started task named 'SAMPLE' with JCL contained in member 'PROCAPP.
zos_started_task:
state: "started"
member: "PROCAPP"
job_name: "SAMPLE"
- name: Stop a specific task to stop using its task ID.
zos_started_task:
state: "stopped"
task_id: "STC00087"
- name: Stop ALL started tasks named 'SAMPLE'.
zos_started_task:
state: "stopped"
task_name: "SAMPLE"
🛠️ Enhancements and Bug Fixes
zos_backup_restore
- New module option compress enables PDS compression using hardware compression when available.
- New module option terse enables modifying the behavior of executing an AMATERSE step to compress the temporary data set for the backup.
- Default behavior for space_type is now consistent with documentation: values are interpreted in megabytes rather than bytes.
zos_copy
- Improved error messaging when a target GDG is held by another process.
zos_data_set
- Adds noscratch functionality to the scratch module option so data sets can be uncataloged without being deleted from the volume's VTOC.
- Improved error message for when GDG creation or deletion fails.
zos_job_submit
- Now supports submitting jobs for the system to hold with:
- TYPRUN=JCLHOLD
- TYPRUN=HOLD
zos_mvs_raw
- Adds a new sub-option raw under dd_data_set, allowing MVS programs to define DCB attributes directly rather than requiring the user to specify them.
👀 Sneak Peek: A Look Ahead at ibm_zos_core 2.0.0
Version 1.16.0 is crafted to provide an early preview of the upcoming 2.0.0 release.
Smooth Transition Into 2.0.0
You’ll begin to see new module option names that follow more consistent naming conventions across the collection.
Rest assured, your current playbooks will continue to run with “old” option names in v1.16.0.
However, soon-to-be-deprecated names will generate warnings to help you prepare the transition to 2.0.0.
New module options you can expect (and start using in your playbooks):
zos_apf
- New module option: target will replace data_set_name.
zos_archive
- New module option: adrdssu will replace use_adrdssu.
- New module option: options will replace format_options.
- New module option: type will replace name.
zos_copy
- New module option: binary will replace is_binary.
- New module option: replace will replace force.
zos_fetch
- New module option: binary will replace is_binary.
zos_job_output
- New module option: dd_name will replace ddname.
zos_job_submit
- New module option: wait_time will replace wait_time_s.
zos_mount
- New module option: marker will replace comment.
- New module option: name will replace data_store.
zos_operator
- New module option: wait_time will replace wait_time_s.
zos_unarchive
- New module option: adrdssu will replace use_adrdssu.
- New module option: options will replace format_options.
- New module option: type will replace name.
What to Expect in 2.0
- Interface consistency updates across modules.
- New roles and filters to streamline common automation workflows.
- Full support for ZOAU 1.4.x.
- Continued improvements in module clarity, usability, and stability
More details will be shared soon.
💡We Want Your Feedback
The development team always welcomes and is grateful for your:
- Enhancement ideas and Bug reports: Please create a git issue.
- General feedback:
Your input helps improve the collection with every release.
📚Resources
IBM z/OS core collection on Galaxy
IBM z/OS core collection Repository on GitHub
IBM z/OS core collection on Automation Hub
Red Hat® Ansible Certified Content for IBM Z documentation
IBM Z Open Automation Utilities
🙌Acknowledgments
A huge thank you to our development team—their hard work, dedication, and attention to detail made this release possible.
- Rich Parker
- Oscar Fernando Flores Garcia
- Ivan Alejandro Moreno Soto
- Andre Marcel Gutierrez Benitez
- Surendra Ravella
- Mayank Mani
- Rohitash Goyal