IBM z/OS Management Facility (z/OSMF)

IBM z/OSMF

IBM z/OSMF

The IBM z/OS Management Facility framework improves programmer productivity by using simplified, streamlined and automated tasks. This easier-to-use functionality reduces both programmer training time and the learning curve.

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z/OS 3.1 upgrade workflow

  • 1.  z/OS 3.1 upgrade workflow

    Posted Thu March 07, 2024 05:04 PM

    First time z/OS installer here (using z/OSMF).

    Is there an action item in the Deployment Checklist workflows (yourorder, postdeployment, verify) that directs installer when/from where to download the upgrade workflow?

    I was told it has to be downloaded but i didn't see anything in the Deployment workflows.  Did i miss it?

    Thanks.



    ------------------------------
    Gladys Behnke
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: z/OS 3.1 upgrade workflow

    Posted Fri March 08, 2024 09:11 AM

    Hello Gladys,

    Excellent question!  I realized that we haven't got good documentation on when you use the z/OS Upgrade Workflow in conjunction with the z/OSMF ServerPac workflows.  

    The recommended order of events would be:

    1. z/OS Upgrade Workflow, steps in the beginning in the category of "before install", which you can do on your v2.4 or v2.5 system now.
    2. The Serverpac PostDeploy workflow
    3. The z/OS Upgrade Workflow, steps in the category of "before first ipl".
    4. Ipl
    5. The Serverpac Verify workflow.
    6. The z/OS Upgrade Workflow, steps in the category of "post first ipl.

    I'll be working on making this clearernin our documentation. 



    ------------------------------
    Marna Walle
    z/OS Installation and Upgrade
    IBM Poughkeepsie
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: z/OS 3.1 upgrade workflow

    Posted Fri March 08, 2024 10:11 AM

    Hello Marna,

    Thank you!

    Please consider also adding a link in the documentation for the download page of the z/OS Upgrade Workload.

    Thanks.



    ------------------------------
    Gladys Behnke
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: z/OS 3.1 upgrade workflow

    Posted Fri March 15, 2024 09:52 AM

    Not about 3.1 but 2.5 .... I find the ServerPac POSTDEPLOY workflow hard to use, It appears aimed mostly at a customer installing z/OS for the first time and it's hard to unpick what you need to do if you already have a running z/OS. There are lots of steps labelled 'Optional' but it's not clear when you would run them. I feel the ServerPac deployment should ask whether you want to deploy and configure a new z/OS, or deploy the Serverpac for an existing z/OS image. Then the POSTDEPLOY workflow should be tailored accordingly. And if there remain steps which are truly 'optional' the step should contain some notes (or a link to doc) which would help you understand the curcumstances when the step is needed.
    Also, I believe in theory Serverpac should tailor the IFAPRD00 in CPAC.PARMLIB according to your order (at least that is what is claimed in the comments in the CPAC.PARMLIB(IFAPRD00)) but our's was missing entries for zSecure which was part of our z/OS 2.5 order.
    Then the POSTDEPLOY appears to lack any step to tell you to replace or merge that IFAPRD00 with your system's current version.
    Definitely some scope to make this more 'joined-up'.



    ------------------------------
    Kevin Senior
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: z/OS 3.1 upgrade workflow

    Posted Fri March 15, 2024 05:19 PM
    Edited by Marna Walle Tue March 26, 2024 01:24 PM

    |  Note on 3/26/2024:  Wrote a more in-depth blog on this topic:  https://www.marnasmusings.com/2024/03/surfing-flows.html  We'll be looking at providing this in more formal documentation in a future book refresh.  

    Kevin,

    Thanks for the feedback!  If you are finding it confusing, then we need to improve it.   

    We do try to cover both brand new systems, and existing systems with the same Post Deploy Workflow - which does bring some complications.  We've tried to cover both sides, by asking in the first step (Collect Configuration Options) which path you are on, and then from there, you'll see steps either Skipped (because you are an existing upgrading customer), or Ready (if you are building a fresh new system).  "Optional" in the title is meant to indicate those steps that would be not necessary for the existing user to perform, but they could if they wanted to  - for instance set up Health Checker if they didn't have on their existing system.  Hopefully reading the General tab for these Optional steps helps, but as you mention, we need to do a better job at documenting it there. what is going on.  

    fyi - just because a step is skipped doesn't mean you can't perform it.  So if you answered that you were just upgrading, you still could run an Optional step if you wished.   Tip:  click on the little blue "i" to get more details on the drop down for the Installation Type choices.

     This is what you'd see for that section in PostDeploy, under Installation Type.  You'd select "Create new operational..." if you wanted to Ready the steps that create new operational data sets (Optional steps):

    You'd select "Use existing operational..." if you wanted to Skip the steps that create new operational data sets (Optional steps):
    Then your subsequent Workflow steps will be Ready or Skipped accordingly, with Optional always being the title of the step that isn't necessary to run.  
    Now, for your IFAPRD00 CPAC.PARMLIB values not correctly representing what you ordered on Shopz.  That sounds like a defect, so please open a Case so we can fix that.  You should expect that your CPAC.PARMLIB(IFAPRD00) has the accurate values.  As to the step about concatenating other IFAPRDxx's that you have, yes.  We can improve that my improving the words in both the PostDeploy workflow Likely on the General tab on the "IPLing the System" step, where it only has:  

    Also, you must ensure that all operational data sets needed to IPL, run batch jobs, and use TSO/E, exist on the target system before you IPL the target system. These operational data sets include but are not limited to:

    • A complete set of the necessary system control files (such as PARMLIB and VTAMLST)
    • ...

    This is probably something that can be easily overlooked, so we'll think of how to improve that wording.  And, also, this would be something we could also strengthen in the z/OS Upgrade Workflow as well, where PARMLIB is generally discussed about bringing forward.

    Please -- if you find more places where we need to improve the descriptions or provide more help - let us know.    We value this feedback!



    ------------------------------
    Marna Walle
    z/OS Installation and Upgrade
    IBM Poughkeepsie
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: z/OS 3.1 upgrade workflow

    Posted Mon March 18, 2024 05:01 PM

    I have added the z/OS 3.1 upgrade workflow (from z/OS 2.5) .

    The first action is "Discover z/OS features in use" and in its General tab, it says - In this step, you execute a JCL job to generate an output property file that will reflect the current status of a priced feature on your system. 
    Where's the JCL?   The Perform tab is not selectable. 



    ------------------------------
    Gladys Behnke
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: z/OS 3.1 upgrade workflow

    Posted Mon March 18, 2024 05:03 PM

    Did you assign the step to yourself?  I believe you cannot perform a step unless it is assigned to you.



    ------------------------------
    Kurt Quackenbush
    IBM, z/OS SMP/E and z/OSMF Software Management
    kurtq@us.ibm.com
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: z/OS 3.1 upgrade workflow

    Posted Mon March 18, 2024 05:08 PM

    Earlier, when i first reviewed the workflow action items, nobody was assigned to anything and i thought that might be the case - that somebody has to be assigned for the Perform tab to be selectable. 

    So i requested for the assignment and the task is now assigned to me.

    I refreshed the workflows and Perform is still not selectable.



    ------------------------------
    Gladys Behnke
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: z/OS 3.1 upgrade workflow

    Posted Mon March 18, 2024 05:11 PM

    Same case with Step 3. Discover what APAR(PTFS)s are installed to allow for possible skipping of step(s) -  no Perform tab/no JCL.



    ------------------------------
    Gladys Behnke
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: z/OS 3.1 upgrade workflow

    Posted Mon March 18, 2024 06:38 PM

    Hi Gladys,

    It sounds like you haven't Accepted the step yet.  If the Perform tab is grayed out, it likely means it hasn't been assigned and accepted by you yet.  If this is your Workflow instance, it might be easiest for you to re-create the Workflow instance and this time, remember to select on the creation the option to assign and accept all steps to the owner (you). It can be found here.  (Or you could select all steps, assign all steps, and then accept all steps...your choice!) :



    ------------------------------
    Marna Walle
    z/OS Installation and Upgrade
    IBM Poughkeepsie
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 11.  RE: z/OS 3.1 upgrade workflow

    Posted Tue March 19, 2024 03:38 AM

    After the original owner has assigned a step to your userid or to a group your userid is connected to, you must then select the step and choose Actions > Assignment and Ownership > Take ownership.



    ------------------------------
    Kevin Senior
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 12.  RE: z/OS 3.1 upgrade workflow

    Posted Tue March 19, 2024 09:00 AM
    Edited by Marna Walle Wed March 20, 2024 10:50 AM

    ||  Updated on 3/20/2024 after learning more from the z/OSMF Workflow owner. (Thanks, Li Qi!!)

    Hi Kevin,

    I'm a little confused, as to whether Gladys wanted to be an owner or just perform the step. 

    You don't need to be an owner to Perform a step.  You just need to have it assigned to you (and then you've Accepted it).

    You can see in Workflows that there are two columns in which the users can be same or different:  Owner and Assignees.  

    || Per our current design, only the step owner can perform the step.  The assignees are the potential users of the step, the assignees can view the general information and the status of the step, but they cannot perform the step. When one of the assignees accepts or takes ownership of the step, the assignee will become the step owner. Assignees can be a group id, but the step owner must be a user id. One step can only have one step owner.


    ------------------------------
    Marna Walle
    z/OS Installation and Upgrade
    IBM Poughkeepsie
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 13.  RE: z/OS 3.1 upgrade workflow

    Posted Tue March 19, 2024 10:57 AM

    I re-created the Upgrade Workflow and made sure that the box to "Assign all steps to owner user ID" was checked this time (I missed that the first time I created the workflow).

    I can now see the Perform tab.

    Playing around with these 2 workflows I created, I finally saw where the "Accept" option was.  I got confused because I was initially looking for it under the "Assignment and Ownership" option.

    It was also confusing that in the workflow list, I was listed as the owner but that ownership did not propagate to the workflow steps/tasks.  There's no option to assign the ownership to another userid when creating the workflow so why not make it a default? 

    And you become the owner of the task when you Accept (or Take ownership of)  the assignment so really, you have to be the Owner to perform the task.

    It's still not clear when I should "Accept" or "Take ownership" - will need to play around more with assignments to understand this.

    As you can see, there's still a lot of confusion but I'm learning.

    Thank you for answering my questions!



    ------------------------------
    Gladys Behnke
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


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