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As announced in Software Announcement 222-091, IBM is delivering Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform support available on IBM z/OS with zCX. zCX for OpenShift enables the deployment and management of any open source and Linux on Z application in a self-containers Red Hat OpenShift cluster within the z/OS environment, without requiring a separately provisioned and managed Linux server.  Co-location with zCX Foundation for Red Hat OpenShift offers advantages and enables operational control and exploitation of z/OS platform benefits and z/OS QoS (such as scalability, availability, integrated disaster recovery with GDPS, workload manger, z/OS pervasive encryption).

Learn more and get started by visiting the zCX for OpenShift content solutions page.

Infoprint Server is an optional, separately priced feature of z/OS that uses z/OS UNIX System Services and is the basis for a total print serving solution for the z/OS environment.

 Added support for Infoprint Server includes support for data sets located on Extended Address Volumes (EAVs). This feature is available on z/OS V2.4 with the PTF for APAR OA62290, and on z/OS V2.5 with the PTF for APAR OA61742. Additional Sendmail attributed have been added that provide an option for removing the sender’s userid@domainname or replacing it with a user-supplied address. The reply address may also be set with a user-supplied address. With the PTF for APAR OA62221, this function is available on z/OS V2.5.

z/OS provides a new System Authorization Facility (SAF) resource to control which z/OS users are permitted to use the z/OS FTP server's JES operating mode. By defining a SAF SERVAUTH class profile for the EZB.FTP.sysname.ftpdaemonname.ACCESS.JES resource, clients can control which z/OS user IDs or groups are permitted to enter the FILETYPE=JES operating mode. With the PTF for APAR PH42618, this function is available on z/OS V2.3 and later.

IBM z/OSMF provides a framework for managing various aspects of a z/OS system through a task-oriented web browser interface. As the modernization platform of z/OS management, z/OSMF continues to deliver enhanced and new functions with z/OS V2.5 in order to enable higher efficiency, lower skill requirements, and provide more industry-popular interfaces to drive z/OS operations. The following z/OSMF enhancements have been delivered in 1Q 2022:

o   SCA Validation REST API

z/OSMF Security Configuration Assistant is enhanced to provide REST API to automatically validate JSON based security requirements. With the PTFs for APAR PH41248, this function is available on z/OS V2.4 and later.

o   Policy-based archived workflow management

z/OSMF workflow is enhanced to support automatically archiving workflows to a user- specified path based on a predefined policy. This allows for workflows to be managed more efficiently and with greater flexibility. With the PTFs for APAR PH39153, this function is available on z/OS V2.4 and late

 

o   z/OSMF data set and file comparison and retrieving single system variable

z/OSMF adds the powerful built-in ability to compare two files (datasets, PDS members, filesystem files) from the z/OSMF desktop. The result is a side-by-side comparison to visualize the differences denoted by a different color with the ability to edit the corresponding files if permitted. With the PTFs for APAR PH39605, this function is available on z/OS V2.4 and later

 

o   Incident Log Problem Documentation Upload Utility (PDUU) HTTPS support

The z/OSMF Incident Log is enhanced to support using HTTPS protocol for PDUU transmission of diagnostic data. This helps ensure a more secure and compliant transmission. With the PTFs for APAR PH39848, this function is available on z/OS V2.4 and later.

 

o   REST API to retrieve SYSLOG

A new REST API supports retrieving SYSLOG based on timestamp so users can use their favorite programming language to analyze or save the system log for an even more modern management experience. With the PTFs for APAR PH38968, this function is available on z/OS V2.4 and later.

 

o   z/OS Symbol REST API (Active value only)

A new REST API supports retrieving the current value of z/OS symbols so users can easily resolve z/OS symbols. With the PTFs for APAR PH41196, this function is available on z/OS V2.4 and later. 

z/OS BCPii Base Control Program internal interface (BCPii) is the primary automation interface for managing System Z hardware/ firmware and provides a powerful way for z/OS applications to automate and control the hardware operations in multiple languages.

z/OS BCPii now delivers support through HWIREST AP,  that allows TSO/E REXX and ISV REXX applications the ability to issue commands previously not permitted for those environments, including the ability to activate and load LPARs, issue requests to the console, and more. This support is available on z/OS V2.4 and z/OS V2.5 with the corresponding PTFs for APAR OA61976 with additional hardware requirements.

A new event in Runtime Diagnostics will quickly detect if a SLIP PER trap is active on a system and deliver diagnostic data designed to enable troubleshooting of system performance problems, limit business impact, and potentially prevent an outage for increased resilience. With the PTFs for APAR OA62274, this function is available on z/OS V2.3 and later.

As IBM continues to provide a suite of robust tools to help system programmers manage z/OS, IBM intends to offer a new priced feature of z/OS V2.5, IBM z/OS Change Tracker. This feature is a comprehensive configuration change management tool for tracking, controlling, and managing software changes.

IBM intends to provide clients a system integrity monitor for z/OS that is designed to continuously monitor authorized code, including IBM and non-IBM products with privileged program calls or supervisor calls on production systems, and report on potentially vulnerable code.