While IBM has recently announced a Preview of z/OS 3.1, the z/OS V2.5 continuous delivery (CD) model continues!
The z/OS V2.5 1Q 2023 CD announcement contains new key features and functional enhancements to help extend the capabilities of z/OS V2.5. Learn more below and read the full announce for more details.
--------------------- What’s new ---------------------
z/OS Authorized Code Scanner and Monitor
z/OS Authorized Code Scanner, the optional priced feature, has extended its scanning ability to include the AC(1) code found in MVS data sets and USS files in order to provide greater coverage in development/ test system for potential vulnerabilities for remediation as needed.
In addition to this, the new z/OS Authorized Code Monitor is now available as an optional, priced nondisruptive tool for production systems. It examines ABENDs from z/OS recovery processing and reports on potential vulnerabilities found for remediation as needed. With the PTF for APAR OA62556, this support is available on z/OS V2.5.
View the z/OS Authorized Code Scanner and Monitor Solutions Brief to learn more.
z/OS Management Services Catalog enhancements
z/OS Management Services Catalog allows z/OS management processes to be translated into modern services so that system programmers can independently complete tasks simply and with fewer errors.
The new enhancements of z/OS Management Services Catalog are designed to provide numerous improvements to the user experience flow in order to help z/OS system programmers create and manage their services:
Service creation enhancements:
-
- System programmers can now import/export services from one system to another.
- System programmers can now preview a service without having to test it.
- Use a window browser to select the workflow definition file instead of typing in the full file path.
- Numerous user interface functions to improve the page header layouts for an enhanced visual experience.
Service management enhancements:
-
- The category of a published service can now be changed from the administration table.
- Support for calling secondary workflows from a service.
- System programmers can select and move multiple inputs at once within the builder.
- Enhancements in Workflow Editor to preserve the XML fragments when workflow containing fragments is edited with Workflow Editor.
New sample services:
Services, are built using z/OSMF Workflows technology ,can help users streamline repetitive, frequent tasks as well as complex, infrequent tasks. z/OS Management Services Catalog has delivered the following new sample services to help system programmers accomplish their z/OS management tasks:
-
- Rename a zFS data set.
- List the attributes of a User ID.
With the PTF for APAR PH48733, this support is available on z/OS V2.5.
To learn more about z/OS Management Services Catalog, including instructions on how to get started, view the z/OS Management Services Catalog content solution page.
z/OSMF
z/OSMF continues to deliver new and enhanced functions designed to enable higher efficiency and easier management and configuration of z/OS. The following z/OSMF enhancements have been delivered:
- The Security Configuration Assistant (SCA) plug-in now allow authorized users to verify or fix the security configuration of products interested in onboarding SCA, such as System Display and Search Facility (SDSF), with just a few clicks, even though there are hundreds of security configurations involved. With the PTF for APAR PH48846, this support is available on z/OS V2.5.
- z/OSMF Workflow is enhanced with new support for signed Workflow steps, which ia designed to allow more secure Workflow automation, even when Workflow steps need to be executed under different users' credentials. With the PTF for APAR PH43962, this support is available on z/OS V2.5.
Learn more about z/OSMF by visiting the z/OSMF One Stop Hub.
GIMZIP package signing and verification in z/OS SMP/E and z/OSMF Software Management
z/OS SMP/E and z/OSMF Software Management now provide the capability to digitally sign and verify the signature of GIMZIP packages of software that may be delivered both electronically and physically on all supported z/OS releases to ensure nonrepudiation and authenticity. IBM intends to sign the following software packages to allow clients more secure coverage for z/OS software deliverables:
- z/OSMF ServerPac, also known as z/OSMF portable software instances
- CBPDO
- Electronic Shopz PTF orders
- SMP/E RECEIVE ORDER PTFs and HOLDDATA
With the PTF for APAR IO28360, this support is available on z/OS V2.4 or later.
zCX for OpenShift shared persistent storage support
IBM Storage Fusion, also known as Spectrum Fusion™, provides highly scalable, resilient, enterprise-grade, persistent data-storage options leveraging IBM Storage Fusion Data Foundation, formerly OpenShift Data Foundation. It is now supported in zCX Foundation for Red Hat® OpenShift to provide container-native enterprise data services for cloud-native applications deployed on zCX for OpenShift Container Platform. Clients that are licensed to deploy and use IBM Storage Fusion (5900-AOY) today can now enjoy the benefits of enterprise-grade data storage and protection services on IBM zCX for OpenShift running on z/OS.
New capabilities for 31-bit/64-bit interoperability environment
z/OS Language Environment® new callable services CEEMICT/__le_ceemict() are introduced for high-level language applications such as COBOL, PL/I, Java™, and so on to determine whether they are running in the 31-bit/64-bit interoperability environment. With the PTF for APAR PH45216, this support is available on z/OS V2.4 and later.
RMM CONFIRMMOVE enhancements
DFSMSrmm, the optional priced feature, now has the ability to issue a CHANGEVOLUME CONFIRMMOVE command to a stacked volume managed by the TS7700. This new function allows stacked volumes that have been reinserted into a library to have an accurate location in the RMM CDS. This function also allows for a specified number of TS7700 backups (or copy exports) to be kept offsite and then moved back to the library using a volume VRS. With the PTF for APAR OA63639, this support is available on z/OS V2.4 or later.
z/OS Workload Interaction Navigator Inspector support
z/OS Workload Interaction Correlator support for z/OS Workload Interaction Navigator Inspector is designed to enable subject matter experts to proactively identify workload anomalies so they have an opportunity to diagnose and address these anomalies before workload impacts, critical situations, and outages occur. Correlator enables Inspector analysis over the last eight weeks to transform activity anomalies with context into anomaly signatures and correlate and prioritize them based on workload resilience risk. With the PTF for APAR OA63624, this support is available on z/OS 2.3 or later.
Visit the z/OS Workload Interaction Navigator product page to learn more.
Additional resources:
z/OS homepage
Full 1Q 2023 Enhancements Announcement
Past z/OS announcements
z/OS Documentation