Previously, users could not use the z/OSMF desktop UI to perform actions on data sets and files of a remote system, only on a local system. Now, remote system support has been added in the Data set and File Search tool so that users can perform data set and z/OS Unix file actions on a remote system in a different sysplex, just as they can on the local system. Users can also compare two sequential data sets, data set members, or files from two different systems. This is designed to help support the management of multiple sysplexes from a single place for efficiency improvements. Additionally, the z/OSMF Desktop editor has added support for syntax highlighting of Python programming language. With the PTF for APAR PH56708, this support is available on z/OS 3.1.
To help customers learn more about their functional exploitation across their enterprise, z/OSMF now has the capability to gather certain product usage information, including system operational data. This information can be stored and used for reporting purposes by the customer. For instance, using this information, a simple report could be written to compare similarities or differences between systems. With the PTF for APAR PH56716, this support is available on z/OS 3.1.
Parmlib Syntax Validation REST APIs
z/OSMF has added new REST APIs to greatly simplify the management of Parmlibs by driving automatic and consistent syntax validation of many z/OS Parmlib members. Users can use their preferred programming language to drive the automatic syntax validation with one API call to identify possible Parmlib syntax errors before using them. This support is designed to reduce risk by avoiding failure caused by syntax error in Parmlib members with little skill or effort requirements. With the PTFs for APARs PH56207 and PH56233, this support is available on z/OS 3.1.
Resource Management Facility (RMF) enhancements
The following support has been added:
- Support for WLM AI Initiator and Implicit CPU protection
- The WLMGL report now includes enhancements incorporating AI technology to improve its internal processing capabilities. The BATCH INITIATOR AI-INFUSED field is introduced in the Service Class report and Service Class Period report, respectively. These enhancements allow WLM to leverage the power of AI to predict regular spikes by analyzing and modeling historically repeating batch workloads, optimizing the system's overall performance.
- Additionally, the Service Class and Service Class Period reports will introduce a new value, CPUI* and CPUI, for the CRITICAL field. This new value is designed to support Implicit CPU protection for systems that process workloads. With Implicit CPU protection, WLM can better manage resource allocation and ensure critical workloads receive the necessary processing power to run smoothly without affecting the overall system's performance.
- IBM RMF for z/OS Grafana plugin
- The IBM RMF for z/OS Grafana plugin enables you to visualize and analyze the performance metrics and reports generated by the RMF Monitor III. With this plugin installed and configured in Grafana, you can gain valuable insights into the performance of your z/OS system and identify potential issues before they become critical. You can install the IBM RMF for z/OS plugin in Grafana and configure it to work with your system by creating a Datasource connection to a DDS. You can then explore the RMF Monitor III metrics and reports. This allows you to visualize and analyze the data in various ways, including charts, graphs, and tables.
With the PTF for APAR OA66145, all of the above support is available on z/OS 3.1.
z/OS Encryption Readiness Technology (zERT) enhancements
zERT has been updated to recognize and report new SSH cryptographic attributes. zERT now supports the following new SSH key exchange methods:
- gss-group14-sha256-
- gss-group16-sha512-
- gss-curve25519-sha256-
- gss-nistp256-sha256-
zERT also now supports the following new SSH key types:
With the PTF for TCP/IP APAR PH58110, this support is available on z/OS 3.1. With the PTF for the IBM zERT Network Analyzer APAR PH58105, the network analyzer is updated to recognize and display the above values on z/OS 3.1.
zERT policy-based enforcement is also updated to allow specification of the new key exchange methods on zERT SSH rules. With the PTF for the IBM Network Configuration Assistant for z/OS Communications Server APAR PH57412, the configuration assistant panels for configuring zERT enforcement rules are updated with the new key exchange methods on z/OS 3.1
ICSF support
ICSF Support for CCA Releases 7.5 and 8.2 provide additional flexibility for quantum safe key exchange with additional CRYSTALS-Kyber keys, creates a new callable service CSNBMMS “Multi Mac Scheme” in support of the evolving German Banking Industry Committee standards, and implements the CKM-RAKW algorithm for RSA import operations. With the PTF for APAR OA64883, this support is available on z/OS V2.4 or later.
In addition, ICSF will now exploit an EP11 Crypto Express Coprocessor (CEXxP) configured to run in FIPS 2021 or FIPS 2024 mode. With the PTFs for APARs OA65205 and OA65206, this support is available on z/OS V2.4 or later.
New z/OS UNIX callable service for RACF Identity Tokens
A new z/OS UNIX callable service has been provided to allow applications to authenticate using User ID, Password or Passphrase, or a signed or unsigned Identity Token against the security database. This service addresses the needs of new authentication methods being adopted by the industry. With the PTFs for APARs OA64356 and PH55271, this support is available on z/OS V2.4 or later.
Thread-safe zlib compression
Users of z/OS provided zlib can choose to use compression accelerators or not. To make zlib usage more flexible to users in multi-threads environment, this new feature is designed to let the user specify the compression method for each thread, in a way that does not affect other threads. For example, if the user enabled the new feature by creating TSD key hzc_compression_method before creating threads and specified a string "software" or "hardware" to the key in threads, zlib will check the TSD value in each thread and ignore the environmental variable _HZC_COMPRESSION_METHOD. With the PTF for APAR OA65661, this support is available on z/OS V2.5 or later.
Ordered Index support for EzNoSQL
EzNoSQL provides a comprehensive set of C and Java-based APIs designed to easily create and access JSON databases on z/OS that can be shared from multiple application instances running on different systems in a parallel sysplex environment. This enhancement provides the ability to scan NoSQL documents sequentially using a new ordered index parameter on the C and Java EzNoSQL create APIs. To migrate from an existing unordered index database to an ordered index database, or vice versa, use IDCAMS REPRO. This enhancement is also available for VSAMDB databases with a new ordered index DEFINE CLUSTER parameter. With the PTF for APAR OA64954, this support is available on z/OS V2.5 or later.
To learn more and view the updated API reference documentation for both C and Java, visit the EzNoSQL for z/OS content solution web page.
Data Set File System enhancements
Support has been added to enhance the capabilities of the new data set file system by representing data set characteristics as extended attributes. Additional enhancements allow z/OS UNIX users direct access to their jobs on the JES spool. IBM has also provided support to allow users to handle migrated data sets. With the PTFs for APARs OA63902 and OA65560, this support is available on z/OS V2.5 or later.
zFS Health Check and Conversion utility
IBM has provided two zFS health checks that allow system programmers and storage administrators the ability to optimally tune their z/OS UNIX file system and to configure them to prevent outages and failures. In addition, a new conversion utility is being provided to help customers migrate their zFS directories from v4 to v5, which provides better performance characteristics. With the PTF for APAR OA63911, this support is available on z/OS V2.5 or later.
Cloud Data Access (CDA) enhancements to support Microsoft Azure
CDA is enhanced to allow CDA APIs to successfully authenticate with Microsoft Azure Blob Storage, and perform GDKGET, GDKWRITE, GDKDEL, and GDKLIST actions on objects in Azure Blob Storage. This support already shipped with z/OS 3.1, and with the PTF for APAR OA65925, is now available on z/OS V2.5.
DFSMShsm Incremental Unix file backup
A new -i option is added to the Java hbackup command for incremental UNIX file backup allowing clients to specify which DFSMShsm host should receive the request. Distributing large file backups across multiple DFSMShsm hosts in a single LPAR is intended to better balance the backup workload and improve performance. With the PTF for APAR OA65319, this support is available on z/OS V2.5 or later.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Have a question or comment on the announced content above? Leave a comment down below!
Additional Resources