IBM z/OS 3.1 was announced on August 8th, 2023 and made generally available September 29th, 2023. z/OS 3.1 intends to follow the traditional z/OS continuous delivery (CD) model by delivering new features and enhanced capabilities quarterly, which is intended to avoid the effort of a full release upgrade with no impact to stability, complexity or costs. The following enhancements have been delivered for z/OS 3.1 in 2Q 2024.
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Overview:
z/OS System Programmers can benefit from enhancements that allow z/OS management tasks to be performed via modern and consistent graphical interfaces and tooling. These enhancements are designed to reduce the manual steps and skills required to perform management tasks such as software installations and data monitoring and visualizations.
- z/OS Change Tracker- Compare resources enhancement
- z/OS Change Tracker has added the ability to visually compare data sets and volumes against one another via its z/OSMF interface and view their comparison summaries. The graphical results are designed for users to quickly be able to find member-level changes, additions, and deletions within their customized comparisons
- z/OS Resource Measurement Facility (RMF) enhancements
- The PAGING Postprocessor Report has been enhanced to include Dedicated Memory metrics.
- z/OSMF Software Update enhancements
- z/OSMF Software Update has been enhanced to display a list of received PTFs and a list of source IDs associated with received PTFs, both from which a user can select one or more for installation. In addition, a new REST API to query data stored in SMPCSI data sets has been introduced.
- z/OSMF AI Control Interface (AICI)- Simulation Visualization enhancements
- The z/OSMF AI Control Interface task has been enhanced to introduce data visualization to compare the number of active batch initiators managed by WLM to the initiators predicted by AI in simulation mode.
- z/OSMF WLM support for z/OS Container
- New support to the z/OSMF WLM task now allows it to be used to setup performance goals for z/OS Container workloads.
z/OS infrastructure architects and storage administrators can utilize the following enhancements, designed to better manage the growth of data and eliminate impactful data constraints and complexities.
- Java Interlanguage Batch framework support
- A new framework to establish Db2 connection sharing between COBOL and Java batch applications is now available.
- DFSMShsm enhancement- Multiple endpoints for TCT TS7700
- DFSMShsm enhancements provide the ability to configure multiple endpoints for both production and disaster recovery regions that will automatically fail over to one or more of the configured endpoints in the event of network outages.
- New IBM Open XL C/C++ 2.1 compiler
- This new release adds 32-bit non-XPLINK and XPLINK compilation modes, z/OS batch support, and additional features to expand C/C++ development capabilities on z/OS.
In addition, new bypassable requisites are available to acceleration application modernization with open source technologies.
- New no-charge products included with z/OS order
- Open Enterprise SDK for Python, IBM Z Open Automation Utilities (ZOAU), and IBM Open Enterprise Foundation for z/OS will be available as bypassable requisites for z/OS 3.1.
Description:
z/OS Change Tracker 'Compare Resources' enhancement
IBM z/OS Change Tracker, an optional priced feature, is a comprehensive configuration change management tool for tracking, controlling, and managing changes in software libraries and configuration data. With its advanced tooling, z/OS Change Tracker delivers real-time, system-wide change tracking and control, automatic versioning of identified data sets, and roll-back capabilities for planned or unplanned updates for data protection, data recovery, and audit support.
z/OS Change Tracker has added the ability to visually compare data sets and volumes against one another via its z/OSMF interface and view their comparison summaries, which has been designed for users to quickly be able to find member-level changes, additions, and deletions within their customized comparisons. These comparisons are simple to create and run and can be saved and re-run at any point in the future, which is helpful for periodic comparisons between test and production environments, for example. The optional use of data set name mapping allows you to map data set names to one another across the selected volumes, so you can get accurate results despite the data set names being different. Once complete, the comparison results are displayed in a consumable summary page with filter, sort, and export capabilities, as shown below. Users can also export a copy of the comparison results to their local system, as well as save the comparison attributes within the interface to efficiently rerun the comparison at a future time. With the PTF for APAR PH56939, this support is available on z/OS V2.5 or later.
To learn more about z/OS Change Tracker, see the IBM z/OS Change Tracker content solution page.
RMF Dedicated Memory support
The PAGING Postprocessor Report has been enhanced to include Dedicated Memory metrics. The minimum, maximum and average usage for the different memory object sizes are now available along with the total usage. With the PTF for APAR OA66489, the above support is available on z/OS 3.1.
z/OSMF Software Update enhancements
The z/OSMF Software Update Install Corrective Updates action has been enhanced to display a list of received PTFs from which a user can select one or more for installation. The addition of a list of all PTFs that are already received allow users of z/OSMF Software Update to select PTFs to install from this list rather than review PTFs elsewhere and manually specify PTF numbers in an input field.
The Install Recommended Updates action has been enhanced to display a list of source IDs associated with received PTFs from which a user can select one or more for installation. The ability to control the SOURCEIDs used to identify which PTFs to install enables users of z/OSMF Software Update to install only the PTFs that meet their criteria for recommended.
In addition, a new REST API to query data stored in SMPCSI data sets has been added to z/OSMF Software Management. The new z/OSMF REST API provides read access to information stored in SMPCSI data sets and enables developers writing applications in higher level programming languages easier access to SMPCSI information, rather than writing assembler, C, or PL/I programs to use the existing GIMAPI application program interface to access the same information.
With the PTF for APAR PH58221, the above support is available on z/OS 3.1.
To learn more about Software Updates, see the Software Update with z/OSMF content solution page.
z/OSMF AICI Simulation Visualization
The z/OSMF AI Control Interface task has been enhanced to introduce data visualization for AI-powered WLM Batch Initiator Management. The visualization, as shown in the screenshots below, allows the user to compare the number of active batch initiators managed by WLM to the initiators predicted by AI in simulation mode. This enables the system level evaluation of AI behavior and benefits for any service class operating in simulation mode. With the PTF for APAR PH56709, this support is available on z/OS 3.1.
z/OSMF WLM support for z/OS Container
The z/OSMF WLM task has been enhanced to support the latest function level of WLM service definition so that it can be used to setup performance goals for z/OS Container workloads. With the PTF for APAR PH43496, this support is available on z/OS V2.5 and above.
Java Interlanguage Batch framework
A new framework, called Java Interlanguage Batch, to establish Db2 connection sharing between COBOL and Java batch applications is now available. This framework provides new Java methods/classes to initialize and terminate a Db2 connection and to commit or rollback transactions as part of a single unit of work. Java Interlanguage Batch is designed to allow customers to modernize their current Db2 transactions implemented as COBOL batch applications, by migrating them to Java in a stepwise fashion at their own pace. With the PTF for APAR PH58890, this support is available on z/OS V2.4 and above.
DFSMShsm enhancements for multiple endpoints for TCT TS7700
IBM z/OS clients are integrating cloud object storage into their classic disk and tape environments to create a hybrid storage architecture. This hybrid architecture enables clients to leverage the strengths of on-premises disk and tape storage while adding the intrinsic strengths of cloud solutions for backup, archive, and unstructured data, designed to enable new use cases, increase business agility, reduce the complexity of storage environments, and provide cost optimization.
Transparent cloud tiering utilizes hybrid cloud as a new storage tier and is designed to improve business efficiency and flexibility while reducing capital and operating expenses with direct data transfer from IBM DS8890 to hybrid cloud storage environments for simplified data archiving operations on IBM Z. DFSMShsm enhancements for transparent cloud tiering support for the IBM TS7700 Advanced Object Store for DS8000 provide the ability to configure multiple endpoints for both production and disaster recovery regions that, in the event of network outages, will automatically fail over to one or more of the configured endpoints, providing a solution that’s designed to be more resilient. With the PTFs for APARs OA66197 and OA66205, this support is available on z/OS V2.5 and above.
IBM Open XL C/C++ 2.1 for z/OS
IBM Open XL C/C++ 2.1 for z/OS is available since April 30, 2024. This reaffirms IBM’s commitment to incorporating the open-source Clang and LLVM technology framework and the current C/C++ language standards. It combines the benefits and innovations from the LLVM community with IBM XL C/C++ compiler technology to deliver application performance for the modern z/Architecture. This release is the follow-on to IBM Open XL C/C++ 1.1 for z/OS which provides 64-bit compilation mode for the z/OS UNIX System Services environment. Open XL C/C++ 2.1 release adds 32-bit non-XPLINK and XPLINK compilation modes, z/OS batch support, and additional features to expand C/C++ development capabilities on z/OS.
Open XL C/C++ 2.1 for z/OS release is fully based on the open-source Clang and LLVM 18 technology framework and supports up to C17/C18 and C++17 language standards. This improves compatibility for C/C++ applications across platforms and is designed for easy migration of C/C++ applications from distributed platforms to z/OS.
Open XL C/C++ 2.1 supports 32-bit code generation and runtimes (32-bit non-XPLINK and 32-bit XPLINK with the AMODE 31 compilation option). This enables the development of z/OS native applications that can leverage the latest IBM hardware advancements.
Open XL C/C++ 2.1 added z/OS features including JCL compilation of C/C++ source code under z/OS batch, data set to support compiling and linking source files, and enhanced High Level Assembler (HLASM) support for inline assembly statements.
Open XL C/C++ supports the latest hardware capabilities. Application developers can recompile using the ‘-march=z16’ or ‘-march=arch14’ compiler options to instruct the compiler to optimize code for IBM z16. This is designed for immediate support of the latest z/Architecture and improved application performance without any source code changes.
Open XL C/C++ enables enhancing and extending emerging technologies on z/OS such as Python, Node.js, Go, Java, and IBM Z Open Automation Utilities (ZOAU). It can also facilitate interoperability among z/OS languages.
IBM Open XL C/C++ 2.1 for z/OS is a no-charge add-on feature for clients that have enabled the optionally priced z/OS XL C/C++ compiler on IBM z/OS V2.4 and later z/OS releases. It is available as a web deliverable from Open XL C/C++ 2.1 Download Site. More product information can be found in IBM C/C++ for z/OS and Open XL C/C++ 2.1 Product Information.
New no-charge products included with z/OS orders
IBM Open Enterprise SDK for Python, IBM Z Open Automation Utilities (ZOAU), and IBM Open Enterprise Foundation for z/OS are available on July 1st , 2024, as bypassable requisites for z/OS 3.1.
As part of the optional z/OS products, these offerings are available at a no-cost license with no-cost Software Subscription and Support (S&S). Effective on July 1st, 2024, both Open Enterprise SDK for Python S&S (5655-PYS) and Z Open Automation Utilities S&S (5698-PAS) are reduced to no cost.
If you are interested in adding these products separately outside of the new streamlined z/OS 3.1 order flow, then you can request them via 5698-PA1 (IBM Z Open Automation Utilities), 5655-PYT (IBM Open Enterprise SDK for Python) and 5655-OEF (IBM Open Enterprise Foundation for z/OS).
For more product-related information, find the corresponding webpages for Open Enterprise SDK for Python, Open Enterprise Foundation for z/OS, and Z Open Automation Utilities (ZOAU).
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