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New OMEGAMON Data Provider – new function and changed deployment – PREPARE!

  

The latest ODP enhancement, the sixth functional APAR, is now available via APAR OA64880/PTF UJ93165. For existing ODP consumers, it’s important to note that this is a disruptive install. Deployment and operational behaviors have changed and as a result a migration to the new environment is required. More to follow. If you are a new ODP user, no migration is necessary. It remains a very simple deployment. 

As a result of this behavioral change, the documentation will now become APAR specific. For the documentation applying to the original GA code through the fifth functional APAR, you can find the PDF version here. For the current documentation for this APAR, you can find the web-based version here and the PDF version here.

There is so much content in this APAR, it’s beyond the scope of a single blog entry. We’ll introduce the new functions in this blog via short overviews of each.  

In another blog, we provide the details of the new functionality that “breaks” or is disruptive to existing ODP customers.
There is a blog on the migration process necessary to account for the breaking functions.
In the final blog, we give the details of the new function that doesn’t break existing customers.  
The majority of the content from these three blogs was lifted straight from the ODP Installation and Users Guide. This is one of the times that it is truly a good thing to read the manual! 

Overview of new ODP Function

OMEGAMON Data Broker

  • Updated Zowe™ cross-memory server load module, from Zowe 1.28.2, removes the previous restriction on the load module name. This may be a breaking change, depending on whether a full Zowe deployment is made or the business is using the module shipped with ODP.
  • In addition, the ODP supplied code has been renamed, as has the PARMLIB member that contains its configuration. This simplifies deployments for customers that might choose to run more than one instance of the Zowe cross-memory server on the same instance of z/OS.

OMEGAMON Data Connect

  • The previous monolithic JAR file has been split into one mapping extension JAR file per agent and one core JAR file.
    This new modular architecture enables alternative deployment options for attributes support, in addition to the conventional option of supplying attributes support with OMEGAMON Data Provider.
    The core JAR file has been renamed to include a version and a symbolic link has been provided as a stable name for usage after any service updates.
    These updates require changes to the run time procedures to invoke the Data Connect server.

  • New user directories keep your site-specific configuration details separate from the installation directory.
    To run OMEGAMON Data Connect, you now refer to a user directory. A user directory contains a configuration file and, optionally, mapping extension JAR files.
    Setting up the user directories is one of the disruptive changes and requires a migration from the current operational environment.

Other New Functionality

  • Logging flood control suppresses duplicate messages. 
  • Improved runtime exception handling offers more control and consistency for Spring Expression Language (SpEL) expressions in filters.
  • Refreshed attribute support introduces the latest attributes from agents. The agents are constantly adding new functions and it’s necessary to make that new data streamable to your favorite analytics platforms.

This is quite a bit of new function and has taken some time to deliver. More, smaller enhancements are planned that improve connectivity to Instana and other analytics platforms. In fact, to that end, a new document is available to assist with OMEGAMON to Instana connectivity, as we shared in our last blog.  As mentioned, we’ll get into the detailed functionality in the other blogs referenced above.

As always, there’s a Master Blog that contains links to this new collection of blogs in addition to all previous blogs. If you have any questions or comments don’t hesitate to add below.

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