z/OSMF Guild 15- Q&A Chat

z/OSMF Guild 15- Q&A Chat 

Thu April 13, 2023 08:10 AM

Guild 15 Live Chat- Q&A

Q:
Building a Portable Software Instance - can you modify a deployment to change the target system? Or do you have to copy the deployment and modify that ?

A: If you have not completed the deployment operation, yes you can go back to the Objectives step and change the target system. If you have already completed the deployment, then you can not modify hat deployment.

Response: Just tried it and can change it - it also seems to have resolved the issue I raised earlier re: FTP - I have progressed the PSWI configuration to create the install jobs - and that has removed the FTP job - many thanks for your help!

Q: What is required to register to a z/OSMF demo tial ? just an IBMid ?

A: Yes, or you can register with non-IBM id.

Q: Will you provide the link to z/OSMF Trial?

A: 1. z/OSMF Core Services Trial

2. z/OSMF Plug-ins Trial

3. z/OSMF Configurations Trial

Q: Building a Portable Software Instance - can you modify a deployment to change the target system ? Or do you have to copy the deployment and modify that ?

A: If you have not completed the deployment operation, yes you can go back to the Objectives step and change the target system. If you have already completed the deployment, then you can not modify hat deployment.

Q: I'm not sure how to submit questions for this session, how can we suggest enhancements, for example. I miss the sort by changed date option on datasets search feature, this kind of small tuning

A: In order to suggest enhancements, please open an idea: https://ibm-z-hardware-and-operating-systems.ideas.ibm.com/ideas/

Q: A question related to a plug-in zOSMF is zERT.. Does this plug-in support another database than DB2 to record SMF information?

A: Currently zERT requires Db2. We don't have any other database support.

Q: Does z/OSMF have plugins for zCX?

A: We don't have plugin for zCX but we provide workflows to configure zCX environment. If you email me I'd like to know what you would imagine a zCX plugin would look like... we are considering that right now (puchkoff@us.ibm.com).

Q: Does IBM have a best practice guide for Broadcom Top Secret security setup with all plug-ins for z/OSMF?

A: For Broadcom instructions/guide, please see Broadcom. Note, though, that the z/OSMF Security Configuration Assistant can be used with all 3 ESMs. Broadcom TopSecret and ACF2 provides sample jobs to setup security for various plugin https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/ca-mainframe-software/security/ca-acf2-for-z-os/16-0/installing/configure-z-os-management-facility-for-ca-acf2.html . The following is documentation provided by Topsecret for z/OSMF security setup. https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/ca-mainframe-software/security/ca-top-secret-for-z-os/16-0/installing/configure-z-os-management-facility-for-ca-top-secret.html

Q: When checking the status of running automation workflows or when I need to manually do steps I find myself mashing the refresh button. Does/will there exist a method to automatically update or refresh in intervals?

A: Currently you have to manually refresh the workflow task page to get updated status for the step. Please open an idea for future enhancement.

Q: Where do you set KCINDEX=N (in IZUPRMxx?)

A: KCINDEX=N is in IZUPRMxx . KCINDEX is a parameter of z/OSMF startup procedure IZUSVR1.

Q: Do we have any actual metric numbers around these installs via ZOSMF?

A: We have IBM counts for how many orders have been created, but naturally, we don't release that information. I can assure you the number of z/OSMF ServerPac we ship make me very happy :).

Q: I understand - but can we say it is two digit, 3 digit, 4 digit - just some round numbers is all I'm asking for?

A: Let's just say that every ServerPac for the past 6 months, must be installed with z/OSMF (as mentioned before), which is a very big number since CBPDO isn't a necessarily an easy installation method. We still do have CBPDO orders, mostly I suspect, from those that just are famiilar with it and want to continue to use it, and it is what is is with no enhancements. A very large majority of z/OS orders are in ServerPac, not CBPDO. Hopefully this is enough to let you know that installing with z/OSMF is a usual things nowadays, at many many customer locations.

Q: How do we access Aha? Is that the same as ideas.ibm.com?

A: https://ibm-z-hardware-and-operating-systems.ideas.ibm.com/ideas/. For more information, watch our latest Guild session 14!

Q: Can we implement Automatic SMPE download thru z/OSMF? RECEIVE order?

A: You can acquire the z/OSMF ServerPac through the z/OSMF GUI, however, for PTFs, we do not (yet) have the RECEIVE ORDER capability available in z/OSMF. I would strongly recommend just doing that with an automated batch job today, which is how I've been doing it for many years now.

Q: Can we get some form of recommendation around deployment recommendations of z/OSMF depending on what we will be using it for? It may not be prudent to have a full featured z/OSMF instance for, for example, a production environment but we want REST APIs so we can run automation against it or even deploy software to it. But in our driver" environment we want full-features where the performance of the system isn't critical...

A: There is a dependency matrix table in z/OSMF Configuration Guide. Please send me email and I will point you that (zhuxiaoz@cn.ibm.com).

Q: How can we deploy software from one LPAR to another where a proxy must be used. Can you use the proxy settings in the deploy portable instance process?
A:
To deploy software from one system to another you certainly can specify HTTP proxy information. Check out the z/OSMF Systems application, as you can define proxy information to be used when connecting to a particular system. Reach out to me directly if you need more details (kurtq@us.ibm.com).

Q: Why does z/OSMF pickup a random dynamic vipa dns name if you specify default host? When you try to override it, it breaks things.

A: Regarding z/OSMF picking up random dns name, it's based on TCP/IP confiugration. You may open a case for this issue or send me email (hiren@us.ibm.com). I can point to specific resolver configuration that contributes to dns name selection.

Q: @Kurt, any idea when Broadcom software will be able to use software update?

A: All PTFs, regardless of vendor, can be installed using Software Update. Software Update does not have a download capability. The PTFs must be received into the global zone first. I know Broadcom does have a RECEIVE ORDER server.

Q: Question about PSWI: Would it be possible to change allocation parameters (number of directory blocks, size) of datasets while installing products (for example SMPPTS dataset).

A: No, there is no capability to change the space or data set type attributes for target data sets during a deployment operation. There is at least one existing RFE on tis topic, so you can certainly add your vote.

Q: I have to place CBPDO orders because our z/OSMF does not work. It used to work, but now it is broke., can't invoke dashboard. It may be network related.. We are on z/OS 2.5.

A: Have you opened a case with IBM Support to help fix your z/OSMF server?

Q: Are all products available as a portable software through ShopZ (PDO)?

A: Yes! Every product on the ServerPac checklist on Shopz is only available as z/OSMF, so all the products on that list are "covered".

Q: W.r.t. port 443 - documentation makes it sound like anything but 443 is bad due to IETF standard - this is misleading. Real webserver should get 443. If z/OSMF steals 443, how do you do normal web serving?

A: You can configure the z/OSMF server to listen on a different port than 443. Check out in IZUPRMxx HTTP_SSL_PORT(443) 443 is the default.

Q: Regarding the software update feature - is it possible to specify a specific RSU and not only the newest one?

A: No, currently all RSUs are selected. We have existing RFEs asking for a user selected RSU capability, so go add your vote.

Q: I noticed the USS files doesn't get ENQ while editing thru z/OSMF. the same file can be edited by going directly thru ISPF 3.4 or UDLIST etc. is there a solution in development for this ?

A: I know we have ENQ for editing data set. USS files typically are not locked like a PDS(e) file... we have considered adding the option... a requirement would be great.

Q: Is ZOSMF going to have presence at upcoming Share conf in Atlanta?

A: Yes! We have over 6 sessions and multiple hands-on labs. Check out the technical agenda to learn more.

Q: Would it be possible to split out port 443 separately managed in parmlib for desktop user versus z/OSMF to z/OSMF communication

A: I think you might be leaning towards wanting two z/OSMF servers??? one for desktop usage, and one for "communication" (maybe, REST APIs for DevOps?)

Q: Do you have any usecases using ansible on z with zosmf? calling a workflow

A: We provide Ansible z/OSMF collection and there is a module to drive z/OSMF workflow. We also have sample playbook to drive workflow.

Q: How much interaction are you all having with other vendors - such as Broadcom/CA, etc? - what sort of adoption are you getting from other vendors?

A: Broadcom is ‘all in’!

Q: I have a question regarding connection to z/OSMF from a client PC. I have just installed z/OSMF on z15, but I am facing this problem where I cannot reach to the logon page when the z/OS is busy. Have anyone had this problem before? I can login to z/OSMF in the early morning and late afternoon, however during lunch and noon when many jobs start to run, it becomes difficult to access z/OSMF and login. I also checked syslog, and when I cannot login JES2 shortage message is sometimes showing. Is this a known problem for z/OSMF that it gets difficult to login when the JES2 resource is used more than certain percentage?

A: Setup a proper WLM policy for zOSMF workload might help your case. We have similar test in lab. It's about performance goal for subsystem CB, class name zOSMF* and transactio name IZUGHTTP
Q:
I already set STC_MED for started task. this is not enough?

A: No, STC is not covering HTTP workloads handled by zOSMF

Q: Do you anticipate day when SMP/E will completely go away and be displaced?

A: NO!

Q: I heard we don´t need Python SDK and ZOAU (high SS Costs) if using ansible on z with z/OSM

A: That's correct. z/OSMF collection does not use ZOAU or python on z/OS side. Following is a link for ansible collection https://galaxy.ansible.com/ibm/ibm_zosmf

Q: What is class name z OSMF* ?, this is not a standard WLM classification..

A: It's CN.

Q: Good morning , We are on z/OS 2.5 and I am setting up zOSMF for the first time. Is there a doc or some paper on settng up CEA and CIM? When I start IZUSRVR, CEA shows up on the syslog showing no OMVS segment defined. But, CEA shows up in the 913 message as a JOB and not a user. Any ideas and thanks in advance.

A: A: CEA address space is started automatically during initialization of every z/OS system. The customization of CEA is normally done through CEAPRMxx and CEA security sample job which is in SYS1.SAMPLIB(CEASEC). For the OMVS segment issue, I think it refers to the OMVS segment of CEA started task user id (by default, it’s “CEA”). Please refer to SYS1.SAMPLIB(CEASEC) about how to fix it. 

CIM document is here. Please note that only a few z/OSMF components that require CIM. Therefore, I would recommend to postpone CIM configuration until you really need it.

Q: z/OSMF "workflows" by name alone makes it sound like a no/low code solution. Is there anything graphical about workflows or on it's roadmap to make it visual in nature, similar to ACE, Node-RED, etc?

A: Although z/OSMF Workflow Editor provides graphic interface for people to create/modify workflow definition, we don’t support visualizing workflow instance in graphic. It’s in our long term backlog. 

 

Q: Can I keep asking questions?

A: Yes! Submit your question here, and we will answer a few at every Guild session moving forward:https://ibm.biz/askzosmf