SPARTA News

October 2020

SPARTA President’s Corner

contributed by Randy Springs

As we enter the fourth quarter of 2020, many are anxious for this crazy year to end quietly. However, we do have to endure the election season and continue to work from home for many of us. However, companies are adapting well and we continue to implement changes and upgrades before year-end freeze schedules go into effect. It will be interesting to see how many people have saved annual leave since travel has been limited this year, so staffing might be limited in the final months of the year.

For our October meeting, our own Ed Webb, retired senior systems programmer at SAS, will discuss highlights from the virtual SHARE conference last month.

Please plan to join your colleagues on Tuesday, October 6, at 7 p.m., via the internet. Watch for connection information coming your way soon.

Randy Springs
Truist

Future Speakers

(subject to change)

Oct. 6, 2020 - SHARE 2020 Virtual Conference Report by Ed Webb of SPARTA

Nov. 3, 2020 - TBA

We need ideas and volunteers for future speakers. Presentations don’t have to be fancy, just informative and interesting. Even a 5 or 10 minute talk can start an interesting interaction. Contact Ron Pimblett by phone as noted below.

2019-2020 SPARTA

Board of Directors

Randy Springs - President

Truist                  (919) 745-5241

3200 Beechleaf Court, Suite 300

Raleigh, NC 27604

Ron Pimblett - Vice President

MDI Data Systems

Land line 613 599 6970

Mobile 613 981 6919

190 Guelph Private

Kanata, ON K2T 0J7

Chris Blackshire - Secretary

Retired (Dell, Perot Systems, Nortel)  (919) nnn-nnnn

street

Durham, NC 27713

Randy Springs - (Acting) Treasurer

BB&T                  (919) 745-5241

see Randy

Springs earlier

Ed Webb -  Communications Director

Retired (SAS Institute Inc.)  (919) nnn-nnnn

street

Apex, NC 27523

Mike Lockey -  Web Master

Guilford Co. Information Services  336-641-6235

201 N. Eugene St.

Greensboro, NC 27401

Meetings

Meetings are scheduled for the first Tuesday evening of each month (except no meeting in January), with optional dinner at 6:15 p.m. and the meeting beginning at 7:00 p.m.

These monthly meetings usually are held at LabCorp’s Center for Molecular Biology and Pathology (CMBP) near the Research Triangle Park (see last page). Take I-40 to Miami Boulevard and go north. Turn right onto T.W. Alexander Drive. Go about a mile or so. Then turn right into LabCorp complex and turn Left to the CMBP Building (1912 T.W. Alexander Drive). In the lobby, sign in as a visitor to see Bill Johnson. Bill will escort you to the conference room.

Call for Articles

If you have any ideas for speakers, presentations, newsletter articles, or are interested in taking part in a presentation, PLEASE contact one of the Board of Directors with your suggestions.

Newsletter e-Mailings

The SPARTA policy is to e-mail a monthly notice to our SPARTA-RTP Group. The newsletter is posted to the website about five (5) days before each meeting so you can prepare. The SPARTA-RTP Group is maintained by Chris Blackshire; if you have corrections or problems receiving your meeting notice, contact Chris at chrisbl@nc.rr.com.

May 2020 “CBT Tape” Shareware Online

The directory and files from the latest CBT tape V499 (dated May 17, 2020) are available from www.cbttape.org.

If you need help obtaining one or more files, contact Ed Webb (see Board of Director’s list for contact info).

Minutes of the September 1, 2020 Meeting

• The meeting was called to order at 7:00 PM by Randy Springs, the SPARTA President.

• This virtual SPARTA meeting was held via the Zoom Software.

• Thirteen (13) people were present at the virtual meeting.

• Our business portion of the meeting was conducted first, followed by the presentation.

• For the Roundtable, everyone introduced themselves, told where they worked, talked about working from home, and briefly described their job functions and what they've been doing at home.

OLD BUSINESS

• The minutes of the August 11, 2020 meeting as published in the September 2020 Newsletter were approved.

• The August 31, 2020 Treasurer's report (no April-August income or expenses) was approved as published in the September 2020 Newsletter. As of August 31, 2020, the current balance was $1,429.66.

• Call For Articles: Articles are needed for this newsletter. If you would like to write an article for this newsletter, please contact Ed Webb. Keep in mind that you don't really need to write the article, it can be an article that you read that you would like to share with the membership.

• The SPARTA Web page is available. To access the SPARTA Web page, point your Web browser to this site: http://www.spartanc.org. Please send any comments or suggestions about the Web page to Mike Lockey. Be sure to check the Web page every once in a while to see any new or changed information.

• 2020 meeting dates, Future Speakers and Topics (subject to change based on internal politics, budget, the weather):

If you have suggestions about speakers and topics, contact Ron Pimblett.

• The next SPARTA monthly meeting will be held virtually on Tuesday, October 6, 2020.

• The 2020 membership fee are due ($30) starting in February 2020. Please pay Randy Springs.

• Thanks to Duane Reaugh for virtually hosting the meeting via Zoom.

• There are currently 101 people on the SPARTA-RTP e-mail list.

• Send any e-mail address changes to Chris Blackshire so he can update the SPARTA-RTP Listserv. You will be added by the moderator (Chris = SPARTA-RTP-owner@yahoogroups.com) sending you an invitation to Join the list.

• Randy Springs is looking for a new Treasurer volunteer. He projects about 2 hours per month is needed.
- The treasurer position duties are:
- - Collect dues and pay expenses at each monthly meeting.
- - Deposit income at the Truist bank monthly.
- - Make an updated monthly Excel income-expense list for the monthly newsletter.
- - Give a Treasurer report at each meeting.
- - One Time: Be added to the checking account authorization.
- Contact Randy Springs if you are interested.

• LabCorp Meeting Place Update: no update from Bill Johnson.

NEW BUSINESS

• None.

• The Business portion of the meeting ended about 7:35 P.M.

• Presentation Topic: z/OS Management Facility User Experience: Workflows and Workflow Editor

by Ed Webb, retired from SAS Institute Inc.
- - based on Ed's presentation at SHARE Phoenix, March 13, 2019, Session 24565

AGENDA Topics
• z/OSMF Workflows
• • Why Use z/OSMF Workflows?
• • Our Workflow History
• Use the z/OSMF Workflow Editor to Define a Workflow
• • Define a Workflow to RECEIVE RSU PTFs
• • Run the RSU RECEIVE Workflow
• z/OSMF Selected Changes Since March 2019

• Presentation Access - See Below for a full outline of the presentation. See the SPARTA webpage for the complete presentation.

• Contact Info:
Speaker: Ed Webb
Retired Senior Systems Programmer
Email: sew.mail@icloud.com

• The September 1, 2020 monthly meeting ended about 8:55 P.M.

Treasurer’s Report for September 2020

contributed by Randy Springs

The balance in the account is $1429.66 as of September 30, 2020. There's been no change since March 31.

SPARTA Financial Report
09/01/2019 through 09/30/2020

Items of Interest

SPARTA Schedule and Menu for 2020

contributed by Chris Blackshire


Oct 6, 2020 - Chicken

Nov 3, 2020 - Subs

Dec 1, 2020 - BarBQ

SMPWKDIR: What, me worry??

contributed By Ed Webb

Marna Walle of IBM celebrates a recent z/OSMF enhancement that will help reduce problems when installing z/OS PTFs.

"What could be more fun than running out of room during an installation operation, often when we've been making a good amount of progress? And isn't it frustrating to know the cause is not enough temporary space? I hate when that happens.

That's why I was happy to see z/OSMF Software Management APAR PH26509 (V2.3 PTF UI70900 and V2.4 PTFUI70901 ) to help with just that. "

Get the details in this Marna's Musing blog entry at SHARE.org.

Comparing Network Time Protocol (NTP) to Precision Time Protocol (PTP) Accuracy

Contributed by Ed Webb

"With the May 2020 GA of Precision Time Protocol (PTP) support on IBM z15, STP now has three external time reference source options. One is an external NTP server, which provides up to 100 milliseconds (ms) accuracy. The second external time source option is the use of the NTP server with Pulse Per Second (PPS). PPS provides 10 microseconds (ms) of accuracy and requires a coaxial cable connection directly to the oscillator card on the IBM Z. The third external time reference source option now available is PTP. The initial implementation will be for PTP connectivity from a time server via the IBM z15 HMC/SE, similar to how an NTP time server connects today. As part of the Sept. 12, 2019, IBM z15 announcement, IBM Z announced a statement of general direction for IBM Z and PTP that discussed future PTP implementations, including connection of an external PTP time source directly to the IBM Z CPC; i.e., to the oscillator card. "

Read Steve Guendert's brief article about PTP vs. NTP in the Enterprise Executive 2020: Issue 4.

IBM z/OS V2.4 3Q 2020 Updates

Contributed by Ed Webb

"This quarter's CD [Continuous Delivery] update extends the capabilities of z/OS V2.4 with enhancements and functions that benefit clients across areas of resiliency, cloud native experience, and systems operations and management. Key features delivered in this third-quarter release in support of z/OS V2.4 include:

Improved installation. Continuing the journey for improving software installation, configuration, and deployment for clients now includes IBM IMS and IMS program products, and IBM Db2® and Db2 program products as a ServerPac Portable Software Instance. [editor: CICS and CICS program products were made available in ServerPac PSI format in Dec. 2019.]

Improved System Modification Program Extended (SMP/E) processing. This is an IBM z/OS Management Facility (z/OSMF) task in z/OSMF Software Management called Software Update. The graphical user interface in Software Update provides a simplified and guided process to install any SMP/E PTF, regardless of software vendor.

Enhanced z/OSMF. Includes the z/OSMF Ansible® collection. z/OSMF has been enhanced to support job operations and z/OS operator commands that are based on z/OSMF REST APIs. It is available on the Ansible Galaxy web page.

Enhanced System Recovery Boost. These capabilities enable clients to leverage a class of boost that can be applied to a range of z/OS sysplex recovery processes, including sysplex partitioning, Coupling Facility (CF) structure recovery, CF data sharing member recovery, and IBM HyperSwap®.

Exploitation of IBM Integrated Accelerator for Z Sort. This hardware accelerated approach to sorting using a new CPU coprocessor on the IBM z15™ is intended to reduce CPU usage and improve elapsed time for eligible sort workloads.

Enhanced z/OS Container Extensions. These capabilities enable efficiency with support for large pages and ease of use with the capability to securely access business data that is located elsewhere, including in the hosting z/OS.

Enhanced Pervasive Encryption. These capabilities enable users to encrypt data without application changes and to simplify the task of compliance with support for additional z/OS data set types.

Additional storage tier for archiving unstructured data. Enhancements to DFSMS Object Access Method (OAM) enable primary copies of OAM objects to be managed and stored directly on cloud storage, via public, private, or hybrid cloud infrastructures supporting the S3 API. "

Read IBM announcement ENUS220-378 here.

Humor

Thoughts

contributed by Duane Reaugh

Me: (sobbing my heart out, eyes swollen, nose red)…I can’t see you anymore.  I am not going to let you hurt me like this again!
Trainer: It was a sit up.  You did one sit up.
 
Having plans sounds like a good idea until you have to put on clothes and leave the house.
 
It’s weird being the same age as old people.
 
When I was a kid I wanted to be older…this is not what I expected.
 
Life is like a helicopter.  I don’t know how to operate a helicopter.
 
Chocolate is God’s way of telling us he likes us a little bit chubby.
 
It’s probably my age that tricks people into thinking I’m an adult.
 
Therapist:  Your wife says you never buy her flowers.  Is that true?
Him: To be honest, I never knew she sold flowers.
 
Never sing in the shower!  Singing leads to dancing, dancing leads to slipping, and slipping leads to paramedics seeing you naked.  So remember…Don’t sing!
 
My wife asked me to take her to one of those restaurants where they make the food right in front of you.  So I took her to Subway and that’s how the fight started.
 
During the middle ages they celebrated the end of the plague with wine and orgies.  Does anyone know if they have anything planned when this one ends?
 
I don’t think the therapist is supposed to say “wow,” that many times in your first session but here we are…
 
If 2020 was a math problem:  If you’re going down a river at 2 MPH and your canoe loses a wheel, how much pancake mix would you need to re-shingle your roof?
 
I see people around my age mountain climbing, I feel good getting my leg through my underwear without losing my balance.
 
We can all agree that in 2015 not a single person got the answer correct to ‘Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?’
 
So if a cow doesn’t produce milk, is it a milk dud or an udder failure?
 
If you can’t think of a word say “I forgot the English word for it.”  That way people will think you’re bilingual instead of an idiot.
 
I’m at a place in my life where errands are starting to count as going out.

Membership Information

Don’t Forget the Next SPARTA Meeting

Tuesday, October 6, 2020

7 p.m.

Location: Online

Information about access to our online meeting will be sent to our e-mail list by Tuesday, October 6.

Free Food before meeting: Your Food at Your Home

Program:

SHARE 2020 Virtual Conference Report

Speaker: Ed Webb of SPARTA

SPARTA Corporate Sponsors:

September 2020 Presentation outline

• Presentation Topic: z/OS Management Facility User Experience: Workflows and Workflow Editor

by Ed Webb, retired from SAS Institute Inc.
- - based on Ed's presentation at SHARE Phoenix, March 13, 2019, Session 24565

AGENDA Topics
• z/OSMF Workflows
• • Why Use z/OSMF Workflows?
• • Our Workflow History
• Use the z/OSMF Workflow Editor to Define a Workflow
• • Define a Workflow to RECEIVE RSU PTFs
• • Run the RSU RECEIVE Workflow
• z/OSMF Selected Changes Since March 2019

• Why Use z/OSMF Workflows?
- No automation tools
- Retiring staff
- Prepare for someone else to take over
- Provides a standard repeatable process that others should be able to use with little training

• z/OSMF Workflows – First Involvement
- In June 2014, we wanted a z/OS Userid Creation workflow for z/OSMF so let’s build one
- - Whoops! Workflow file is XML in ASCII – not EBCDIC
- - ISPF Edit does not provide syntax checks or models for XML as it does for REXX and COBOL and JCL
- - ISPF Compare command does not work for ASCII files
- - Found an existing workflow from a TSO Redbook to start
- - Made some but not adequate progress
- In Dec. 2016, IBM made the z/OSMF Workflow Editor (WFE)
- - Available in z/OS 2.2 via SPE (Small Program Enhancement) PTFs
- - - APPLYed PTFs in January 2017
- - We started work to define a workflow
- - - First effort was a SYSRES Restore and Customization process
- - Went to z/OSMF Workflow lab at SHARE March 2017 and at later SHAREs
- - - talked with z/OSMF architects and developers like Hiren Shah and “Joey” Zhu
- - SHARE Workflow Labs are this Thursday at 11:15-12:15 and 16:30-17:30 in room 102B

• z/OSMF Workflows – Overview of Our Process
- Our basic process was to take existing notes and put them into a xml file via the WFE
- - Started with a Workflow of Instruction Steps based on our current process
- - Converted Instruction Steps to JCL Template Steps as appropriate
- - We copied JCL for jobs into z/OS Unix template files (EBCDIC) for use by WFE
- - By May 2017, we started using our Restore Workflow to manage the process
- We had a directory with a variables file, an XML file and the JCL template files.
- - Each month we copied the files (varfile, xml and templates) from the previous month directory to a new directory
- - Edited the new xml and varfile with ISPF 3.17 to make mass changes to values where IBM does not support variable substitutions (For Example: Step Descriptions)
- - Edited with WFE to verify that basic xml is still good after mass changes, also to add steps or change settings
- In z/OSMF, Created Workflow and ran the steps.
- - We last ran that Restore workflow in Oct. 2017 when our need to do these Restores ended, for now.
- Starting in May 2017 with z/OS 2.2 RSU1704, Defined our RSU process as a z/OSMF Workflow.
- - Notes and JOBs became steps similar to the Restore, just more steps and JOBs.
- - 33 steps total
- - Each month we tried to improve our Workflow build and creation process.
- ServerPac came and we followed its non-z/OSMF workflow process to implement z/OS 2.3.
- - I want ServerPac to ship with a z/OSMF Workflow instead of its current process.
- - See z/OS 2.4 Statement of Direction about CICS ServerPac in IBM Announcement 219-013 on Feb. 26, 2019.
- - IBM began shipping CICS Upgrade as a Workflow in Dec. 2019

• z/OSMF Workflows – Current Status
- Each month we APPLY RSU service to z/OS 2.3
- - First time we cloned the z/OS 2.2 workflow and varfile and templates
- - We added Step Conditions to SKIP steps not relevant to a specific z/OS image.
- Still lots of ISPF 3.17 editing to make “mass” changes to xml and templates
- - Workflow Step Titles and Descriptions cannot have variable substitutions
- - Instructions and JCL and REXX and such can have variable substitutions
- A major run-time issue was providing a unique JOB name for those RSU Workflow Steps
- - In March 2018, after consulting with Hiren Shah and Gary Puchkoff at SHARE, and getting some help from one of their coworkers in China, we automated the JOB name changes.
- - //R3U${instance-RSU_id}A JOB (becomes RSU1805A JOB …, for example)
- In May 2018, my coworker, who ran most of the RSU workflows each month, retired.
Then I trained my replacement to use RSU workflows. Then I retired. And in Dec 2019, he retired.

• z/OSMF Workflows – Goal for This Session
- One RSU part that had not been automated in a Workflow was RECEIVE RSU PTFs so that became an important set of steps to put in a Workflow. I’m going to show you how we built the RECEIVE RSU Workflow and how we run it.
- RECEIVE is only done once per RSU cycle but APPLY is done many times
- Workflow and Workflow Editor are part of the z/OSMF CORE functions, so if you have implemented the Core Setup for Security in the IZUSEC job in SAMPLIB, and you now have z/OSMF up and running, you should be good to start.
- Let’s get into z/OSMF.

• WHAT DOES A WORKFLOW LOOK LIKE? (Diagrams Not Copied)
- z/OS Management Facility Welcome
- z/OS Management Facility
- Workflow Editor and Workflows functions
- z/OSMF Workflows: List of Workflows with Status
- z/OSMF WorkFlows: z/OS Migration Workflow

• TIME TO DEFINE A WORKFLOW (Diagrams Not Copied)
- z/OSMF WorkFlow Editor
- - Tabs: Metadata, Steps, Variables, Feedback, Input Properties
- z/OSMF WorkFlow Editor
- z/OSMF WFE: Choose New Workflow
- z/OSMF WFE: Fill Out Metadata Tab
- - Add Required Values, Set AutoTakeOwnership
- - Complete Required Info and Save
- - Name the xml file and Complete the Save
- z/OSMF WFE: Now It’s a Workflow File
- - ISPF 3.17 UDList Supports Wildcards!
- - Remember It’s in ASCII so Use VA or EA
- z/OSMF WFE: What’s In the Steps Tab?
- z/OSMF WFE: Primed with Dummy Step
- z/OSMF WFE: Help for This Step Overview Tab
- z/OSMF WFE: Use Steps Tab to Create or Edit Step
- z/OSMF WFE: Create a New Step
- - Leaf Step Can Be Run; Parent Step is Grouping
- - Choose Step Type
- - Set File Template and Its Location
- - Save and Close
- z/OSMF WFE: There’s a New Step
- z/OSMF WFE: Create a New Step
- - Variable Substitution in Instruction Tab
- - What Type of File Template?
- - Template JCL and Attributes (part 1)
- - Template JCL and Attributes (part 2)
- z/OSMF WFE: Setup Variables
- - Let’s Create Several Variables
- - Start of Variable Setup
- - VARFILE Contents

• LET’S RUN OUR RSU WORKFLOW (Diagrams/Examples Not Copied)
- z/OSMF Workflow: Create a WorkFlow
- - Select Definition Files and Execution System
- - Alter Name if Desired
- - Select Actions like Open or Assign Owner
- z/OSMF Workflow: The RECEIVE WorkFlow
- - Ready to Assign Steps to Users
- - Select Steps to be Assigned
- - Under Actions, go to Add Assignees
- - Select User to Assign to Selected Steps
- - Add Selected User to Assignees to Add
- - Steps are Assigned but no Owner
- - Select Steps for Actions
- - Accept Assignment to become Owner
- - With Owner, Steps are Ready to be Run
- - Perform Each Step
- - May Be Prompted to Confirm Variables
- - Review Instructions and Click Next When Ready
- - Review Default JOB Statement if Any
- - Review JCL
- - Edit JCL if a Change is Needed
- - JCL Template with Variables
- - Almost Ready to Submit JOB
- - Let’s Save the Actual JCL Submitted
- - JOB Submitted and on the Input Queue
- - Refreshed Status, JOB Ended with JCL Error
- - Step Failed Because of JCL Error
- - Step Completed After Error Corrected
- z/OSMF Workflow: Update Workflow or Steps
- z/OSMF Workflow: Export as Printable Format

• Workflow enhancements
- “Export workflow as printable format” supports
- - Cover
- - Front matter
- - Back matter
- - Back cover

• z/OSMF Workflows – Workflow Editor Recommendations
- Use templates for JCL, Avoid inline JCL
- - Originally only Unix files could be templates
- - - Be sure APAR PH14185 is installed so you can exploit variables in the file name (z/OS 2.4 PTF is UI66738, z/OS 2.3 PTF UI66737)
- - Now z/OS data sets and members can be templates
- Set “Users can take ownership of steps automatically” when you start defining a workflow
- Use ISPF Edit ASCII (EA) in 3.17 for mass changes to a workflow, or
- Use the new z/OSMF VS-like Editor, or
- Use VS Studio or buy an editor that robustly supports xml formatting
- Don’t be afraid to try and fail, partial successes get you closer to your goal

• z/OSMF Workflows – Workflow Editor Pain Points
- WFE is still missing important functions
- - Samples of REST API invocations that could automate our RSU process even more
- - - IBM 219-013: “The Workflow Editor is planned to include a "toolbox" of IBM-supplied steps, which are designed for performing common tasks on z/OS, such as creating a data set or submitting a REST request.”
- - Variable substitution in Description and Title
- - Workflow Create should be able to set AutoTakeOwnerShip on or off.
- - Date of Workflow Creation
- - Undo for Complete or Skipped status
- A WFE Workflow compare function would be very helpful, or better yet, enhance ISPF Edit compare with ascii support.

• z/OSMF Workflows - Conclusion
- The Workflows for our RSU process allowed less experienced Systems Programmers to do most of the maintenance on our z/OS systems.
- The Workflow Editor provided the method to define and revise our Workflows successfully.
- With the recent 2020 enablement of z/OSMF Software Management’s Software Update application, our RSU APPLY workflow is probably Obsolete but the RECEIVE workflow is still required

• Summary for z/OSMF updates in 2019
- z/OSMF continuous delivery in 1st half of 2019
- - Swagger support of z/OSMF REST APIs
- - Enhancements of Print Workflow
- - Support Workflow global variable group
- - z/OSMF Desktop UI supports search, browse, edit and create shortcut on desktop for data set
- - z/OSMF WLM performance enhancement
- z/OSMF V2R4 (Sep 2019)
- - z/OSMF Lite configuration
- - NEW Security Configuration Assistant task
- - NEW Diagnostic Assistant task
- - z/OSMF desktop UI enhancements
- - Support using certificate to logon to z/OSMF UI
- z/OSMF continuous delivery in 4Q 2019
- - Security Configuration Assistant supports group validation and variable substitution
- - Desktop UI supports
- - - Browse/edit USS files and directories
- - - Submit data set or uss file as JCL
- - - Create data set member, uss file and directory
- - JWT support
- - Sysplex Management plugin supports creating new CDS
- - Workflow supports remote definition and using current logon user’s credential
- - REST data set and file services supports remote sysplex

• Swagger support of z/OSMF REST APIs
- What is Swagger?
- - “Swagger is an open-source software framework backed by a large ecosystem of tools that helps developers design, build, document, and consume RESTful Web services” – From Wiki
- z/OSMF Swagger support allows users to
- - Browse documents of z/OSMF REST API by connecting to any z/OSMF instance
- - - https://<hostname>:<port>/zosmf/api/explorer/
- - Try z/OSMF REST API without having to do any coding

• z/OSMF desktop UI enhancements (Diagrams Not Copied)
- Icons can be located by entering the first character of the icon name
- Support searching data sets from z/OSMF desktop (1/2)
- Support searching data sets from z/OSMF desktop (2/2)
- Click on data set name or member name to browse content of data set or data set member
- Switch to edit mode

• z/OSMF V2R4 NEW functions
- z/OS V2R4 was announced at July 23rd, 2019.
- - The announcement can be accessed from z/OS home page).
- As part of z/OS, z/OSMF V2R4 provides
- - More simplified z/OSMF implementation and maintenance by
- - - z/OSMF Lite configuration
- - - NEW Security Configuration Assistant task
- - - NEW z/OSMF Diagnostic Assistant task
- - Improved operational efficiency by
- - - z/OSMF desktop UI enhancements
- - - Support using certificate to logon to z/OSMF UI
- - - Enhanced WTOR/HOLD message support in z/OSMF Console task
- - More flexible and powerful workflow engine by
- - - Cross sysplex support
- - - Support parallel execution of steps
- - - Export workflow
- - Simplified management and installation of z/OS platform software by*
- - - Platform wide Portable Software Instance format
- - - Integrated workflow for software configuration
(Session 27009: Installing IBM’s ServerPac Using z/OSMF Software Management Room 202A, Thursday 11 AM)

• z/OSMF Lite configuration (Diagram Not Copied)
- What’s “z/OSMF Lite configuration”

• NEW Security Configuration Assistant task
- What’s Security Configuration Assistant (SCA)
- - Security Configuration Assistant task is built for simplifying the user experience of security configuration and validation. It starts with help z/OSMF security configuration by providing
- Automatic validation of security configuration by user
- - - Graphic views for validation result
- Filter by validation result, service enablement status, etc.
- - - Description for each security requirement
- Support both RACF and non-RACF security products
- SCA can be used in the following scenarios
- - - Security planning for z/OSMF
- - - Validation of z/OSMF security configuration
- - - Trouble shooting for function failures

• NEW Security Configuration Assistant task (Diagram Not Copied)
- Security Configuration Assistant – Graphic view to display automatic validation result

• Enhancements of Security Configuration Assistant (Diagram Not Copied)
- With PH17871, Security Configuration Assistant can do validation against user group

• NEW z/OSMF Diagnostic Assistant task
- What’s z/OSMF Diagnostic Assistant task
- - z/OSMF Diagnostic Assistant task is designed to simplify z/OSMF diagnostic experience. With current z/OSMF Diagnostic Assistant ask, user can collect z/OSMF diagnostic data with 1 click in most cases.
- - The diagnostic data is download directly to client side as a zip file. The zip file could include:
- - - Most files under z/OSMF data directory which is /global/zosmf by default.
- - - z/OSMF server job log
- - How to enable z/OSMF Diagnostic Assistant task
- - - User who needs to use z/OSMF Diagnostic Assistant task needs to have READ access to below resource:
- - - - <SAF_PREFIX*>.ZOSMF.ADMINTASKS.DIAGNOSTIC_ASSISTANT Class(ZMFAPLA)
- - - - - * IZUDFLT by default

• z/OSMF desktop UI enhancements
- Desktop interface is the default option since V2R4
- - The checkbox on z/OSMF logon page is removed in V2R4
- - User can still choose different UI options inside of z/OSMF UI
- A new icon “Reference Center” is added to z/OSMF task bar. Important z/OSMF links are added to this folder.
- - “z/OSMF One Stop Hub” where summarizes important z/OSMF information
- - “z/OSMF REST APIs” which opens OpenAPI document of most z/OSMF REST APIs
- - “z/OSMF Sample Code” which opens Git page of z/OSMF sample codes about
- - - How to develop program to consume z/OSMF REST APIs
- - - How to develop and deploy z/OSMF external plugins
- New editor experience – Content preview (see APAR PH24190)
- New editor experience – Example: modernized search and replace experience
- Previously, the z/OSMF desktop UI supports search, browse and edit data set or data set members.
- Work with USS file and directory from z/OSMF desktop UI (1/2)
- Submit JCL from Search window or editor (1/2)

• Workflow enhancements
- Workflow supports reading workflow definition artifacts reside in remote sysplex (PH14185)
- With APAR PH13729, workflow now uses current logon user’s credential to read workflow definition artifacts.

• Software Update Phased Delivery Plans
- Install Corrective updates
- - Planned availability in summer 2020.
- Install Recommended and Functional updates
- - Planned availability later in 2020.

• Summary

• z/OSMF Trial
- z/OSMF Trial provides hands-on tutorials and a free z/OSMF where you can try z/OSMF without the need of configuring z/OSMF.
- - https://www.ibm.com/account/reg/us-en/signup?formid=urx-34578
- z/OSMF Trial includes the following scenarios today. More scenarios will be added later.
- - Create a workflow definition by using z/OSMF Workflow Editor
- - Interacting with z/OSMF Workflows
- - Building your own program to leverage z/OSMF REST APIs
- - Explore z/OSMF Incident Log (Coming soon)
- - Work with z/OS Operator Consoles (Coming soon)
- - Use z/OSMF Resource Monitoring (Coming soon)

• Other z/OSMF links
- z/OSMF one stop hub
- - https://ibm.github.io/zOSMF/
- z/OSMF Marketplace page
- - https://www.ibm.com/us-en/marketplace/zos-management-facility
- z/OSMF V2R3 Redbook
- - http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/abstracts/sg247851.html
- Slack channel for z/OSMF adoption
- - Purpose: Help with questions about z/OSMF adoption especially for z/OSMF configuration questions.
- - How to join in:
- - - Step 1 Join Open Mainframe Project on Slack: https://slack.openmainframeproject.org/
- - - Step 2 Search channel “zosmf-adoption” and join it
- - - Step 3 Ask z/OSMF configuration or adoption question
- - No guarantee of service. May experience delay due to different time zone.

• z/OSMF Workflow and Editor – z/OS Workflows
- z/OS Workflows are available at GitHub, Inc.
- - https://github.com/IBM/IBM-Z-zOS/tree/master/zOS-Workflow
- Downloading individual files
- - To download an individual file, click the link for that file.
- - Click the Raw or Download button.
- - If the file is not saved to your Downloads folder automatically, right-click and select Save Page as...
- - - and choose a location for saving the file.
- - You may have to set the Save As type to All files.

• z/OSMF Workflow and Editor - Resources
- SHARE Phoenix Labs for Workflows and Other z/OSMF Topics in Room 102B
- Thursday 11:15-12:15 (session 24706) BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)
- Thursday 16:30-17:30 (session 24344)
- (no Workflow Editor option this time)
- See SHARE San Jose March 2017 for Workflow Editor Lab Workbook
- z/OSMF Programming Guide
- - https://www-01.ibm.com/servers/resourcelink/svc00100.nsf/pages/zOSV2R3SC278420/$file/izua700_v2r3.pdf
- The z/OSMF Workflow Editor is provided in z/OS V2.2 PTF UI42847 (closed December 14, 2016 and is RSU1703), and the z/OSMF V2.1 PTF UI43814 (closed January 27, 2017 and is RSU1706).
- z/OSMF Workflow Substitutions in Template filepath require a recent PTF:
- - UI60075 z/OSMF WF/WFE filepathsubs. err SASI PH04420
- z/OSMF Workflow Substitutions in Template DSNAME require an Open APAR due in May:
- - PH09499 z/OSMF WF/WFE dsname subst. err SASI PH09499

The virtual presentation ended about 8:50 PM followed by adjournment.