 |
|
| Volume three, issue four |
|
April 2005 |
|
 |
Can you manage your systems like you manage a business? Like any business, IT strives to demonstrate improved productivity and value, comply with stringent business policies and regulations, and leverage best practices to reduce complexity and improve performance. This month IBM Tivoli and CCR2™ invite you to any of four worldwide anchor events to learn how automated IT service management capabilities can help you efficiently and cost effectively manage the business of IT.
Features
IBM Tivoli System Automation for z/OS V2R3—A Primer to Monitor Resources
Monitor Resources (MTRs) are a new function in IBM Tivoli System Automation for z/OS V2R3. These policy objects allow you to obtain the health state of other resources—typically applications or application groups—so that you can see how well they are performing. This white paper by Paul Quigley, a zSeries and system automation expert from Worldwide Tivoli Education, will show you how to write monitor routines, create MTR policy definitions, and use the System Automation z/OS operator interface to manage your monitor resources.
|
Downtime stinks! Get z/OS!
 Congratulations to Richard Wright of Affiliated Computer Services, Inc. (ACS) in Bridgeton, MO. Richard's T-shirt slogan based on the theme of z/OS—Downtime stinks! Get z/OS!—will appear on our new T-shirt, and everyone who submitted a slogan will receive one.
|
Tech tip
Using the IBM Tivoli AF/OPERATOR® Programmerless Open VTAM Interface (POVI) to code/convert a script used during a TSO logon
Using the Automation application developers utilizing the POVI environment for the first time often want to know if it's possible to save time on POVI scripts using the provided REXX functions when developing new task automation or processing ongoing maintenance. Doug Palatas, a senior automation specialist at Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company, found that for any extended maintenance, the REXX functions are very user friendly. In this tech tip for CCR2, Doug highlights some of the benefits of automation using POVI REXX functions, and shares code examples that automate a TSO logon process using different coding techniques.
|
Product updates
OMEGAMON XE for IMS adds new situations and exceptions, historical trending and support for OTMA functions
Learning when your high-volume IMS™ operations are potentially in trouble is crucial to keeping these important database operations running in top form. Recent enhancements to IBM Tivoli OMEGAMON® XE for IMS on z/OS improve alerting by including all the product-provided exceptions previously packaged with OMEGAMON II. That means you can now better tailor alerts to your environment when you migrate to OMEGAMON XE. Software upgrades also enhance OTMA transactions and add historical trending to increase flexibility and boost productivity. The results let you tune your IMS operations more insightfully for even better performance.
|
OMEGAMON XE for Storage on z/OS V100 enhancements offer additional support for DASD devices and IBM TotalStorage products
Sub-second reaction times are essential within today's enterprise database operations. Achieving lightening-quick performance requires instant notification when potential problems threaten to slow transactions. IBM Tivoli OMEGAMON XE for Storage on z/OS speeds alert notification to help you more quickly identify the causes of poor performance. The software upgrade also reduces related CPU use by 90 percent—and adds new built-in support for the IBM TotalStorage® DS6000 and DS8000 storage products.
|
Product news
New z/OS V1.6 EAL certification delivers on IBM's running committment to provide increasing levels of security certification for key software and hardware
Last month, the German government agency BSI awarded IBM Evaluation Assurance Level 3+ (EAL3+) certification for its flagship operating system z/OS V1.6. With the RACF® optional feature and DB2® V8, z/OS provides a multilevel security (MLS) solution. MLS is designed to prevent individuals from accessing or declassifying information they are unauthorized to see. Not one to rest on its laurels, IBM is in evaluation for its next release z/OS 1.7 at EAL4.
Two session management solutions to receive ongoing support from IBM and migration strategy to IBM Session Manager for z/OS
IBM took on two products from former Candle Corp. that provide zSeries session access: CL/SUPERSESSION® and CL/CONFERENCE®. IBM will honor valid support agreements that existed prior to the acquisition and offer service extensions as existing agreements expire. These products were recently announced as priced per value unit under the terms of the IBM International Program License Agreement (IPLA). Together, they provide similar function to IBM's existing and strategic offering going forward, IBM Session Manager for z/OS. With further functional enhancements coming to this solution, customers running the former Candle products may want to discuss a migration strategy with their IBM representative. Choose "Select a Tool" to read more about these CICS tools.
Support update
IBM Tivoli OMEGAMON Support Introduces New Technical Exchanges for 2005
Over the course of 2005, Tivoli OMEGAMON Support will be hosting a series of Support Technical Exchanges (STEs) on the OMEGAMON product suite, providing best practices, common issues, and FAQ reviews. STEs are live Webcasts held on IBM.com, open to any IBM customer. These sessions are an open forum where participants are free to ask questions as well as download presentations and Webcast recordings for future use. View the entire schedule and register for upcoming sessions, including: OMEGAMON XE for WebSphere® V130, OMEGAMON XE for z/OS and the OMEGAMON Platform (CNP/CMS).
Education updates
IBM Tivoli OMEGAMON Accelerated Deployment Workshop puts best practices into action
The Accelerated Deployment Workshop focuses on end results—combining classroom training and expert mentoring to help ensure IBM Tivoli OMEGAMON best practices are implemented in your organization. This hybrid training approach brings expertise directly to your site and effectively transfers it to your staff. With their wide range of Tivoli OMEGAMON training and field experience, IBM Tivoli consultants can tailor their mentoring to your specific business needs and help you turn new-found knowledge into immediate action. Contact the Americas Education Delivery Management Team for details.
Accelerate your learning of IBM Tivoli storage management with two new eSeminars from IBM Tivoli Education—live at no charge
Differences for IBM Tivoli Storage Manager 5.3 (May 19) provides a summary of the changed features in IBM Tivoli Storage Manager 5.3 with an introduction to the new administrative interface and how it works. IBM Tivoli Storage Manager Fundamentals: The Components of TSM (May 26) is a high-level view of IBM Tivoli Storage Manager components and how they work. Both are offered at no charge if you register and attend a live eSeminar.
zSeries update
ZV200—z/VM RACF and DIRMAINT Implementation
IBM z/VM® Directory Maintenance Facility (DirMaint™) and the Resource Access Control Facility (RACF) for z/VM are optional features of z/VM V5. In this new four-and-a-half day class, learn how to implement DirMaint in a z/VM 5.1.0 system environment, how to define additional DirMaint administrators, and how to create and modify virtual machines using DirMaint commands. Class dates: June 6, August 15 and November 14.
Redbook of the month
Achieving the Highest Levels of Parallel Sysplex Availability
 This IBM Redbook provides an example of the "ideal" Parallel Sysplex® environment—one configured to deliver the highest levels of application availability. IBM experts Frank Kyne and Glenn McGeouch describe the features and functions used in this environment. Their intent: to help systems and operations personnel and systems engineers plan, implement, and use a Parallel Sysplex to get closer to a goal of continuous availability.
|
White paper
Application Transformation: Leveraging Existing IT Assets to Build Competitive Advantage
Legacy applications hold a wealth of customer and business information that can be leveraged in Web-based applications to enable quick response to fast-changing requirements. IT now has an opportunity to tap those valuable legacy assets by exploiting new Web services technologies. If you're ready for the benefits and challenges of extending your mainframe applications to the Web, this white paper by D. H. Brown Associates will get you started - with best practices for modernizing legacy applications on zSeries.
|
Webcast of the month
Best practices for optimizing end-to-end z/OS network and TCP/IP performance
 Learn how to manage your network resources to ensure high availability and end-to-end performance using automation, monitoring tools and graphical interfaces. Whether you are a systems programmer, network manager or other IT staff member, we hope you can join us for this valuable Webcast with Paul Smith, IBM Tivoli OMEGAMON XE for Mainframe Networks architect, and Larry Green (pictured), IBM Tivoli NetView® for z/OS architect. Broadcast date: May 10, 11:00 a.m. EDT.
|
Events of the month
Tivoli Technical User Conferences—The place to be for knowledge, certification and camaraderie
At the 2005 Tivoli Technical User Conference, learn how you can integrate and automate across IT processes and respond to the changing needs of your business using Tivoli solutions. Gain insights, implementation specifics and key advice from Tivoli product developers and technical experts. Meet with other IBM Tivoli users, join in-depth discussions and get the latest on new solutions to today's most pressing IT challenges. Event dates: May 10-13 (Dallas) and May 23-26 (Munich).
IBM at Gartner Symposium ITxpo presents a better way to manage the business of IT
Increasingly, businesses expect IT departments to deliver IT services in alignment with their business goals. This has compelled IT to become more on demand in overcoming the challenges of complexity, change, compliance and costs. Discover IBM's unique approach that extends ITIL, and delivers IT Service Management, to create a more efficient and effective IT organization. Meet with IBM executives and product experts, and see the latest solutions from IBM. Event dates: May 15-19 (San Francisco) and May 22-25 (Barcelona).
More upcoming events
IBM DB2 and IMS Information Management Technical Conference—Vienna, Austria
The latest releases of IBM's database platforms—DB2 UDB for z/OS V8, DB2 UDB for Linux, UNIX and Windows V8.2, IMS V9, and IDS V9.4—are already being used with great success by many customers. As these customers move the new capabilities into production, the benefits are clearly being demonstrated. This is the event to learn from their early experiences and see for yourself the extensive improvements in availability, scalability, performance, manageability and functionality. Event date: May 9-13, 2005
See our featured event and other upcoming Tivoli software events
Throughout the year, IBM Tivoli Software sponsors and participates in many industry trade shows, live seminars, and other IBM events. See what's happening in your part of the world.
Also check out IBM software for zSeries for a full list of Webcasts.
Subscribe for e-mail delivery (don't miss an issue!)
|
|
 Free eNewsletters!
Publications for the IBM Tivoli and System z communities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
