Actions you can take before you order a System z10 server

You can perform the following migration actions before you order or install your System z10™ server:

  1. Review the sysplex configuration in which the System z10 server will participate. In particular, if you have any existing z900 or z800 z/OS® images or coupling facilities in the sysplex, move these z/OS images or coupling facilities to later servers (such as z990 or z890 or later). This action is necessitated by the restriction that a System z10 server cannot participate with a z900 or z800 in a sysplex.
  2. Install new links and connectors on earlier servers. This action is necessitated because the ICB connector on the System z10 server is different than on previous servers.
  3. Review restrictions and coexistence requirements for earlier servers. Because the z9® EC and z9 BC support is the basis for the System z10 server support, the restrictions and coexistence requirements for the z9 EC and z9 BC also apply to the System z10 server. For instance, large page support is not supported by z/OS when z/OS runs as a guest under z/VM® on a System z10 server. Review the restrictions and coexistence requirements that were introduced for the z9 EC, if you have not already done so, and take any necessary actions.
  4. Install the necessary z/OS service, as indicated in PSP buckets. The appropriate PSP buckets are listed in Recommended migration steps for a System z10 server and are dependent on the z/OS release you will run on the System z10 server and on the hardware support you already have installed. If you reviewed the PSP buckets a long time ago, there might have been additions since then, so ensure that any newly identified z/OS service has been installed. To assist you in determining whether you have the recommended service installed on your system, which is identified in these PSP buckets, you can use the SMP/E REPORT MISSINGFIX command with a FIXCAT value of "IBM®.Device.Server.z10-EC-2097" or "IBM.Device.Server.z10-BC-2098", the Enhanced PSP Tool (http://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/psp/srchBroker), or ServiceLink’s PSP Service Extraction tool.
    If you use REPORT MISSINGFIX, some FIXCAT values you can use for specific System z10 functions are:
    • IBM.Device.Server.z10-BC-2098.CapacityProvisioning
    • IBM.Device.Server.z10-BC-2098.DecimalFloatingPoint
    • IBM.Device.Server.z10-BC-2098.MIDAW
    • IBM.Device.Server.z10-BC-2098.ParallelSysplexInfiniBandCoupling
    • IBM.Device.Server.z10-BC-2098.ServerTimeProtocol
    • IBM.Device.Server.z10-BC-2098.zAAP
    • IBM.Device.Server.z10-BC-2098.zHighPerformanceFICON
    • IBM.Device.Server.z10-BC-2098.zIIP
    • IBM.Device.Server.z10-EC-2097.CapacityProvisioning
    • IBM.Device.Server.z10-EC-2097.DecimalFloatingPoint
    • IBM.Device.Server.z10-EC-2097.MIDAW
    • IBM.Device.Server.z10-EC-2097.ParallelSysplexInfiniBandCoupling
    • IBM.Device.Server.z10-EC-2097.ServerTimeProtocol
    • IBM.Device.Server.z10-EC-2097.zAAP
    • IBM.Device.Server.z10-EC-2097.zHighPerformanceFICON
    • IBM.Device.Server.z10-EC-2097.zIIP
  5. Run CFSizer. If you are moving your coupling facilities and the coupling facility structures will be on later CFCC levels than they were previously, run the Coupling Facility Structure Sizer (CFSizer) tool to find out if you have to increase coupling facility structure sizes. Prepare to make the necessary changes as indicated by the tool. You can find the CFSizer tool at Coupling Facility sizer.
  6. Plan for the System z10 fixed HSA enhancement. With System z10 servers, planning requirements are minimized by the availability of a fixed HSA and introduction of the ability to seamlessly include events such as creation of LPARs, inclusion of logical subsystems, changing logical processor definitions in an LPAR, and introduction of cryptography into an LPAR. For more information about this enhancement, see the System z10 Redbooks®.
  7. Decide on the steps you will take for your migration to a System z10 server. As a guide, see Recommended migration steps for a System z10 server. Be aware of the following:
    • You should review the cryptographic support you currently have installed versus the support required for the functions you plan to use on the System z10 server. Several cryptographic support web deliverables have been made available for various z/OS releases. Newer cryptographic web deliverables include previous function (when applicable). Note that you can use the newer cryptographic web deliverables on servers before the System z10 server (that is, on System z9 and zSeries servers).

      The level of cryptographic support integrated in z/OS is ICSF FMID HCR7770 in z/OS V1R12. ICSF FMID HCR7780 in z/OS V1R13, and ICSF FMID HCR7790 in z/OS V2R1.

      PTFs for coexistence: For ICSF FMIDs HCR7770 and later, Coexistence PTFs are required to be installed on older levels of ICSF. To assist in identifying the coexistence service, you can use the following Fix Categories: :
      • IBM.Coexistence.ICSF.z/OS_V1R9-V1R11-HCR7770
      • IBM.Coexistence.ICSF.z/OS_V1R10-V1R12-HCR7780
      • IBM.Coexistence.ICSF.z/OS_V1R11-V1R13-HCR7790
      • IBM.Coexistence.ICSF.z/OS_V1R12-V1R13-HCR77A0
      • IBM.Coexistence.ICSF.z/OS_V1R13-V2R1-HCR77A1
    • You can migrate to z/OS V2R1 before or after you migrate to a System z10 server.
  8. Upgrade your SCRT level if you want to process System z10 SMF data. SCRT V14.2.9 (Version 14 Release 2 Modification Level 9) provides support for the System z10 server. If you collect SMF data on a System z10 server and the data will be processed by the SCRT, you must minimally use SCRT V14.2.9 to generate your SCRT reports. If you do not need to process SMF data from a System z10 server, you are not required to download or use SCRT V14.2.9; you may continue to use SCRT V14.1.0 or V14.2.0 until the next version upgrade of the SCRT. SCRT V14.2.9 (or later) is available from the SCRT web site at http://www.ibm.com/eserver/zseries/swprice/scrt/.
  9. Review the new mnemonics introduced for the System z10. In support of the System z10 server, HLASM introduced new mnemonics for the new machine instructions. The new mnemonics might collide with (be identical to) the names of assembler macro instructions you use or provide. In the event of such collisions, the HLASM default opcode table (UNI) will treat specification of these names as instructions when the PTF for APAR PK58463 is installed. This will probably cause assembler error messages and possibly cause generation of incorrect object code.

    If you write programs in assembler language, you should compare the list provided in z/Architecture Principles of Operation, SA22-7832, to the names of assembler macro instructions you use or provide, to identify any such conflicts or collisions that would occur following installation of the PTF for HLASM APAR PK58463.

    To see the differences of supported mnemonics before and after applying the PTF for APAR PK58463, assemble an END statement with the PARM='OPTABLE(UNI,LIST)' option, and compare the SYSPRINT files for the two assemblies.

    If a conflict is identified, take one of the following actions:
    • Change the name of your macro instruction.
    • Specify PARM='…OPTABLE(YOP)…' or some other, earlier opcode table.
    • Specify a separate ASMAOPT file containing assembler options as in the previous method. This method requires no changes to source code or JCL.
    • Add *PROCESS OPTABLE(YOP) as the first statement of your source program.
    • Specify the PROFILE option in either JCL or the ASMAOPT file, and the specified or default member of the SYSLIB data set is copied into the beginning of the source program.
    • If you must use both a new instruction and a macro with the same name in an assembly, you can use the following technique, where XXX is a sample mnemonic. (Assume that the default OPTABLE(UNI) is in effect.) 
      XXX   a,b       new instruction
PUSH  ACONTROL  save current optable definition
ACONTROL OPTABLE(YOP)   switch optable dynamically
XXX   r,s,t     macro invocation
POP   ACONTROL  restore previous definition
XXX   c,d       new instruction
    For more information about the HLASM opcode table, see HLASM Programmer's Guide.
Parent topic: Migrate to a System z10 server