On successful completion of this course you will be able to:

• explain the reasons for the introduction of the parallel sysplex concept
• explain the business implications of the parallel sysplex
• describe the XCF function for connecting the systems
• explain how data sharing works
• describe the management of a sysplex
• explain how to exploit the benefits of the parallel sysplex.

• Sysplex Introduction
  • What is sysplex?
  • Not a new concept
  • So what's new?
  • 'Before' and 'after' sysplex
  • XCF sysplex requirements
  • Components of the XCF sysplex
  • Server Time Protocol
  • Clock synchronization techniques
  • XCF sysplex definitions
  • XCF sysplex services
  • The parallel sysplex
  • The parallel sysplex concept
  • Signalling and Status Monitoring services
  • Group services
  • Couple Data Sets
  • XES availability with SFM
• Data Sharing
  • The Coupling Facility (CF)
  • What parallel sysplex adds to the picture
  • Cross-system Extended Services (XES)
  • Different types of multi-system data sharing
  • Parallel sysplex data sharing
  • The PLEXCFG parameter
  • Program-to-program communication with parallel sysplex
• Sysplex Installation & IPL
  • Sysplex installation planning
  • Determine system names
  • Examples of setting system names
  • Determine overall sysplex configuration
  • The sysplex name
  • Couple Data Sets
  • The sysplex Couple Data Set
  • The parallel sysplex Couple Data Sets
  • Example of the formatting utility
  • Output from the formatting utility
  • Alternate Couple Data Sets
  • Sysplex Couple Data Set considerations
  • Determine detection intervals
  • Determine transport classes
  • Transport class attributes
  • Determine signalling paths
  • LOCAL sysplex messages
  • Sysplex group names and members
  • The CFRM policy
  • CFRM policy definition
  • Planning CFRM - identification and structure size
  • XES Structure Services
  • XES Structure Services
  • XES Assembler macros
  • Selecting a CF for a structure
  • Updating CFRM
  • The SFM policy
  • XCFPOLxx for PR/SM
  • CLOCKxx
• Exploiting Sysplex
  • Parallel sysplex exploiters
  • Old functions, new techniques - system software & database systems
  • The 'real' parallel sysplex...?
  • Workload distribution - not a new concept
  • Workload distribution - exploiters
  • WLM and dynamic networking
  • VSAM Record Level Sharing (RLS)
  • RACF and sysplex
  • Sysplex-wide DAE
  • MVS System Console Processing (MCS)
  • Defining MCS consoles
  • MCS message processing - sysplex
  • MCS message processing - sysplex
  • Automatic Tape Switching (ATS)
  • Global Resource Serialization (GRS)
  • GRS Fully Connected Complex and sysplex
  • GRS star
  • GRS star setup definitions
  • Star configuration RNL management
  • Sysplex-related JES features
  • The JESXCF facility
  • Communication via JESXCF
  • VTAM exploitation
  • Generic Resources requirements
  • CICS exploitation
  • TSO generic resources
  • Batch in a parallel sysplex with WLM
  • The solution - WLM managed batch
  • What WMB does not do...
  • What WMB manages
  • Db2 exploitation
  • IMS exploitation
  • TSO/E and SYS1.BRODCAST
  • MVS System Logger
  • System Logger overview
• Sysplex Management & Operations
  • Parallel Sysplex initialisation problems
  • Sysplex operational problems
  • Sysplex Timer problems
  • Couple Data Set problems
  • Abend X'00C'
  • Loss of a system in a sysplex
  • Planning for sysplex failures
  • XES availability with SFM
  • The SFM policy
  • SFM policy parameters
  • Creating an SFM policy
  • Automatic Restart Manager (ARM)
  • Automatic Restart Manager objectives
  • IPL of a sysplex
  • The SETXCF command
  • SETXCF command examples
  • The VARY XCF command

Live instructor-led training, with plenty of opportunities for hands-on exercises and discussion.
This course is also available for exclusive, one-company presentations and for live presentation over the Internet, via the Virtual Classroom Environment service.

Delivered as a live, interactive online training

Familiarity with z/OS structure, concepts, operations and workload.

The course is appropriate for all those whose work brings them into contact with parallel sysplex, including managers, systems programmers, operations personnel and all support staff.