November 2005
Newsletter

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Announcing
IOF
Release 8

IOF is branching out.  IOF Release 8A adds significant new function to the product, along with compatibility options to make it friendlier to users of other products. This release represents a new direction and emphasis for IOF in our commitment to stay ahead of the pack!

Topics

Introduction

IOF Release 8A has been enhanced significantly to provide interfaces to several recent z/OS features. A major internal restructuring of the product has allowed us to preserve the original look, feel, and functionality of  IOF while simplifying the effort required for us to add new features and for you to install and maintain the product.

Release 8A  supports all versions of z/OS through V1R8.   Additional IOF releases with even more enhancements will follow very soon.

 

UNIX Process Support

  The new PS option allows users to display active UNIX processes and output spawned by processes.  Entering PS causes the UNIX Option Menu   to be displayed.


 ----------------------------UNIX Option Menu---------------------------------
 COMMAND ===>

 The PS command can be used to display information about UNIX
 processes, their output, or their address spaces. Select an option:

     Enter - UNIX process display
       A   - UNIX process display (active processes)
       M   - Display UNIX address spaces on system monitor
       O   - Display non-held output from UNIX processes
       H   - Display held output from UNIX processes
       G   - Display held and non-held output from UNIX processes

 You can bypass this menu by entering:

     PS P    UNIX process display
     PS A    UNIX process display (active processes)
     PS M    UNIX address spaces on system monitor
     PS O    Non-held UNIX output
     PS H    Held UNIX output
     PS G    Held and non-held UNIX output

Pressing ENTER on this menu selects the IOF UNIX Process Display shown below.  Other options are used to display active processes, process threads and process spawned output.



 --------------------------- IOF UNIX Process Display ---------( 25 )-----------
 COMMAND ===>                                                 SCROLL ===> CURSOR
 -------JOBNAME--ACT-STATE 2 (EXPANDED)---STATE--------CPU--------PID-------PPID
 _    1 BPXOINIT     File sys kernel wait MFI       755.34          1          0
 _    2 FTPD1        File sys kernel wait 1FI         0.99   16842768          1
 _    3 HTTPD1       Other kernel wait    HK      38009.05      65540          1
 _    4 INETD4       File sys kernel wait 1FI         0.33   16842765          1
 _    5 IQNC         Sleeping             1S         40.55      65554          1
 _    6 ISIJFP1      Running              MRI        14.97   50397245          1
 _    7 ISIJFP1      Waiting for child    1WI        14.97   50397247   50397245
 _    8 ISIJFP1      File sys kernel wait 1FI        14.97   83951682   50397245
 _    9 NFSC         Running              1R         40.55   16842766          1
 _   10 NFSC         MsgQ receive wait    1A         40.55   16842769          1
 _   11 NFSC         Other kernel wait    1K         40.55   33619980          1
 _   12 NFSS         Running              MR        159.12      65539          1
 _   13 PORTMAP      File sys kernel wait 1FI         0.46   33619983          1
 _   14 TCPIP        Running              MR      63113.20      65538          1
 _   15 TCPIP        File sys kernel wait 1F      63113.20      65545          1
 _   16 TCPIP        File sys kernel wait 1F      63113.20      65546          1
 _   17 TCPIP        Running              MR      63113.20      65547          1

Scroll right to see additional information.  The D line command for a process displays more detailed information.  The T line command displays process threads.  Note that individual processes can be killed from either of these panels by one of the K line commands.


  ----------------------- IOF UNIX Process Detail Display -----------------------
  COMMAND ===>

  KT - Terminate process     KS     - Super-kill process     T - View threads
  KF - Force process         CANCEL - Cancel address space


 JOBNAME--ACT-STATE--------CPU--------PID-------PPID--ASID-ASIDX-OWNER----------
 BPXOINIT     MF        755.34          1          0    76  004C OMVSKERN


 Start Date   : 2005.208      Start Time   : 20:13:17
 Latchwait PID:
 Command      : BPXPINPR

 Server Name  : Init Process
        Type  : FILE     Active Files:        0  Max Files:  2000000

 State(1)     : Multi thread
 State(2)     : File sys kernel wait
 State(3)     :
 State(4)     :
 State(5)     :

 

Enclaves Display

MVS enclaves represent independent units of work that can be scheduled across the system.  An enclave accumulates the resources consumed by a transaction regardless of where it is executing.  Enclaves consist of pieces that can span many server address spaces.  z/OS can manage enclaves independently even though several may be executing concurrently in the same address space.

Most enclaves exist for only fractions of a second and are of little interest to users, but authorized IOF users  need to see and control longer running enclaves.  The new IOF Enclave Display provides this ability.  The  ENC option causes the enclave screen to be displayed.


 ------------------------------- IOF Enclave Display ---------------( 5 )-------
 COMMAND ===>                                                 SCROLL ===> CURSOR
 -------TOKEN------------ACTION--ACTIVE-SUBTYPE-SRVCLASS-PER-RPTCLASS-RESGROUP--
 _    1 2000000001                NO     JES    BATMED     1
 _    2 2400000002                NO     JES    BATMED     1
 _    3 2800000003                NO     JES    BATMED     1
 _    4 2C00000004                NO     JES    BATMED     1
 _    5 3000000005                NO     JES    BATLOW     1

Scroll right to see additional fields. Authorized users can quiesce or resume an enclave and change the service class on this panel.  An enclave can be selected to display the IOF Enclave Detail Display.


 ------------------------- IOF Enclave Detail Display --------------------------
  COMMAND ===>

                 Q - Quiesce               R - Resume

  Service class ===> BATMED

             On System      : S390            Token      : 2800000003
             Active         : NO              Quiesced   : NO
             Subsys type    : JES             Package    :
             Subsystem      : ENCLAVES        Plan       :
             Priority       :                 Correlation:
             Userid         :                 Collection :
             Trans. class   :                 Sched Env  :
             Transaction    : ENCLAVE         Connection :
             Network ID     :                 Function   : TESTFUNC
             Logical Unit   :                 Procedure  :
             Subsys Collect :
             Process        :    

 

Dynamic IOF Option Menu

The IOF Option Menu is changed in Release 8 to display only the options that each user is authorized to use.  The systems staff will typically see a full menu of all available options as shown below. 


 ------------------------------- IOF Option Menu ------------------------------
 COMMAND ===>

Follow an option with "?" to display its detailed interface panel.

 blank - Your jobs            LOG  - System Log       MAS  - MAS Systems
   I   - Input jobs           SR   - System Req       ENC  - Enclaves
   R   - Running jobs         DEV  - Devices          PS   - Processes
   O   - Output queue         PR   - Printers         RM   - JES2 Monitor
   J   - Jobs menu            PUN  - Punches          APPC - APPC menu
   G   - Output Groups        RDR  - Readers          CMDS - Global Cmds
   H   - Held Groups          LINE - Lines
   M   - System Monitor       INIT - Initiators
   P   - IOF Profile          SO   - Offloaders

 JOBNAMES ===>
                              Enter 1 to 8 generic jobnames above

 SCOPE    ===>                ALL, ME or another user's USERID

 DEST     ===>
                              Enter 1 to 8 destinations above 

End-users who can only access their own jobs see a much abbreviated version of the menu.  A typical end-user's IOF Option Menu is shown below.


 ------------------------------- IOF Option Menu ------------------------------
 COMMAND ===>

Follow an option with "?" to display its detailed interface panel.

 blank - Your jobs
   I   - Input jobs
   R   - Running jobs
   O   - Output jobs
   J   - Jobs menu
   G   - Output Groups
   H   - Held Groups
   M   - System Monitor
   P   - IOF Profile

 JOBNAMES ===>
                              Enter 1 to 8 generic jobnames above

 SCOPE    ===>                ALL, ME or another user's USERID

 DEST     ===>
                              Enter 1 to 8 destinations above

Other users with more authority than end-users but without full access will see just the options they are authorized to use.

JES2 Monitor Display

JES2 z/OS 1.4 and later versions collect information about critical JES2 resources.  The IOF JES2  Monitor Display displays this information and makes it easy to spot potential trouble spots by highlighting all values that are higher than 80%  of  their limit. 


 -----------------------------JES2 Monitor Display ----------------------------
 COMMAND ===>

    RESOURCE    LIMIT    USAGE  PERCENT     LOW     HIGH  AVERAGE
    BERT        21000      276      1.3     276      279      277
    BSCB           10        0      0         0        0        0
    BUFX          400        0      0         0        2        0
    CKVR           17        0      0         0        1        0
    CMBS         1000        0      0         0        0        0
    CMDS          999        0      0         0        0        0
    ICES          999       10      1.0      10       10       10
    JNUM        20000     3185     15.9    3184     3185     3184
    JOES        20000     6402     32.0    6399     6402     6400
    JQES        10000     4620     46.2    4619     4620     4619
    LBUF          100        0      0         0        0        0
    NHBS          100        0      0         0        0        0
    SMFB           53        0      0         0        0        0
    TGS         16690    14631     87.6   14627    14631    14628
    TTAB            3        0      0         0        0        0
    VTMB           46        1      2.1       1        1        1

    Note:  Fields that exceed the 80% threshold are  hilited

Usability Enhancements

The panel SORT command has been made more user-friendly in release 8A.  Enter SORT with no parms to see the current sort  and a menu of the most common sort options.

The panel FIND command has been simplified and enhanced to function like edit and browse FIND commands.

An installation can choose to have IOF Option Menu commands honored on all IOF panels without the requirement for a "jump" character.

Several new compatibility options make IOF easier to use for people who may be accustomed to using other products.

The new SNAPPAN  command is available on the Job List Menu, Output Group Display, Monitor,   Job Summary,  Enclaves and  UNIX Process panels to  capture panel data to a target data set.  A target SNAP data set must be defined before using SNAPPAN.

The new IOFAUDIT command collects information about generation parms and user modifications to IOF.  The report data set it builds can easily be returned to IOF Technical Support to make it easier and faster to provide technical assistance.

Release 8A  Availability

IOF Release 8A was made available for general distribution in January, 2006. 

It is anticipated that Release 8B with additional new features will available in the summer of 2006.

Beta Version Available Now

Beta testing for IOF Release 8A has been completed.

 

Triangle Systems, Inc. PO Box 12752, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
Email IOFTech@Triangle-Systems.Com

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