Parallel Sysplex concepts & facilities

• 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 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; Sysplex Couple Data Set considerations; 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; Selecting a CF for a structure; Updating CFRM; The SFM policy; The PLEXCFG parameter; XCFPOLxx for PR/SM; 3.27 CLOCKxx.

• Sysplex components & services

XCF Sysplex services; Signalling and Status Monitoring services; Group services; Member attributes; Member and Group Names; Member Token; Member State; User state; Permanent status recording; Member association; User routines; XCF signalling – how it works; Receiving with IXCMSGI; Cross-system Extended Services (XES); The Parallel Sysplex configuration; Configuring sysplex functions – policies; The Couple Data Sets in XES; The Coupling Facility; XES Structure Services; XES Assembler macros; Signalling Services via CF.

• Exploiting Sysplex

Exploiting the Parallel Sysplex; Parallel Sysplex exploiters; Old functions, new techniques – system software; Old functions, new techniques – 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); 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.