Parallel Sysplex: operations, troubleshooting & recovery

• Parallel Sysplex overview

ntroduction; What is a parallel sysplex?; XCF, the Cross-systems Coupling Facility; The SYSPLEX; Multisystem environments; It's not just signalling!; But what about data sharing?; The Coupling Facility; Coupling Facility data - Structures; Using the Coupling Facility; Data sharing services; OK, so WHY parallel sysplex?; A 'single image environment'; A sysplex is just a bigger multiprocessor!; Management of a single image environment; Dispatching work; Recovery and expendability; Continuous availability; The D XCF, D CF and SETXCF commands; DISPLAY XCF.

• The Operations Environment

Our example system; Example system - logical view; Cloned images; Cloning support; IEASYMnn; System symbols, types and rules; IEASYSnn; LOADxx, IEASYMnn and IEASYSnn; Specifying the system name (&SYSNAME); An example of a cloned environment; Console configurations; System control & the console environment; MCS consoles in a sysplex; CONSOLnn definitions; CONSOLnn definitions: IPL BP01, IPL BP03, IPL BP08; Synchronous messages; Using the SYSCONS; Using EMCS consoles; New command facilities; Setting up and displaying system symbols; Command scope in the sysplex; Basic command routing in the sysplex; More about the ROUTE command; System groups; Using command and message prefixing; Displaying the command prefixes; CMDSYS and MSCOPE; Command flow in the sysplex; The System Logger; The System Logger environment; The System Logger policy; The OPERLOG logstream; Using SDSF with OPERLOG; The LOGREC logstream environment; Switching LOGREC; Running EREP; Displaying the System Logger.

• Sysplex Operations

The sysplex environment; Clock synchronization techniques; Sysplex parameters and status; IPLing in the sysplex environment; IPLing to initialise the sysplex; IPLing subsequent systems; Initialising the sysplex - multiple IPLs; IXC405D - I, J or R?; Removing a system from the sysplex; Shutting down the sysplex; IPLing to re-initialise the sysplex; Managing the sysplex environment; CTC path naming conventions; Advantages of the naming convention; Path reconfiguration; What's in the Couple Data Sets?; Displaying Couple Data Set status; Using SETXCF COUPLE; IPLing after a Couple Data Set switch; Sysplex management components; Managing the Coupling Facility environment; Changing the CFRM policy; Moving a structure; Removing a Coupling Facility; Repopulating a Coupling Facility; Displaying Coupling Facility resources; Structure duplexing; Starting & stopping duplexing; SETXCF: START, STOP, MODIFY, COUPLE, FORCE.

• IPL Problem Determination

What can go wrong?; Your options if a problem occurs; How to avoid most of these problems; Incorrect path definitions; Not enough path definitions; Unable to establish connectivity; Miscellaneous COUPLExx errors; Sysplex configuration parameters; PLEXCFG mode problems; Duplicate or inactive systems in the sysplex?; A reminder: IXC405D - I, J or R?; Slow systems or fast operators; Couple Data Set problems; Initializing the Coupling Facilities at IPL; Coupling Facility ownership problems; Coupling Facility reconciliation failure; Internal XCF component errors.

• Runtime Problem Determination

It's the sysplex that counts, not the individual systems; Murphy's Law; Redundancy is good for you!; Our example configuration; Failure events and recovery options; CTC signalling path reconfiguration; Losing the last or only CTC signalling path; Structure signalling path 'reconfiguration'; Losing the only CFC to a signalling structure; Losing the only CF (using a structure for signalling); Losing the only signalling structure; 'Status update missing' conditions; Removing the system and replying "down"; SPINTIME and INTERVAL; System Isolation techniques; SFM and ARM; The Sysplex Failure Manager (SFM); SFM policy options; SFM processing for connectivity failures; CF signalling, connectivity failures and SFM's weights; SFM processing for status update missing; SFM, system isolation; Time interval relationships with SFM; The SFM environment; Enabling SFM, switching SFM data sets; Other SFM considerations; Clocks, clocks and more clocks; ETR / TOD synchronisation; ETRDELTA; Sysplex Timer connectivity problems; Losing the sysplex timer; Couple Data Set problems; Failures in the Coupling Facility environment; Coupling Facility and CFC error indicators; Structure rebuild - an overview; Structure rebuild - why?; Structure rebuild controls; Structure rebuild - application support; Automatic Restart Manager; The ARM policy; The ARM defaults; Manipulating the ARM environment; ARM element states; D XCF ARMSTATUS; ARM restart, same system; ARM restart, cross-system; ARM considerations.

• Recovery of Exploiters

VTAM; RACF; Data Sharing; Enhanced Catalog Sharing; LOGREC; OPERLOG; JES2 Checkpoint; GRS in STAR mode.