NetView V6.1 announcement

IBM recently made an announcement about a new NetView release, NetView V6.1. NetView V6.1 offers some powerful new features, including the following:

- Analysis and automation of z/OS system, NetView, and job log messages via a
consolidated log (Canzlog) for both real time and archived messages.
- Built-in analysis of packet trace data that reduces diagnostics time.
- Support for zEnterprise hardware.
- Support for Dynamic Virtual IP Address Hot Standby distribution.
- Tighter integration with IBM Tivoli Network Manager.
- Enhanced NetView Discovery Library Adapter (DLA)
- Support for GDPS® Active/Active continuous availability solution.

The enhanced IP trace feature is very nice and is a dramatic improvement in terms of power and ease of use over tracing in prior NetView releases.

Here's a link to the announcement letter:

http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/rep_ca/6/897/ENUS211-186/ENUS211-186.PDF

An upcoming webcast on OMEGAMON Parmlib installation

If you are not familiar with Parmlib, it's a newer install method for OMEGAMON that is parameter based. Think of Parmlib as an alternative to using the ICAT tool to configure OMEGAMON. It's important to start to get to know a bit about the Parmlib process. At some point the likely plan is that Parmlib will replace ICAT as the configuration tool for OMEGAMON installation.

If you want to know a bit more about Parmlib, here is a link to an upcoming webcast that will talk about it. The event is on June 8th. You can also play the recording after the fact.

Here's the link:

https://www-304.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?mynp=OCSS2JNN&mync=R&uid=swg27021651&myns=swgtiv

Tivoli Data Warehouse data on DB2 on z/OS

Tivoli Data Warehouse (TDW) is a very useful feature of OMEGAMON and the ITM monitoring infrastructure. Most of the Tivoli monitoring solutions that connect to the Tivoli Portal are able to capture and store historical data using TDW. TDW data integrates nicely within the Tivoli Portal, and allows the user to see data in both real time and historical format. TDW data can be used for both distributed and z/OS monitoring data. TDW data is quite useful, especially for trending and analysis purposes.

Most users who deploy TDW usually use DB2 on a Linux/Unix/Windows type platform to collect and house the data. What many don't realize is you can also store your history data on DB2 on z/OS. To do this you need DB2 on z/OS at be at the V9 level, or above. But if you have that, then maybe using DB2 on z/OS as your data store is an interesting option.

Here is a link to a white paper written by IBMer Mike Bonett that goes through the setup of TDW on z/OS:

http://www-03.ibm.com/support/techdocs/atsmastr.nsf/5cb5ed706d254a8186256c71006d2e0a/b327c2b1683071e28625786400634a7f/$FILE/TDW_DB2_ZOS_Considerations.pdf

zIIP support for OMEGAMON DB2 Near Term History

Collecting DB2 thread accounting history can be one of the more expensive functions of OMEGAMON XE For DB2 PM/PE. The Near Term History (NTH) function can potentially write millions of DB2 accounting records per day in many shops. One of the goals of V5.1 of OMEGAMON DB2 was to cut the cost of writing history data by routing this activity, where possible, to zIIP processors. Now that function is becoming available.

In an announcement letter from May 3, 2011, there is mention of enhancement PTFs UK65924, UK65927, and UK65933, for OMEGAMON DB2 PM/PE V5.1 With these PTFs, when the NTH component is activated for the DB2 subsystems that OMEGAMON is monitoring, NTH's data manager subcomponent processing, which is executed in enclave SRB mode, will be directed to an available zIIP.

Here is a link to the announcement letter:

http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/rep_ca/6/897/ENUS211-156/ENUS211-156.PDF

MQSeries high log RBA issue

Thanks to my colleague Jim Newell for this interesting tidbit.

MQSeries on z/OS has been around for quite a while. Recently some customers have experienced (or have come close to experiencing) an outage to MQSeries on z/OS due to a High RBA for the MQSeries Log on z/OS. Shops who have been running MQ on z/OS for many years are potentially exposed the most. There is a Technote available that describes the symptoms leading up to the condition, what can be done to avoid the issue and what the consequences are.

If you are seeing messages CSQI045I, CSQI046E and CSQI047E then it's time to investigate. If you are not trapping for these messages in your automation routines, you can use OMEGAMON XE for Messaging on z/OS to create a situation to detect the potential condition. Here I show an example of how to create a situation to check the log RBA.

Information about how to respond to messages CSQI045I, CSQI046E and CSQI047E is available in the Technote. Below is the URL:

http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21496081&myns=swgws&mynp=OCSSFKSJ&mync=E

Upcoming System z technology summit

There will be a set of System z technology summits happening in the midwest in late May and June. The dates are May 25th for Chicago, and June 8th for Columbus. This looks like an in-depth event and will have multiple technical tracks.

The technical sessions are grouped into five tracks defined by topic and job responsibility, with morning and afternoon sessions for each track.

Track 1: zEnterprise - the First System of Systems
Developed for: IT managers, IT enterprise architects.

Track 2: DB2® for z/OS® Technical Update
Developed for: Database architects, DBAs, database managers.

Track 3: Modern Application Development and Deployment
Developed for: Application architects, application developers, application development management.

Track 4: CICS Technical Update
Developed for: CICS application programmers, CICS application management.

Track 5: Data Center Operations and Systems Management Update
Developed for: Operations management, infrastructure architects, system programmers.

To register, here's the link:

ibm.com/software/systemz/summit

IBM and the Fortune 500

Fortune magazine released it's information on the Fortune 500. IBM came in at #18 on the list. Fortune had some interesting things to say about IBM:

"When Big Blue celebrates its centennial later this year, it will do so in style. Sales reached almost $100 billion in 2010 and profits, which have quadrupled during CEO Sam Palmisano's nine-year reign, hit a record.

The secret: a heavy focus on innovation. IBM spent $24 billion on R&D last year and filed over 18,000 patents — more than any other company in the world. Most firms pulled back during the recession, while IBM invested big in projects like artificial intelligence (who didn't watch Watson on Jeopardy?) and Smart Planet, its plan to use networking computer technology to ease traffic congestion and overtaxed power grids."

I may be a tad biased, but $24 billion in R&D is an impressive number. IBM continues to invest in technology, like Tivoli, and in z/OS. The numbers show the results.

When upgrading to ITM 6.22

This is a story related to me by a colleague of mine, Jim Weaver, who has been working with customers upgrading the TEP to ITM 6.2.2 level.

When upgrading the Tivoli Portal server from ITM 6.2.1 to 6.2.2, what do you do if you still see what looks like the original 6.2.1 interface when launching the browser version? You can clear the browser cache, but odds are you may still see the issue.

In the ITM Problem Determination Guide, there is mention of this, but the instructions are not 100% accurate (yes I know, that may be hard to believe).

http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/tivihelp/v15r1/index.jsp?topic=/com.ibm.itm.doc_6.2.fp1/pdg_itm6222.htm

To resolve the issue, follow these steps:

Bring up the Windows Control Panel (Start > Control Panel).
Locate the "IBM Control Panel for Java". You may find that there is also a entry on the control panel for "Java". This is the wrong one. On the "General" tab, locate the bottom box that is labeled "Temporary Internet Files". There should be a "Settings..." box that you need to click on. You should get another pop up window. On the "Temporary File Settings" panel, locate the "Delete Files..." button and click on it. The "Delete Temporary Files" panel should give you options to delete Applications and Applets. I choose both. You then need to click on "Ok". Once you have cleared the Applications and Applets, you should be able to back your way out of the Java Control Panel. When you go to the TEPS, you should now get the right version.