Are you installing IBM®’s OMEGAMON monitoring solutions at your site for the first time? Are you using the PARMGEN configuration tool for the first time? Are you performing a quick on-premise proof of concept deployment? If none of these items describes you, then you are an experienced user of the monitoring products and the PARMGEN tool and you are welcome to go directly to the documented quick configuration scenarios  published in IBM Knowledge Center OMEGAMON XE shared documentation , after... [More]

Tags:  networks parmgen messaging omegamon storage management websphere ftu performance zos enhanced_3270ui was mainframe netview mq db2 ims automation cics #mainframe

The new release of OMEGAMON XE for Messaging v7.3.0 has an Enhanced 3270 User Interface feature that allows you to issue any MQSC display or ping command directly from the command line in most MQ workspaces.  You no longer have to switch out of the Enhanced 3270UI when you want to issue an MQSC display command just because you want to see the data in that familiar way.  IBM MQ has about 45 display and ping commands, which provide a wealth of information about your queue manager and its objects. For example, you want to see the results... [More]

Tags:  messaging management performance omegamon zos mainframe mq

Recently, I worked with an airline company to identify why a few transactions out of hundreds per second were failing. Many z/OS applications act as a TCP/IP server and accept connections from users or applications on other hosts and mobile devices. The application at this customer that is experiencing problems does accept connections from end users, but it also acts as a TCP/IP client to retrieve information from servers running on Linux. Some of the transactions between the z/OS application and Linux servers were failing. Here's a brief... [More]

Tags:  omegamon performance networks mainframe zos management best_practice

The embedded data feature is introduced in the latest release of the OMEGAMON family of products. The new feature speeds up your problem determination efforts by making data from one product available in another's enhanced 3270UI workspaces. With embedded data, less time is spent switching between the OMEGAMON products. The accompanying playlists and videos demonstrate how to use the OMEGAMON enhanced 3270 user interface and embedded data to solve problems. With this youtube playlist , you can play all of the videos or you can select... [More]

Tags:  storage rls cics mainframe messaging omegamon zos

Join the OMEGAMON XE for Mainframe Networks development team for an Early Access Program web conference on  November 20, 2014 at 10:00AM Eastern . The development team will request your feedback on the release content and design decisions currently under consideration. z/OS network SMEs and OMEGAMON administrators will benefit from attending this session and participating in the Early Access Program. We look forward to seeing you there. =-=- =-=- =-=- =-=- =-=- =-=- =-=- =-=- =-=- =-=- =-=- =-=- What is the Early Access Program... [More]

Tags:  networks zos mainframe management performance omegamon

On November 13, 2014 password security enhancements in RACF were made available for z/OS V1R12, V1R13, and V2R1. A service stream enhancement to zSecure 1.12, 1.13, 1.13.1, 2.1, and 2.1.1 was made available at the same time. Among other improvements, these updates allow a larger password space (additional special characters allowed) and a stronger encryption method (KDFAES).   Background Password security is a function as much of user education (e.g., do not use the same password on a strongly protected work account as on your favorite personal... [More]

Tags:  ims qradar zsecure cics racfpwchar/k saf security mainframe systemz racfpwencr/k z/os servicemanagementconnect racf siem

Would you like to learn more about the capabilities of the latest release of the IBM Service Management Suite for z/OS? IBM Service Management Suite for z/OS V1.2.0 offers a simplified management solution through an integrated, single point of control for a broad range of systems management functions. You get the visibility, control, and automation of a large range of system elements spanning both your hardware and software mainframe resources. IBM Service Management Suite for z/OS provides network and systems management, automation, and asset... [More]

Tags:  mainframe automation zos systemz management

What's new: The OMEGAMON Enhanced 3270 UI  allows the definition of a Secondary HUB TEMS.   If you wish to periodically  monitor a HUB TEMS,  in another data center for example,  then defining a secondary HUB TEMS is one solution.    Once a secondary HUB TEMS is defined  switching  between the primary and secondary  HUB TEMS is easy using the switch command.   The secondary HUB TEMS will  also become the active HUB TEMS,  if for example,  the primary HUB... [More]

Tags:  omegamon performance management zos enhanced_3270ui mainframe itm

The PARMGEN configuration tool supports a number of components in the following product suites: Tivoli OMEGAMON Performance Management Suite for z/OS Tivoli OMEGAMON for z/OS Management Suite IBM Service Management Suite for z/OS Tivoli Advanced Storage Management Suite for z/OS Effective preparation and planning make configuration, deployment and upgrades of the product suites go more quickly and smoothly.   Here are some of the best practice tips to aid in a smooth deployment of the products.  We realize many customers also employ... [More]

Tags:  was netview storage mainframe websphere zos ims messaging performance parmgen enhanced_3270ui cics db2 ftu networks management automation omegamon #mainframe mq

What screen size should you use? If your screen size is too small, there may be a lot of meaningful information off to the right or bottom of your screen.  Personally, I find 62x160 is a good size for all enhanced 3270UI uses.  If your monitor is too small to comfortably accommodate that size (and getting more difficult with every birthday!), then 43x80 is good for *most* enhanced 3270UI uses. If there are workspaces with many subpanels or many thousands of rows of data (such as historical summary displays), 62x160 might be better for... [More]

Tags:  management omegamon zos performance mainframe enhanced_3270ui

A performance improvement was recently made available to speed up processing for CARLa queries using z/OS UNIX file data. If you are using zSecure 2.1.0 or 2.1.1 it is recommended you look at the service provided through APAR OA46606 . If you work with systems with lots of catalogs and data sets, you might also experience benefits from changes made in that area. For zSecure 2.1.0 install the fix for APAR OA46616 . For zSecure 2.1.1 this change was largely incorporated into the base release. You can apply the fix for APAR OA46244 for some later... [More]

Tags:  zsecure performance servicemanagementconnect security z/os unix systemz mainframe

Viewlets have been added to the OMEGAMON XE for Messaging for z/OS media gallery wiki page for the v7.3 release.  You may be interested in watching these to learn more about the embedded data and near term history features.  They are short and fast to download and watch. Here are links to the topics recently added to the product's Media Gallery page: Finding the occurrence time of a channel issue with the MQ Enhanced 3270 user interface : This viewlet shows... [More]

Tags:  zos cics mainframe management performance omegamon mq messaging

On December 19, 2014 a new service stream enhancement (SSE) to zSecure Audit 2.1.1 has become generally available, adding additional compliance checks for the Security Technical Implementation Guide (STIG) for z/OS from the US Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA). Following the support added for IBM MQ for z/OS in zSecure 2.1.1, this SSE focuses on compliance checks for MQ.   Background The Security Technical Implementation Guide from DISA provides a framework for ensuring that security is set up properly. IBM Security zSecure Audit helps... [More]

Tags:  zsecure topsecret systemz compliance racf disa-stig security z/os acf2 mainframe mq

Hello everyone, Happy New Year!  I hope this note finds you well.   Thanks for your attendance of the previous PARMGEN customer open Q&A calls held on Oct. 29th and Nov. 19th last year.   We are scheduling the next monthly PARMGEN customer call planned to be held on Wednesday, Jan. 28th @ 11 a.m. US ET . For our new attendees, the monthly PARMGEN customer call's goal is to have an informal, open Q&A forum especially those in the planning and configuration phases of upgrading to OMEGAMON Performance... [More]

Tags:  enhanced_3270ui cics storage ftu mainframe was ims messaging automation performance netview parmgen mq db2 websphere omegamon networks management #mainframe zos

In OMEGAMON XE for IMS v510 we released our first content in the new Enhanced 3270 User Interface. One of the very useful things that this interface allows us to do is show you information across your entire IMSplex – even across LPARs - on one screen. Lets start on our main workspace, KIPSTART. We'll be looking at the first subpanel, which shows a list of all of the IMSplexes in our environment, focusing on IMSplex IA1C for this scenario:   Already, we notice that somewhere within the IMSplex, a locking condition has occurred.... [More]

Tags:  omegamon zos #smc management performance ims enhanced_3270ui mainframe plex

Today we announce the addition of OMEGAMON XE for IMS on z/OS to the existing OMEGAMON Performance Management Suite Beta program.  We are looking for customers and business partners who are interested in working with us to shape and validate the new capabilities we are developing in OMEGAMON XE for IMS. The beta program is a great way for you to evaluate the value of new OMEGAMON enhancements as they are being developed, and to interact directly with the OMEGAMON Development team.   Program support includes receiving assistance... [More]

Tags:  zos mainframe zsystems monitoring omegamon management ims performance

Today we announce the addition of OMEGAMON XE for Mainframe Networks to the existing OMEGAMON Performance Management Suite Beta program.  We are looking for customers and business partners who are interested in working with us to shape and validate the new capabilities we are developing in OMEGAMON XE for Mainframe Networks. The beta program is a great way for you to evaluate the new OMEGAMON features as they are being developed, and to interact directly with the OMEGAMON Development team.   Program support includes receiving... [More]

Tags:  management zos omegamon monitoring performance networks mainframe beta

Announcing the continuation of the OMEGAMON Performance Management Suite for z/OS Beta Program The OMEGAMON Development team is looking for interested customers and business partners to participate in the Beta Program for the next release of the IBM OMEGAMON Performance Management Suite for z/OS.  Both On-Premise and Hosted Beta Programs are supported and will include OMEGAMON XE for IMS on z/OS and OMEGAMON XE for Mainframe Networks. The Beta Program is a great way for participants to evaluate the value of new OMEGAMON enhancements... [More]

Tags:  monitoring management network beta ims zos omegamon mainframe performance

IBM Security zSecure Manager for RACF z/VM 1.11.2 was announced this week at IBM Interconnect 2015 with a planned availability date of March 13, 2015. This release is based on IBM Security zSecure Suite 2.1.1 (for z/OS) and introduces the zSecure Audit Compliance Testing Framework to the z/VM operating system.   Background Mainframes continue to be the home for mission critical information and essential business production applications in many organizations due to the strong heritage of integrated security support capabilities across hardware,... [More]

Tags:  systemmanagementconnect z/os z/vm mainframe racf zsecure carla interconnect2015 security compliance disa-stig z_systems