Overview
IBM Instana Observability on z/OS offers observability for mainframe application environments, enabling application and SRE teams to gain end-to-end visibility across mobile and mainframe systems. By expanding the monitoring capabilities of IBM Instana to include hybrid applications spanning public cloud and mainframe, IBM Instana Observability on z/OS enables users to easily pinpoint z/OS-based components that impact these hybrid applications and view complete end-to-end transactions via customizable dashboards.
Both IBM Instana Observability and IBM Instana Observability on z/OS are needed to form a full end-to-end trace from distributed side to z/OS services. Before you start monitoring z/OS systems with IBM Instana Observability on z/OS, you must first install and configure IBM Instana Observability, which is licensed separately and includes all the distributed host agents, the Instana backend, and the Instana user interface.
Supported transaction tracking flows
Installation and configuration
Supported transaction tracking flows
IBM Instana Observability on z/OS allows you to track performance and availability of transactions as they flow through various z/OS® subsystems. The following transaction flows are supported:
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CICS-related translation flows:
- Transactions entering CICS® Transaction Server for z/OS through HTTP, SOAP, or JSON distributed entry points, through z/OS Connect Enterprise Edition, and through CICS Transaction Gateway.
- Transactions flowing into Db2®, IBM MQ, IMS DB, outbound webservices, and VSAM I/O timing from CICS Transaction Server for z/OS.
- Downstream transactions that are started over DTP and DPL can be tracked (Additional configuration is needed for DTP downstream transactions. For more information about the configuration, see Configuring Z APM Connect CICS TS Data Producer to create Distributed Transaction Processing (DTP) transaction filtering ).
- Transaction entering CICS Transaction Server for z/OS through IBM MQ for z/OS. For more information, see Tracking IBM MQ to CICS.
- Downstream transactions from one CICS region to another with IBM MQ as the intermediary. For more information about the configuration, see Tracking CICS to MQ to CICS transaction flows.
- Downstream (distributed) applications monitored by other Instana agents when the transactions enter CICS Transaction Server for z/OS through IBM MQ for z/OS. See Tracking CICS to MQ to an Instana monitored application.
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IMS-related transaction flows:
- Transactions entering IMS Connect through an IMS Transaction Manager resource adapter (IMS TM resource adapter).
- Transactions entering IMS Connect through z/OS Connect Enterprise Edition.
- Transactions flowing into IMS through IMS Connect.
- Transactions flowing into IMS accessing IMS Full-function Databases.
- IMS PLEX (IMS to IMS) transactions.
- IMS FastPath (FP) transactions.
- IMS FastPath DEDB and MSDB Databases.
- IMS Full Function to FP DEDB and MSDB Databases.
- IMS MQ Bridge Transactions.
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Transaction flows to Db2 for z/OS via JDBC calls:
- Inbound transaction flows to Db2 for z/OS directly via Type 4 JDBC calls. The following transaction data will be reported to the Instana backend:
- Performance metrics for SQL calls made by the application
- Db2 timeouts and Db2 deadlocks including blocker and waiter data
- Inbound transaction flows to Db2 for z/OS directly via Type 4 JDBC calls. The following transaction data will be reported to the Instana backend:
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Transactions tracing for WebSphere® Application Server (WAS) on z/OS or WebSphere® Liberty (Liberty) on z/OS. The following transaction flows are supported:
- Webservices HTTP(S) calls from WAS or Liberty Java application into CICS;
- JDBC calls from WAS or Liberty on z/OS to Db2 for z/OS.
Available components
IBM Instana Observability on z/OS utilizes core Z APM Connect Components that work seamlessly with Instana.
Note: IBM Z APM Connect is a separately licensed product that supports other APM vendors.
- Components on z/OS side:
- Z APM Connect Base
- Z APM Connect CICS TS Data Producer
- Z APM Connect IMS Data Producer
- Z APM Connect Interceptor for tracking z/OS Connect EE
- Z APM Connect request monitoring exit (server-side) for tracking CICS Transaction Gateway (CICS TG)
- IBM MQ Monitoring Subsystem component
- Z Common Data Provider
- Components on distributed side:
- Z APM Connect Distributed Gateway
- Z APM Connect request monitoring exits (client-side) for tracking CICS Transaction Gateway (CICS TG)
For detailed introduction about each component, see Z APM Connect components.
Installation and configuration
To complete the installation of IBM Instana Observability on z/OS, you need to install a full Instana self-hosted back end and then install Z APM Connect components. For more information about installation and configuration, see Planning the installation.