Considerations for Automation

While information for monitoring of resources is defined at the enterprise level, automation of resources and applications is defined at the system level. Each system in an SA z/OS enterprise uses SA z/OS routines to automate operator functions for its own applications and z/OS components.

The programs that automate these functions are called SA z/OS automation procedures. SA z/OS automation procedures invoke common routines and generic routines that are provided by SA z/OS. You can customize your automation by writing your own automation procedures that can also invoke the routines that are provided by SA z/OS.

SA z/OS provides automation procedures that are internally invoked according to the NetView automation table and that manage, for example, the following:

  • TCP/IP
  • HTTP Server
  • Job Entry Subsystem/2 (JES2)
  • Job Entry Subsystem/3 (JES3)
  • Time Sharing Option/Extensions (TSO/E)
  • APPC
  • ASCH
  • Resource Measurement Facility (RMF)
  • Virtual Telecommunication Access Method (VTAM®)
  • NetView
  • Transient jobs
  • USS processes
  • Non-z/OS resources
  • Any other applications

SA z/OS manages and integrates with:

  • CICS®
  • IMS
  • DB2®
  • IBM Workload Scheduler
  • SAP
  • Websphere
  • TBSM
  • GDPS® and others.

SA z/OS provides automation procedures that enable recovery of the following z/OS components and data sets:

  • SYSLOG data sets
  • LOGREC data sets
  • System Management Facility (SMF) data sets
  • Write-to-operator (WTO) buffers
  • JES spools
  • z/OS dump data sets
  • Action Message Retention Facility (AMRF) buffers
  • Sysplex resources, for example, coupling facility

With SA z/OS you can also define policies for the automated startup and shutdown of processors and for the automated IPL and shutdown of operating systems.

The above lists represent applications and z/OS components that SA z/OS provides automation for, but you are not limited to these. You can extend automation by adding new applications, and you can create your own automation procedures.

The SA z/OS policy administrator uses the customization dialog to set the way that enterprise resources are to be handled by SA z/OS when predefined conditions are met. In addition to invoking provided automation procedures, SA z/OS can be used to trigger user-written automation procedures.

Note: In order to avoid problems with automation procedures and customization dialogs, do not use the following terms for entry names or application subsystem names: RC, RETURN, or SIGL.