Network operations and administration

Networking on z/OS

Network operations and administration

Networking on z/OS

Key areas in network management include network operations, security, and problem determination.

Network operational tasks
The role of a z/OS network administrator can span a wide area. In some organizations you might be a generalist, looking after all z/OS networking components, printer subsystems, and even some of the hardware. However, it is more likely that you will specialize in one or two particular areas, such as VTAM and TCP/IP.
Network security
Security entails the reduction of the likelihood of damage, whether intentional or inadvertent. Within a context of z/OS, features such as TLS/SSL, IPSec, and SSH can be used to improve the security of data on the network. Other features such as AT-TLS and SAF-based security can also be used. Intrusion detection services are already active to some degree within the TCP/IP stack. The policy agent is the repository for many security-related configuration values. Due to the complexity of the SNA architecture and its present limited use in the telecommunications portion of the network, security in this context is not as much of a concern as it is in an IP context.
Network problem determination
Because businesses depend heavily on the availability of data processing systems, problems in the network must be addressed quickly. Symptoms of a network problem might include error messages, unusual system behavior, slow response time, or no system response.