z/OS Provisioning Toolkit change history

• A new cics_61 image is provided to provision a CICS® Transaction Server for z/OS V6.1 region
• A cics_61 sample is provided to enable provisioning of a CICS Transaction Server for z/OS V6.1 region.

• A new cics_56 image is provided to provision a CICS Transaction Server for z/OS V5.6 region
• A cics_56 sample is provided to enable provisioning of a CICS Transaction Server for z/OS V5.6 region.

• Provision an IBM Db2® 12 for z/OS subsystem. See Getting started with other middleware.
• New zospt create command to create a container but not start it. See The zospt command syntax.
• New property, zospt.log.permissions, in the logging.properties file. You can use this property to change the access permissions for log files. See Configuring z/OS Provisioning Toolkit.

• The default permissions for log files are changed to readable and writeable only by you as their owner, that is, -rw------- or 600.

• The following new templates are provided:
  • iefbr14 to run the utility program IEFBR14 to verify z/OS PT installation.
  • java_helloworld to run a Java™ Platform, Standard Edition (Java SE) web server and display a Hello World message.

See Samples provided with z/OS Provisioning Toolkit.

• The following new images are provided:
  • iefbr14 to run the utility program IEFBR14 to verify z/OS PT installation.
  • java_helloworld to run a Java Platform, Standard Edition (Java SE) web server and display a Hello World message.
  • cics_catalog_sample to provision a CICS region that runs a sample CICS catalog manager application that accesses VSAM data sets.

Corresponding sample zosptfile files are also updated.

See Sample images and the source artifacts that are used to build them.

• The following image and corresponding zosptfile files to provision CICS TS with embedded z/OS Connect Enterprise Edition are removed:
  • cics_55_zosconnect_v3r0

• Provision an IMS DB/TM V13 or V14 system. See Getting started with other middleware.
• Simplified configuration through the option to provision a CICS region by using IBM Cloud Provisioning and Management for z/OS without needing to configure or use the z/OSMF z/OS console services. This function depends on the value of the CONSOLE_COMMAND_TYPE configuration property. See Workflow configuration variables.

• CONSOLE_COMMAND_TYPE sets how the provisioning process performs tasks that include detecting successful start and stop of a CICS region and deleting log streams. Valid options are SCRIPT (uses REXX scripts to issue console commands) or APICALL (use the API that the z/OSMF z/OS console services provide). If you specify SCRIPT, you do not need to configure z/OS console services.

See Configuration properties for CICS images.

• DFH_REGION_LOGSTREAM_HLQ is changed to support the following format for the log stream prefix: DFH_REGION_APPLID.*
• The GRPLIST parameter in DFH_REGION_SITPARMS is changed to allow an increased maximum of three entries and to no longer require the inclusion of the CICS groups typically in DFHLIST. The CICS groups typically in DFHLIST are now automatically included in the generated list of provisioning-specific resource definitions. This generated list is now included as the first entry in the group list so that the provisioning-specific resource definitions are installed before the resources specified with the GRPLIST parameter.

See Configuration properties for CICS images.

• Support for provisioning CICS Transaction Server for z/OS V5.5 regions.
• Support for provisioning a CICS region that obtains dynamically allocated ports from different port ranges, depending on the use of the requested port. See Using dynamic port allocation in a template.

• The following new templates are provided:
  • cics_55 to provision a CICS Transaction Server for z/OS V5.5 region.
  • cmas_55 to provision a CICSPlex® SM address space (CMAS) V5.5 region.
  • wui_55 to provision a Web User Interface (WUI) V5.5 region.

See Samples provided with z/OS Provisioning Toolkit.

• The cics_55_nodejs_ivp image is renamed from cics_55_open_beta_nodejs_ivp.
• The cics_async_api_sample is renamed from cics_54_async_api_sample and updated to enable provisioning of a CICS Transaction Server for z/OS V5.4 or later region.
• The following new images are provided to provision and, where relevant, extend a CICS Transaction Server for z/OS V5.5 region:
  • cics_55
  • cics_55_json
  • cics_55_liberty
  • cics_55_soap
  • cics_55_zosconnect_v3r0
  • cmas_55
  • wui_55

Corresponding sample zosptfile files are also updated.

See Sample images and the source artifacts that are used to build them.

• The following templates are removed:
  • cmas_54
  • wui_54
• The following images and corresponding zosptfile files are removed:
  • cics_54
  • cics_54_async_api_sample
  • cics_54_json
  • cics_54_liberty
  • cics_54_soap
  • cics_54_zosconnect_v3r0
  • cmas_54
  • wui_54

• DFH_JVM_DEBUG_USAGETYPE to set the usage type for the port that a Java debugger can be connected to.
• DFH_REGION_CMCIPORT_USAGETYPE to set the usage type for a CMCI port.
• DFH_REGION_HTTP_USAGETYPE to set the usage type for an HTTP port.
• DFH_REGION_HTTPS_USAGETYPE to set the usage type for an HTTPS port.
• DFH_REGION_IPIC_USAGETYPE to set the usage type for an IPIC port.
• DFH_REGION_TCPIP_USAGETYPE to set the usage type for the CICSPlex SM WUI port.

Ports can then be dynamically allocated from the port allocation range that each usage type identifies.

See Configuration properties for CICS images.

• DFH_ZOS_VSAM_VOLUME is changed to specify that the volume parameter is used for PDS creation as well as VSAM. If you specify SMS, the VOLUME parameter is omitted from PDS creation (for example trace and dump) as well as VSAM.

See Configuration properties for CICS images.

• Faster provisioning and deprovisioning for CICS templates that use Cloud Provisioning to provision a CICS region. You can enable parallel processing in the workflows for CICS templates that use Cloud Provisioning so that provisioning and deprovisioning complete faster. Parallel processing is supported with the zospt run and zospt rm commands and the relevant templates.

  This function requires the PTFs for APARs PI92305 and PI99364 applied to z/OSMF V2R3, or the PTFs for APARs PI95358 and PI99364 applied to z/OSMF V2R2.

  See Enabling faster provisioning by using parallel processing.

• Support to include program binary files, such as compiled COBOL or PL/I, in an image. You can use this support to provision a CICS region with a LIBRARY resource installed in it that references a library that contains those program binary files.

  See Including program binary files in your image.

• Support to include CICS resource definitions in an image by providing input files for the CICS system definition utility program DFHCSDUP in an image. You can use this to provision a CICS region with the resource definitions defined in its system definition data set (CSD).

  See Including CICS resource definitions in an image.

• The cics_54_async_api_sample sample image provides an example of including program binary files and CICS resource definitions in an image. The image provisions a CICS Transaction Server for z/OS V5.4 region that runs a sample CICS Asynchronous API application. See Samples provided with z/OS Provisioning Toolkit.

• Support for Node.js applications in a CICS Transaction Server for z/OS V5.5 region.
• Support to use existing CICS log streams during provisioning.
• Support to use dummy CICS log streams during provisioning.

• DFH_REGION_LOGSTREAM indicates how the log streams that the provisioned CICS region requires are created. Valid options are DYNAMIC (the default), EXISTING, and DUMMY.

See Configuration properties for CICS images.

• TEMP_DIR is no longer required and is ignored if a value is provided.

• New getting started scenarios, with new samples and workflows to provision CICS with minimal prerequisites to get started with provisioning. For more information about getting started, see Getting started with z/OS Provisioning Toolkit.
• Support for starting and stopping the Composite_Parent container by using the zospt start and zospt stop commands. Starting or stopping the Composite_Parent container starts or stops the Composite_Child containers in the correct order.

• Support for provisioning additional CICS region types: CICSPlex SM address spaces (CMASs) and Web User Interface (WUI) regions. See Overview of supported CICS types.
• Support to enable automation of provisioning and deprovisioning containers through the new --quiet option on the zospt run command. See Automating provisioning with z/OS Provisioning Toolkit.
• Support to build, run, and manage containers that are provisioned from composite templates that are created in z/OSMF 2.2 and later. See z/OS Provisioning Toolkit and z/OSMF composite templates.
• Support for starting and stopping multiple containers by using the zospt start and zospt stop commands.
• Support for specifying the containerName of a provisioned container on the zospt run command.
• Support for allowing a subset of configuration properties that are set in the template to be overridden in the z/OS PT image. For more information about overriding CICS properties, see Modifying the set of CICS configuration properties that can be overridden.

• DFH_CICS_TYPE now supports new values CMAS and WUI (in addition to the current values of MAS, SMSS and Unmanaged). See Overview of supported CICS types.
• DFH_DELETE_LOGSTREAM_TIMEOUT customizes how long a workflow waits to detect successful deletion of the CICS log streams.
• DFH_ZOS_PROCLIB now specifies the complete data set name of a procedure library (PROCLIB). The workflow no longer appends .PROCLIB to the end of this value.
• DFH_ZOS_STCJOBS now specifies the complete data set name of a data set into which started task JCL jobs can be created. The workflow no longer appends .STCJOBS to the end of this value.

See Configuration properties for CICS images.

• DFH_CONSOLE_SEARCH_SPACES is no longer required and is ignored if a value is provided.

• Link a provisioned CICS image to a registered Db2 container, a registered IBM MQ container, or both.
• Link a provisioned z/OS Connect EE image to a provisioned or registered CICS container.

See Link scenarios supported by z/OS Provisioning Toolkit.

• Register existing subsystems in z/OSMF. See Registering existing subsystems in z/OSMF.
• Provision a CICS region from an image that includes a CICS bundle. See Including a CICS bundle in your image.
• Provision a CICS region with a JVM that is configured for remote debug.
• Support for filtering the list of containers in the zospt ps command.
• Support for removing images by using the zospt rmi command.
• Support for removing multiple containers by using the zospt rm command.
• Define a job in an STCJOBS data set for the started task of the provisioned CICS region.
• Define a job in an STCJOBS data set for the started task of the provisioned instance of z/OS Connect EE.
• Enhanced validation of the user ID that is specified for the DFH_ADMIN_CONSOLE property to determine whether the z/OS console services (an API) can be used to detect unsolicited messages.

• DFH_JVM_DEBUG
• DFH_REGION_LOGSTREAM_HLQ
• DFH_STC_JOB_CARD
• DFH_ZFS_DATACLASS
• DFH_ZFS_GROUP
• DFH_ZOS_STCJOBS

See Configuration properties for CICS images.

• ZCON_STC_JOB_CARD
• ZCON_ZOS_STCJOBS

See Configuration properties for z/OS Connect Enterprise Edition images.

• Provision a CICS region with a shared CSD by using supplied workflows. See Shared CSD guidance.
• CICS samples are updated to support CICS Transaction Server for z/OS V5.4.
• Support for provisioning z/OS Connect Enterprise Edition V3.0 by using supplied workflows.
• Provision a CICS region with an IPIC port (for example to enable a stand-alone instance of z/OS Connect EE V3.0 to connect to a provisioned CICS region by using the new CICS service provider).
• Provision z/OS software subsystems and services on any LPAR in a Parallel Sysplex®.
• The z/OS PT documentation PDF is now available directly from this IBM Knowledge Center. See z/OS Provisioning Toolkit PDF.

• New zospt_pw environment variable can be set to enable z/OS PT to be used in a script without prompting for a password.
• New logging.properties file for configuring z/OS PT log size and count that contains the following properties:
  • java.util.logging.FileHandler.limit
  • java.util.logging.FileHandler.count

See Configuring z/OS Provisioning Toolkit.

• DFH_REGION_CSD is renamed DFH_REGION_CSD_INPUT
• DFH_REGION_CSD_TYPE
• DFH_REGION_IPIC
• DFH_REGION_SHARED_CSD_NAME
• TEMP_DIR
• VALIDATE_PARAMETERS

See Configuration properties for CICS images.

• TEMP_DIR
• VALIDATE_PARAMETERS

See Configuration properties for z/OS Connect Enterprise Edition images.

• Provision stand-alone z/OS Connect EE servers by using supplied workflows.
• Provision Liberty servers. For more information, and for sample workflows, see WebSphere Liberty workflow in GitHub.
• Enhanced zospt inspect command to get information on provisioned containers. See The zospt command syntax.
• Truststore support for connecting to z/OSMF from the command line utility.

• Added to the zosmf.properties file:
  • truststore
  • truststore_password

See Configuring z/OS Provisioning Toolkit.

• DFH_CONSOLE_SEARCH_SPACES
• DFH_START_TIMEOUT
• DFH_STOP_TIMEOUT

See Configuration properties for CICS images.

• z/OS PT is a simple command line utility for the rapid provisioning of z/OS development environments. Use z/OS PT to build an image, run an image to create a container, and then manage that container by using simple commands.
• z/OS PT supports the following commands:
  • zospt build
  • zospt run
  • zospt rm
  • zospt inspect
  • zospt images
  • zospt ps
• Provision a CICS region by using supplied workflows.
• Provision an IBM MQ queue manager (workflows are included with IBM MQ V9.0.1 for z/OS).
• Examples for different CICS applications, including provisioning embedded z/OS Connect EE, Liberty, and web services.