Parallel Sysplex

IBM® Parallel Sysplex enables you to run multiple copies of a z/OS as a single image, so you can manage multiple systems and resources from a single point of control. In a Parallel Sysplex, operating systems can span multiple systems and share their applications and data. Images can be added or removed as needed, while applications continue to run.

• Automatic Restart Manager recovers and restarts critical subsystems, either on the same system or on a different system.
• Coupling Facility provides high-speed caching, list processing and locking.   
• GDPS offers disaster recovery and high availability by using a cluster across two or more sites with data mirroring.
• Generic Resource Management helps prevent a single point of failure and balances middleware workloads.  
• Resource sharing enables physical resources such as files, tape drives, consoles and catalogs to be shared.
• Server Time Protocol enables servers and coupling facilities to maintain common time synchronization.
• Sysplex Failure Manager specifies a policy for failure detection intervals and recovery actions to be automatically initiated.
• z/OS Workload Manager manages workloads via dynamic resource distribution to move workloads to systems with capacity.

Server Time Protocol (STP) is required for Parallel Sysplex implementations that span more than one CEC. It is a server-wide facility that is implemented in the Licensed Internal Code (LIC). STP presents a single view of time to Processor Resource/Systems Manager (PR/SM) to maintain time synchronization for multiple servers and Coupling Facilities.