IBM z/OS Parallel Sysplex
Boost server communications with clustering technology
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isometric illustration of a person managing multiple systems as a single system within a single server

Parallel Sysplex clustering is a feature of  IBM Z®  that allows a set of up to 32 IBM z/OS® systems to be connected and to behave as a single, logical computing platform.

Parallel Sysplex® enables you to run multiple copies of 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, to scale out across the capacity of many z/OS images.

Explore the basics
What you get
Application availability

Application availability of 99.99999%¹  and single points of failure cut outs.


Resource sharing

Business application permit for all the servers’ assets without altering data sharing settings.


Productivity enhancement

Smart handle of multiple systems as one, from one point of control and in a single server.


Multiple workloads balancing

Application share system resources allow you to meet the business goals you define.


Software licensing savings

Software savings by adding Machine Service Units, using Parallel Sysplex License Charging.


Dynamic workload balancing

System performance maximization and white space adjusting.

Features Restart critical elements

Set up the Automatic Restart Manager to recover and restart critical subsystems, either on the same system or on a different one.

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Coupling Facility technology

Run the Coupling Facility for high-speed caching, list processing and locking.

Explore coupling facilities
Disaster recovery

Achieve disaster recovery and high availability with GDPS® by using a cluster across two or more sites with data mirroring.

Discover IBM GDPS
Time synchronization

Use Server Time Protocol to enable servers and coupling facilities to maintain common time synchronization.

Read the Server Time Protocol Planning Guide Redbook
Failed elements removal

Use Sysplex Failure Manager to specify a policy for failure detection intervals and recovery actions to be automatically initiated.

Explore planning sysplex availability and recovery
z/OS systems workload control

Manage workloads with z/OS Workload Manager to dynamically distribute resources to systems with capacity.

Explore z/OS workload management
Physical resources sharing

Enable resource sharing for physical resources such as files, tape drives, consoles and catalogs to be shared.

Workload balancing

Use workload balancing and routing to help prevent a single point of failure and adjusts middleware workloads.

Resources IBM Z connectivity handbook

See the connectivity options available for IBM Z within the datacenter and beyond.

Parallel Sysplex availability checklist

Use this guide for achieving near-continuous application availability.

Coupling Facility configuration options

Explore Coupling Facility technology alternatives.

Coupling Facility information

Take advantage of the list of CF structures and their function.

Coupling Facility level (CFLEVEL) considerations

Discover all about CPC support for coupling facility code levels.

Footnotes

¹ Expected value calculated on internal measurements and projections data base. IBM Z servers must be configured in a Parallel Sysplex with z/OS 2.3 or above; GDPS data management and middleware recovery across Metro distance systems and storage and DS888X with IBM HyperSwap. Other resiliency technology and configurations may be needed.