Automate the cloning process for IMS systems and databases, helping to reduce the time required to copy IMS databases or create a complete IMS system clone
Automate and reduce manual efforts
IBM IMS™ Cloning Tool for z/OS® makes it easy for you to quickly clone IMS subsystems and databases to increase data availability. By using fast copy technology combined with automation and reduced manual efforts, the IMS Cloning Tool helps increase productivity and significantly decrease production online downtime and the costs of creating an exact copy or cloning an IMS subsystem and database.
The tool helps you clone complete IMS subsystems or select databases quickly, simplify cloning management with automation and an easy-to-use user interface, and improve staff productivity and reduce errors by replacing labor-intensive, manual tasks.
Streamline cloning activities by integrating the ISPF interface and help with the IBM Db2® Cloning Tool. You can access both products and make it easier to find all data set names and select data.
Use automation to create new target database definitions on the target system, delete refreshed target IMS database data sets and update internal information to reflect renamed data sets.
Leverage the tool to create consistent copies of databases by applying logs when fuzzy copy is used. You can copy IMS databases within the same subsystem or to a different subsystem.
Give users uninterrupted access to applications with the Tool’s transactionally consistent copies. You can reduce manual cloning processes by updating the appropriate target IMS control data sets.
Reduce elapsed time and cloning steps by eliminating the need to rebuild indexes. You can automate cleanup of previously refreshed target IMS data sets and validate that all required data is included.
Refresh test environments or create new ones with fast replication and other data copy processes. Storage-aware technology copies the IMS system and data, helping reduce time and minimize outages.
Features
Use fast replication and other data copy processes to refresh existing test environments or create new ones. You can save host CPU and I/O resources by offloading the copy process from the host to the storage processor and comply with storage configurations and standards using system managed storage (SMS) options. The tool provides data security anonymity through advanced data masking and updates database recovery control (DBRC), including support for high availability large databases (HALDB).
Leverage the ability to share data across multiple IMS subsystems in a parallel sysplex environment. The IMS Cloning Tool clones entire IMS systems and associated databases, as well as select IMS databases on the same or shared logical partition (LPAR), including all IMS subsystems in a data sharing group or a subset.
Run IBM FlashCopy® or STK SnapShot copies using VOLSER masks, SMS storage groups or a combination of both to eliminate the requirement for individual volume specification. The tool issues DFSMSdss commands to transparently initiate FlashCopy or SnapShot so no additional JCL is needed to run these tools. It also concurrently collects source-volume ICF catalog information, initiates FlashCopy/SnapShot copies for renaming integrity and tests for termination of FlashCopy or SnapShot relationships.
Use extensive SMS options to determine how the SMS class constructs will be applied to cloned data sets so you can ensure that these data sets are managed correctly. The tool also provides for the automatic pairing of volume characteristics (SMS and non-SMS or by device size).
Use fast replication and other data copy processes to refresh existing test environments or create new ones. You can save host CPU and I/O resources by offloading the copy process from the host to the storage processor and comply with storage configurations and standards using system managed storage (SMS) options. The tool provides data security anonymity through advanced data masking and updates database recovery control (DBRC), including support for high availability large databases (HALDB).
Leverage the ability to share data across multiple IMS subsystems in a parallel sysplex environment. The IMS Cloning Tool clones entire IMS systems and associated databases, as well as select IMS databases on the same or shared logical partition (LPAR), including all IMS subsystems in a data sharing group or a subset.
Run IBM FlashCopy® or STK SnapShot copies using VOLSER masks, SMS storage groups or a combination of both to eliminate the requirement for individual volume specification. The tool issues DFSMSdss commands to transparently initiate FlashCopy or SnapShot so no additional JCL is needed to run these tools. It also concurrently collects source-volume ICF catalog information, initiates FlashCopy/SnapShot copies for renaming integrity and tests for termination of FlashCopy or SnapShot relationships.
Use extensive SMS options to determine how the SMS class constructs will be applied to cloned data sets so you can ensure that these data sets are managed correctly. The tool also provides for the automatic pairing of volume characteristics (SMS and non-SMS or by device size).
Resources
Browse the IMS Tools product publications and technotes in PDF format.
In-depth information on the IBM solutions that include autonomics, cloning, recovery, and health monitoring.
Information about using the subsystem cloning features of IMS™ Cloning Tool.
Read the IBM Cloning tool for z/OS
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