IBM z/OS Change Tracker

Gain a complete view of configuration assets in real time—identify, track and backup configuration changes with a robust z/OS® management tool

Get started
A stylized illustration depicting a cloud-based workflow system with interconnected elements. The visuals include icons representing data, checkmarks, and gears, set against a soft gradient background. The design emphasizes collaboration, automation, and digital processes.

Identify, track and recover hundreds of configuration files in real-time

IBM® z/OS Change Tracker is a change management tool for tracking, controlling and managing changes in software, enhancing the security of the IBM z/OS operating environments.

System programmers can identify, track and recover hundreds of configuration files in real-time by using IBM z/OS Change Tracker. Mission-critical system and application software configuration data can be monitored automatically in real-time for z/OS environments. IBM z/OS Change Tracker can audit and check software configuration integrity, protect critical libraries and track changes through auditable trails and snapshots of key identified data sets.

 Updates on new features and enhancements Read the FAQs
Improved control

Track and control real-time system-wide software configuration changes.
Enhanced recovery processes

Enjoy automatic versioning of identified system control data sets.
Expanded capabilities

Experience immediate rollback capabilities to undo unplanned or unsuccessful promotions.

Features

Real-time monitoring

Get real-time monitoring of changes in critical system and application software. It establishes base versions for library members and automatically generates new versions as changes occur, enhancing change management and version control.

 Protecting software assets
Automated backup and recoverability

Ensures automated member-level backups, creating stacked versions of protected resource members for enhanced data security and version management. IBM z/OS Change Tracker also offers member-level recoverability by listing stacked versions in an ISPF table. Users can view and compare versions online, and recover specific versions to resolve unwanted changes.

 Explore utilities
Member-level control

Restricts library changes by allowing selected groups of members to be accessed exclusively by authorized TSO IDs or a RACF group, enhancing security and access control.

 Protecting critical libraries and automatic creation of member versions
Documentation of changes

Prompts users to document reasons for edits to critical members of protected resources. This feature, activated for selected resources, ensures thorough change documentation and enhances accountability.

 Auditing and checking software integrity
Production load library monitoring

Uses tokenization technology to detect changes in production load libraries, ensuring the availability and integrity of system and application software.

 Integrity verification for a sizeable local environment
Environment comparison

Compares multiple local or remote z/OS environments, identifying changes in data sets, members, paths and files. The report highlights differences and confirms identical configurations with RC=0 for identical environments.

 Integrity verification between two environments
Real-time monitoring

Get real-time monitoring of changes in critical system and application software. It establishes base versions for library members and automatically generates new versions as changes occur, enhancing change management and version control.

 Protecting software assets
Automated backup and recoverability

Ensures automated member-level backups, creating stacked versions of protected resource members for enhanced data security and version management. IBM z/OS Change Tracker also offers member-level recoverability by listing stacked versions in an ISPF table. Users can view and compare versions online, and recover specific versions to resolve unwanted changes.

 Explore utilities
Member-level control

Restricts library changes by allowing selected groups of members to be accessed exclusively by authorized TSO IDs or a RACF group, enhancing security and access control.

 Protecting critical libraries and automatic creation of member versions
Documentation of changes

Prompts users to document reasons for edits to critical members of protected resources. This feature, activated for selected resources, ensures thorough change documentation and enhances accountability.

 Auditing and checking software integrity
Production load library monitoring

Uses tokenization technology to detect changes in production load libraries, ensuring the availability and integrity of system and application software.

 Integrity verification for a sizeable local environment
Environment comparison

Compares multiple local or remote z/OS environments, identifying changes in data sets, members, paths and files. The report highlights differences and confirms identical configurations with RC=0 for identical environments.

 Integrity verification between two environments

Use cases

Change tracking
Explore the various methods of change tracking and learn how to identify and back up changes, manage library modifications, compare environments and ensure system software integrity through detailed use cases and command procedures.
Data set protection
Learn about dataset protection on IBM z/OS, including best practices and tools for safeguarding sensitive data and ensuring security compliance on the mainframe platform.
Tokenization
Learn about tokenization on IBM z/OS, a method for enhancing data security by replacing sensitive information with nonsensitive tokens, ensuring privacy and regulatory compliance in enterprise environments.

z/OSMF plug-in

An interactive GUI front-end accessed from the z/OSMF desktop

The plug-in includes a Monitored Resources view for managing resources on the protection list and other features such as viewing the change history of data sets, member-level backup and recovery and checkin and checkout of members.

Resources

90-day trial

Try z/OS Change Tracker by using the 90-day trial. You have 90 days from the day that the trial begins to use and evaluate the feature.

 90-day trial license implementation

This APAR adds support for a 90-day trial license for z/OS Change Tracker.

 Get the z/OSMF plug-in

z/OS Change Tracker is now supported as a z/OSMF plug-in. Use our graphical interface to perform tasks and monitor resources.
Take the next step

Explore the simple control interface of IBM z/OS Change Tracker and schedule a no-cost 30-minute meeting with an IBM Z representative.

 Get started
More ways to explore Cybersecurity Services Documentation Support and services IBM Z Redbooks Education and training Support Community Resources Developer community