Abstract for z/VM: CP Planning and Administration

This topic collection includes information about planning and administering IBM® z/VM® control program (CP). It describes the following tasks:
  • System configuration planning and administration
  • User planning and administration
  • Storage planning and administration.
Note: For information about planning your hardware and software I/O configuration, see z/VM: I/O Configuration. For information about planning and using saved segments, see z/VM: Saved Segments Planning and Administration.
Planning and administration are tasks that overlap. Before you install z/VM, you need to plan:
  • What the processor and device configuration will be
  • What z/VM functions the system will use
  • Which guest operating systems will be used
  • How much storage will be required
  • What sort of user environments will be available.

During system generation, you will set the proper parameters in the system to implement your plan. Later, after the system is running, you will want to change some of these parameters as conditions change; for example, when new users are allowed access to the system and new devices are brought online. You will also want to monitor the performance of the system and perhaps change tuning parameters to make it run more efficiently.

A good example of the overlap between planning and administration is the user directory. The user directory is a file that identifies each user on the system and contains control statements that define the environment each user works under. Initially, you will set up this directory for the known users of the system. Later, as new users are given access to the system and others are removed, you will have to update the directory.

Some of the information provided in this collection is based on the experiences of IBM customers. The recommendations in this information are meant to help installations run operating systems efficiently under z/VM.

Intended audience

This document is for anyone responsible for planning, installing, and updating a z/VM system.

The reader is expected to have a general understanding of data processing and teleprocessing techniques. This document assumes you have thought about:
  • What z/VM functions your site requires
  • What connections you need to other sites and the implications for coordination
  • What your hardware and physical requirements are and the implications for coordination
  • Which guest operating systems you will be running
  • How many users you are going to have and under what sort of environment they will be running their applications.