12.4 Administering Platform Services for z/OS

12.4.1 Managing the z/OS Platform Services Process

In operating Platform Services, you need to be familiar with available JCL Exec statement PARMS, the platform configuration file, and the platform SMF file.

ASCLIENT Operation

Start the z/OS Platform Services Process (ASCLIENT) during system IPL. When message ASC0001I is issued, ASCLIENT is ready to process requests and commands. Requests are handled by a subtask. ASCLIENT creates additional subtasks if needed to handle concurrent requests.

ASCLIENT requires TCP/IP to communicate with the Core Drivers. Start ASCLIENT after TCP/IP has been started and before user processing begins.

The z/OS Platform Services Process supports several commands to control its operation. Enter these at an z/OS Operator Console. (If you have named your Platform Services Process something other than ASCLIENT, substitute your procedure name as appropriate.)

To start ASCLIENT, enter START ASCLIENT

To shut down ASCLIENT, enter STOP ASCLIENT

ASCLIENT responds to several z/OS MODIFY commands.

  • MODIFY ASCLIENT,AUTH LOCAL

    Instructs ASCLIENT to reject new authentication requests. This causes all subsequent requests to be authenticated locally against the z/OS system's security product.

  • MODIFY ASCLIENT,AUTH REMOTE

    Instructs ASCLIENT to accept new authentication requests. This causes new authentication requests to be processed by the driver. When ASCLIENT starts, all requests are handled remotely by default. When ASCLIENT is shut down or terminated abnormally, new requests are handled locally.

  • MODIFY ASCLIENT,CONFIG xx

    ASCLIENT loads the platform configuration file contained in the ASCPARMS data set in member ASCPRM xx. If member ASCPRM xx does not exist or contains a syntax error, a message is issued to the console and the existing configuration is not changed.

    For example, to cause member ASCPRM02 to become the active configuration, enter the following command at the z/OS operator's console: MODIFY ASCLIENT,CONFIG 02

  • MODIFY ASCLIENT,DISPLAY

    ASCLIENT displays the status of its current configuration. This information includes

    • When ASCLIENT was started

    • When the present configuration was loaded

    • How many times each Core Driver was called to satisfy a request

    The DISPLAY command can be abbreviated as D.

  • MODIFY ASCLIENT,LOGSWITCH

    If ddname ASCLOG was dynamically allocated, ASCLIENT closes, frees, reallocates, and reopens ASCLOG. The previous log file is available for processing. If ddname ASCLOG was not dynamically allocated, an error message is issued to the console.

ASCLIENT JCL EXEC Statement PARMs

ASCLIENT accepts several JCL EXEC statement PARMs. Under normal circumstances, you do not need to specify any execution parameters.

Table 12-1 ASCLIENT JCL EXEC Statement PARMs

PARM

Explanation

TASKS= nn

How many service subtasks to start initially. nn must be numeric, one or two digits, from 0 to 99. The default is 1. ASCLIENT automatically starts additional tasks if it needs them.

COLD

Ignore any existing in-storage request queue and build a new one.

WARM

Use the existing in-storage request queue if there is one. WARM is mutually exclusive with COLD and is the default.

CONFIG= xx

Suffix for ASCPRM xx configuration member to use. The default is 00 (the digits “zero zero”).

Example:

 //ASCLIENT EXEC PGM=ASCMAIN,PARM='TASKS=1,CONFIG=01'

This causes ASCLIENT to start with one service subtask and read configuration member ASCPRM01.

The z/OS Platform Configuration File

Member ASCPRM xx defines ASCLIENT's configuration. This member must be unnumbered and must reside in an LRECL=80 RECFM=FB partitioned data set allocated to ddname ASCPARMS in the ASCLIENT JCL. SAMPLIB can be used if desired.

For details about the platform configuration file, see Section III, Platform Services Planning.

ASCLIENT uses member ASCPRM00 by default and can reload the configuration dynamically. For further information, see ASCLIENT Operation.

A model for the z/OS Platform Services Process platform configuration file is provided in SAMPLIB member ASCPRMXX.

The z/OS Platform SMF Record

The SMF record, written hourly and at shutdown by the z/OS Platform Services Process, contains information detailing counts and response time for activity. This information is also written in report form to ddname SYSMAIN of ASCLIENT.

The SMF record number used is specified by the SMF statement in the platform configuration file. For details about the platform configuration file, see Section III, Platform Services Planning.

An assembler DSECT mapping the SMF record and a SAS* example for using it are contained in SAMPLIB members ASCSMF and SASSMF respectively.

12.4.2 Managing the z/OS Platform Receiver

In operating the Platform Receiver, you need to be familiar with available JCL Exec statement PARMS, and the platform configuration file.

PLATRCVR Operation

Schedule the z/OS Platform Receiver (PLATRCVR) as appropriate for the mode of operation that you have chosen for it. If you are using Persistent Mode or Polling Mode, start the Platform Receiver during system startup and stop it during system shutdown. If you are using Scheduled Mode, use your job scheduling system to run the Platform Receiver on a schedule that is appropriate for you. For information about choosing a mode of operation, see Section III, Platform Services Planning.

PLATRCVR must be run with the security system authority necessary to manage users and groups.

PLATRCVR requires TCP/IP to communicate with the Core Driver.

To start PLATRCVR, enter the following command at an z/OS Operator Console: START PLATRCVR

To stop PLATRCVR, enter the following command at an z/OS Operator Console: STOP PLATRCVR

PLATRCVR JCL EXEC Statement PARMs

PLATRCVR accepts several JCL EXEC statement PARMs.

Table 12-2 PLATRCVR JCL EXEC Statement PARMs

PARM

Explanation

-a filespec

The location of the platform configuration file. The platform configuration file can be an HFS file or an z/OS sequential data set or partitioned data set member.

HFS: filespec is an absolute pathname as shown in the following example: -a/usr/local/ASAM/data/asamplat.conf

z/OS Data Set: filespec can reference either a data set name or a ddname as shown in the following examples: -a//dsn:ASAM.CONFIG(CONFIG00) -a//ddn:ASAMCONF

If the -a option is not specified, the default is to use ddname ASAMCONF.

-i

The Platform Receiver uses Polling Mode.

-c

The Platform Receiver uses Check Mode.

-p

The Platform Receiver uses Persistent Mode.

-f

The Platform Receiver uses Full Sync Mode.

-r

The Platform Receiver uses Scheduled Mode.

-s

Obtain a security certificate for the Platform and end.

This is needed only during the initial configuration process.

The following options determine the mode of operation for the Platform Receiver.: -i, -c, -p, -f, and -r. They are mutually exclusive. If none of them is present, the mode of operation specified by the RUNMODE statement in the platform configuration file is used. If there is no RUNMODE statement, the Platform Receiver uses Persistent Mode.

For details about the Platform Receiver modes of operation, see Section III, Platform Services Planning.

Example:

//PLATRCVR EXEC PGM=PLATRCVR,PARM='-a/usr/local/ASAM/data/asamplat.conf -p'

This causes PLATRCVR to run in Persistent Mode and read configuration information from /usr/local/ASAM/data/asamplat.conf in HFS.

The z/OS Platform Configuration File

To access the platform configuration file, PLATRCVR uses the file allocated to ddname ASAMCONF by default.A model for the z/OS Platform Receiver platform configuration file is provided in SAMPLIB member ASAMCONF.

For more information about the platform configuration file, see Section III, Platform Services Planning.