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SupportConnect - z/VM and VM/ESA Newsletter Version 04.01

NOTE: E-News technical information is dynamic and links in archived copies of these technical newsletters may eventually become invalid as the products evolve. Please check the support web page for your product to get the latest technical information.

z/VM and VM/ESA Newsletter
Version 04.01
January 15, 2004

In This Newsletter

Product News

eTrust™ VM:Secure® Release 2.6 and VM/ESA

General Information

	>	Electronic Delivery of VM Products
	>	Moving on Up? Are you Planning an Upgrade?
	>	SupportConnect^SM - CA's New Product Support Website

eTrust™ VM:Secure® Release 2.6 and VM/ESA
eTrust VM:Secure became generally available in August 2003, with new features to support IBM's latest VM release, z/VM 4.4.0. In June 2003, IBM dropped support for the last release of VM/ESA.

Please be aware that eTrust VM:Secure Release 2.6 is not supported on VM/ESA. Do not upgrade to or install eTrust VM:Secure 2.6 until after you have upgraded to a supported version of z/VM.

Please contact your local CA support center if you have any questions.

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Electronic Delivery of VM Products
CA is beginning to convert to a new system for delivering its VM products. In addition to magnetic tape delivery, we will be providing products electronically over the Internet.

How will installation procedures work without tapes? CA has developed new software that simulates the TAPE and VMFPLC2 commands used by the various VM product installation procedures. This includes AIM, Activator, and other specialized methods. This new CDTAPE software is very flexible. Similar to IBM's VMFPLCD command, it can read tape image files that reside in the CMS file system. However, it extends beyond the capabilities of VMFPLCD by directly reading tape image files from your own TCP/IP-connected workstation.

Before you initially use CDTAPE, you must install the CDTAPE software. Begin by installing the CDTAPE server on your PC or workstation. Then download and install the Java2 Runtime Environment, which you can obtain from Sun or other sources. Finally, you must upload the CDTAPE client code to the user ID on VM from where you will perform the product install, which could be VMRMAINT or CAIMAINT.

Once CDTAPE is installed, you can use it to install any number of VM products.

Let's assume you have downloaded eTrust™ VM:Secure® Release 2.6 Genlevel 0308 and wish to perform an upgrade. First, move the downloaded file into a folder on your PC accessible to the CDTAPE server.

Next, start the Java server on your Windows PC by double-clicking on the cdtape.jar file.

When the CDTAPE server starts, it will display your PC's TCP/IP host name and IP address. Using the host name, invoke the following command on VMRMAINT:

     cdtape start host-name

Next, mount the tape image file that contains the eTrust VM:Secure distribution by issuing the following command on VMRMAINT:

     cdtape mount 260308XR403

The file names of our CDTAPE image files correspond to internal product catalog numbers as indicated on the pack list.

After you have mounted the CDTAPE, you can use it like it was a real tape. For example, just issue:

     tape load * *

Followed by:

     vmiboot

And you are off and running. Finally, you can terminate the CDTAPE server by closing its window or by issuing:

     cdtape stop

If you are interested in trying this new facility, please contact CA's technical support team at 1-703-709-4980.

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Moving on Up? Are You Planning an Upgrade?
Are you planning any changes to your VM operating system, hardware, CA VM products, or other vendors' software? CA has several places that you can search for helpful information, which may keep you from getting in a bind when upgrading the various parts of your system. Knowing how to navigate through the available tools can help ensure you receive the information you need in a timely manner.

If planning a system, product, hardware, or software upgrade, it is recommended that you review the UPGRAD solutions and individual VM Product Maintenance Letters (PMLs).

Upgrade information, also referred to as "UPGRAD Solutions," contains product information specific to supported releases and genlevels, Hyper APAR numbers, and software/hardware requirements. UPGRAD solutions also include support announcements; for example, previously published announcements regarding support of older releases or functionally stabilized products.

Each product has an UPGRAD solution. To find an UPGRAD solution for a specific product, follow the directions below based on the web support method with which you're familiar:

For eSupport/ StarTCC^SM:

Navigate to the "Browse/Download Solutions" page on eSupport/StarTCC.
In the "Product" drop-down selection box, choose "UPGRADE/GENERAL UPGRADE."
In the "Release" field, type "0.0."
In the Operating System (OS) field, type "CMS."

This search will display all of the VM products for which you are licensed. Find the product in which you are interested and browse that solution.

For SupportConnect^SM (before logging in):

On the sidebar, under SUPPORT SOLUTIONS, choose "Knowledge Base."
Under Product, Select "Upgrade Information."
Check "Select All" under Components.
Type "CMS" in the search field.
Click on "Search."

PMLs are informational APARs and can be viewed from any of our support websites. Informational APARs always have a letter I as the second character of the APAR number. For example, QI42936 is the PLM announcing BrightStor® VM:Backup® 3.3B Genlevel 0308 release.

You cannot search on a genlevel boundary from the eSupport/StarTCC "Browse/Download Solutions" option. A genlevel boundary is a cutoff point from where one release of a given product's fixes starts and ends. Using a date close to the genlevel date will bring up an approximate search. SupportConnect allows you to use the genlevel boundary.

The Hyper APAR number, which determines the first APAR associated with a given genlevel, can be used in eSupport/StarTCC to find all informational solutions as well as any product fixes for that genlevel. For example, using BrightStor VM:Backup, we see:

Current Release/Genlevel: 3.3B G0308 SP02 Hyper APAR - QI32391

In closing, we'd like to stress the importance of browsing the published solutions for the genlevel or release to which you are upgrading. These solutions can help to eliminate many common problems during and after your upgrade. As always, please contact your local CA Support Center if you have any questions.

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SupportConnect^SM - CA's New Product Support Website
SupportConnect is CA's new 24 x 7, self-help technical support website. Designed in response to customer feedback, it delivers the quality customer service and support that you have come to expect from CA.

SupportConnect makes CA's online product support easier to use and more efficient, providing a single customer website linking all CA support information. Built using CA technology, it has the highest levels of quality, functionality, and security. SupportConnect allows you to:

Quickly and easily find technical documents, frequently asked questions (FAQs), and solutions to technical problems through the new knowledge base with natural language support.
Download documentation, product upgrades, and license keys.
Download select CA products and product updates.
Access Hyper solutions for emergency software fixes.
Locate the latest virus signature updates and the Virus Information Center.
Share best practices and troubleshoot problems with CA customers through interactive newsgroups.
Quickly and conveniently open and update technical support issues with Issue Management.
Offer product suggestions and enhancements with the new Suggestion Box (which replaces the Demand Analysis Request [DAR] system).
Quickly and easily update your site information using the Environment Profile, which eliminates the need to repeat site-specific information with every phone call to Technical Support.

SupportConnect consolidates the best features from our previous online support services (support.ca.com, webtrack.ca.com, and esupport.ca.com) - all of which will continue to be maintained for a limited time.

You can access SupportConnect using these methods:

Existing CA Support Users: Quickly and easily convert to SupportConnect by accessing supportconnect.ca.com/sc/index.jsp and clicking "Convert Existing Account." CA will automatically migrate your account information upon completion of your SupportConnect registration.
New Users: Go to supportconnect.ca.com/sc/index.jsp and click "Enroll Now." After you provide your site ID and other contact information, you will receive email instructions for installing a digital certificate, which provides secure access to your SupportConnect account information.
AccountConnect^SM Users: You can use your existing digital certificate to access SupportConnect. Once you log in using your certificate, you can optionally set up a password to use on subsequent logins.

For more information, call 1-703-709-4980 or visit ca.com.

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