SupportConnect - z/VSE and VSE/ESA Newsletter, Version 05.02
  

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Computer Associates
E-News
z/VSE and VSE/ESA Newsletter
Version 05.02
July 22, 2005

In This Newsletter
Product News
> Capacity-Based Pricing Announced for FLEX-ES Systems
> Measured Workload Pricing Announced for VSE Products
> Who's Using My CPU?
> Performing Critical PDS Maintenance With CA-GSS r5

Product Updates
> Recent Service Packs Available
> Latest Published Fixes
> Drop Support Notification

General Information
> Electronic Software Delivery Available Through SupportConnectSM
> Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Special Events
> CA WorldSM 2005

Product News
Capacity-Based Pricing Announced for FLEX-ES Systems
On July 5, 2005, CA introduced capacity-based pricing to customers implementing its industry-leading z/VSE and VSE/ESA mainframe software solutions on the low-MIPS emulated z/Architecture and System/390 environments. Down-scaled mainframe-like systems solutions have been introduced by companies such as Cornerstone and T3 Technologies. These systems leverage FLEX-ES emulation technology developed by Fundamental Software, Inc.

This new pricing policy is an extension of CA's FlexSelect program, which enables customers to better leverage their software budgets to meet their actual business needs. It is based on the MSU (millions of CPU service units) rating of each system.

For more information, please visit: ca.com/press/PressRelease.aspx?CID=71511.

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Measured Workload Pricing Announced for VSE Products
On June 14, CA introduced Measured Workload Pricing for customers running the z/VSE and VSE/ESA operating systems. Measured Workload Pricing bases licensing costs on measured system usage - rather than total potential hardware capacity - enabling customers to more closely align IT spending with changing business requirements. Customers can establish licensing costs based on measured levels of usage, enabling them to flexibly increase usage as needed to support growing demand. Measured Workload Pricing is based on utilization metrics generated by performance measurement or resource accounting software pre-certified by CA.

A customer with 60 MIPS on a zSeries processor running z/VSE or VSE/ESA, for example, may only be utilizing the machine at 50 percent capacity - with the balance of capacity held in reserve for future business growth or periods of peak demand. Under CA's Measured Workload Pricing model, license costs are based on the actual capacity utilized. Customers can reserve the ability to leverage the full power of the mainframe until needed.

For more information, please visit: ca.com/zvse/.

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Who's Using My CPU?
Would you like to find out where your CPU resources are being consumed?

The online real-time facilities of Unicenter® CA-Explore® for VSE may be used to find out which job is consuming most of your CPU in the current time interval. The historical batch report writer of Unicenter CA-Explore for VSE may be used to find out which job consumed most of your CPU in the past.

To find out which job or jobs are consuming the most CPU in the current time-interval, log on to Unicenter CA-Explore for VSE and type PART to access the Status Partition panel. Type SORT CPUT to display a list of jobs in descending order of CPU usage. The job listed at the top of the list is the one consuming the most CPU during the current time interval.

To find out which job or jobs consumed the most CPU in the past (for example, yesterday), the following batch reports may be used. Make sure that yesterday's Flashback Data is available (LOGFBK should have been set to YES in the System Configurations panel).

First, run the following batch report to find out during which hour (yesterday) the CPU was the busiest: 
// EXEC EXPRPT,SIZE=EXPRPT
INPUT(EVSEFBK)            
FROM -1 DAYS                                   
TO   -1 DAYS                                   
EACH 1 HOUR                                    
TAB DATETIME  VSE CPU BUSYV AND VSE CPU %BUSYV 
END                                            
RUN
Now, assume that the two largest CPU usage time values are in the interval 12:00 - 13:00 and 14:00 - 15:00. Run the following job which will display the top five jobs with the largest CPU usage in the relevant 15-minute time-intervals. The job name with the largest CPU usage would always be displayed at the top of the list for each time-interval. 
// EXEC EXPRPT,SIZE=EXPRPT
INPUT(EVSEFBK)            
FROM -1 DAYS       
TO   -1 DAYS              
INCLUDE   12.00.59 - 12.59.59
INCLUDE   14.00.59 - 14.59.59
EACH 15 MINUTES                              
TAB DATETIME JOBID VSE STEP TCPU FOR 5 AND,  
                    VSE STEP TCPU RATE   
END                                          
RUN
For more information about using Unicenter CA-Explore's real-time and batch monitoring facilities, see the complete user documentation, downloadable from the Documentation Downloads page on SupportConnectSM (ca.com/supportconnect/).

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Performing Critical PDS Maintenance With CA-GSS r5
If you use CA products that require CA-GSS for VSE, it is critical that you maintain PDS libraries properly. Your PDS libraries are important system files that should be backed up and checked for problems regularly, just like your standard libraries.

GSPDSU BACKUP can be used to make a tape or disk backup of a PDS library. If you use Unicenter® CA-FAQS® Production Control System for VSE (Unicenter CA-FAQS/PCS), PCSEVBR can be used to back up the master event records in the EVT PDS. Be sure to test your restore procedures before you actually have a problem to ensure that you are prepared to recover the PDS libraries, if necessary.

GSPDSU ANALYZE will check the PDS structure for errors and print a report. This should be done at a time when no updates are being made to the PDS.

GSPDSU PDSDIR=CORRECT will rebuild the high level index record from the directory and correct a number of other problems, including deleting incomplete directory entries in a standard PDS and deleting bad records on an EPDS. For an EPDS, be sure to include the EVENT option on the CORRECT statement. Also, for an EPDS, if ANALYZE reports directory chaining errors, use the DIR option to rechain the directory from the information in the high level index.

The best way to prevent PDS problems is never to respond "D" to a GQQ001A message unless it is absolutely certain that the task owning the PDS lock is no longer running or it is unable to unlock the PDS because of an error.

Remember that each execution of GSPDSU can process only one PDS library, so set up a separate job step for each PDS.

For detailed information on these and other GSPDSU functions, see Chapter 6 in the CA-GSS Getting Started Guide.

PCSEVBR is documented in Chapter 7 of the Unicenter CA-FAQS/PCS Operations Guide.

These manuals and others are available for download from the Documentation Downloads page on SupportConnectSM (ca.com/supportconnect/).

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Product Updates
Recent Service Packs Available
The following service packs have recently become generally available (GA):

CA-CIS for VSE r1.4 SP10

BrightStor® CA-EXTEND®/DASD VSAM Compression for VSE r3.3 SP6

BrightStor® CA-HYPER-BUF® VSAM Buffer Optimizer for VSE r3.3 SP6

BrightStor® CA-VSAMAID® VSAM Tools for VSE r3.3 SP6

You can download these service packs electronically from ca.com/supportconnect/. Customers in North America can also order these service packs by calling 1-800-841-8743. For customers outside North America, please contact your local CA Support Center to determine service pack availability.

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Latest Published Fixes
For details of all the latest published fixes, please visit the support web pages and select the product(s) of your choice: ca.com/supportconnect/.

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Drop Support Notification
As previously announced, support for Unicenter® CA-Explore® Performance Management for CICS r6.8 was discontinued on July 1, 2005. If you have not done so, please upgrade to Unicenter® CA-Explore® for CICS r7 as soon as possible.

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General Information
Electronic Software Delivery Available Through SupportConnectSM
Need some interesting summer reading? How about the latest thriller from CA, Technical Document TEC342790? Okay, this one may not be competing with Harry Potter's latest adventures for space on your beach towel, but, if you find yourself scheduled to spend part of a weekend updating CA products on your VSE or z/VSE system, this may just be the magic you need!

Document TEC342790 is available on the SupportConnect website (ca.com/supportconnect/) by clicking on the "Un-packaging Your CA Products" link on the Products Downloads page. The document explains how to prepare the latest Release or Service Pack of many CA products for electronic delivery. Once downloaded and unzipped to your PC, these tape image files can be used to install your CA products. By electronically downloading products, you avoid waiting even the few days it takes for the delivery of a physical tape.

As the document explains, the type of file your package contains will depend upon the platform and the product. VSE products are available in the ".aws" file extension, which means they are mainframe tape images compatible with the IBM VSE VTAPE Tape standard. This standard is a software feature on IBM's VSE/ESA 2.6 and later. This file may also be used with hardware environments which support the AWSTAPE standard; P/390 and R/390, among others. Essentially, this means that the file is an exact representation of a 3480 cartridge containing a CA product.

For more information on the implementation of Virtual Tape in VSE/ESA 2.6 and later, please refer to the IBM documentation: VSE/ESA Release Guide (SC33-6718), z/VSE Administration Guide (SC33-8224) IBM Informational APAR II13118. You will also find links in the technical document to an IBM site containing VTAPE information.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Is there a batch report I can run that will give me the security settings of the Unicenter® CA-FAQS® Automated System Operations for VSE users?

A: Run the following report:

// JOB PRINTPW
// EXEC FAQSUTIL
PRINT PW

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Special Events
CA WorldSM 2005
CA World 2005 will be held November 13 - 17, 2005, at the Venetian Las Vegas and Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Be sure to check ca.com/caworld as details will become available shortly.

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