A wonderful product called Image Focus for z/OS

IMAGE Focus is a software product from NewEra Software, Inc. It uses proprietary technology to track changes to operating system parameters, and provides the ability to do a ’Virtual IPL’ of a z/OS image to ensure that a real IPL will not encounter invalid parameters.

Image Focus runs as a started task under z/OS. It works by providing a series of “inspectors”. These inspectors - OS-Inspector, Sysplex-Inspector, JES-Inspector and VTAM-Inspector - perform the actual checking of each component.

IMAGE Focus is composed of three components, each of which may be optionally installed and operated independently of the others. These components are:

Recovery : The IMAGE Focus recovery started task is designed to maintain its own independent communications subsystem and provides ISPF application support to a single locally-attached non-SNA 3270 console. This provides the ability to logon, check, and fix problems when VTAM, JES, or TSO are unavailable at IPL time. This potentially avoids the need to perform unnecessary IPLs following the discovery of a problem; that is, an installation may “forward” fix problems found early in the IPL process.

Multi-user : When installed as a VTAM application to support multiple simultaneous users, IMAGE Focus maintains a multi-user started task. This provides the ability for users to logon using their external security product controlled userids and perform checking, browsing, and editing of system parameters.

Background : The IMAGE Focus background started task reports IPL changes that would result in future IPL

failures to a designated user or group through the TSO Broadcast Facility or via E-mail. These notices are sent at intervals controlled by IMAGE Focus, or optionally by the installation’s job scheduling package.

The checking process starts with the LOADxx member whose value is entered by the user, or as a variable if run in batch. It checks that IPL text exists on the IPL volume and that the SYS1.NUCLEUS data set can be opened. It processes each PARMLIB and PROCLIB member for syntactical correctness and related data sets for referential integrity and attribute characteristics. This process may be run in the foreground by a user, in batch, or on a continuous basis. During this continuous inspection, the inspector will determine if there are any problems with system definitions, warn of potential failures, and compile reports on suspect components. These reports identify errors in critical data sets, document their locations, and catalog the data sets that may prevent a successful future IPL.

This checking extends to JES, VTAM and TCP/IP and the product provides the ability to create installation-specific checking routines over and above those supplied.
The product provides a “what if” option that includes support for new releases of the operating system. This allows the user to plug existing IPL parameters into the next version of z/OS and check that they are still viable.

Key Features

The Image FOCUS Core, IFOCORE, includes the following:

• Operating System Inspection - Supporting all releases of MVS and z/OS through V1R8, evaluates operating system configuration components for weaknesses that will cause IPL failure.

• Dynamic Element Inspection - Pinpoints changes in the LnkLst, LpaLst and ApfLst that have not been updated in the system configuration.

• System Component Inspection - Allows for the inspection of individual system components. Within the Operating System, for example, individual z/OS Parmlib Members maybe inspected.

• New z/OS Release Analysis - Isolates areas in your current operating system configuration that will need to change in order to become functional when used with a new release of z/OS.

• Controlled Image Monitoring - Fully automates the interval inspection of Controlled Images and the reporting of results.

• Blueprinting & Change Detection - Blueprints the z/OS configuration for Controlled Images, detecting and reporting changes

• Subsystem Recovery - Provides access to ISPF system repair functions when TSO is not available. This Image FOCUS Core function is often called 'NOTSO".