CODEWITHSUNDEEP
mainframezosuss
Jade Steffen
Jade Steffen

Reputation: 172

How to write a z/OS Health Check?

I would like to write a health check for z/OS but am unclear on where to begin. Any advice, examples, or direction available?

Also, is it possible to write a Health Check in Unix System Services?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 1171

Answers (3)

PleaseHelpTheNewGuy
PleaseHelpTheNewGuy

Reputation: 177

Jade, I saw your question and I found this publication online that outlines using REXX to run a Health Check. It's not USS but I hope it may be useful to you.

http://ibmsystemsmag.com/mainframe/administrator/systemsmanagement/health_check_rexx/

Upvotes: 1

Kevin McKenzie
Kevin McKenzie

Reputation: 654

So, first, start with IBM Health Check for z/OS User's Guide. It will point you to some samples in SYS1.SAMPLIB you can use as a base. Specifically, start here.

As to your question about writing a Health Check under Unix System Services, it depends on what you want to do. Purely under USS, no. In order to have a Health Check, you need to register with the Health Check address space, and report status to it in a specific way. So the Health Check needs to be written in Metal C, assembler, or System REXX. (I'd recommend System REXX unless you're fluent in Metal C or assembler.) And you'll need a z/OS system programmer to install the check to a system library.

However, as documented in the System REXX reference, you can invoke USS services from with System REXX, and I believe Metal C and assembler as well, so depending on what you're trying to do, you may be able to write the Health Check you're trying to write.

Upvotes: 1

Steve Ives
Steve Ives

Reputation: 8134

Write a simple REXX exec as follows:

/* REXX Health checker */

say 'Health check passed. System working.'

and then execute the EXEC. If you can't execute it or the if the message doesn't get printed, then the system is not working.

But seriously - exactly which part of z/OS are you health-checking? You want to know if the whole system is down or just parts of it? Which parts - CICS, MQ, DB2, IMS etc. Are batch jobs queuing? Are CICS transactions running too slowly? Are your MQ queue depths too large/small?

This is not a yes/no question. There are literally (and I mean literally in its literal sense) 1,000s of metrics and performance figures you can validate on a z/OS system - it's not a toy which is either up or down.

If you read this: IBM Health checker for z/Os Users' Guide you'll get some idea of what's involved.

Lots of people have been down this route before. Look up information on CA-Sysview, BMC Mainview, IBM's Omegamon - these are all very mature system monitors.

I suspect that you are looking at the mainframe as a remote system, and you want to know if it is 'up' i.e. if it will respond to whatever request you are making of it. Can you explain what you want it to do for you and then we might be able to devise a health check for your purpose.

Upvotes: 1

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