Netmaster 12.2 - upgrade tips to avoid common gotchas

Products

• NetMaster Network Management for TCP/IP
• NetMaster File Transfer Management
• NetMaster Network Automation

Issue/Introduction

With 12.2, please be aware that  some significant changes have been made. 
Here are items to be aware of to avoid problems.

Environment

NetMaster Network Management for TCP/IP R12,2

Resolution

 The Release Notes outline the changes that have been made, starting with our pre-GA offering, and going up through the latest enhancements. Items added via PTF include the PTF numbers.
It can be a bit overwhelming when attempting to read everything, but there’s a lot of good information there.

There are several items that have tripped up many of our customers when installing the product, so here are some ‘gotchas’ to avoid.

1. This only applies to installs using our CC2DJCL for product installation.
    When setting up the IIA to install the product, you will have two fields requiring a USS path. These MUST be different.

   The first is in the Set Installation Parameters screen, where you put in the
   USS directory where the pax.Z is stored.

   The second shows up in the Install Products section. The screen title is  zFS Mount Point.

   This is a new USS directory path that will become an SMP/E DDDEF, and will be mounted in the BPXPRM with a new ZFS file, see item 3 below. So it must be different than the USS directory you used for the pax.Z file and resulting unpaxed directory.

2. We have added several features that require additional security definitions, the major ones being

• using the IBM Trace NMI for packet capture
• Capturing zERT data via SMF
• Moving USS processing from the SOLVESSI to the Netmaster region

   These (and more) are all outlined in the Installing Guide in the Shared Content Library in the section on Preparing the IBM Communications Server

3. With the addition of USS processing, we have added a new file to the Target Library. The content of this file, along with the security needed for USS implementation, has gone through quite an evolution, so some of the pre-GA security information in the Release Notes is modified in the Installing Guide to reflect current processes.

    The new file is hlq.CC2DZFS. This is a file that is created during install . If you are using the Install Utility for the installation, please be aware that  the CC2DZFS may have a hlq that matches the CSI instead of the Target libraries if you use different dataset names.
    The DDDEF itself is actually the USS directory (path)  name.

    The file is generated in the I01ALLOC job, where the USS directory is also generated and the file temporarily mounted.
    Please be aware that you need to add a permanent mount point in your BPXPRM for this file, for SMP/E. If you apply maintenance and the file is not mounted, all SMP/E  updates for that DDDEF will be lost, and a reinstall of the product will be required to retrieve the missing updates.

    If you APPLY all maintenance ( which is strongly recommended prior to building the region), the CC2DZFS file is ONLY needed if you will be using web interfaces or running ReportCenter.

    Speaking of which – Webcenter has been pared down to only supply access to ReportCenter. This removes the requirement for java applets.

    New web interfaces include Mainframe Team Center for Netmaster (MTC-NM),  Web Portal and NM API Services.
    MTC-NM is built into the product and activated via parameter group.
    NMAPI Services and the Web Portal require a separate install and configuration after the main region is running.

    If you want any of the GUI capability, you need to roll the CC2DZFS with your other Target libraries, and create a new USS directory and permanent mount point on that system.  If you have systems where USS is shared, and where you would also be sharing LOAD and *EXEC libraries, you can share one mountpoint for multiple regions.

    Please be aware that if you need to copy the CC2DZFS, you need to follow IBM guidelines for best practices for ZFS files to prevent corruption.
   
   If you are a green-screen only shop, you don’t need to deploy the file. 
   It can added later if business needs change.

4. Changes to parameter groups

    Due to the additional and changed functionality, we have several new / modified parameter groups, so just be aware of that if you use an INIFILE.

    Important is that the SOCKETS parameter group has changed from a default TYPE of IBM to USS.  Starting with TYPE IBM can result in initialization errors.

 

5. The OSCNTL VSAM file has been converted to a hlq.MAPOBJ PDSE.
   If you have any custom maps that need compiling, that process has changed and can be found in our doc here
   https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/ca-mainframe-software/performance-and-storage/ca-netmaster-shared-content-library/12-2/managed-object-development-services/maintaining-application-components/maintaining-maps.html

 

6. Netmaster has added options that make life easier when it comes to implementing VSAM updates from maintenance to an existing region.
     Instead of following the HOLDDATA, you can now either use a batchjob generated in the CC2DJCL REXX process, or update automatically when starting the region with new LOAD and EXEC libraries. 
     This accomplished via setup of a parameter group for that purpose. 
     Instructions can be found in the section on Apply Maintenance to VSAM and RAMDB.