The OPS/MVS Multi-System Facility (MSF) component

Products

• OPS/MVS Event Management & Automation

Issue/Introduction

What is the OPS/MVS Multi-System Facility (MSF) component and how is it used?

 

Environment

OPS/MVS-Event Management & Automation-for JES2

Resolution

The Multi-System Facility, or MSF, is an optional feature of OPS/MVS Event Management and Automation.  It enables multiple copies of OPS/MVS, running on different z/OS images, to communicate with each other via a variety of communication protocols. These z/OS images may be in a single data center, or they may be spread out around the world. With MSF in place, many OPS/MVS command processors, OPS/REXX host command environments, and OPS/REXX functions can perform their operations on any connected system. For example, when the MSF is installed and configured, you can perform any of these actions:
 
 •  Issue z/OS or subsystem commands to another system and retrieve the responses.
 •  Issue WTOs (console messages) to operator consoles on other systems.
 •  Execute an OPS/REXX program in an OSF server address space that is on another system and retrieve the output.
 •  Issue SQL commands to retrieve or update rows in a relational table that resides on another system.
 •  Manage System State Manager resources on another system.
 •  Retrieve or update global variables that reside on another system.
 •  Browse the OPSLOG of another system.
 •  Issue commands and messages to Network and Systems Management Automation Point.
 •  Control the CICS Operations Facility on another z/OS system running OPS/MVS.
 •  Control the OSF server address spaces on another z/OS system running OPS/MVS.

MSF plays a special role in JES3 complexes that have local processors. Only the JES3 Global Processor can execute JES3 commands.  Therefore the JES3 commands generated on a Local Processor must be sent to the Global system, and their output must be returned to the issuer of the command on the Local. There is no standard JES facility for doing this, so this support is provided by the MSF.  OPS/MVS has a built-in awareness of JES3, so whenever a JES3 command is issued on a local system, OPS/MVS checks to see if the MSF option is available. If it is, and if the MSF session to the global system is up, the command is sent to the global system, and its output is returned. This support is completely transparent.

MSF supports the LU6.2, XCF, XES, and TCP/IP communication protocols. The XCF, XES, and TCP/IP support are provided via the CAICCI component, or the CAI Common Communications Interface, of the Broadcom Common Components and Services for z/OS (formerly called CA Common Services) product. CAICCI is a communications facility that allows select Broadcom solutions to communicate with one another.