Contents
Overview
The CA Mainframe VM Product Manager architecture separates the product materials installation from the deployment so that the process of applying service is staged, and does not interfere with production server products.
Product deployment is a set of activities that result in the creation of the following items:
- User IDs to execute the product code.
- Copies of the installed product code for use by the running product. The running product does not have direct access to the product materials loaded from the installation media, but uses copies only.
- An initial version of configuration and control files for the product, which are based on the information gathered about the VM system at your site. This information includes elements of your hardware configuration and also values you defined in various VM system configuration files.
The following steps are involved in a typical deployment:
A definition is created for the product deployment as an entry in a standard CMS NAMES file called VMSERVER NAMES. The VMDEFINE command created the initial version of an entry and the VMSERVER command is used to bring up a NAMES file panel for updating the entry.
A directory entry is created for any server virtual machine, worker virtual machine, or administration virtual machine defined in the VMSERVER NAMES file entry. Disk space is allocated for the new users. The process for allocating resources depends on your specific site procedures.
- Product materials, which were loaded to your system during product installation, are copied to disk space which becomes part of the deployment. Using a copy allows the original materials to be updated during the service process, without impacting a deployed server.
- An initial set of configuration files are created, based on the environment on the host VM system.
- Any required product specific procedures are executed. Items in this step might include initializing a product database, creating other product control files, or updating configuration files.
VMDEPLOY Command Tool
The VMDEPLOY tool is the method used to populate disk space used during operation of a deployed product.
For the initial deployment of a newly allocated product server machine user ID, issue the following form of the command:
VMDEPLOY server INIT
Where:
- server
Defines the user ID for the product server virtual machine.
A set of default configuration files and a startup PROFILE EXEC is placed on the minidisk defined by the LOCAL tag in the VMSERVER NAMES definition. The contents of the product BUILD disks is copied to the server machine minidisks defined by the tag names listed in the DEPLOY tag value in the VMSERVER NAMES file.
For a new deployment of an existing server, you may select a collection of disks to populate. A new deployment is needed when moving to a new release of a product, or to make available those programming materials which have been updated by the service process. The available collections are:
- the set of PRIMARY disks (those named on the DEPLOY tag)
- the PREVIOUS disks (used to create a backup copy before an upgrade or before applying service)
- the ALTERNATE disks (used to hold a new copy for an upgrade or for new service).
Issue the following:
VMDEPLOY server collection
Where:
- collection
Denotes either PRIMARY or ALTERNATE or PREVIOUS.
VMDEPLOY also allows the specification of one particular disk as the target. For example, issue this command to deploy files to the disk named on the HELP tag in the NAMES file entry:
VMDEPLOY server HELP
VMSERVER Command Tool
The VMSERVER command can be used to access the VMSERVER NAMES file for a variety of uses. A set of PF keys is provided that allow you to scroll through the server machine definitions, delete or change existing definitions, and make copies of definitions.
You now have an understanding of how the CA Mainframe VM Product Manager commands integrate with VMSES/E to install and service our products. The diagram below illustrates the key concepts presented here: namely, new product code in the form of a new product release, a product service pack, or product service, is loaded first to the product user ID minidisks and then deployed to the server machine user ID deployable minidisks. The following diagram illustrates this relationship: