Rocket Mainframe DevOps

Request to help with cics TS 5.6 compatibility for the below micro focus products.   ChangeMan SSM       8.3.2 ChangeMan ZMF       7.1.2 Mainframe Access      3.1.0 Sernet  8.4.0#ChangeManSSM

It is worth stressing that use of IBM’s Application Transparent Transport Layer Security (AT-TLS) product is the only supported method of securing connections to ZMF-related applications that run in the supplied Apache Tomcat address space. This includes the REST services (zmfrest.war), zMobile (zmobile.war), and the base ZMF web services (zmfws.war). Whilst it may technically be possible to run secure versions of some of these applications in other ways, e.g. by implementing native Tomcat SSL functionality, this is not a supported configuration. If problems are experienced running in such a manner it may be necessary to switch to AT-TLS before assistance can be provided. This AT-TLS requirement is documented in the ChangeMan ZMF REST Services Getting Started Guide, the 8.3 version of which can be found here, but also applies to the other applications listed above.#SupportTip#ChangeManZMF#SupportTips/KnowledgeDocs

A REST API webhook is configured for package audit in a German-speaking environment, e.g. one using codepage 1141 in TSO emulator sessions. The expected EVENT50 step is included in the audit job and appears to complete successfully. I.e. it ends with a step RC=0 and all of the usual SYSPRINT messages ending with: … Results follow: --------------- HTTP/1.1 200 Processing complete with return code: 00 However, the Tomcat task shows no sign of the transaction being processed and the procedure specified by the target URL is not executed. Full article: https://portal.microfocus.com/s/article/KM000016535#ChangeManZMF#SupportTips/KnowledgeDocs

Although referenced in the ChangeMan ZMF 8.3 Readme, it is worth stressing that 5 new package status values were introduced in this release of the product. They are as follows: AIP - Approval in progress XDS - Distribute failedXIN - Install failed XBK - Backout failedXRV - Revert failed Customers should consider these new values when upgrading any custom processing or routines that look at the ZMF package status field.#ChangeManZMF#SupportTip#SupportTips/KnowledgeDocs

When doing a promote in ZMF4ECL the ‘Site’ column does not display the entire length of the ‘Site’ name on the ‘Promotion Site Selection' screen.  From a useability standpoint it would be better to increase the size of the ‘Site’ display to accommodate the maximum length of the site name. Full article: https://portal.microfocus.com/s/article/KM000016132#SupportTips/KnowledgeDocs#ChangeManZMF

Client Pack/ZMF4ECL is no longer displaying previously promoted components on ‘Demotion Options’ screen.  ‘Full’ Demotion will still work, but you can no longer select components for a ‘Selective’ Demotion.Note: Same demotion scenario with ZMF4ECL 8.2 Patch 6 Build 609 displays the components and 'Selective' Demotion works as expected.  Full article: https://portal.microfocus.com/s/article/KM000016094#ChangeManZMF#SupportTips/KnowledgeDocs

A standard set of variable names, all documented in the ZMF REST Services Getting Started Guide, may be passed to the routine (e.g. Jenkins job/pipeline, etc.) specified by a ZMF REST API webhook subscription. These variables include, where appropriate, values for APPL, PACKAGE, LIBTYPE, PROMOTIONNAME, etc.However, a customer wishes to pass additional, non-standard variables. Can this be achieved? For example, can the CMN$$EVT skel be customised to include the additional data? Full article: https://portal.microfocus.com/s/article/KM000016198#SupportTips/KnowledgeDocs#ChangeManZMF

A need exists to create a webhook that is triggered using a log event rather than a skel or HLLX event. How does this work and are any additional steps required to enable this functionality? Full article: https://portal.microfocus.com/s/article/KM000016203#ChangeManZMF#SupportTips/KnowledgeDocs

When a promotion overlay situation exists, using ZMF4ECL 8.3.0 Build 674 displays the message ‘CMN3252A – xxxxxxxx.xxx exists in target promotion library, attempt to overlay’.  Clicking on ‘OK’, returns you to a prior screen and the promotion does not take place.  Checking the package in ZMF confirms the promotion did not take place.  Promoting the package in ZMF completes just fine.Note: Same promotion scenario with ZMF4ECL 8.2 Patch 6 Build 609 does not display the error message and the promotion completes as expected.  Full article: https://portal.microfocus.com/s/article/KM000015928#SupportTips/KnowledgeDocs#ChangeManZMF

The html XML Service documentation and the ‘yellow’ COBOL copybook information related to the recent ZMF 8.3 release can be found in the following KB articles: - the XML Services Reference Tables (html) can be found here. - the XML Services Delta Report 8.3 vs 8.2 Patch 7 can be found here. - and the XML Services COBOL copybooks for the yellow services can be found here.  Caution: Yellow services are intended for use by Professional Services and customers with detailed knowledge of the ZMF meta data. Yellow services are intermediate services which provide access to CREATE, UPDATE, and some DELETE functions. Careful design and testing should be conducted to ensure your implementation of a yellow service functions as intended and does not harm the integrity of the ZMF meta data. Incorrect or misuse of the yellow services can lead to irrecoverable problems in your ZMF instance.#ChangeManZMF#SupportTip#SupportTips/KnowledgeDocs

When upgrading ZMF it can sometimes be easy to overlook the migration step that covers the re-build of the assembler exits (i.e. those named CMNEXnnn). However, significant changes to the shipped CMNEXITS copybook in the ZMF 8.3 release make this extremely important when migrating to ZMF 8.3 or, in future, when migrating to any release that spans the original ZMF 8.3 GA release. Failure to rebuild these exits could result in a number of different failures that could potentially span almost every facet of ZMF processing. A knowledgebase article that echoes this message and which contains an example of such a failure can be found here.#SupportTip#SupportTips/KnowledgeDocs#ChangeManZMF

From my WorkStation (Mac in this case) I execute by curl an api authenticating me through a personal certificate: jmfernandezp@Josemas-MacBook-Pro ~ % curl -X GET -k -H 'CICS-Environment: A6' -i 'https://zosa.tor.es.ibm.com:7050/issdbdc/progprba/Hola' --cert ~/Customizacion\\ Productos/Certificados/personal_p083598.pem:JosemaHTTP/1.1 200 OKX-Powered-By: Servlet/3.1Content-Type: application/json; charset=UTF-8Content-Language: en-USContent-Length: 146Set-Cookie: LtpaToken2=orhzg9vapG1Pc+FCqUDptJERA9U2SNWGPUvdAVrShFHFiKZP6sE8DBi9jFh88MV4VcbyNUGr6o8nxNScDZFZX9RQfOuARKMyCmaGrHFSkScTWkkCxyV3WRngiKPA/4OYRRTt+eArYFyouzMsmOetUdt/QuXbh7moFJol1OcrNFJtu9cbQqKg0uL/fjM2kJ8CgaoBZUL/WJw9b804oZfe//Nvon0bhI4C8lYt77F9F8m7ZEOHbtgYQ9SsnZ6AdprMxv78OrwjaJntZedkAWEotEk0kNjzvLLDzMrdgOHnmVtAEN4yfZHxe+hwIq6MjJDH; Path=/; HttpOnlySet-Cookie: JSESSIONID=0000WLMVWLLT710Qmo9JJwgmF67:dd4c67f3-f2dd-48b7-b879-31de8f82960a; Path=/; Secure; HttpOnlyDate: Thu, 30 Mar 2023 11:35:24 GMTExpires: Thu, 01 Dec 1994 16:00:00 GM

Idea for STARBAT improvement.  Allow a mass rename of PDS members using NEWMBRS parm with an asterisk as a wildcard DD01 COPYMBR MEMBERS=*OLD,NEWMBRS=*NEW Currently this doesn't work.  The hyphen "-" is the only allowed wildcard character.  #StarTool#STARBAT

Users encounter the following abend in their external file tailoring task (e.g. CMNADSP) attempting to promote a package after upgrading a ZMF system from 8.2 Patch 7 to the 8.3 GA release and when the CMNEX023 exit is active: IEA995I SYMPTOM DUMP OUTPUT 143 SYSTEM COMPLETION CODE=0C1 REASON CODE=00000001 TIME=07.42.52 SEQ=01448 CPU=0000 ASID=00C8 PSW AT TIME OF ERROR 078D1000 9780530E ILC 2 INTC 01 ACTIVE MODULE ADDRESS=00000000_17805250 OFFSET=000000BE NAME=CMNEX023 DATA AT PSW 17805308 - F1F9F940 0000000B 00000008 GR 0: 00041120 1: 00040338 2: 00000001 3: F0000000 4: 17805284 5: 97727B5C 6: 00041000 7: 1772A660

A customer running ZMF 8.2 Patch 7 encountered a S878-10 in their ZMF Server started task. The abend occurred whilst processing a mass stage for approximately 20 components, although this may be irrelevant. Their symptom dump follows: IEA995I SYMPTOM DUMP OUTPUT 847 SYSTEM COMPLETION CODE=878 REASON CODE=00000010 TIME=17.14.45 SEQ=09593 CPU=4000 ASID=01BA PSW AT TIME OF ERROR 070C1000 814FD40A ILC 2 INTC 0D NO ACTIVE MODULE FOUND NAME=UNKNOWN DATA AT PSW 014FD404 - 00181610 0A0D18CE 18FB180C GR 0: 84000000 1: 84878000 2: 0075C170 3: 00000052 4: 0089CE88 5: 008BFD40 6: 814F7F68 7: 00EDC100 8: FFFF8000 9: 000222E8 A: 00000000 B: 7F5D0C10

Users encounter the following abend in their external file tailoring task (e.g. CMNADSP) when attempting to build a SRC component after upgrading a ZMF system from 8.2 Patch 7 to the 8.3 GA release: 07.53.49 S0833809 IEA995I SYMPTOM DUMP OUTPUT 693 693 SYSTEM COMPLETION CODE=0C4 REASON CODE=00000010 693 TIME=07.53.41 SEQ=01348 CPU=0000 ASID=00C8 693 PSW AT TIME OF ERROR 078D2000 87145180 ILC 4 INTC 10 693 NO ACTIVE MODULE FOUND 693 NAME=UNKNOWN 693 DATA AT PSW 0714517A - 1255A784 00069540 5000A774 693 GR 0: 00000498 1: 179EFFF0 693 2: 00000000 3: 00000004 693 4: 00000004 5: 40404040

The ChangeMan ZMF 8.3 Migration Guide mandates rebuild (i.e. re-assembly and re-link/re-bind) of all assembler exits (i.e. CMNEXnnn modules) in the section named 'Customize Other Version 8.3 Components'. Changes in ZMF 8.3 make this especially important when upgrading to this specific release. Full article: https://portal.microfocus.com/s/article/KM000015628#SupportTips/KnowledgeDocs#ChangeManZMF

Problems exist attempting to use the zMobile web application when the Tomcat task is running in a 'Virtual IP Address' (VIPA) environment. Full article: https://portal.microfocus.com/s/article/KM000015740#SupportTips/KnowledgeDocs#ChangeManZMF

ChangeMan ZMF 8.3 was released to customers on 15th March 2023. The software can be downloaded here. The documentation for the base product can be accessed here and the Client Pack documentation here.#ChangeManZMF#SupportTip#SupportTips/KnowledgeDocs

The list of defects that have been addressed in the ChangeMan ZMF 8.3 release. Full article: https://portal.microfocus.com/s/article/KM000014845#SupportTips/KnowledgeDocs#ChangeManZMF

The list of defects that have been addressed in the ChangeMan ZMF 8.3 Client Pack (i.e. ChangeMan ZDD and ChangeMan ZMF for Eclipse) user interfaces. Full article: https://portal.microfocus.com/s/article/KM000014846#ChangeManZMF#SupportTips/KnowledgeDocs

Two problems have been identified in CMNEX009 processing running under the ZMF 8.3 release:1. The site table is blank when CMNEX009 is executed by the freeze function.2. Incorrect notification vehicles are being assigned to CMNEX009-added approval entities  Full article: https://portal.microfocus.com/s/article/KM000015311#SupportTips/KnowledgeDocs#ChangeManZMF

Customers who use the XML Services interface to customize ChangeMan ZMF product behavior or to integrate other applications with ChangeMan ZMF need to know about changes, additions, or deletions to the XML Services or their subordinate request and result tags from release to release. Full article: https://portal.microfocus.com/s/article/KM000015286#ChangeManZMF#SupportTips/KnowledgeDocs

The COBOL copybooks associated with 'yellow' XML Services (see Additional Information for details) are not distributed with the shipped ChangeMan ZMF installer. Full article: https://portal.microfocus.com/s/article/KM000015287#ChangeManZMF#SupportTips/KnowledgeDocs

Customers who use, or wish to use, the XML Services interface to customize ChangeMan ZMF processing require access to detailed, release-specific documentation covering the services and tags that are available to them. Full article: https://portal.microfocus.com/s/article/KM000015285#ChangeManZMF#SupportTips/KnowledgeDocs