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The ChangeMan ZMF 8.3 Readme

March 2023

This Readme file contains information you should know before you install or use ChangeMan ZMF 8.3. You can download the installer for ChangeMan ZMF 8.3 from the Downloads section of the Micro Focus Support website. See "Installation" on page 7 for details on installing ChangeMan ZMF 8.3.

General Information

Product Description

ChangeMan ZMF is a comprehensive and fully integrated solution for software change, configuration, and release management systems in z/OS® environments. It provides reliable and streamlined implementation of software changes from development through all quality gates and into production. ChangeMan ZMF manages and automates the application life cycle, protects the integrity of the code migration process, and results in higher quality delivered code to each QA/test environment and to the production environment.

Release Summary

See New Features in ChangeMan ZMF 8.3 on page 3 for a list of the enhancements in ChangeMan ZMF 8.3.

See "Fixes in ChangeMan ZMF 8.3" on page 6 for links to the defects that have been fixed in ChangeMan ZMF 8.3.

Customer Support

Online Support — The Micro Focus Support website at https://www.microfocus.com/en-us/support/ChangeMan%20ZMF provides an easy way for customers to manage their support cases or search the Knowledgebase for the latest technical information about our products at any time.

A user ID and password are required to access some of the resources on the Micro Focus Support website. To obtain a user ID and password, sign up online or contact Customer Support by email or telephone.

Downloads — The Software Licenses and Downloads (SLD) website at https://sld.microfocus.com/mysoftware/index is where you can download products and patches for them.

A user ID and password are required to access the Software Licenses and Downloads website. To obtain a user ID and password, sign up online or contact Customer Support by email or telephone.

Telephone Support — Telephone contact numbers for Customer Support are posted by region at the following URL:

https://support.microfocus.com/contact/serena.html

No password is needed to access Customer Support contact information.

Email Support — Customers can send support requests by email to customercare@microfocus.com.

Authorized Support Representative — Some support contracts specify that support calls will be centrally managed within the customer organization. This practice enables related issues to be aggregated across multiple customer sites or functional groups, and it ensures accountability for the satisfactory resolution of open issues. You should determine whether you have such a support contract before contacting Customer Support. If you do have such a contract, submit your support request to the designated support manager within your organization and arrange for that person to contact Customer Support.

New Features and Fixes

This section:

  • Describes the new features and changes in ChangeMan ZMF 8.3.

  • Provides a link to the defects that have been fixed in ChangeMan ZMF 8.3.

  • Provides links to new features and fixes from earlier releases.

New Features in ChangeMan ZMF 8.3

  • A Db2 hosted alternative is available for the baseline I/A table. Primarily aimed at customers who may be having space difficulty with their baseline I/A table dataspace. The default mechanism remains the LDS/dataspace implementation.

  • Core ZMF Db2 option customers no longer need to configure extended support. If you only use the ZMF Db2 option for management of package and plan binds then you no longer need to create the extra admin tables, and bind the extra DBRMs, required to support the management of other Db2 objects.

  • Application administration parameters that prohibit approval by package creator and package worker now also apply to approval of online forms.

  • The package query panel CMNQRY03 behavior has changed. Instead of a table display, it is now a selection menu. The panel now uses available and unavailable choice attributes and point and shoot capability.

  • The ZMF exit source for CMNEX009 and CMNEX024 and copybook CMNEX009 have changed. Customers who have customized exit CMNEX009 or CMNEX024 must reconcile their changes with the new version. The CMNEX009 approval notification list tables were expanded from 1 to 35 notification entries, user lists were expanded from 32 to 44 bytes and general purpose register use has changed as a result. CMNEX009 was changed for the expanded notification list and notification vehicle equates were modified from internal values to XML service tag values. CMNEX024 was changed for addressability reasons due to the expanded notification list.

  • COBOL XML Query Extract Functions Have Been Optimized. SERXMLCC is a general purpose program designed to send and receive XML requests and parse the results into a finite COBOL data structure. Each XML service is shipped as a COBOL copybook. Note that the copybooks, as shipped, define all service combinations and all possible input and output XML. You can refine the copybooks to suit your needs. This enhancement allows the COBOL program to optionally introduce a temporary data set to contain the results. See Solution S142060 for a description and example of this capability. In addition, the temporary dataset may use a file of your choosing. The name of the file is passed in the parameters list and follows the naming convention CCXMLOnn, where nn is any number. This allows you to design Cobol programs that combine multiple services into one report.

  • The CMNDB2TM alias of CMNDSPTM has been removed.

  • The CMNPMLOD utility is now extracting the global/application/package Db2/IMS package master records.

  • The ZMF health checks have been renamed to include the ZMF product identifier: ZMF_HLLX_AVAILABLE ZMF_PRIMARY_DB2_AVAILABLE ZMF_STORAGE_AVAILABILTY ZMF_TCP_HEALTH

  • Obsolete options on the user.service.notify service notifierType tag are deprecated. This includes ipAddress, portid, actionType and textLen.

  • ZMF now displays a warning panel when you attempt to edit a component in a migrated staging data set. This warning panel allows you to cancel the edit.

  • Parameter COMPRESS=NO has been added to program binder steps to ensure that ZMF user IDRDATA is visible when browsing program objects.

  • The CMNASM and CMNHLASM build procedures, and the ISPF skeletons that they incorporate, have been changed to improve processing consistency between the two and simplify future upgrades.

  • Audit RC is reset whenever participating packages are added or removed from the super/complex group. This new default behavior can be deactivated using an admin setting (global parms panel 5 of 8).

  • Summary audit reports are now available for both package and release audits. A CSV summary is also available from package audit.

  • The security entity CMNMONP was added to the Monitor Promotion Scheduler function. If this entity is defined, users must have Update access to enter this function. If it is not defined, all users have access. !!! note If you are running Security Server software that issues a RACROUTE RC=8 for a profile not found condition (e.g. ACF2, Top Secret), or have overridden the default return code for a 'profile not found' condition from 4 to 8 in a RACF environment, you must define the CMNxMONP profile for all subsystems. If you do not, the response will be incorrectly interpreted as all users being denied access to the function and none will be allowed to access it.

  • The new CMNMONI security entity can be used to control access to the Monitor Installation Scheduler. If this entity is defined, users must have Update rights to open this function. If it is not defined, all users have access to this function. (For more information, see the ChangeMan ZMF Installation Guide.) Note: If you are running Security Server software that issues a RACROUTE RC=8 for a profile not found condition (e.g. ACF2, Top Secret), or have overridden the default return code for a 'profile not found' condition from 4 to 8 in a RACF environment, you must define the CMNxMONI profile for all subsystems. If you do not, the response will be incorrectly interpreted as all users being denied access to the function and none will be allowed to access it.

  • The new RMTSITTB ISPF table allows you to provide remote site information for the promotion function and the distribution process. This table contains the remote site IP address, port number, and other information. It is accessible during the file tailoring of the promotion and distribution jobs. Further information on the content of this table can be found in the shipped #VARLIST ISPF skeleton.

  • A new variable CALLFUN that was added to skeleton CMN$$NTF allows you to determine whether CMN$$NTF is being used by either an OFM (SUBMIT) or by package approval. If CMN$$NTF is used by OFM, CALLFUN contains OFM. If CMN$$NTF is used by package approval, CALLFUN contains APR.

  • The new Global and Application Admin parameter 'Maximum packages with component' has been provided. Setting a non-zero value in this field will limit the total number of packages in which a component can reside. Specifying a value of zero in this field disables the functionality and the component is permitted to exist in an unlimited number of packages.

  • A new feature that aids with the generation of secondary binds is available for ZMF Db2 option customers.

  • The early Package Create HLLXs now allow variables to be set that are used later in the package create process. This avoids potential problems being encountered when panels are skipped by the "short" package creation process.

  • A mechanism has been supplied to automatically control the setting of the CMNSRCPP (assembler macro discovery module) CLR= parameter when multiple assemblies are executed in the same build job. Refer to the CMNSRCPP documentation in the ChangeMan ZMF Customization Guide for more information.

  • Rest Services has been updated to enable redirects on post requests. A new parameter is now available in Rest Services ZMFPARMS to enable/disable this processing. The default is set to Y to enable redirect processing. EVENT_REDIRECT=Y/N

  • Rest Services now provides the ability to send email notifications for ChangeMan lifecycle events. Several user interface changes were necessary to accommodate this new functionality: A new Email Subscriptions item was added to the Home Display. The Navigation bar was reworked to add Email Subscriptions to the main menu. Download, Samples, About, and Trace menu items were moved to a dropdown menu. A new Email Subscriptions page permits list, create, update and delete of email subscriptions. Users may manipulate their own subscription data. Administrators may update all subscription entries.

  • Startup parameter RESTAUTHORIZATION was added to allow RACF authorization for subscription services. The value can be RACF or INTERNAL. The default is INTERNAL and internal authorization works as it has in previous versions. RACF Authorization is provided by calling the USERSEC/SERVICE/CHECK service for READ access to a resource. Global Administrators are always given access to Rest Subscription services.

  • Added the ability to schedule package demotion.

  • Added functionality that allows remote callers (REST api) to obtain a list of potential install sites in a single REST API call. Remote callers can also identify promotion sites with PRODLIBs defined as 'promotion only'.

  • Changed the Approve function so that it does not allow final approval to a package while a package promotion is outstanding. New ISPF functions and XML Services have also been added to both check and reset package promotion locks.

  • Added the ability to secure the backout, revert, and monitor functions and services by application. New, optional security entities may be defined in application admin to allow or deny users access to these functions at the application level.

  • Added the following new package status values: AIP (approval in progress), XDS (distribute failed), XIN (install failed), XBK (back out failed), and XRV (revert failed).

  • Added the ability to use Git with packages. This feature enables communication between a local git repository and a ZMF package, with the ZMF package acting as a remote repository. For more information, see "Using Git with Packages" in the ChangeMan ZMF User’s Guide.

Fixes in ChangeMan ZMF 8.3

Access the following link to display a list of the defects that have been fixed in Sernet and ChangeMan ZMF 8.3:

https://portal.microfocus.com/s/article/KM000014845

New Features and Fixes in Earlier ChangeMan ZMF Releases

You can obtain a summary of the enhancements and fixes in the ChangeManZMF 8.2.x releases from the ZMF 8.2 Patch 7 Readme file, which you can access from the following URL:

https://www.microfocus.com/documentation/changeman-zmf/8-2-patch-7/pdfs/zmf-8-2-patch-7-readme.pdf

Installation

You must install the ChangeMan ZMF products that you have licensed in the following order, as appropriate:

  • ZMF Web Services. If you are running customized applications using ZMF Web Services, perform the actions discussed in the section titled Upgrading to ChangeMan ZMF 8.3 Web Services on page 8.

  • ZDD and/or ZMF for Eclipse Clients (the ZMF Client Pack).

  • ZMF P sites and REST Services upgrade

  • ZMF D, DP and ALL sites and REST Services upgrade

You can download the installer for ChangeMan ZMF 8.3 from the Downloads section of the Micro Focus Support website.

A customer ID and password are required to access the website. After logging in, follow the prompts to access your software. If you experience any problems while accessing your software, contact us on the most appropriate number from https://www.microfocus.com/support-and-services/serena/.

Follow the instructions in the ChangeMan ZMF Migration Guide to upgrade an existing 7.x or 8.x instance of ChangeMan ZMF to version 8.3.

Upgrade Notes

Refer to the ChangeMan ZMF Migration Guide for a list of conversion jobs that you must run to convert master files from the specified ZMF version to ZMF 8.3. All jobs are members of the CMNZMF.V8R3P00.CNTL distribution library. Customize the job’s JCL as indicated in the comments within each member before you run it.

Converting ZMF Db2 tablespaces to UTS

Prior to ZMF 8.3 all ZMF-related tablespaces have been created as ‘simple’. While this kind of tablespace continues to be supported, their use was deprecated in Db2 v9 and UTS (Universal Table Spaces) are the way forward.

New customers using the supplied JCL will now create tablespaces as UTS-PBG (Partition By Growth). Note that the final decision for the kind of UTS (PBG vs PBR) and the parameters associated with each rests with your DBAs.

Existing customers can choose to continue with ‘simple’ tablespaces or may make use of the supplied DB2UTSTS JCL member which is a suggested migration mechanism.

Upgrade Notes for ERO Customers

If you license the Enterprise Release Option (ERO), refer to the instructions in the ChangeMan ZMF Migration Guide or ChangeMan ZMF Installation Guide for information about the steps you must take to install or upgrade ERO.

ISPF Panel Changes

All members of the CMNZMF.V8R3P00.PANELS distribution library contain the statements that are highlighted in red below. The exit and copybook that are referenced in these statements are for Micro Focus use only and you should not attempt to change them.

********************************* Top of Data **********************************
)INEXIT PGM,&EPAPATTR,CACHE
)PANEL KEYLIST(CMNELSK,CMN)
)ATTR
*INCLUDE CMNPATTR                   /* embed common panel attributes */
)BODY EXPAND(!!)
.
.
.

Optimization Considerations

We strongly recommend that you use IBM’s Batch Local Shared Resource (BLSR) or System-Managed Buffering (SMB) to optimize the VSAM KSDS Package Master, Component Master, and long name Component Master files where delivered JCL shows BLSR sample code. Currently, that includes these ZMF components:

Failure to use the BLSR or SMB performance optimization tool may cause unacceptable performance issues for users and/or processes.

See Solution S100960 (http://knowledgebase.serena.com/InfoCenter/index?page=content&id=S100960) in the Knowledgebase for more information.

Upgrading to ChangeMan ZMF 8.3 Web Services

If you are running customized ZMF Web Service-based applications, you should rebuild those applications using the ZMF 8.3 Web Services, regardless of the release from which you are upgrading, and redeploy your applications in production prior to or alongside updating your ZMF Server software.

Building custom applications using web services

The zmfws.war file contains the classes and stubs necessary to build custom applications that use ChangeMan ZMF base web services. It is now a separate download. See Solution S143025 for more information.

The ChangeMan ZMF REST API Feature

The software for the ZMF REST API Feature is provided as a part of the full install of ChangeMan ZMF 8.3. The installer will ask for the zFS host directory and will populate the zFS host directory with the .war and .jar files. If you do not provide the zFS host directory, the RECEIVE JCL file (RECEIVE.V8R3P00.JCL), will still contain the steps but they will be commented out. The files include:

  CMNZMF.V8R3P00.ZMFREST.WAR
  CMNZMF.V8R3P00.ZMFWS.WAR
  CMNZMF.V8R3P00.ZMOBILE.WAR
  CMNZMF.V8R3P00.RESTCLIENT.JAR

These .war and .jar files are also provided as individual downloads, in a .zip format, as part of the ChangeMan ZMF 8.3 distribution. The TomCat components for the REST API components are stored in the CMNZMF.V8R3P00.CNTL library. The addition of these 13 components means that library is much larger than earlier versions. Refer to the ChangeMan ZMF REST Services Getting Started Guide for more information about the REST API feature.

Software Compatibility

For a complete list of software requirements and product compatibility, see the product compatibility matrix spreadsheet on the Software Licenses and Downloads (SLD) website:

https://sld.microfocus.com/mysoftware/index

Known Issues

  • Different versions of ChangeMan ZMF are incompatible in ISPF split screen mode. User abend 44 blocks you from opening a second session with a different version and can also signify incomplete SEREX006 exit information.

  • To avoid version conflicts, do not run the XMLSERV prototype tool for XML Services concurrently in ISPF split screen mode with a ChangeMan ZMF instance.

  • The routines to stop/start/refresh an IBM® WebSphere® application in promotion, install, and backout consume excessive z/OS memory and elapsed time. Customers report that this behavior is not unique to the ChangeMan ZMF use of the WebSphere API. Customers using the ZMF WebSphere interface should include REGION=0M in jobs that include the CMN$$WSB, CMN$$WSI, and CMN$$WSP skeletons.

  • SYNCSORT customers who encounter the following message during SORT processing in the CMVCONxx conversion jobs delivered in the CMNZMF.CNTL distribution library (or any steps involving SORT): WER175A - INCORE SORT CAPACITY EXCEEDED can add SORTWORKxx DD statements to steps to explicitly allocate work data sets.

  • An ISPF 'variable truncation' message may be displayed when a user opens the package list the first time after an 8.3+ upgrade. This message is only displayed once and can be ignored. ChangeMan ZMF displays this message because some of the panel variable lengths have changed. After the variables are stored in the user’s ISPF profile variable pool with their new lengths, this message is not displayed.

  • If inventory information is incomplete for the subcomponent in a baseline I/A relationship, release audit cannot process it successfully. This will result in a CMNRA000 SYSPRINT message and the audit return code will be set to 12. You can vary RC this using the NOBUNRC=nnn sysin parameter in the CMN$$RAU skeleton. You can also completely ignore this situation (i.e. the pre-8.3 situation) by using NOBUNRC=SUPPRESS.

Documentation Updates

All ChangeMan ZMF documentation is provided in Adobe® Portable Document Format (PDF) and may be downloaded from the Micro Focus SupportLine website at https://www.microfocus.com/documentation/changeman-zmf/.

  • Adobe® Reader® is available for free download at http://get.adobe.com/reader/. Version 9 or higher is recommended.

  • Updates to documentation are frequently issued after the product release date. Updated ChangeMan ZMF Readme files and user manuals are published on the Micro Focus SupportLine website with the rest of the documentation for the product release. Updated Readme files and user manuals are flagged with an Updated date in the file name or description. !!! note Change bars in the left margin of ChangeMan ZMF documentation identify substantive changes from the last published version, unless otherwise noted.

  • Enhancements that are delivered with ChangeMan ZMF 8.3 are summarized in this Readme file in the section titled New Features in ChangeMan ZMF 8.3 on page 3.

Searching the Documentation

There is no cross-book index for the ChangeMan ZMF documentation suite. You can use the Advanced Search facility in Adobe Reader to search all ZMF manuals in the same or subordinate folders for information that you want. See topic "Searching the ChangeMan ZMF Documentation Suite" in the "Welcome to..." chapter of each ZMF manual.