IBM Tivoli Workload Scheduler
Encyclopedia
IBM Tivoli Workload Scheduler is a family of IBM Tivoli workload automation
products that plan, execute and track jobs on several platforms and environments.
IBM Tivoli Workload Scheduler comprises two core and distinctly different products:
Plus some ancillary applications
Products can be integrated to schedule and monitor from a single point of control with the use of a java console called JSC (Job Scheduling Console) or in the latest versions with a web based user interface called TDWC (Tivoli Dynamic Workload Console).
IBM Tivoli Workload Scheduler for z/OS (TWSz) was originally produced in the 1970's by IBM's Nordic Laboratory in Lidingo, Sweden where it was known as OPC, which stands for "Operations Planning and Control". In 1989 the name was changed to Operations Planning and Control/Advanced (OPC/A) when many advanced features were added and the product has remained very much the same ever since. The name changed again to Operations Planning and Control/ESA (Enterprise Systems Architecture) when later adapted to work in a Sysplex Environment. After IBM bought the Tivoli company and OPC came under Tivoli's umbrella it was briefly renamed TME/10 (Tivoli Management Environment/10), then to Tivoli Workload Scheduler, but as Tivoli had previously renamed Maestro to Tivoli Workload Scheduler OPC was renamed Tivoli Workload Scheduler for z/OS. However the name Operations Planning and Control continued to appear on the primary option panel and elsewhere until Version 8 Release 5. The TWSz version numbers jumped from Version 3 to Version 8 to align with TWSd (Maestro)
IBM Tivoli Workload Scheduler (TWSd) was originally produced by Unison Software where is was known as Maestro. Maestro was bought by the Tivoli company when they realised the needed a Unix scheduler. It was renamed Tivoli Workload Scheduler (TWS). IBM bought the Tivoli company and gave it the responsibility for systems management, both distributed and mainframe. Tivoli at first decided to drop OPC and, because Maestro had an agent that ran on zOS, get OPC customers to migrate to Maestro. When it became obvious that Maestro couldn't replace OPC, Tivoli brought OPC under the Tivoli Workload Scheduler name. Many of the OPC concepts were ported to Maestro.
IBM Tivoli Workload Scheduler for z/OS=
Tivoli Workload Scheduler for z/OS (TWSz) runs on IBM's System z operating system. TWSz schedules and runs work on multiple platforms, both mainframe and distributed. TWSz comprises a zOS started task known as a Controller and programs known as Tracker-Agents running on every machine under its control.
The Controller's databases hold details of the work to run, the scheduling instructions and information about resources and restrictions. The databases provide input to the Long Term Plan which is a calcuation of when work will run in the future. A second plan, the Current Plan, uses the Long Term Plan as input to determine which jobs will it should include and expands that with information from the databases. The Current Plan is a detailed production schedule. Current Plan will submit jobs when precessors are complete and resources are available.
The Tracker-Agent, which is a zOS started task or a program running on Unix, Windows, HP-UX, or any other operating system, communicates with the Controller to feedback information about jobs starting and ending. The Controller uses that information to update its Current Plan, changing statuses and submitting jobs as their predecessors finish.
The Controller can replace the TWS Distributed Master Domain Manager (Maestro) and control a distributed network of Maestro Agents by generating and propagating the Maestro Symphony file. This is known as End-To-End Scheduling.
Communication with TWSz is via a set of supplied and customisable ISPF panels. There has been limited function graphical user interfaces (GUI)available for more than a decade, the latest is the web browser based Tivoli Dynamic Console.
IBM updates this tool on a regular basis.
Support for this tool is current and accessible via IBM.
OPC/TWS can be controlled via JCL which allows for aspects of the tool to be administered by third party products and administrators.
OPC/TWS allows for data to be viewed by all users, for security separation of users and administrators and provides the native ability to connect to one of several instances of OPC. This allows for the tool to be used to schedule for multiple Production or Testing environments.
Accessing some scheduling information via panels, in particular when multiple Applications need to be reviewed or if specific application information from multiple occurrences is required can be time consuming; however this is more of a limitation of TSO/ISPF than of the OPC/TWS application itself. There is simply too much information to be displayed on one screen.
OPC/TWS does not have the option to display all relevant information about a single Application on a scrollable screen.
Extensions to OPC/TWS are not generally accessible.
IBM Tivoli Workload Scheduler for distributed=
IBM Tivoli Workload Scheduler for distributed (TWSd) runs on a Unix or Windows operating system. TWSd schedules and runs work on multiple distributed platforms. TWSd consists of an engine, known as the Master Domain Manager which manages the databases and schedule for the distributed network attached to it. The Master Domain Manager communicates with software known as Agents running on every machine under its control in the network.
TWSd's databases hold details of all the work to run, the scheduling instructions and information about resources and restrictions. The TWSd production schedule is known as the plan. The plan contains information about the current days workload and dependencies. It is extracted on a regular basis form the databases and placed into the plan.
Various agents in the network can be designated as Fault Tolerant Agents. To these the Master Domain Manager will propagate a copy of the plan. In the event of a communication break between a Fault Tolerant Agent (FTA) and the Master Domain Manager, the FTA can continue to run jobs and resolve dependencies on its own machine and any machines below it in the network. When communications are mended the FTA updates the Master Domain Manager. This function is known as Fault Tolerance.
At version 8.6, Tivoli introduced dynamic scheduling using dynamic agents. This function allows the workstation where jobs run to be determined based on resource or machine availability. Older Windows and Unix jobs can run on dynamic agents. In addition, new jobs with advanced options can run on dynamic agents as well.
Tivoli workload Scheduler has supported several Graphical User Interfaces over the years. This include Gconman and the Job Scheduling Console (JSC). A new web browser based GUI, the Tivoli Dynamic Workload Console (DWC), is the only GUI supported with version 8.6. This GUI serves as the GUI for both the distributed and Z/OS versions of the product.
Workload Automation
The concept of Workload Automation is an evolution of traditional job schedulers which needed to react to the dynamic demands of IT. Workload automation needs to be able to coordinate—in real-time—a varied set of workload types with complex dependencies across a broad spectrum of operating systems...
products that plan, execute and track jobs on several platforms and environments.
IBM Tivoli Workload Scheduler comprises two core and distinctly different products:
- IBM Tivoli Workload Scheduler for z/OS, previous known as OPC
- IBM Tivoli Workload Scheduler, previously known as Maestro
Plus some ancillary applications
- IBM Tivoli Workload Scheduler for Applications - for managing business applications like SAP, Oracle and PeopleSoft
- IBM Tivoli Dynamic Workload Broker - for automating grid application environments
Products can be integrated to schedule and monitor from a single point of control with the use of a java console called JSC (Job Scheduling Console) or in the latest versions with a web based user interface called TDWC (Tivoli Dynamic Workload Console).
IBM Tivoli Workload Scheduler for z/OS (TWSz) was originally produced in the 1970's by IBM's Nordic Laboratory in Lidingo, Sweden where it was known as OPC, which stands for "Operations Planning and Control". In 1989 the name was changed to Operations Planning and Control/Advanced (OPC/A) when many advanced features were added and the product has remained very much the same ever since. The name changed again to Operations Planning and Control/ESA (Enterprise Systems Architecture) when later adapted to work in a Sysplex Environment. After IBM bought the Tivoli company and OPC came under Tivoli's umbrella it was briefly renamed TME/10 (Tivoli Management Environment/10), then to Tivoli Workload Scheduler, but as Tivoli had previously renamed Maestro to Tivoli Workload Scheduler OPC was renamed Tivoli Workload Scheduler for z/OS. However the name Operations Planning and Control continued to appear on the primary option panel and elsewhere until Version 8 Release 5. The TWSz version numbers jumped from Version 3 to Version 8 to align with TWSd (Maestro)
IBM Tivoli Workload Scheduler (TWSd) was originally produced by Unison Software where is was known as Maestro. Maestro was bought by the Tivoli company when they realised the needed a Unix scheduler. It was renamed Tivoli Workload Scheduler (TWS). IBM bought the Tivoli company and gave it the responsibility for systems management, both distributed and mainframe. Tivoli at first decided to drop OPC and, because Maestro had an agent that ran on zOS, get OPC customers to migrate to Maestro. When it became obvious that Maestro couldn't replace OPC, Tivoli brought OPC under the Tivoli Workload Scheduler name. Many of the OPC concepts were ported to Maestro.
IBM Tivoli Workload Scheduler for z/OS=
Tivoli Workload Scheduler for z/OS (TWSz) runs on IBM's System z operating system. TWSz schedules and runs work on multiple platforms, both mainframe and distributed. TWSz comprises a zOS started task known as a Controller and programs known as Tracker-Agents running on every machine under its control.
The Controller's databases hold details of the work to run, the scheduling instructions and information about resources and restrictions. The databases provide input to the Long Term Plan which is a calcuation of when work will run in the future. A second plan, the Current Plan, uses the Long Term Plan as input to determine which jobs will it should include and expands that with information from the databases. The Current Plan is a detailed production schedule. Current Plan will submit jobs when precessors are complete and resources are available.
The Tracker-Agent, which is a zOS started task or a program running on Unix, Windows, HP-UX, or any other operating system, communicates with the Controller to feedback information about jobs starting and ending. The Controller uses that information to update its Current Plan, changing statuses and submitting jobs as their predecessors finish.
The Controller can replace the TWS Distributed Master Domain Manager (Maestro) and control a distributed network of Maestro Agents by generating and propagating the Maestro Symphony file. This is known as End-To-End Scheduling.
Communication with TWSz is via a set of supplied and customisable ISPF panels. There has been limited function graphical user interfaces (GUI)available for more than a decade, the latest is the web browser based Tivoli Dynamic Console.
Functions
TWSz has the following functions:- Ability to set options including
- Date and time formats
- A scheduler subsystem name
- Panel colors and highlighting
- Standard ISPF options
- TWSz standard default values
- Connect to one of several "database" (each 'database' is an instance of OPC/TWS)
- Browse, create and modify Create Applications (an Application is a defined series of actions for which can be scheduled)
- Browse, create and modify print periods
- Browse, create and modify special resources
- Control event triggered tracking
- Schedule a Daily Plan
- Add, browse, delete and modify occurrences and dependencies
- Rerun and change the status of occurrences
- Change reporting
- Handle errors
- Query Applications and occurrences
- Perform workstation activities
- Report on the current plan
Strengths
OPC/TWS does function as specified.IBM updates this tool on a regular basis.
Support for this tool is current and accessible via IBM.
OPC/TWS can be controlled via JCL which allows for aspects of the tool to be administered by third party products and administrators.
OPC/TWS allows for data to be viewed by all users, for security separation of users and administrators and provides the native ability to connect to one of several instances of OPC. This allows for the tool to be used to schedule for multiple Production or Testing environments.
Weaknesses
OPC/TWS lacks full reporting capability.Accessing some scheduling information via panels, in particular when multiple Applications need to be reviewed or if specific application information from multiple occurrences is required can be time consuming; however this is more of a limitation of TSO/ISPF than of the OPC/TWS application itself. There is simply too much information to be displayed on one screen.
OPC/TWS does not have the option to display all relevant information about a single Application on a scrollable screen.
Extensions to OPC/TWS are not generally accessible.
IBM Tivoli Workload Scheduler for distributed=
IBM Tivoli Workload Scheduler for distributed (TWSd) runs on a Unix or Windows operating system. TWSd schedules and runs work on multiple distributed platforms. TWSd consists of an engine, known as the Master Domain Manager which manages the databases and schedule for the distributed network attached to it. The Master Domain Manager communicates with software known as Agents running on every machine under its control in the network.
TWSd's databases hold details of all the work to run, the scheduling instructions and information about resources and restrictions. The TWSd production schedule is known as the plan. The plan contains information about the current days workload and dependencies. It is extracted on a regular basis form the databases and placed into the plan.
Various agents in the network can be designated as Fault Tolerant Agents. To these the Master Domain Manager will propagate a copy of the plan. In the event of a communication break between a Fault Tolerant Agent (FTA) and the Master Domain Manager, the FTA can continue to run jobs and resolve dependencies on its own machine and any machines below it in the network. When communications are mended the FTA updates the Master Domain Manager. This function is known as Fault Tolerance.
At version 8.6, Tivoli introduced dynamic scheduling using dynamic agents. This function allows the workstation where jobs run to be determined based on resource or machine availability. Older Windows and Unix jobs can run on dynamic agents. In addition, new jobs with advanced options can run on dynamic agents as well.
Tivoli workload Scheduler has supported several Graphical User Interfaces over the years. This include Gconman and the Job Scheduling Console (JSC). A new web browser based GUI, the Tivoli Dynamic Workload Console (DWC), is the only GUI supported with version 8.6. This GUI serves as the GUI for both the distributed and Z/OS versions of the product.