Creating and activating the new current plan

About this task

The creation of a new current plan is performed by the daily planning batch jobs. The two possible options are extend and replan the current plan. You also use the extend function when creating a current plan for the first time. Both the extend and replan functions cause the creation of a new current plan in the new current-plan (NCP) data set.

The steps below describe in detail how the new current plan is created and then brought into normal processing, including the use of the Symphony file:
  1. A daily planning batch job starts, signals the IBM Z Workload Scheduler subsystem using an ENQ, and then waits.
  2. IBM Z Workload Scheduler detects the ENQ from the batch job and locks the current plan, thereby preventing more updates. All events related to job streams and jobs in IBM Workload Scheduler are queued for later processing.
  3. The active current plan is updated with the latest information from in-storage control blocks representing workstations and active operations. The extension file (CX), which is held in a data space, is refreshed to DASD.
  4. The inactive current plan is erased.
  5. The active current plan is copied to the inactive current plan. They are now identical.
  6. The inactive current plan becomes the active current plan, and the previously active becomes the inactive.
  7. The job-tracking logs are switched.
  8. The current plan is unlocked, and normal processing continues. The current plan is updated, processing the queued events: these updates are logged into the currently active job-tracking log. The Symphony file is updated consequently on the domain manager (waiting dependencies are eventually resolved).
  9. The data from the inactive job-tracking log is appended to the job-tracking archive log.
  10. IBM Z Workload Scheduler signals to the batch job that backup processing is complete.
  11. The batch job starts executing again. The inactive current plan is used (together with the long-term plan, application description, resource database, and workstation for a current plan extend) as input, and a new current plan is created in the NCP and new current plan extension (NCX) data sets. While the batch job is building the new current plan, IBM Z Workload Scheduler continues normal processing except that a current plan backup is not permitted because the batch job is using the inactive current plan data set.
  12. In the new current plan, the daily planning job flags the jobs and job streams that will be added to the Symphony file.
  13. The contents of the job-tracking archive data set are copied to the data set in the daily planning job referenced by the EQQTROUT ddname.
  14. When the new current plan is ready, the checkpoint data set is updated to show if the new current plan was successfully created. The normal mode manager (NMM) subtask is notified that the daily planning process has completed.
  15. The subsystem examines the checkpoint data set to see if a new current plan was successfully created.

    If it was not, IBM Z Workload Scheduler continues its normal processing as if a daily planning process had not run.

    If the new plan was created, or when it is created, a command is sent to stop all the IBM Workload Scheduler CPUs and the local end-to-end processing. No more events for IBM Workload Scheduler are processed. These events are processed later in the new plan using the usual processing for IBM Workload Scheduler. Processing continues with the next step.

  16. The current plan is locked, preventing it from being updated.
  17. The new current plan is copied to the active current plan, and the NCX is copied to the current plan extension (CX).
  18. The job-tracking archive log is emptied.
  19. The active job-tracking log now contains a record of the updates to the current plan that were made while the daily plan job was running. These are read, and the current plan is updated accordingly.
  20. In-storage control blocks representing workstations and active operations are rebuilt from the active current plan, and a data space is created from the current-plan-extension data set.
  21. A current plan backup is performed. The inactive current plan is erased.
  22. The active current plan is copied to the inactive one, and EQQSCPDS is produced. This VSAM is a copy of the current plan and will be used by data processing to add job information to the Symphony file.
  23. The next available job-tracking log becomes active.
  24. The current plan is unlocked and normal processing continues. All changes to jobs in the Symphony file are sent to the distributed agents, when the Symphony file is available.
  25. The data from the now inactive job-tracking log is copied into the job-tracking archive log.
  26. Starting from EQQSCPDS that contains the updates for the job-tracking file, the job and job stream information is added to the new Symphony file. If the Symphony file was not created because of errors during the building phase, you can run the Symphony renew or replan functions to create it, after correcting the errors.
  27. IBM Z Workload Scheduler sends the Symphony file to IBM Workload Scheduler.
  28. Before distributing the new Symphony file, all the events of the old Symphony file that are still outstanding are applied to the new Symphony file.
  29. In IBM Workload Scheduler, the new Symphony file is distributed.