ussACTION™

• track, control, backup, and restore changes to z/OS UNIX Hierarchical File System (HFS) and zSeries File System (zFS) files
• track references to HFS and zFS files
• ensure that z/OS UNIX program products execute only on licensed systems
• propagate changed data to other systems

Together with a full complement of supporting functions, these capabilities enable you to deliver optimal solutions in areas such as change management, compliance, software asset management, and deployment management, all with minimal effort and without changing the way people work.

Change Tracking

ussACTION™ transparently detects and records information about all changes to defined HFS and zFS directories and files. Powerful resource definition options utilize masking to allow all important directories and files to be defined with minimal effort. The change statistics provide detailed information identifying how, when, and by whom each change was made. This information is useful for problem determination, audit documentation and compliance.

ussACTION™ makes it easy to automatically back up files whenever a change is made. Unique resource profile values can be defined that allow individual files to have varying numbers of backup copies available. These backup copies can exist on either disk or tape storage media, or any combination of both. ussACTION’s powerful compare facility can be used to examine the details of changes, either between the live file and any backup or between any two backups. Changed items can be quickly restored from any backup, providing easy backout of changes.

Change Management

Systems programmers must use a wide variety of tools as required by the vendors of the products they install and maintain. Change management is only effective if it functions correctly for all the tools that systems programmers use. ussACTION’s unique event-driven approach allows it to synchronously intercept changes as they are attempted, regardless of what tool is used.

ussACTION includes a simple, yet powerful, change request facility. Flexible change control options allow an installation to easily define what directories and files should be under change request control. Coupled with its synchronous change interception ability, change requests allow ussACTION to ensure that resources defined to controls are only changed with the appropriate approval. All changes permitted by a change request are automatically associated with that change request.

Effective change management provides systems assurance for audit and Sarbanes-Oxley/ITIL/COBIT compliance. Unauthorized changes are prevented, and authorized changes are automatically cross-referenced with the change requests that authorized them.

ussACTION can monitor and control changes across multiple systems (either local or geographically separate), and can coordinate and centralize change statistic and change request information. Files and directories can be instantly compared across systems or sites, providing detailed information on any differences.

Software Asset Management

It is important for today’s IT organizations to minimize software and maintenance costs while ensuring that all software usage is covered by a valid license. ussACTION™ provides a family of tools that allow users to determine which directories or files are or are not being used. These tools can be used to identify users of obsolete versions of products, clean up in-house system libraries, identify products that are seldom or never used, and for many other purposes. ussACTION™ includes multiple varieties of reference tracking, including:

USSRT – references are tracked for all files in specified directories
USSRTF – references are tracked for specified file names in any directory
ussACTION’s Reference Tracker component also includes the product execution control (USSPXC) facility, which allows you to prevent program products from executing on systems where they are not licensed.

Change Distribution

ussACTION’s Change Distribution Manager (USSCD) allows you to propagate, distribute, and communicate changes among multiple systems or sites that use ussACTION. Larger installations and data centers will appreciate the automated distribution functions and features, as well as the ability to distribute changes bidirectionally if desired between multiple testing systems or production sites.

Supporting Components

ussACTION™ provides a comprehensive set of reports that provide either summarized or highly detailed information about any system change information, change requests, references, and options.

The product has a powerful and user friendly ISPF interface, with rich features such as field sensitive help, standardized primary and line commands, and an extensive field masking function, which makes the product very quick to learn and easy to use.

The product also provides a broad range of support utilities such as a powerful side-by-side compare utility, automatic batch job scheduling, and extensive reporting, which management and support staff will find extremely valuable.

All of ussACTION’s components are seamlessly integrated, and provide dynamic change tracking, control, and distribution for single or multiple site z/OS UNIX configurations

ussACTION™ is a trademark of Mazda Computer Corporation.

View solution briefs and whitepapers for an in depth look on how ASI’s innovations provide z/OS users the tools needed to enhance system availability, cost efficiency, audit controls and security.

White Papers

Position Paper: Keys to Effective Systems Change Management

Solution Briefs

Gain Control of your z/OS Unix Environment	Painless Compliance for Auditors and Sysprogs
Simplify your z/OS Systems Management and Compliance