HCL Workload Automation for Z Small Programming Enhancements released in April 2020

The following features were provided with HCL Workload Automation for Z small programming enhancements (SPEs) released for Version 9.5, in April 2020.

Controlling the system where a z/OS job is to be run
(RFE 136248 - SYSAFF in a JCL of its destinations
RFE 136251 - JOB CLASS in a JCL as defined in the Operation)
The system where you submit a z/OS job does not always coincide with the system where the job will be executed. JES could decide to execute the job to another system, where the required resources are available. As a consequence, the checks made by the controller on the system where the job is submitted do not guarantee that the same conditions are found in the system where the job will be executed.

You can prevent this situation by controlling the system where the job is to be executed. This is also useful when you want a job that is more critical to you to be run on systems with higher performance.

For more details, see Controlling the system where a z/OS job is to be executed.

RFE 87769 - Send an email if operation ended in error or is late
You can have HCL Workload Automation for Z send an email to a specific recipient or list of recipients when one of the following alert conditions occurs:
  • DURATION
  • ERROPER
  • LATEOPER
  • OPCERROR
  • SPECRES
  • WLMOPER

For more detailed information, see Sending an email when an alert condition occurs

Integrating with Zowe™
Zowe is an open-source project that enables you to interact with z/OS through modern interfaces. With the WA plug-in for the Zowe command line (CLI) you can now issue Workload Automation commands to remotely control your workload: monitor and modify jobs, jostreams, and resources, and issue WAPL commands.

Additionally, you can access the WA API through the API Mediation Layer (API ML) or connect the plug-in directly to the WA API.

For detailed information, see Integrating Workload Automation with Zowe™.

Watch the video Open Workload Automation to the modern era - Meet Zowe at this link.

RFE 106361 User-defined action: Postpone set in error action
For an operation that does not start or complete within the time that you set, you can define that it is set to Error if its status allows it. If the operation status does not allow it, the action is no longer ignored but it is postponed at the time when the operation status allows it.

RFE 140989: Add an SSH client in the DOCKER image of the HCL Workload Automation Agent (z-centric)
An SSH client has been added to the HCL Workload Automation Agent DOCKER image, which allows secure and encrypted remote connections.

A new home for Workload Automation plug-ins
Automation Hub is a new concept for automating business workflows.

In previous versions, all job plug-ins were provided with the product and obtaining new plug-ins meant you were bound to the product releases. Now, you can still access the usual plug-ins from the product, but going forward, any updates, and the related documentation, can be found on Automation Hub. Furthermore, the continuous delivery of new plug-ins, now called integrations, enables you to download and use new integrations in the product, at any time.

A new way to automate your business workflows and a more flexible solution to having only the integrations of your interest integrated in the product.

But that is not all, if you do not find the integration that you are looking for, you can make a request for it or, you can create it yourself. To create a new integration, you can use the Workload Automation, Lutist Development Kit, and then share your integration with the community.

With the Dynamic Workload Console V9.5 Fix Pack 2, the following enhancements have been implemented:
Enhance security by encrypting the passwords that you provide when installing Dynamic Workload Console and Z connector
You can now encrypt your passwords using the {xor} or {aes} encoding before starting the installation process. To encrypt the passwords, you run a simple script, then provide the encrypted output to the installation commands (configureDb and dwcinst) or save it to the properties files for each command and run the installation process using the properties files.

The encryption mechanism is based on WebSphere Application Server Liberty Base, therefore you have to install WebSphere Application Server Liberty Base before you start installing the product, if you plan to use encrypted passwords.

For details, see Encrypting passwords (optional).

Connect to DB2 for z/OS
Dynamic Workload Console can now use DB2 for z/OS. For detailed information about creating and populating the DB2 for z/OS tables, see Creating and populating the database for DB2 for z/OS for the Dynamic Workload Console.

From the Workload Dashboard see data from more than one engine at the same time
You can select more than one engine in the dashboard and see the related results in the widgets.

RFE 133169 Additional query filter criteria has been added for multiple homogeneous engines
When monitoring your workload from the Dynamic Workload Console with a multiple engine selection, only filters in common between distributed and z/OS engines were shown. This behavior is still valid for the selection of non-homogeneous engines. For multiple homogeneous engines, the same filter options for a single engine are now available.

RFE 139443 - The Dynamic Workload Console does not accept special characters (#, $ etc. ) in the Application Description name but these characters are allowed in HCL Workload Automation for Z
This Request for Enhancement was satisfied. Special characters are valid for the z/OS job stream name, which corresponds to the application ID.