Flexible Decision Management with Business Rules on IBM z Systems

Flexible Decision Management with Business Rules on IBM z Systems

by Mark Hiscock, Guy Hindle, Mike Johnson, Tim Wuthenow, James Taylor, David Griffiths, Graeme Everton
Released June 2015
Publisher(s): IBM Redbooks
ISBN: 9780738440729

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Book description

The IBM® Operational Decision Manager product family provides value to organizations that want to improve the responsiveness and precision of automated decisions. This decision management platform on IBM z/OS® provides comprehensive automation and governance of operational decisions that are made within mainframe applications. These decisions can be shared with other cross-platform applications, providing true enterprise decision management.

This IBM Redbooks® publication makes the case for using Operational Decision Manager for z/OS and provides an overview of its components. It is aimed at IT architects, enterprise architects, and development managers looking to build rule-based solutions. Step-by-step guidance is provided about getting started with business rules by using a scenario-based approach. This book provides detailed guidelines for testing and simulation and describes advanced options for decision authoring. Finally, it describes and documents multiple runtime configuration options.

This third edition, SG24-8014-02, of this IBM Redbooks publication updated the information presented in this book to reflect function available in IBM Operational Decision Manager for z/OS Version 8.7.1.

Table of contents

  1. Front cover
  2. Notices
    1. Trademarks
  3. IBM Redbooks promotions
  4. Preface
    1. Authors
    2. Now you can become a published author, too!
    3. Comments welcome
    4. Stay connected to IBM Redbooks
  5. Part 1 IBM z Systems with business rules
  6. Chapter 1. The case for IBM Operational Decision Manager
    1. 1.1 What Operational Decision Manager is
      1. 1.1.1 Common business decisions that require managing
      2. 1.1.2 Where are most decisions made today?
    2. 1.2 Operational Decision Manager for z/OS
    3. 1.3 Where Operational Decision Manager for z/OS can be used
    4. 1.4 Who deploys Operational Decision Manager for z/OS?
  7. Chapter 2. IBM Operational Decision Manager for z/OS
    1. 2.1 Operational Decision Manager for z/OS overview
      1. 2.1.1 Operational Decision Manager for z/OS capabilities
    2. 2.2 Decision Center for z/OS
      1. 2.2.1 Features
      2. 2.2.2 Decision Center consoles
    3. 2.3 Decision Server for z/OS
      1. 2.3.1 Rule Designer
      2. 2.3.2 Execution options for business decisions on z/OS
    4. 2.4 New in Operational Decision Manager Version 8.7.1
      1. 2.4.1 XOM and marshaller deployment through Decision Center
      2. 2.4.2 Embedded mode
      3. 2.4.3 Stand-alone console address space
      4. 2.4.4 PL/I support
      5. 2.4.5 Decision engine across the product
      6. 2.4.6 Business console
      7. 2.4.7 IMS preinitialization routine
      8. 2.4.8 Extended COBOL and PL/I data types
      9. 2.4.9 Enhanced execution monitoring
      10. 2.4.10 Liberty support
      11. 2.4.11 COBOL code generation deprecation
  8. Chapter 3. Getting started with business rules
    1. 3.1 Overview of the example used in this chapter
      1. 3.1.1 Business scenario
      2. 3.1.2 Business model
      3. 3.1.3 Scenario rule model
      4. 3.1.4 Project structure of a business rule on z/OS
    2. 3.2 Getting started from a COBOL copybook
      1. 3.2.1 Scenario overview
      2. 3.2.2 Creating a rule project
      3. 3.2.3 Creating COBOL XOM from a COBOL copybook
      4. 3.2.4 Creating a business object model from the Java XOM
      5. 3.2.5 Declaring ruleset parameters
      6. 3.2.6 Adding BOM methods and mapping them to the XOM
      7. 3.2.7 Creating the ruleflow
      8. 3.2.8 Authoring rules
      9. 3.2.9 Preparing the rule execution
      10. 3.2.10 Building a COBOL application for rule execution
    3. 3.3 Getting started from an existing rule project
      1. 3.3.1 Scenario overview
      2. 3.3.2 Generating a copybook from the BOM
      3. 3.3.3 Deploying rule artifacts to zRule Execution Server for z/OS
      4. 3.3.4 Building a COBOL application for rule execution
  9. Chapter 4. Managing business decisions through the full lifecycle
    1. 4.1 What is the lifecycle of rule artifacts in decisions
    2. 4.2 Working with rules through the lifecycle
      1. 4.2.1 Managing artifacts
      2. 4.2.2 What roles are involved in the decision lifecycle
    3. 4.3 Sharing decision artifacts between z/OS and a distributed environment
    4. 4.4 Installation topologies for Decision Center
      1. 4.4.1 Basic topologies
    5. 4.5 Managing artifacts through the lifecycle
      1. 4.5.1 Rule Designer
      2. 4.5.2 Decision Center
      3. 4.5.3 Business Console
      4. 4.5.4 REST API
      5. 4.5.5 Deployment scripts
    6. 4.6 Usage of defined rules
  10. Chapter 5. Invoking Operational Decision Manager from COBOL and PL/I clients
    1. 5.1 Designing the decision interface
    2. 5.2 Coding the COBOL or PL/I client application
      1. 5.2.1 HBRWS header structure
      2. 5.2.2 HBRCONN API call
      3. 5.2.3 HBRRULE API call
      4. 5.2.4 HBRDISC API call
    3. 5.3 Mapping from the COBOL copybook
      1. 5.3.1 Structure of a COBOL-based rule project
      2. 5.3.2 Supported COBOL and PL/I data types
      3. 5.3.3 Creating custom converters
      4. 5.3.4 Mapping level-88 constructs into BOM domain types
    4. 5.4 Changing the client application to reach the rule server
      1. 5.4.1 Batch application
      2. 5.4.2 IMS application
      3. 5.4.3 CICS application
      4. 5.4.4 WebSphere Optimized Local Adapters batch application
  11. Chapter 6. Advanced topics for decision authoring
    1. 6.1 Starting from an existing Java based BOM project
      1. 6.1.1 Mapping Java data structures to COBOL
    2. 6.2 Extending the capability of the rule execution with BOM methods
      1. 6.2.1 Preferred practices for using virtual methods
    3. 6.3 Augmenting ruleset parameters from external data sources
      1. 6.3.1 Preferred for providing rule execution data
      2. 6.3.2 Approaches to providing data from external sources
    4. 6.4 Considerations for sharing rules between z/OS and distributed applications
      1. 6.4.1 Sharing a COBOL or PL/I-based project with Java applications
      2. 6.4.2 Sharing a Java BOM-based project with COBOL applications on z/OS
    5. 6.5 Authoring considerations for performance
  12. Part 2 System configuration
  13. Chapter 7. Prerequisites and considerations before you start
    1. 7.1 Runtime environments on z/OS
      1. 7.1.1 Configuring the run times
      2. 7.1.2 Prerequisite checklist
    2. 7.2 Teams needed for installation and configuration
    3. 7.3 Gathering the customizable information
  14. Chapter 8. zRule Execution Server for IBM z/OS stand-alone server
    1. 8.1 Running on z/OS stand-alone
      1. 8.1.1 Configuring the stand-alone zRule Execution Server for z/OS
      2. 8.1.2 Creating data sets for the zRule Execution Server for z/OS instance
      3. 8.1.3 Creating the working data sets using HBRUUPTI
      4. 8.1.4 Creating the working directories in UNIX System Services
    2. 8.2 Configuring the stand-alone zRule Execution Server for z/OS
      1. 8.2.1 Defining a new subsystem for zRule Execution Server for z/OS
      2. 8.2.2 Creating the started tasks (HBRXMSTR)
      3. 8.2.3 Securing the zRule Execution Server for z/OS for z/OS resources
      4. 8.2.4 Starting the new instance
      5. 8.2.5 Logging on
    3. 8.3 Setting up the database connection as a Type 2 connection
      1. 8.3.1 Setting up a type 2 configuration for the console
      2. 8.3.2 Updating the database parameters in HBRPSIST
      3. 8.3.3 Setting up the DB2 identifying file
      4. 8.3.4 Updating the PARM members
  15. Chapter 9. zRule Execution Server for z/OS embedded server
    1. 9.1 Introduction to the embedded server
    2. 9.2 Move the decisions to the data
    3. 9.3 When to choose embedded over stand-alone server
      1. 9.3.1 Other benefits of the embedded zRES
    4. 9.4 Configuring zRES embedded
      1. 9.4.1 Batch control statements
      2. 9.4.2 Preparing the batch job for the embedded server
      3. 9.4.3 Executing zRES embedded
      4. 9.4.4 Troubleshooting
    5. 9.5 Not connecting to a console
  16. Chapter 10. Configuring IBM CICS to work with Operational Decision Manager
    1. 10.1 Configuring CICS to invoke a stand-alone zRule Execution Server for z/OS
      1. 10.1.1 Creating working data sets for CICS
      2. 10.1.2 Defining the required resources
      3. 10.1.3 Updating the GRPLIST parameter
      4. 10.1.4 Updating the CICS JCL
      5. 10.1.5 Starting zRES and CICS
      6. 10.1.6 Installing HBRGROUP
      7. 10.1.7 Testing the configuration
      8. 10.1.8 Automatically connecting CICS to a running zRES instance
      9. 10.1.9 Deploying and running the installation verification program
    2. 10.2 Configuring zRES to run in a CICS JVM server
      1. 10.2.1 Creating working data sets for CICS
      2. 10.2.2 Submitting jobs within the SHBRJCL working data set
      3. 10.2.3 Adding ++CICSLIST++ to the CICS system initialization table
      4. 10.2.4 Setting the JVMPROFILEDIR
      5. 10.2.5 Changing the CICS region JCL
      6. 10.2.6 Providing a console for the zRule Execution Server
      7. 10.2.7 Scenario for installation verification
      8. 10.2.8 Security for the zRES on CICS JVM server
      9. 10.2.9 CEDA installation of HBRGROUP resources
      10. 10.2.10 Database connect for the CICS region
      11. 10.2.11 Initializing the zRES in the CICS JVM server
      12. 10.2.12 Deploying the installation verification program
    3. 10.3 Working with multiple CICS JVM servers
      1. 10.3.1 Using the same JVM profile and working directory
    4. 10.4 Rule-owning regions and application-owning regions
      1. 10.4.1 Cost effectiveness
      2. 10.4.2 Create working data sets for the AOR region
      3. 10.4.3 Define the required CICS connection resources
      4. 10.4.4 Customize the HBRCSD JCL to use a remote server program
      5. 10.4.5 Define the required resources
      6. 10.4.6 Edit the HBRCICSZ file to specify a remote target Rule Execution Server
      7. 10.4.7 Updating the GRPLIST parameter
      8. 10.4.8 Updating the CICS JCL
      9. 10.4.9 Installing HBRGROUP
      10. 10.4.10 Testing the configuration
      11. 10.4.11 Further information about configuring an AOR and ROR
  17. Chapter 11. Configuring IBM IMS to work with Operational Decision Manager
    1. 11.1 IMS and Operational Decision Manager
    2. 11.2 Configuration
      1. 11.2.1 BMP and DL/I
      2. 11.2.2 Message processing region
    3. 11.3 IMS and Rule Execution Server on WebSphere Application Server for z/OS
  18. Chapter 12. Liberty Application Server on IBM z/OS
    1. 12.1 Introduction
    2. 12.2 Liberty on z/OS and Java
      1. 12.2.1 Reasons to use Java on z/OS
      2. 12.2.2 Collocation
      3. 12.2.3 Management
      4. 12.2.4 Security
      5. 12.2.5 Transactions
    3. 12.3 Operational Decision Manager running on Liberty on z/OS
      1. 12.3.1 Capabilities that can run in Liberty on z/OS
    4. 12.4 Installation and configuration of Liberty
      1. 12.4.1 A couple of subdirectories of interest
      2. 12.4.2 Useful environment variables
      3. 12.4.3 Creating the server
      4. 12.4.4 The directory structure
      5. 12.4.5 Liberty configuration files
    5. 12.5 Running Liberty
      1. 12.5.1 Using started tasks
      2. 12.5.2 Starting and stopping a Liberty Server as a started task
    6. 12.6 Configuring Operational Decision Manager to run with Liberty
      1. 12.6.1 Configuration jobs
      2. 12.6.2 The server.xml file
      3. 12.6.3 Security profiles for Operational Decision Manager on Liberty
      4. 12.6.4 Connecting to the persistent store
      5. 12.6.5 Enabling the Operational Decision Manager applications in Liberty
  19. Chapter 13. Configuring IBM WebSphere Optimized Local Adapters support
    1. 13.1 Overview of WebSphere Operational Local Adapters
      1. 13.1.1 Configuring WOLA
      2. 13.1.2 JCL variables for using WOLA
    2. 13.2 Configuration of WebSphere Application Server to use WOLA
    3. 13.3 Batch programs and Rule Execution Server using WOLA on z/OS
    4. 13.4 CICS and Rule Execution Server using WOLA on z/OS
    5. 13.5 IMS and Rule Execution Server using WOLA on z/OS
  20. Chapter 14. Configuring Decision Warehousing
    1. 14.1 Introducing the Decision Warehouse
    2. 14.2 Configuring the Decision Warehouse
      1. 14.2.1 Setting up the database resources
      2. 14.2.2 Enabling ruleset monitoring
    3. 14.3 Viewing the results of running with Decision Warehousing enabled
      1. 14.3.1 Execute the appropriate ruleset
      2. 14.3.2 Viewing the results
  21. Chapter 15. Configuring the Rule Execution Servers for IBM z/OS console with virtual IP addressing
    1. 15.1 Overview of a multiple LPAR environment
      1. 15.1.1 Hot deployment of rules in Operational Decision Manager
      2. 15.1.2 Cold deployment of rules in Operational Decision Manager
    2. 15.2 Using virtual IP addressing to allow more than one zRules console to be used
      1. 15.2.1 What happens if the LPAR that hosts the zRules console fails
      2. 15.2.2 Using virtual IP addressing
      3. 15.2.3 How VIPA maintains hot deployment
  22. Chapter 16. Configuring Operational Decision Manager to collect execution data using SMF
    1. 16.1 Overview
    2. 16.2 Operational Decision Manager use of SMF
    3. 16.3 Record format
      1. 16.3.1 SMF header
      2. 16.3.2 ODM header
      3. 16.3.3 ODM exec segment
    4. 16.4 Implementation
    5. 16.5 Configuration
    6. 16.6 Troubleshooting
    7. 16.7 Formatting SMF output
  23. Chapter 17. Problem determination
    1. 17.1 Performance
    2. 17.2 MustGather
  24. Part 3 Appendixes
  25. Appendix A. Calling out from a ruleset to a Virtual Storage Access Method file to augment data
  26. Appendix B. Configuring runtime values by using variables defined in HBRINST
    1. B.1 Rules z/OS
    2. B.2 CICS
    3. B.3 CICS JVM server
    4. B.4 IMS
    5. B.5 DB2 database
    6. B.6 WebSphere Application Server
    7. B.7 WebSphere Optimized Local Adapters script parameters
    8. B.8 WebSphere Application installation script parameters
    9. B.9 Subsystem ID used by COBOL management
    10. B.10 WebSphere Application Server Liberty Profile
  27. Appendix C. Additional material
    1. Locating the web material
  28. Related publications
    1. IBM Redbooks
    2. Other publications
    3. Online resources
    4. Help from IBM
  29. Back cover

Product information

  • Title: Flexible Decision Management with Business Rules on IBM z Systems
  • Author(s): Mark Hiscock, Guy Hindle, Mike Johnson, Tim Wuthenow, James Taylor, David Griffiths, Graeme Everton
  • Release date: June 2015
  • Publisher(s): IBM Redbooks
  • ISBN: 9780738440729