2 IMS in the Parallel Sysplex, Volume I: Reviewing the IMSplex Technology
1.1 Introduction
IMS/ESA® Version 5 was the first release of IMS to exploit the Parallel Sysplex. Version 5
dramatically improved the way block level data sharing was implemented by taking advantage
of Parallel Sysplex services for communications and data sharing offered by the OS/390
components cross-system coupling facility (XCF), cross-system extended services (XES),
and a new hardware component called the Coupling Facility (CF). This hardware is not to be
confused with XCF, which is software.
Since that time, each release of IMS has more fully exploited Parallel Sysplex services. There
is every indication that future releases of IMS will add even more Parallel Sysple ...