Server Time Protocol Planning Guide

Server Time Protocol Planning Guide

by Octavian Lascu, Hans-Peter Eckam, George Kozakos, Paulo Vitor Pereira
Released June 2013
Publisher(s): IBM Redbooks
ISBN: None

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Book description

Server Time Protocol (STP) is a server-wide facility that is implemented in the Licensed Internal Code (LIC) of the IBM® zEnterprise Servers (zEC12, z196 and z114), System z10™ Enterprise Class (z10 EC), System z10 Business Class (z10 BC), IBM System z9® Enterprise Class (z9 EC), System z9 Business Class (z9 BC), and zSeries® z990 and z890 servers. It provides improved time synchronization in a sysplex or non-sysplex configuration.

This IBM Redbooks® publication is intended for infrastructure architects and system programmers who need to understand the IBM STP functions. Readers are expected to be generally familiar with System z® technology and terminology.

This book provides planning information for Server Time Protocol functions and associated software support. For more detailed installation, operation, and recovery information, refer to the companion books Server Time Protocol Implementation Guide, SG24-7281, and Server Time Protocol Recovery Guide, SG24-7380.

Table of contents

  1. Front cover
  2. Notices
    1. Trademarks
  3. Preface
    1. Authors
    2. Now you can become a published author, too!
    3. Comments welcome
    4. Stay connected to IBM Redbooks
  4. Summary of changes
    1. June 2013, Fourth Edition
  5. Chapter 1. Introduction to Server Time Protocol
    1. 1.1 Introduction to time synchronization
      1. 1.1.1 Time-of-Day clock
      2. 1.1.2 Time synchronization in a Parallel Sysplex
      3. 1.1.3 Overview of External Time Reference
    2. 1.2 Overview of Server Time Protocol
    3. 1.3 STP concepts and terminology
      1. 1.3.1 STP facility
      2. 1.3.2 TOD clock synchronization
      3. 1.3.3 STP servers
      4. 1.3.4 Coordinated Timing Network
      5. 1.3.5 STP stratum
      6. 1.3.6 Server roles in an STP-only CTN
    4. 1.4 Timing network types
      1. 1.4.1 Mixed CTN
      2. 1.4.2 STP-only CTN
    5. 1.5 Coupling links
      1. 1.5.1 Link redundancy
      2. 1.5.2 Coupling link requirements in a non-sysplex configuration
    6. 1.6 External time source
    7. 1.7 Summary of STP terminology
  6. Chapter 2. Planning hardware and software
    1. 2.1 Planning hardware
      1. 2.1.1 Servers
      2. 2.1.2 Hardware Management Console
      3. 2.1.3 Support Elements
      4. 2.1.4 EC levels and MCLs
      5. 2.1.5 Installing the STP feature
      6. 2.1.6 z/BX considerations
    2. 2.2 Planning connectivity
      1. 2.2.1 Planning for coupling links for STP
      2. 2.2.2 Planning for timing-only links
      3. 2.2.3 Considerations for multi-site sysplex
    3. 2.3 External time source
      1. 2.3.1 Dial-out on the Hardware Management Console
      2. 2.3.2 NTP server
      3. 2.3.3 NTP server with pulse per second
    4. 2.4 Internal Battery Feature (IBF)
    5. 2.5 Planning z/OS software
      1. 2.5.1 z/OS requirements for STP
      2. 2.5.2 CLOCKxx
    6. 2.6 Planning for z/VM
      1. 2.6.1 STP state flow in z/VM
      2. 2.6.2 Updated CP commands
      3. 2.6.3 z/VM IOCP
      4. 2.6.4 VM guests
      5. 2.6.5 z/TPF
    7. 2.7 Special considerations for a single server STP-only CTN
      1. 2.7.1 Software planning: z/OS currently running in a sysplex
      2. 2.7.2 Software planning: z/OS systems currently not in a sysplex
      3. 2.7.3 Software planning: z/OS systems currently in a sysplex using ETR
    8. 2.8 Planning for zBX
    9. 2.9 Operating systems with no STP support
      1. 2.9.1 Linux for System z
      2. 2.9.2 z/VSE
  7. Chapter 3. Operations
    1. 3.1 Displaying and monitoring the environment
      1. 3.1.1 CPC Detail panel
      2. 3.1.2 System (Sysplex) Time panel
      3. 3.1.3 z/OS display commands
      4. 3.1.4 z/OS messages
    2. 3.2 Configuring the Coordinated Timing Network
      1. 3.2.1 Configuring a Mixed CTN
      2. 3.2.2 Configuring an STP-only CTN
    3. 3.3 Managing the time
      1. 3.3.1 STP time adjustment
      2. 3.3.2 STP offset adjustments
      3. 3.3.3 Changes in local time
      4. 3.3.4 Logical partition time offset
      5. 3.3.5 Parallel Sysplex and multiple time zones
    4. 3.4 Managing the CTN configuration
      1. 3.4.1 Changing the CTN ID
      2. 3.4.2 Single-server or dual-server auto resume after power-on reset
      3. 3.4.3 Changing the Current Time Server
      4. 3.4.4 Changing the server roles
      5. 3.4.5 Deconfiguring a CTN
    5. 3.5 Operational considerations
      1. 3.5.1 Migrating timing-only links to coupling links
      2. 3.5.2 Coupling link path validation
      3. 3.5.3 Last timing link validation and operational safeguards
      4. 3.5.4 Last timing link condition examples
      5. 3.5.5 Disruptive actions on the Current Time Server
      6. 3.5.6 Disruptive actions on the BTS or Arbiter
      7. 3.5.7 Restarting a CTN power outage or power-on reset (unplanned)
      8. 3.5.8 Planned single-site maintenance
    6. 3.6 MES upgrade considerations
      1. 3.6.1 Mixed CTN
      2. 3.6.2 STP-only CTN
  8. Chapter 4. Recovery concepts
    1. 4.1 Terminology overview
    2. 4.2 Freewheel interval
    3. 4.3 Server offline signal
    4. 4.4 Going Away Signal
    5. 4.5 Arbiter-assisted recovery
    6. 4.6 Console-assisted recovery
      1. 4.6.1 Console-assisted recovery in a CTN with BTS
      2. 4.6.2 Console-assisted recovery in a CTN with BTS and Arbiter
    7. 4.7 Island condition
    8. 4.8 Switch to local timing mode
    9. 4.9 External Time Source (ETS)
  9. Appendix A. Migration planning
    1. Preparation and installation
    2. Migration between an ETR network and a Mixed CTN
    3. Migration between a Mixed CTN and an STP-only CTN
    4. Migration from an ETR network to an STP-only CTN
    5. Installation of a new STP-only CTN
    6. Installation of a single-server STP-only CTN
    7. Enhancing a single-site ETR network to a Mixed CTN across two sites
  10. Appendix B. Server Time Protocol (STP) messages in z/OS
    1. Supervisor messages
    2. XCF messages
    3. XES messages
    4. Automating-related messages
  11. Related publications
    1. IBM Redbooks publications
    2. Other publications
    3. Online resources
    4. How to get Redbooks publications
    5. Help from IBM
  12. Back cover

Product information

  • Title: Server Time Protocol Planning Guide
  • Author(s): Octavian Lascu, Hans-Peter Eckam, George Kozakos, Paulo Vitor Pereira
  • Release date: June 2013
  • Publisher(s): IBM Redbooks
  • ISBN: None