Preliminary Tasks - mfx - 3.1

Before beginning to install MFX, you must do the following:   

1. Prepare for acquiring license keys if you do not already have them. MFX requires a license key for every machine on which it is run. To provide you with a license key, Precisely requires the customer profile report that is produced by the SYNCCPR program. A jobstream to create this report will reside in your sample JCL library. This jobstream can also be emailed to you.
   Note: You do not need new license keys for Syncsort™ MFX 3.1 if you have valid keys for release 2.1. Also, the Syncsort™ MFX 3.1 license does not affect existing licenses for Syncsort PipeSort, Syncsort PROCSort, and Syncsort ZPSaver.

   The installation process is simplified if you have the license keys before you set your default options in STEP 12 of Installation Procedure section. If you do not have your license keys already, it is a good idea to send the SYNCCPR output to Precisely as quickly as possible. If you want to run SYNCCPR before you download the installation files, contact Precisely so that the SYNCCPR jobstream can be emailed to you. The directions for running SYNCCPR are found under STEP 2 of Installation Procedure.

2. Determine the number of the SVC that MFX will use. An SVC allows MFX to use its high performance access methods, to optimize the performance of DASD with cache, and to support the key data set facility. MFX also uses its SVC to create SMF records. If you are converting from an previous MFX release, Precisely recommends using a different SVC number for MFX 3.1 than the number that was used for the previous release. This will facilitate testing. See SVC Option for more information.
3. To use global DSM, ensure there is up to 750K of Extended Common Storage Area (ECSA) available when MFX is run. For more information on the DSM facility, see Dynamic Storage Management (DSM) in the Introduction chapter.
4. If you do not have IBM’s Language Environment, but intend to write E15 or E35 exits in the C language or VS COBOL II, check to see whether you have the following three IBM libraries: 
   • The SEDCBASE library for C 
   • The SIBMBASE library for PL/I 
   • The COB2LIB library for VS COBOL II   
   If you have the SEDCBASE and SIBMBASE libraries, install the MFX SMP/E function named BSSID31, which installs C exit support when the Language Environment is absent. If you have the COB2LIB library, install the MFX SMP/E function named BSSIC31, which installs VS COBOL II exit support when Language Environment is absent. For more information on VS COBOL II exits, see COBEXIT Option.
5. If you have IBM’s Language Environment, check that you have the library named SCEELKED required at link-editing time. If you do, then install MFX’s SMP/E function named BSSIL31, which gives you the ability to utilize certain MFX functions in Language Environment. The functions include:
   • LOCALE processing which allows you to choose a set of collating rules based on a national language and cultural environment. For more information on LOCALE processing, see LOCALE Option.
   • The processing of E15 and E35 exits written in the C language, Enterprise COBOL for z/OS, or VS COBOL II. For more information on VS COBOL II exits, see COBEXIT Option.
   • At run time, additional subroutines in the Language Environment SCEERUN library must be available to MFX.                
6. If you have a DB2 environment, check that you have the DB2 library named SDSNLOAD that is required at link-editing time. If you do, then install the SMP/E function named BSSIP31 that provides support for specifying DB2 queries to access a DB2 database. More information on how to install this support is provided in the JCL that is unloaded during the installation process.
7. Optional: Decide whether to activate BetterGener. The BetterGener utility program offers improved performance over IEBGENER in straight copy tasks and is completely transparent to MFX users. Complete information about BetterGener can be found in chapter BetterGener Utility Program. If you decide to use BetterGener, you must activate it.   See activation instructions in STEP 18: Put MFX into Production in Installation Procedure.
8. Optional: Decide whether esoteric unit names will be used for PARASORT. This facility is installed automatically, but to take advantage of it you may need to create special esoteric unit names. Note that creating PARASORT esoteric unit names need not be done as part of the installation procedure. It can be done at any time. For more information on PARASORT and creating special esoteric unit names for it, see PARASORT.
9. Optional: Decide whether to use the OUTFIL facility to create PDF, RTF, and HTML files. You need to install the MFX SMP/E function named BSSIJ13 on the z/OS UNIX system and set up the Java environment. This facility also requires the IBM Java SDK for z/OS, the IBM JZOS Batch Toolkit for z/OS SDKs, and the MFX zFS library. The locations of the SDK, Toolkit and MFX zFS library need to be specified in the SYNCMAC options JAVAHOME, JZOSHOME, and SYNCHOME respectively. To simplify the MFX installation, prepare the Java environment before setting up your default options by following these steps:

IBM JZOS Batch Launcher and Toolkit for z/OS SDKs:   

The IBM JZOS Batch Launcher Toolkit for z/OS SDK may have been delivered as part of the z/OS Java product. If the Batch Toolkit has been installed, SYS1.SIEALNKE will contain a load module name beginning with ‘JVMLDM’. In this case, the value you would specify for the JAVAHOME installation option would also be specified for the JZOSHOME installation option when you set your default values in STEP 12: Set and Install the MFX Options in Installation Procedure. 

If the JZOS Batch Toolkit has not been installed on your system, do the following:   

• Download the JZOS Batch Launcher and Toolkit for z/OS SDKs.
• The location of the Toolkit will be specified in the JZOSHOME option when you set your default values later in STEP 12: Set and Install the MFX Options in Installation Procedure.
• Exit from OMVS by entering the EXIT command from the UNIX shell.   

MFX zFS Library:   

• This library will be installed after your SMP/E installation. These instructions appear later in STEP 6: Create a zFS Directory (Optional) in Installation Procedure. The location of the zFS library will be specified in the SYNCHOME option when you set your default values later in STEP 12: Set and Install the MFX Options in Installation Procedure.