Current® plan turnover

The creation of a new current plan is performed by the HCL Workload Automation for Z daily planning batch jobs. The two possible options are extend and replan the current plan. The extend function is also used when creating a current plan for the first time. Both the extend and replan functions cause the creation of a new current plan.

The steps described here explain in detail how the new current plan is created and then brought into normal HCL Workload Automation for Z processing. These terms are used to describe the process:
New current plan
The NCP, NCX, and NXD files.
Current plan
The CP1, CP2, CX, XD1, and XD2 files.
Active current plan
The CP1, CP2, XD1, or XD2 file in use.
Inactive current plan
The CP1, CP2, XD1, or XD2 file not in use.

     A daily planning job starts and is recognized by the
     normal-mode-manager subtask

  1. A daily planning batch job starts, signals the HCL Workload Automation for Z subsystem using an ENQ, and then waits.
  2. NM detects the ENQ from the batch job and locks the current plan preventing more updates.
  3. The active current plan is updated with the latest information from in-storage control blocks representing workstations and active operations. The extension file (CX), which is held in a data space, is refreshed to DASD.

    The active current plan is backed up

  4. The inactive current plan is erased.
  5. The active current plan is copied to the inactive current plan. They are now identical.
  6. The inactive current plan becomes the active current plan, and the previously active becomes the inactive.
  7. The JT logs are switched.
  8. The current plan is unlocked, and normal processing continues.
  9. NM signals to the batch job that backup processing is complete.
  10. The data from the inactive JT log is appended to the JT archive log.

    The daily planning job builds a new current plan

  11. The batch job starts executing again. The inactive current plan is used (together with the LTP, AD, RD, and WS for a CP extend) as input, and a new current plan is created in the NCP, NCX, and NXD data sets. While the batch job is building the new current plan, HCL Workload Automation for Z continues normal processing except that a current plan backup is not permitted because the batch job is using the inactive current plan data set.
  12. The contents of the job-tracking archive data set are copied to the data set in the daily planning job referenced by the EQQTROUT DD name.
  13. When the new current plan is ready, the checkpoint data set is updated to show if the new current plan was successfully created. The NM subtask is notified that the daily planning process has completed.
  14. The subsystem investigates the checkpoint data set to see if a new current plan was successfully created. If not, HCL Workload Automation for Z continues as if a daily planning process had not run. If successful, processing continues with the next step.

    The new current plan is taken over

  15. The current plan is locked, preventing it from being updated.
  16. The NCP is copied to the active current plan and the NCX is copied to the current plan extension (CX).
  17. The job-tracking archive log is emptied.
  18. The active job-tracking log now contains a record of the updates to the current plan that were made while the daily plan job was running. These are read, and the current plan is updated accordingly.
  19. In-storage control blocks representing workstations and active operations are rebuilt from the active current plan, and a data space is created from the current-plan-extension data set.

    The newly created active current plan is backed up

  20. A current plan backup is performed.
  21. The current plan is unlocked and normal processing continues.
  22. The data from the now inactive job-tracking log is copied into the JT archive log.
  23. A current plan backup is performed. The inactive current plan is erased.
  24. The next available job-tracking log becomes active.
  25. The current plan is unlocked and normal processing continues.