Grouping SNA Resources › When to Define SNA Groups

When to Define SNA Groups

The region can perform basic initial status management of SNA resources in the VTAM domain. However, you need to include those resources in SNA groups if you want to do the following:

• Provide more detailed management of the desired state of the resources by scheduling resource availability
• Provide a service-driven operations perspective of your networks

SNA groups belong to system images. To create SNA groups, you should define at least one image.

Note: For information about how to define system images, see the Reference Guide.

What to Define for an SNA Group

You can define the following information for an SNA group:

• Name, operation mode, and description
• Availability map
• SNA resources that are members of the group and the importance of a member to the group
• State thresholds to indicate how the status of the members affect the actual state and, optionally, logical state of the group
• Exits to invoke before the activation of the group or when the resource goes through specified state changes
• Logging requirements
• Up to two people who can be contacted if the group has operational problems
• Extended function exit to extend the functions that can be performed on the group in the region

How the Region Maintains the Desired State of an SNA Group

The SNA group definition does not contain any operations methods. Instead, these methods are contained in a set of supplied SNA resource models. Each model defines the methods for a particular type of SNA resource (for example, logical units or physical units); therefore, the methods are generic for an SNA resource type. You can modify these methods.

The following illustration shows the relationship between group, resources, and models.

When the actual state of a group member deviates from the desired state, the automation engine executes the appropriate operations method to return the member to the desired state.

Activate an SNA Group

Activating an SNA group activates all its members.

Inactivate an SNA Group

Inactivating an SNA group inactivates only those members that are not required to be active by other defined resources.