Using System State Manager › How to Use the Full Capabilities of SSM › Step 7: Perform an IPL with SSM › Perform a System IPL

Perform a System IPL

Perform the IPL using your newly created COMMNDnn member. Once CA OPS/MVS initializes and SSM becomes active, the SSMBEGIN request rule executes and prompts you to choose a startup option.

Note: Remember that you must use a startup option to initiate SSM at IPL time.

At this point, both the CURRENT_STATE and DESIRED_STATE columns in the STCTBL table are set to the table-relative UNKNOWN state. Your STCTBL entries will resemble the following example (not all columns are shown):

Reply 3 to the WTOR to initiate the startup process. The following occurs:

1. The SSMBEGIN rules copy the contents of the IPL_STATE column of the STCTBL table into the DESIRED_STATE column. TASK1 now has DESIRED_STATE and IPL_STATE values of UP, TASK2 has DESIRED_STATE and IPL_STATE values of IPL, and TASK3 has DESIRED_STATE and IPL_STATE values of DOWN.
2. A mismatch of the CURRENT_STATE (UNKNOWN) and the DESIRED_STATE (UP, DOWN, or IPL) causes SSM to search the STCTBL_ACT table and dispatch the appropriate start up action. In this case, you invoke the request rule as shown here:

   RULE("SSMSTATE TABLE(&SSMTABLE) NAME(&NAME) JOBNAME(&JOBNAME)...")
   

3. The SSMSTATE request rule detects what actual state the task is in on your system and sets its CURRENT_STATE accordingly. Because this is an IPL, most tasks will be DOWN except for those that SSM does not start. These tasks may be UP.

   The entries in the STCTBL table now look like this:

1. SSM reacts to the mismatched DESIRED_STATE and CURRENT_STATE again, searches the STCTBL_ACT table, and dispatches the correct start command or procedure for each task that has a CURRENT_STATE of DOWN and a DESIRED_STATE of UP. If any tasks have a CURRENT_STATE of UP and a DESIRED_STATE of IPL, the SSMUPIPL request rule changes the DESIRED_STATE of those tasks to UP. SSM takes no action for any task that is not supposed to be started at IPL time. Such tasks have CURRENT_STATE and DESIRED_STATE values of DOWN.
2. Once the started tasks initialize, the SSM rules packets set the CURRENT_STATE columns to UP for each task.

Note: As long as TSO is available, use OPSVIEW option 4.3 to view server activity. This data can help you diagnose any problems you may encounter during system shutdown or IPL by showing server commands in progress and any excessive queue delay times. You can also use OPSVIEW option 4.11.2 (System State Manager Resource Control) to watch the states of resources change.