Working on NonStop
Day-to-day work on NonStop uses TACL, the command interpreter; the Guardian environment with its \node.$volume.subvolume.file names, or OSS for POSIX tools; Pathway (TS/MP) to run online servers; Enscribe files and NonStop SQL for data; and EMS for the event log.
Commands and environments
- TACL (Tandem Advanced Command Language) is the command interpreter and scripting language, used much as TSO and REXX are on z/OS.
- Guardian is the native environment. Files are named
\NODE.$VOLUME.SUBVOL.FILENAME, for example\PROD.$DATA1.PAYMENTS.TXNLOG. - OSS (Open System Services) is the POSIX environment, with a Unix-style file system and shells, like z/OS UNIX System Services.
Running online applications: Pathway
Pathway, also called NonStop TS/MP, runs online transaction servers. A server class is a group of identical server processes; requests from clients are routed to a free server, and the number of servers can grow and shrink with demand. PATHMON is the process that manages a Pathway environment. Pathway plays the role that CICS plays on z/OS.
Data
| NonStop | What it is | Nearest z/OS idea |
|---|---|---|
| Enscribe | The native record file system (key-sequenced, entry-sequenced, relative and unstructured files) | VSAM KSDS, ESDS and RRDS |
| NonStop SQL (SQL/MP, SQL/MX) | Relational databases, spread across processors and disks | Db2 for z/OS |
| TMF | Transaction protection and recovery | Db2 and CICS logging and recovery |
Operations tools
- EMS (Event Management Service) collects events from the system and applications, like the z/OS console log; operators view and filter them.
- FUP (File Utility Program) creates, copies and inspects files, much as IDCAMS and IEBGENER do.
- PERUSE looks at spooled output.
- Monitoring products, schedulers and automation are used just as on z/OS.
What is NonStop's command interpreter called? (four letters)
Show a hint
Tandem Advanced Command Language.
Show the solution
TACL.
Common mistakes
Online servers run under Pathway (TS/MP), organised in server classes.
Guardian names have the form \NODE.$VOLUME.SUBVOL.FILE; OSS uses Unix-style paths.
EMS is where the system and applications report events; it is the first place to look in an incident.
What you will see at work
- Payment switch teams watch Pathway server classes, TMF and EMS events throughout the day.
- Many NonStop sites also run OSS-based Java and C applications alongside traditional Guardian ones.
- When an incident spans a NonStop switch and a z/OS core system, the mapping in this lesson helps both teams talk.
Key terms
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