Allocation Control Center Monarch

Allocation Control Center (ACC) Monarch provides systems administrators with the control they need to manage their disk and tape storage resources in z/OS environments. With ACC Monarch, complete control over your DFSMS storage subsystem is simple! ACC Monarch provides easy to use:

  • Standards Enforcement – easily examine, override, and record users’ JCL or IDCAMS control statements and warn of incorrect usage
  • Resource Management – control disk and tape device selection, OPENs, and set detailed individual attributes for SMS and non-SMS datasets
  • Policy-Based Control – manage datasets, GDGs, RLS logstream attributes, jobs, and more via simple, easy-to-understand policy rules
  • Tracing and Recording – extensive tracing, SMF recording, logging, and debugging capabilities provide dataset audit trails and histories

ACC RECOVERY MESSAGES FOR SEQUENTIAL DATA SETS

ACC RECOVERY MESSAGES FOR A VSAM DEFINE CLUSTER

The Allocation Control Center (ACC) Monarch provides complete control over the creation and placement of SMS-managed and non-SMS data. ACC Monarch allows installations to easily define policies which implement standards for dataset naming, device type, volume selection, and space usage. Because the DFSMS ACS routines rely on the existence of well-defined standards, they are a crucial factor in successful implementation of system-managed storage. ACC Monarch then goes beyond standards enforcement to provide advanced features that aid administrators and users in making the most effective use the storage subsystem.

  • Enforce Dataset Standards. ACC Monarch allows datasets to be created using existing naming conventions and characterics while warning of potential errors during the transition to new standards. ACC Monarch’s extensive SMF recording, messaging, simulation, and logging facilities make it easy to track and report violations while allowing JCL to be modified “on-the-fly” to meet installation requirements.
  • Control Dataset Placement. ACC Monarch can make the datasets go where you want! Whether it is directing small tape files to DASD, establishing disk pools, migrating to new device types, or selecting volumes for use based on performance characteristics or space availability, ACC can place datasets where they are best suited, without the need for users to change JCL or programs.
  • SMS Extensions. ACC Monarch doesn’t stop with improving standards enforcement or controlling dataset creation. Storage and database administrators can benefit from extensions designed to make system-managed storage easier to use.
  • “Keep-Away” algorithm eliminates the need to use guaranteed-space storage classes to place performance-sensitive SMS-managed datasets such as DB2 tablespaces.
  • Real-time ACS tracing allows users to answer the question “Why is this dataset on this volume?” by providing a line-by-line trace of the logic used by the DFSMS ACS routines to assign SMS classes.

Provides Organization, Standards and Controls

  • Controls creation and placement of datasets
  • Allows standardization for dataset naming, 
    device type, volume selection & space usage

Improves System Efficiency via Volume Placement & Pooling

  • Controls dataset placement
  • Reroutes small tape datasets to DASD
  • Establishes DASD pools
  • Facilitates migration to new devices
  • Improves performance with intelligent dataset placement

Enhances DFSMS

  • Facilitates successful implementation of System Managed Storage
  • Provides advanced features to maximize utilization of storage subsystem
  • Provides SMS extensions

Enhances Tape Management

  • Automates tape-to-disk conversion
  • Automates tape mount management conversion
  • Pools to appropriate drives

Assists Application Staff

  • Automatically overrides user JCL thereby eliminating manual work
  • Automates routine storage management tasks

The marketing literature is available to all visitors. The product manuals are only available to registered customers and companies trialing DTS products – login is required. To request authorized access, please complete the Registration form. DTS customer support will review your request. Upon approval, you will receive access notification by E-mail within one business day. Sign Up for a Complimentary Analysis of Your ACS Routines or DTS Policy Rules.

WEBINARS    
Understanding and Accessing z/OS Catalogs May 23 2023 60 Minutes
Introduction to VSAM Apr 25
2023
63 Minutes
Understanding Access Methods and I/O in z/OS®
Mar 21
2023
62 Minutes
Introduction to Virtual Tape and Tape Management Feb 21
2023
60 Minutes
Understanding Your ACS Routines Jan 24
2023
66 Minutes
ISMF for Non-Storage Administrators Nov 29
2022
65 Minutes
SLIP, ZAP, Terse, XMIT: What’s It All About? Oct 25
2022
58 Minutes
SYS1.PARMLIB: What is it? What’s important? Why? Sep 27
2022
59 Minutes
How to Back Up and Restore a Dataset in z/OS® Aug 30
2022
57 Minutes
Getting What You Need – With REXX Execs May 24
2022
63 Minutes
Introduction to z/OS® Tape Management Systems Apr 26
2022
65 Minutes
An Introduction to z/OS® Sort Feb 15
2022
63 Minutes
An Introduction to z/OS® Utilities Jan 25
2022
66 Minutes
We’ve Got a Problem: An Introduction to z/OS® Dumps and Debugging Tools Nov 30
2021
62 Minutes
Understanding z/OS® Disk Metadata – Catalogs, VTOCs, VVDSs, Indexes, and More Oct 26
2021
65 Minutes
Secure Data for Everyone – Pervasive Encryption and z/OS® Storage Management Sep 21
2021
60 Minutes
Aggregation without Aggravation: When Putting More Log Data in Your SIEM is a Good Thing Jul 14
2021
62 Minutes
An Introduction to Traditional DASD Backup and Recovery with DFSMShsm and FDRABR Sep 15 2020 60 Minutes
Supercharge Your I/O – Performance Buffering with ACC Monarch May 05 2020 49 Minutes
Avoiding Downtime with ACC/SRS and Standards Enforcement Jun 11 2019 47 Minutes
Supercharge Your I/O – Performance Buffering with ACC Monarch May 5
2019
49 Minutes
Everybody needs a little help sometimes with DFSMS and ACS! Jul 29
2014
52 Minutes

I Didn’t Know You Could Do That with DIF!

Apr 08 2014 63 Minutes

Extended Address Volumes(EAV) – Rather manage fewer large volumes than many small volumes? You Betcha!

Feb 25 2014 64 Minutes

Storage Management Software Products – What are They? Do I Need Them? What Can I Do with Them? (Part 1)

Jan 29

2013

1 Hour

Storage Management Software Products – What are They? Do I Need Them? What Can I Do with Them? (Part 2)

Feb 26 2013 55 Minutes

Preventing Production Problems Before They Occur with DTS Products

Jun 07 2012 55 Minutes

Learn About Using an SMS-Managed Manual Tape Library

Mar 27 2012 51 Minutes
Managing Your z_OS Storage Environment More Efficiently Oct 25 2011 56 Minutes
     
MARKETING LITERATURE    
Datasheet: Advantages Offered by ACC Monarch Mar 28
2022
 
ACC Monarch Case Study: Financial Services Industry Dec 7
2021
 
Whitepaper: Storage Allocation Policy Rules For Better Reliability May 4
2021
 
Advantages Offered by ACC Monarch Mar 8
2021
 
ACC Monarch Product Fact Sheet Mar 8
2021
 
Migrating to New Device Types Feb 26 2011  
ACC & SMS Storage Groups – Pooling Enhancements Feb 26 2011  
Changing TAPE to DISK without Changing JCL Feb 26 2011  
ACC Advantages Feb 26 2011  
ACC vs Other Packages Feb 26 2011  
Keep Away Performance-Sensitive Data Sets Feb 26 2011  
     
PRODUCT MANUALS    
ACC/SRS User’s Guide Oct 03 2018  
Product Installation Guide Nov 01 2018  
Rule Language Programming Guide May 24 2018  
SCC Messages Manual Nov 15 2018  
White Paper: ACC and SRS Rules Implementation Guide Aug 24 2011  

 

“I have used ACC Monarch/SRS since 1996 and have been very pleased with the product. I have been able to virtually eliminate all space related problems. In addition, I have been able to implement System Determined Blocksize without any JCL modifications by using the JCL override features of the software. While IBM’s SMS has added some of the features of ACC/SRS, the ACC/SRS software is much more flexible, easier to test, easier to trace, and easier to implement. Oh, did I mention ACC/SRS allows you to trace your SMS ACS routines?”

Richard Pinion
System Programmer
Baptist Health Systems of East Tennessee

“ACC Monarch saved us 185,000 tape mounts last year and we’re only half way through this year and have already saved 184,000 tape mounts.”

Technical Support Manager
Large Midwestern Insurance Company

“We have not allowed cylinder allocations for several years but some how a couple of datasets always manage to sneak through. Just this week a colleague came to me for an increase in space allocation in order to install a new version of SAS. I cautioned him to allocate in tracks or blocks. Later I happened to notice that nearly every file was allocated in cylinders. I asked him about it. He said he was using the vendor supplied canned JCL but was pretty sure it was blocks. After we examined the JCL we discovered that while the files were allocated in blocks, each specified ROUND. Once we found the culprit I was able to adjust my ACC rules to remove the ROUND specification and things are back to normal.

Thank you once again for providing such an agile piece of software!”

Helen Seren
The University of Chicago
MVS Trail Boss

“Users don’t change JCL as they should – they’re just too busy. We use ACC to step in and take care of the situation!  A specific use of ACC we find very helpful is the redirecting of existing SMS-managed tapes to esoteric devices.”

George Arangelovich
ACXIOM

Allocation Control Center Monarch (ACC Monarch) was the first product developed by DTS Software, and was introduced in Japan in the early 1990’s. So, why would a U.S. based software company launch their first product in the Japanese market?

  • Japan has a large “cross-platform” mainframe market, and DTS is in the unusual position of having expertise and experience with all of them. Many large Japanese companies run a mixture of IBM MVS, Hitachi VOS3, and Fujitsu MSP operating systems. DTS designed ACC Monarch to provide a single SMS-like storage management application that runs on all platforms.
  • System software products that run on all three platforms are well insulated from most competition. Very few companies have the resources and/or knowledge to develop software for MVS, VOS3 and MSP. And none of the system vendors are likely to port storage management components to run on a competitor’s OS.
  • To be successful in Japan requires a level of commitment and excellence that creates great products. The typical customer in Japan expects every feature to work as designed. When problems arise, detailed explanations are expected along with quick solutions. There are no shortcuts to the Japanese market.
  • Lastly and most importantly, DTS has a great relationship with a Japanese distributor – CLC based in Tokyo.

After a successful introduction in Japan, DTS Software teamed with a U.S. distributor and entered the North American market several years later.