Application Time Facility for z/OS

IBM® Application Time Facility for z/OS® is date and time simulation software for System z™.

It helps software development teams ensure that their software performs as intended with virtual date and time testing.

Helps your developers test applications that rely on timing, time zones, or time and date formatting without changing System z date and time settings
Shifts time zones for online regions so that your users see their local time and so that dated application file updates have the local time.
Restarts a failing job at the date and time it failed, ensuring that file update and reports are not affected.
Runs jobs that, because of unavoidable circumstances, are over a deadline so that they can finish on time.

IBM Software Subscription and Support is included in the product price for the first year.

Not available for purchase online.

Features and benefits

Key features include:

Comprehensive programming language, environment and format support
Online ISPF interface
Online help system for all aspects of using the tool
Security and integrity features, including authentication and group and class restrictions
Support for testing individual development jobs or creating a "wildcard" testing scenario

IBM® Application Time Facility for z/OS® provides numerous technology and business benefits:

ATF V2.8.7 provides the benefit of SMP/E installability. Service fixes are issued as SMP/E PTF's and no password/key is needed to use V2.8.7.
It supports a wide range of languages, environments and formats, including just about any programming language.
It handles all clock formats, including decimal, binary, timer units, microseconds and TOD. It also supports requests for date.
The online ISPF interface makes it easy for programmers to specify the jobs to receive simulated dates on an individual basis, or as generic groups by using a wild card.
Application Time Facility for z/OS is intuitive and easy to use, so minimal training is required, and it is supported by a complete on-line help system.
It uses minimal system overhead, introducing virtually no additional load to your system, either on programs running the tool or programs with normal system time.
Not only can you specify a virtual date, but you can also specify a virtual time. You can test end-of period (such as week, month quarter and year) processes, midnight and other sensitive times, and you can simulate communications that span several time zones.

Below is the list of software and hardware required to install this product.

Operating System	Software	Hardware
z/OS	z/OS V1R4M0 or later CICS for those users who wish to control their CICS applications	Any zSeries server which supports the required software