SPARTA News October 2010

October 2010

SPARTA President’s Corner

by Brad Carson

Happy Halloween to everyone! My wife and I are getting ready for the upcoming event; we expect about 80 trick or treaters at the house this Sunday evening. We always enjoy the different costumes that some of the kids wear, especially the very young ones.

Last month I gave you all my “Trip Report” from SHARE 115 in Boston. There was so much to learn at SHARE, I wished that we could have had some more members attend, but with this current economy that can be hard to accomplish. The key items that I learned can be found in the minutes of this newsletter.

Here is the latest on the PDSE issue I discussed last month. We got APAR fixes AA31917 and AA34214 applied and tested on our TECH LPAR with no major issues. We migrated them to our QAAD LPAR so that we could get a better stress test on a PDSE with 200,000+ members in it. That test went well so during our production outage on the 17th, we brought that maintenance up on the PROD LPAR. The first really big production run will be just before our meeting this month so I’ll let you know then how it goes.

Our z/VM 6.1 work has been placed on a temporary hold while we get our DB2 V10.1 project started. DB2 V10 was just announced on the 19th and we are planning to migrate from V8.1 to V10.1. IBM has stated that we don’t have to go the V9 first and we’ve been loading all the toleration/coexistence maintenance on our current V8 subsystems. Since migrating DB2 here takes so long due to acceptance testing, we are planning on making the big jump to keep from having two back to back migrations.

This month we will have Mike Buzzetti from IBM to talk about Cloud Computing in the Mainframe. I look forward to seeing you on the 26th at LabCorp.


Future Speakers
(subject to change)


Oct. 26 Cloud Computing in the Mainframe
Nov. 30 New IBM zEnterprise z196 at IBM RTP
Dec. 28 Happy Holidays! No Meeting.

We need ideas and volunteers for future speakers. Presentations don’t have to be fancy, just informative and interesting. Even a 5 or 10 minute talk can start an interesting interaction. Contact Ron Pimblett by phone as noted below.

2010-2011 SPARTA
Board of Directors

Brad Carson - President
LabCorp 336-436-8294
3060 S. Church St.
Burlington, NC 27215

Ron Pimblett - Vice President
Dignus, LLC 919-676-0847
8354 Six Forks Road
Raleigh, NC 27615

Mike Lockey - Secretary
Guilford Co. Information Services 336-641-6235
201 N. Eugene St.
Greensboro, NC 27401

Tommy Thomas - Treasurer
LabCorp 336-436-4178
3060 S. Church St. 919-361-7267
Burlington, NC 27215

Ed Webb - Communications Director
SAS Institute 919-531-4162
SAS Campus Drive
Cary, NC 27513

Meetings

Meetings are scheduled for the last Tuesday evening of each month (except no meeting in December), with optional dinner at 6:15 p.m. and the meeting beginning at 7:00 p.m.

These monthly meetings usually are held at LabCorp’s Center for Molecular Biology and Pathology (CMBP) near the Research Triangle Park (see last page). Take I-40 to Miami Boulevard and go north. Turn right onto Alexander Drive. Go about a mile or so. Then turn right into LabCorp complex and turn Left to the CMBP Building. In the lobby, sign in as a visitor to see Tommy Thomas. Tommy will escort you to the conference room.

Call for Articles

If you have any ideas for speakers, presentations, newsletter articles, or are interested in taking part in a presentation, PLEASE contact one of the Board of Directors with your suggestions.

Newsletter e-Mailings

The SPARTA policy is to e-mail a monthly notice to our SPARTA-L Group. The newsletter is posted to the website about five (5) days before each meeting so you can prepare. The SPARTA-L Group is maintained by Brad Carson; if you have corrections or problems receiving your meeting notice, contact Brad at 336-436-8294.

Late 2009 “CBT Tape” Shareware Online

The directory and files from the latest CBT tape V478 (dated December 27, 2009) are available from www.cbttape.org.

If you need help obtaining one or more files, contact Brad Carson at LabCorp or Ed Webb at SAS (see Board of Director’s list for contact info).

Minutes of the September 28, 2010 Meeting

•Meeting was called to order at 7:00 PM by Brad Carson, the Chapter President.
•The meeting was held at LabCorp in RTP, N.C.
•Fourteen (14) people were present of which thirteen (13) were members.
•Everyone in the room introduced themselves, told where they worked, and briefly described their job functions.
•The minutes of the July 2010 meeting were approved. The August meeting at the DBAP had no minutes. (We had a great time and the Bulls won).
•Tommy Thomas, the Chapter Treasurer gave the Treasurer's Report. As of Sept. 20, 2010, the balance is $1,072.72. Motion was made and approved to accept the Treasurer's Report.

OLD BUSINESS

•Articles are needed for this newsletter. If you would like to write an article for this newsletter, please contact Ed Webb. Keep in mind that you don't really need to write the article, it can be an article that you read that you would like to share with the membership.
•The SPARTA Web page is available. To access the SPARTA Web page, point your Web browser to this site: http://www.spartanc.org. Please send any comments or suggestions about the Web page to Mike Lockey. Be sure to check the Web page every once in a while to see any new or changed information.
•Future Speakers and Topics (subject to change):

Oct. 26, 2010: Cloud Computing in the Mainframe by IBM
Nov. 30, 2010: zEnterprise (z196) at IBM RTP
Dec. 28, 2010: No meeting

If you have suggestions about speakers and topics, contact Ron Pimblett.
•Food for the October meeting will be Chicken.
•Brad reminded everyone to keep the conference room clean.

NEW BUSINESS

•Thanks to Tommy Thomas of LabCorp for hosting the meeting.
•Brad Carson requested List Server name updates be sent to him.
•The business portion of the meeting ended at 7:35 PM.
•The speaker was Brad Carson of LabCorp on his SHARE 115 trip to Boston, MA.

Some of the session topics presented:

* Key Items Learned
- We should migrate to SMF via the system logger soon
- WAS OEM is still going to be a pain to setup
- The z196 is big update in hardware
- Think VM for p and x blades
- We need to be running Health Checker

* Sunday Morning Closed Session
- z196 and zBX
- Predictive Failure Analysis (PFA)
- XCF/XES Updates
- Generic Tracker

* Session 7393 MVSE Opening
- As usual Jerry Ng’s APARs of death
- Introducing the z196 and zBX hardware
- Redundant HMC’s required because of Unified Resource Manager
- Blades will be handled on virtual basis
- z/OS 1.12 New features
- VSAM CA Reclaim (finally)
- More support for EAV dataset types
- WLM definitions can now be managed by zOSMF
- Health check history now available in SDSF
- GRS Component trace enhancements

* Session 7402: z/OS 1.12 New Features
- VSAM CA reclaim for KSDS datasets
- Predictive failure analysis
- Auto discovery and configuration of DASD and Tape zDAC
- No more LE system option modules only CEEPRM
- New VARY CU (Control Unit) command
- More health checks

* Session 7416: USS Latest Status
- BPXPRMxx updates
- FILEDATA=RECORD support
- tsocmd now included
- Memory map file support for NFS client

* Session 7407: Parallel Sysplex Update
- Should only have one z/OSMF server per sysplex
- RMF-III needed for resource monitor
- Should setup LOGREC and OPERLOG for the plex
- More and more coming in future releases
- WLM policy editor added in z/OS 1.12
- Will not be back leveled to z/OS 1.11

* Session: 7538 zEnterprise Hardware
- Up to 80 configurable CP’s
- Two new OSA CHPID’s (OSM - OSA) and (OSX - OSA)
- Four levels of cache on chip
- Power7 blade support in zBX Model 2
- HMC’s now have more work to do so you need redundant ones now

* Session 7540: Unified Resource Manager
- The super HMC
- Handles provisioning of virtualized pSeries (and future xSeries) resources
- Monitoring the entire complex
- Merging of pSeries and zSeries HMC services
- Includes wizards for helping with new configurations

* Session 7548: z/OSMF Overview
- Included with z/OS
- Implemented with OEM WAS
- Accessed via web browser
- Enhanced in z/OS 1.12 to add new features
- Used for configuring of Communications Server features

* Session 7551: z/OSMF Implementation
- Take the time and get WAS OEM running first
- Become friends with your security people
- Configure for incident log
- Configure z/OSMF
- Plan for zAAP or zIIP
- Redbook sorely needed

* Session 7399: z/OS 1.12 Migration Part 1
- Everything but ISPF is touched by this release
- mSYS for setup is finally gone
- Generally available on 9/24/2010
- Current crypto support will require a separate download
- Use FIXCAT for installation/coexistence maintenance
- Consider migration checks in Health Checker
- No 348x media!

* Session 7398: z/OS 1.12 Migration Part 2
- Remember to remove obsolete datasets (SCUNIMG) and mountpoints (LE)
- Check/verify auto WTOR definitions in PARMLIB
- Check your IEFACTRT due to longer fields in SMF 30’s
- CA Reclaim will require ACS routine checking
- CA (Control Area) Reclaim not in effect until dataset is recreated on z/OS 1.12

* Session 7537: Performance Monitor Tool Shoot-Out
- Contestants:
Tmon (ASG)
MainView (BMC)
Sysview (CA)
MXI-G2 (Rocket)
(Tivoli Omegamon was invited but declined)
- All had strengths and weaknesses
- MXI had smallest footprint
- TMON had the largest footprint

* Session 7535: Using System Logger for SMF
- Time to leave VSAM support behind
- Supports multiple log streams (DB2 vs rest)
- Can be in CF or DASDONLY
- No longer needs "I SMF"
- Bye-bye to DUMPXY
- New IFASMFDL program
- See "Setting up a Sysplex" for proper logger definitions

* Session 7535: z/OS Sysprog Tool Bag
- The handout from this session is a "MUST HAVE" - 221 pages
- The definitive list of all things IBM you need to know for z/OS and z hardware
- Again everyone should be running the health checker and migration checks
- Get to SMP/E 3.5 if you haven’t yet

* Session 7400: z/OS Sysprog Goodie Bag
- Runtime diagnostics via new HZR task
- Unique temporary dataset names
- Basic access method support in XTIOT!
- IDCAMS can now delete all members of a PDS/PDSE
- Why VARY CU was needed
- LE parameters can now be set as NON overrideable in CEEPRMxx
- Health checker no longer needs UID 0
- z/OS now only uses unicode on demand
- Less disruptive SVC dump capture of system information

* Session 2208: Bit Bucket x’27’
- VVDSFIX the multipurpose tool for ICF catalogs
- The confusing FORCE commands and its cousins
- Stand Alone Dump - will yours work when you need it?
- ISPF 3.4 and volume masks

* Session 6980: Cheryl’s Hot Flashes #24
- Prices for specialty engines have gone down
- Latest LSPR information
- Need to setup and run HIS for SMF 113
- Some good user experiences with sites that had some performance issues
- A whole section on "If I Ran the Site"

* Next SHARE - Anaheim, CA (Feb. 27 - March 4, 2011)
* SHARE turned 55 this year
* Still the BEST way to keep current with the z platform happenings!

* SHARE presentation access (Note the new and improved SHARE presentation webpage)
- Download a copy of any of the SHARE handouts as follows:
- General sessions - go to http://www.share.org/ and click on the “Proceedings” button.
- zLinux proceedings - go to http://linuxvm.org/Present/index.html

* Brad can be reached at LabCorp at 336-436-8294 for more details.

* Meeting ended at 9:00 PM.

* zVM and zLinux Session list From Chris Blackshire
Session 6922: z/VM Platform Update
Session 6923: What's New in Linux on System z?
Session 7038: Monitoring z/VM with SNMP Daemon
Session 7123: z/VM Performance Case Studies
Session 7124: z/VM System Limits
Session 7125: Configuring, Customizing and Modifying Your VM System w/out an IPL
Session 7126: Introduction to Installation and Service of z/VM using VMSES/E (part 1)
Session 7128: Servicing and Maintaining z/VM with VM/SES - Live Demo (Part 2)
Session 7133: Security Zones on z/VM
Session 7135: Virtual Linux Server Disaster Recovery Planning
Session 7138: Automation and Backup Scenarios for z/VM and Linux on System z
Session 7143: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota - Replication and DR for zLinux
Session 7151: Cloud Computing with IBM System z
Session 7152: Crypto Support for Linux on System z - Introduction
Session 7153: Linux on System z - s390-tools in a Nutshell
Session 7154: HyperPAV and Large Volume Support for Linux on System z
Session 7155: SCSI over FCP for Linux on System z Roundup
Session 7162: Problem Determination with Linux on System z
Session 7164: Tips learned while implementing Oracle Solutions on Linux for IBM z
Session 7166: Comparing and Contrasting Virtualization Technologies
Session 7167: Mainframe Optimization: Making System z the Center of Enterprise
Session 7169: Innovative Computing Solutions with System z and Other Architectures
Session 7172: Dynamic Routing: exploiting HiperSockets and real network devices
Session 7202: ASP.NET on zLinux: A New Workload
Session 7203: Implementing the SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension z
Session 7272: Linux Servers on System z: Benefits and Features of Virtualization on z
Session 7275: Success with Linux on System z at Nationwide - Lessons Learned
Session 7282: z/VM Performance Introduction
Session 7288: Current & Future State of Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Session 7289: Read-only Root File System & Other Resource Sharing Techniques
Session 7301: System Z - Linux at its best
Session 7362: Managing z/VM & Linux Performance Best Practices
Session 7426: Understanding NPIV and the Performance of Channels with zLinux
Session 7439: Oracle on Linux for System z at Aetna
Session 7456: Overview of Oracle Solutions available on Linux on IBM System z
Session 7457: Experiences Implementing an Oracle DataWarehouse on zLinux
Session 7459: Preparing your Linux Guest to Run Oracle WebLogic/E-Business on z
Session 7733: Getting Started with RACF on z/VM
Session 7751: Advanced Configuration and Auditing with RACF on z/VM
Session 7789: What's new with SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP1 for System z
Session 7879: Using Virtualization to Help Move a Data Center
Session 7908: z/VM Performance Update for 2010
Session 7909: z/VM Single System Image and Guest Mobility Preview
Session 7911: Linux Program Execution - How does it work
Session 7914: Introduction to the new Linux on System z Terminal Server using IUCV
Session 7916: Securing z/VM: The Road to EAL4
Session 7939: Linux on System z at Wells Fargo: Penguins Board the Stagecoach
Session 8154: A Penguin Celebration - Ten Years of Linux on the Mainframe

Treasurer’s Report for October 2010

contributed by Tommy Thomas

The balance in the account is $1014.28 as of October 18, 2010.

Financial Report
3/01/2010 through 10/18/2010

Items of Interest


SPARTA Schedule and Menu for 2010

contributed by Tommy Thomas and Chris Blackshire

Oct. 26 - Chicken
Nov. 30 - Subs
Dec. 28 - No meeting. Happy Holidays!


Upcoming SCMG Fall Meetings

contributed by Ed Webb

There are two SCMG (Southern Computer Measurement Group) meetings coming up in November which are now open for registration.
 
Monday, November 8th   Richmond VA, SunTrust Tech Center
Friday, November 12th   Raleigh NC, EMC in Research Triangle Park.
 
Agendas will be forthcoming later this week.
 
For additional location information and to register visit http://regions.cmg.org/regions/scmg/.


IBM’s Greenest Data Center Yet

contributed by Ed Webb

Here’s a recent IBM Systems magazine article that features the IBM LEED Gold-certified data center in RTP:

http://www.ibmsystemsmag.com/mainframe/LEED_gold_datacenter/34828p1.aspx

Maybe I can write an article about the new SAS Cloud Computing Center which has just been completed and is planned to be LEED-certified in another SPARTA newsletter.


What is a Mainframer?

contributed by Chris Blackshire

by Reg Harbeck
z / J o u r n a l * O c t o b e r / N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 0

When I first started working on the mainframe as a CICS systems programmer in 1987, the mainframe had already been around for 23 years and had a well-established culture surrounding it. In fact, the culture was actually older than the mainframe itself, having begun to self-assemble around the time of the emergence of business computers in the '50s. One of the first significant manifestations of its existence was the arrival of SHARE in 1955 in response to the IBM 701. Consequently, much of the pre-existing culture of the folks who first joined SHARE became foundational to the mainframe culture.

A strict sense of responsibility and a dogged pursuit of solutions to very challenging technical problems became a hallmark of this culture. At the same time, although very technically focused, mainframers have always been business people. No matter how deeply buried we are in the technology we support, it's inescapable. Corporate culture, bottom line, departmental politics: It's all part of the world of the mainframer. In that context, over the past 46 years, the various roles on the mainframe have emerged, built on this basic culture, and added its own facets.

So, in June 1987, after spending four years at the university learning about UNIX and PCs, I came face-to-face with a technology and culture that were completely different from anything I'd ever experienced before.

Among the first things I learned about were 3270-type terminals, 80-column-wide text members in partitioned data sets, 132-column-wide printouts (actually, 133 if you counted carriage control), 44-character, all-uppercase file names, and controllers that took everything you typed on your terminal and sent it all at once to the mainframe when you hit Enter. I also learned about the Reset key, or, as one of my colleagues once labeled it, the "I'm sorry" key, because if you typed when or where you weren't supposed to, you weren't allowed to type any further until you hit this special key to apologize for doing it wrong.

I also learned the culture, including just how careful you had to be before changing anything. It didn't take long for change control to become a standard part of my existence.

That was half the mainframe's lifetime ago, and many of the generation I learned the mainframe culture from are still keeping the mainframe running today. They're also encountering a growing number of new mainframers who are ready to learn all about the technology and culture.

What will make this new generation "mainframers"? For the first time, I'd say it won't be having to work with technology that seems obscure to anyone not steeped in it, thanks to the new, leading-edge graphical workspaces that are now becoming available. Instead, I'd say it's that culture of scrupulous responsibility, of being a business person and not merely a technologist, that will define future mainframers. In fact, let me be the first to suggest that, ideally, "mainframer" may become a word something like "gentleman," which used to designate a particular role, but came to represent the conscientious and considerate behavior associated with that role, no matter who played it.

This is particularly relevant with the merging of platforms implicit in IBM's recently announced zEnterprise server. Suddenly, the "traditional" mainframer, who has likely already learned UNIX with USS, PCs with terminal emulators, and often Linux (both PC and mainframe versions), will have the opportunity to work with platforms not traditionally associated with the mainframe as part of that context. Of course, this means we're going to need more mainframers. So, who will they be and what will they be doing in the future?

It's likely, except perhaps in the largest mainframe shops, that each mainframer will have many distinct roles to cover-sort of like being a general practitioner. But, if a new mainframer starts by being a "jack of all trades," he or she will certainly be likely to master many of them over time. However, time is no longer a luxury (if it ever was) that will be afforded to new arrivals on the mainframe space, so doing things the hard way will not be an option.

For that reason, we can expect fewer local customizations, as organizations look to reduce loose ends that could tangle up new mainframers. While in the early days of the mainframe, homegrown SVCs, exits, and various and sundry kludges were the order of the day, today's mainframe management software offers a wealth of functionality that makes such exceptions unnecessary. This is especially true of leading-edge graphical workspaces.

However, none of this will change the need for key mainframers to be intelligent, knowledgeable, experienced, and possess strong work ethics. In other words, to be true professionals. And that professionalism, already tried-and proven in today's IT world, would appropriately be the dividing line between those who are given the opportunity to prove their worth as real mainframers and those who are encouraged to consider other career directions.

The future of the mainframe is brighter than ever, and I'm looking forward to knowing and working with the outstanding people who will be known as tomorrow's mainframers. Z


Should You Skip DB2 V9?

contributed by Ed Webb

Brad hopes to jump from DB2 V8 to V10 at LabCorp. Here’s another view to consider:

http://ibmsystemsmag.blogs.com/db2utor/2010/09/plan-stability-and-skip-migration.html

The above link also refers to this more detailed article: http://test.idug.org/solutions-journal-content/escaping-the-rebind-blues-in-db2-9-for-zos.html

Humor


Wrong E-Mail Address

contributed by Chris Blackshire

This one is priceless.  A lesson to be learned from typing the wrong e-mail address!!

A Minneapolis couple decided to go to Florida to thaw out during a particularly icy winter. They planned to stay at the same hotel where they spent their honeymoon 20 years earlier.

Because of hectic schedules, it was difficult to coordinate their travel schedules. So, the husband left Minnesota and flew to Florida on Thursday, with his wife flying down the following day.

The husband checked into the hotel. There was a computer in his room, so he decided to send an e-mail to his wife. However, he accidentally left out one letter in her e-mail address, and without realizing his error, sent the e-mail.

Meanwhile, somewhere in Houston, a widow had just returned home from her husband's funeral. He was a minister who was called home to glory following a heart attack.

The widow decided to check her e-mail expecting messages from relatives and friends. After reading the first message, she screamed and fainted.

The widow's son rushed into the room, found his mother on the floor, and saw the computer screen which read:

To: My Loving Wife
Subject: I've Arrived
Date: May 16, 2010

I know you're surprised to hear from me. They have computers here now and you are allowed to send e-mails to your loved ones. I've just arrived and have been checked in.

I've seen that everything has been prepared for your arrival tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you then! Hope your journey is as uneventful as mine was.

P. S.  Sure is hot down here!!!!

Membership Information

Don’t Forget the Next SPARTA Meeting

Tuesday, October 26, 2010
7 p.m.

LabCorp in the RTP

Take I-40 to Miami Boulevard and go north. Turn right onto Alexander Drive. Go about a mile or so. Then turn right into LabCorp complex and turn left to the CMBP Building. In the lobby, sign in as a visitor to see Tommy Thomas. Tommy will escort you to the conference room.

Free Food: Chicken, Drink, Dessert

Program:

Cloud Computing in the Mainframe

Speaker:

Mike Buzzetti of IBM

SPARTA News
P.O. Box 13194
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-3194

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