SPARTA News March 2011

March 2011

SPARTA President’s Corner

by Brad Carson

Spring is here and now begins the annual rite of yellow pine pollen on everything. By this time next month my green truck will be yellow. Of course this also means it's time for "March Madness"! My wife is pulling for her UNC Tar Heels and I am just enjoying watching some good basketball.

Last month Monica Bennett and Brian Kithcart from BusTech/EMC visited with us to talk about their virtual tape solutions. We currently have a couple of the BusTech MAS (Mainframe Appliance for Storage) devices driving the "tape" archive for our ASG ViewDirect (MOBIUS) software. These are working very well for us and I have borrowed a few of those tapes to handle SPXTAPE dumps from our z/VM systems. Good solutions from a company based right here in the RTP area.

We are on our way with the migration to DB2 V10. We ordered the ServerPac just before I left for SHARE and it was ready for us to download on the 10th. This is the first time we've done a ServerPac via electronic delivery; since IBM doesn't support Oracle/Sun/STK 9840 format tapes, it's all we have available to us now. We are working with our DBA staff and source code management person to complete the migration from PLAN binds to PACKAGE binds for DB2 programs. It seems that V10 will not support PLANs that contain DBRM's at all. We're only about 15 years late on doing this conversion to packages; they've only been around since DB2 V2R3. It's going to take us about 10 months to get DB2 V10 to production so I'll keep you posted on our progress in the upcoming months.

A funny thing here is that we are also upgrading the DB software on our Unisys mainframe at the same time. Both DMS-1100 (like IDMS) and rDMS (like DB2) are being upgraded. Since these DB's only support one application the migration path is a lot shorter than the one for DB2, but no less involved.

This month Ed Webb and I will give you our "Trip Reports" from SHARE 116 in Anaheim. I look forward to seeing you all at LabCorp on the 29th.


Future Speakers
(subject to change)


Mar. 29 SHARE Reports by Brad Carson and Ed Webb of SPARTA
Apr. 26 Omegamon or Netview

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
MDI DataSystems 919-426-6518

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.

Early 2011 “CBT Tape” Shareware Online

The directory and files from the latest CBT tape V480 (dated January 16, 2011) 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 February 22, 2011 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.
•Seventeen (17) 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 January 2011 meeting were approved as published in the February 2011 newsletter.
•Tommy Thomas, the Chapter Treasurer gave the Treasurer's Report. As of Feb. 13, 2011, the balance is $851.30. 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 based on internal politics, budget, the weather):
- Mar. 29 SHARE Updates, Brad Carson and Ed Webb of SPARTA
- Apr. 26 Paul Smith, Omegamon on z196
- May 31 TBD
- June 28 David Jones IBM, JES3
- July 26 Ann Totten, IBM, z/OS 1.12 zFS
- Aug. 30 Durham Bulls
- Sept. 27 SHARE Updates, Presenters TBD
- Oct. 25 UBS Hainer, DB2 BVC5 Copying DB2
- Nov. 22 TBD
- Dec. 27: No meeting

If you have suggestions about speakers and topics, contact Ron Pimblett.

•Ron Pimblett told us that Cheryl Watson will not be speaking at the November 2011 SPARTA meeting.
•Brad reminded everyone to keep the conference room clean.
•SPARTA membership dues are $30 and are to be paid at this meeting.
•The March SPARTA meeting will be March 29 at LabCorp in RTP.
•Food for the March meeting will be BarBQ.
•A Nominating Committee for the 2011 - 2012 Sparta Board of Directors is being formed. Contact Brad Carson for more information.

NEW BUSINESS

•Thanks to Tommy Thomas of LabCorp for hosting the meeting.
•No new business.
•The business portion of the meeting ended at 7:50 PM.
•Monica Bennett and Brian Kithcart of EMC/BusTech presented "Virtual Tape-on-Disk Mainframe Solutions".

The topics Monica talked about were:
Agenda
Intro
EMC Tape-On-Disk Solutions
DLm
DLm and Data Domain Dedup
MPL and Data Domain Dedup
Tape Assessment
BusTech, Inc
BusTech and EMC Partnership
EMC Acquires BusTech
EMC Mainframe Tape Leadership

The topics Brian talked about were:

EMC Mainframe "Tape-on-Disk" Solutions
Disk Library for the Mainframe
Driving Factors for "Tape-on-Disk"
Evolution of Mainframe Tape
EMC "Tape-on-Disk" TimeLine
EMC "Tape-on-Disk"
Disk Library for Mainframe Components
Disk Library for Mainframe Scalability
Disk Library for Mainframe Family
No Single Point of Failure
Decrease Response Times to One Second
Factor Performance vs Tapes
HSM Recall Seconds (ML2)
HSM CPU Time Savings
Disk Library for Mainframe Encryption
Flexible Remote Replication
Testing the Disaster Recovery Environment
Tape Status Management
Guaranteed Replication
Management for Disk Library for Mainframe Batch Reporting via Mainframe Host
Data Deduplication
DLm and Data Domain Deduplication
Mainframe Data Domain Solutions

• Meeting ended at 9:15 PM.

Treasurer’s Report for March 2011

contributed by Tommy Thomas

The balance in the account is $782.54 as of March 19, 2011.

Financial Report
3/01/2010 through 03/19/2011

Items of Interest


SPARTA Schedule and Menu for 2011

contributed by Tommy Thomas and Chris Blackshire

Mar 29 - BarBQ
Apr 26 - Pizza
May 31 - Chicken
Jun. 28 - Subs
July 26 - BarBQ
Aug. 30 - Durham Bulls - buy your own
Sept. 27 - Pizza
Oct. 25 - Chicken
Nov. 29 - Subs
Dec 27 - No Meeting, Happy Holidays!


Best Sessions at SHARE 2011 in Anaheim

contributed by Ed Webb

There were two sessions that I attended at SHARE in Anaheim earlier this month that stand out.

Glenn Anderson as usual did an excellent job presenting Session 9061: Understanding WebSphere App Server OEM Edition for z/OSMF Sysprogs. If you are new to WebSphere or installing z/OSMF, the information in this session is invaluable.

And of course a Bob Roger’s session is always entertaining (just attending Bob’s sessions at SHARE should be all the justification you need to to go back). This time the session you want to look for is 9063: How do you do what you do when you're a z196 CPU? Of course, live is much better so get your manager to buy the SHARE Online package so you can see and hear Bob’s wit and erudition in addition to the good material.


Yet Another Java for z/OS

contributed by Ed Webb

There are now six variations of Java available for z/OS, seven if you kept an old copy of Java 1.4 laying around.

Because Oracle/Sun delayed Java 7, IBM decided to release Java 6.0.1 (31 and 64 bit flavors) so that a current Java could exploit the z196 processor. Now you can order Java 5 (31 and 64 bit), Java 6 (31 and 64), and Java 6.0.1 (31 and 64). Yes, the newest Javas for z/OS have new Product Numbers and FMIDs so they can be separately ordered from Java 6.

There are links from this IBM web page to Information sheets and from there to the announcements and how to get the new code. Both 6.0.1 variations are available now.

IBM BCPii is Easy to Setup on Your z10 or z196

contributed by Ed Webb

Check out Steve Warren’s session from SHARE in Anaheim that explains what BCPii is and how to set it up. Best of all the presentation has HMC and Support Element screen shots so it’s hard to screw up.

BCPii is new in z/OS Release 11 and improved in R12. It’s started automatically during IPL and, if not setup correctly, just quietly stops. But follow the steps that Steve outlines starting on Slide 41 in his presentation and you’ll have BCPii running in no time. Here’s the link.

Of course, then there’s the question of now I have BCPii, what do I do with it? We’ll figure that out later.

Humor


$5.37

contributed by Chris Blackshire

$5.37!  That's what the kid behind the counter at Taco Bell said to me. I dug into my pocket and pulled out some lint and two dimes and something that used to be a Jolly Rancher. Having already handed the kid a five-spot, I started to head back out to the truck to grab some change when the kid with the Elmo hairdo said the hardest thing anyone has ever said to me.  He said, "It's OK. I'll just give you the senior citizen discount."

I turned to see who he was talking to and then heard the sound of change hitting the counter in front of me. "Only $4.68" he said cheerfully.

I stood there stupefied. I am 59, not even 60 yet? A mere child! Senior citizen?

I took my burrito and walked out to the truck wondering what was wrong with Elmo. Was he blind? As I sat in the truck, my blood began to boil. Old? Me?

I'll show him, I thought. I opened the door and headed back inside. I strode to the counter, and there he was waiting with a smile.

Before I could say a word, he held up something and jingled it in front of me, like I could be that easily distracted! What am I now? A toddler?

"Dude! Can't get too far without your car keys, eh?" I stared with utter disdain at the keys. I began to rationalize in my mind.

"Leaving keys behind hardly makes a man elderly! It could happen to anyone!"


I turned and headed back to the truck. I slipped the key into the ignition, but it wouldn't turn. What now? I checked my keys and tried another. Still nothing.

That's when I noticed the purple beads hanging from my rear view mirror. I had no purple beads hanging from my rear view mirror.

Then, a few other objects came into focus. The car seat in the back seat. Happy Meal toys spread all over the floorboard. A partially eaten doughnut on the dashboard.

Faster than you can say ginkgo biloba, I flew out of the alien vehicle.

Moments later I was speeding out of the parking lot, relieved to finally be leaving this nightmarish stop in my life. That is when I felt it, deep in the bowels of my stomach: hunger! My stomach growled and churned, and I reached to grab my burrito, only it was nowhere to be found.

I swung the truck around, gathered my courage, and strode back into the restaurant one final time. There Elmo stood, draped in youth and black nail
polish. All I could think was, "What is the world coming to?"

All I could say was, "Did I leave my food and drink in here"? At this point I was ready to ask a Boy Scout to help me back to my vehicle, and then go straight home and apply for Social Security benefits.

Elmo had no clue. I walked back out to the truck, and suddenly a young lad came up and tugged on my jeans to get my attention. He was holding up a drink and a bag. His mother explained, "I think you left this in my truck by mistake."

I took the food and drink from the little boy and sheepishly apologized.

She offered these kind words: "It's OK. My grandfather does stuff like this all the time."

All of this is to explain how I got a ticket doing 85 in a 40. Yes, I was racing some punk kid in a Toyota Prius. And no, I told the officer, I'm not too old to be driving this fast.

As I walked in the front door, my wife met me halfway down the hall. I handed her a bag of cold food and a $300 speeding ticket. I promptly sat in my rocking chair and covered up my legs with a blankey.

The good news was I had successfully found my way home.

Pass this on to the other old fogies on your list.

P.S. Save the earth...... It's the only planet with chocolate!!!!!


Why Some Men Have Dogs and Not Wives

contributed by Chris Blackshire

1.  The later you are, the more excited your dogs are to see you.

2. Dogs don't notice if you call them by another dog's name.

3. Dogs like it if you leave a lot of things on the floor.

4. A dog's parents never visit.

5. Dogs agree that you have to raise your voice to get your point across.

6. You never have to wait for a dog; they're ready to go 24 hours a day.

7. Dogs find you amusing when you're drunk.

8. Dogs like to go hunting and fishing.

9. A dog will not wake you up at night to ask, "If I died, would you get another dog?"

10. If a dog has babies, you can put an ad in the paper and give them away.

11. A dog will let you put a studded collar on it without calling you a pervert.

12. If a dog smells another dog on you, they don't get mad. They just think it's interesting.

13. Dogs like to ride in the back of a pickup truck.

And last, but certainly not least:

14. If a dog leaves, it won't take half of your stuff.

The Ultimate True Test:

Lock your wife and your dog in the trunk of your car for an hour. Then open the trunk and see who's the happiest to see you.


Puns For Educated Minds

contributed by Chris Blackshire

1. The fattest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.

2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian.

3. He was only a whiskey maker, but she loved him still.

4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class, because it was a weapon of math disruption.

5. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery.

6. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.

7. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart

8. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.

9. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.

10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

11. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

12. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other: 'You stay here; I'll go on a head.'

13. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.

14. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said: 'Keep off the Grass.'

15. The midget fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.

16. The soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.

17. A backward poet writes inverse.

18. In a democracy it's your vote that counts. In feudalism it's your count that votes.

19. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.

20. If you jumped off the bridge in Paris , you'd be in Seine .

21. A vulture boards an airplane, carrying two dead raccoons. The stewardess looks at him and says, 'I'm sorry, sir, only one carrion allowed per passenger.'

22. Two fish swim into a concrete wall. One turns to the other and  says 'Dam!'

23. Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, so they lit a fire in the craft. Unsurprisingly it sank, proving once again that you can't have your kayak and heat it too.

24. Two hydrogen atoms meet. One says, 'I've lost my electron.' The other says 'Are you sure?' The first replies, 'Yes, I'm positive.'

25. Did you hear about the Buddhist who refused Novocain during a root canal? His goal: transcend dental medication.

26. There was the person who sent ten puns to friends, with the hope  that at least one of the puns would make them laugh. No pun in ten did.

Membership Information

Don’t Forget the Next SPARTA Meeting

Tuesday, March 29, 2011
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: BarBQ, Drink, Dessert

Program:

SHARE 2011 Conference Reports

Speaker:

Brad Carson of LabCorp and Ed Webb of SAS

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

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