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The SYSED.com and mainframetrainingbysysed.us and its sibling websites were taken down in March 2020 - coronavirus pandemic. 1 |
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IBM Mainframe Systems and Infrastructure Decisions IBM continues to make improvements to its Z mainframe hardware systems. Modernizing mainframe systems presents an opportunity for reducing cost and achieving return on investment through integration with data center infrastructure. IBM Mainframe System Resources and Strategies:
Mainframes remain an important part of IBM hardware and software technology and its data center management strategies.The capability to have other computers plug into an IBM mainframe system serves to extend mainframe strengths in security and always-on availability to other systems. The mainframe can then be used to manage the hardware and software applications. In July 2017, IBM introduced the z14 mainframe. The z14 has ten percent more performance per core than the z13, and there are up to 170 configurable cores. This translates into up to 35 per cent more total capacity in a single footprint compared to a z13. Each z14 can have up to 32 TB memory. In addition to processing huge amounts of information more efficiently, it supports new workloads, data-in-memory applications, and larger local buffer pools. The compression co-processor in each core uses fewer CPU cycles for compression and expansion. New instructions in the SIMD: single instruction multiple data improve price/performance throughput efficiencies in decimal operations with legacy programming languages and analytical processing The GSF: Guarded Storage Facility enables enterprise scale Java applications to run with fewer and shorter pauses for garbage collection on large and growing heaps. Advantages associated with the IBM mainframe design include:
In addition to the IBM strategic imperatives, mainframes can be used by organizational enterprise to address requirements relating to evolving business models and competition in the market: mobile apps, APIs, and cloud computing: private, public, and hybrid. This includes using agile development, DevOps, and microservices with different components, frameworks, and programming languages.
Organizational enterprise has a substantial investment in mainframe infrastructure and inventory of applications specific to its business model and operations. Applications developed 30 or more years ago with legacy programming languages and IBM system software remain in use. The challenge is to integrate back-end legacy systems with newer client/server and web-based systems and deliver reliable message queuing between applications. There is considerable complexity associated with the efficient and reliable movement of data. The goal is to accurately identify and model the business logic, structure of the data, and processing throughput. Then to cost effectively repurpose existing software assets and establish a framework for long term maintainability. There are multiple operating strategies to select from: SOA: service oriented architecture, web servicization, platform migration, and application migration. A web-enabled application can be accessed through the organization web site or a native application. An advantage associated with a web-enabled application is the utilization of other web services for security and personalization. The web service information also can be used in helping administrators troubleshoot mainframe applications. In many situations the work force which designed, coded, and maintained these applications will be reaching retirement age.
In conjunction with making significant code contributions to the open source community, IBM has been incorporating Linux into its mainframe systems. By combining open source software with IBM proprietary hardware; this provides customer flexibility and choice for reducing the costs of software products. The Linux mainframes support the same open source operating systems as IBM Linux Power servers and including many applications and tools. This common environment applies to all of IBM major server platforms and is designed to allow clients to move and scale workloads. The Linux Foundation has an Open Mainframe Project. Organizations from academia, government and corporate sectors contribute to the advancing the development of Linux on mainframes through better security and performance. IBM strategy is to expose the Linux mainframes to new developer communities and stimulate innovation around this code base. IBM LinuxONE Developer Cloud offers open access to corporate and third-party developers to encourage application development for the new platforms at no charge. IBM also has been releasing open source software. The zAware is an enterprise-class analytics software used in mainframe installations. It monitors and analyzes logs and cloud-based events and applies triggers to automation processes. IBM has committed to enable OSS products, such as Apache Spark and MongoDB, on z Systems. IBM has agreements with Red Hat and SUSE; these Linux-variants are available on IBM mainframe systems. IBM executed an agreement with Canonical Ltd. to have a version of Ubuntu for IBM's Z Systems to provide scale-out and cloud capabilities.
IBM z/OS Operating System Scalability, Performance, and Problem Determination The IBM z/OS mainframe operating system provides for economies of scale and adaptability of resources. Used in conjunction with the IBM System z Enterprise Class server, the z/OS operating system can significantly reduce requirements for partitioning application and data on unnatural boundaries. For large z/OS mainframe installations, a proper configuration will: 1- Consolidate enterprise datastores. 2- Co-locate applications close to the data. 3- Reduce the incidence of siloed data in the enterprise. HiperDispatch provides improved performance by distributing and managing z/OS workloads on scalable n-way systems. The z/OS operating system has an expanded featureset and administrative interface for problem identification, recommended solutions, and resource migration.
IBM z/VSE Operating System - Technology Support The IBM z/VSE operating system is based upon a different hardware architecture and job control language than the z/OS operating system. IBM z/VSE extends the utilization of 64-bit virtual storage capabilities; applications use 64-bit input/output processing. CICS Transaction Server under z/VSE supports containers and channels and provides a flexible mechanism for interchanging large amounts of data between CICS programs. The z/VSE mainframe operating system builds upon IBM zEnterprise and IBM System Z technology:
IBM z/VM Operating System - Scalability, Efficiency, and Throughput The IBM z/VM operating system has been optimized for scalability and reducing system overhead, increased system and guest throughput, and consolidating workloads on the IBM zEnterprise and System Z servers. Data-in-memory techniques enhance the scalability and performance of memory-intensive workloads. The z/VM operating system provides flexibility in managing enterprise application workloads:
Mainframe information technology is in transition. However, application development is not going to be exclusively JEE or Microsoft .NET. IBM system software still will have a significant role.
SYS-ED provides mainframe courses and training programs for Fortune 1000 corporations, government municipalities, healthcare providers, and consulting companies. We have a history of success in providing specialized training services on IBM mainframe systems: operations, programming skills, programming languages, telecommunications, and system software. SYS-ED's mainframe training service has been developed and extended to serve as an alternative to the IBM academic initiative for mainframe education. It has been designed to augment IBM support centers. Our staff of system consultants are teachers who demonstrate and explain. We have been called upon by leading software and consulting companies, including IBM, to teach courses both for clients and their own in-house staff of software engineers and application developers.When information technology professionals leave a SYS-ED mainframe course, they will have documentation, training aids, and sample and skeleton programs which can be used back on the job to help in performing specific tasks. In conjunction with presenting an instructor-led mainframe course at the client location, courseware is organized for future use in a web-based infrastructure and delivery medium. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The courseware used in SYS-ED courses consists of student handouts, presentation slides, training aids, and industry-specific exercises. The CETi knowledge base aggregates and analyzes information in the public domain. Content selectively is added to courseware. The long term strategy is to be evaluated as a NRV: Nationally Recognized Vendor with the New York State Department of Education.
Grow Your Own Mainframe Personnel There have been inquiries regarding whether SYS-ED still offered mainframe courses for information technology professionals. The typical comments were that:
In response to these questions:
IBM Mainframe Cross Operating System Support IBM System Z servers are supported under z/OS, z/VSE, Linux on System z, and the z/VM hypervisor. Cross operating system support provides an integrated scalable development and production platform for both large and middle size enterprise environments: 64-bit architecture, compilers, data access methods, security, enterprise middleware software, SOA development and usage, and web development.
SYS-ED offers a subset of its mainframe courses in a web-based learning format. The distance-learning training service is an extension of the SYS-ED schedule, inclusive of courseware and training aids. A distance-learning course is 65% lecture with review questions, examples, workshops, and website support services.
Enrollment requires a consultation with the manager sending the employee for the training. The prospective trainee needs to be qualified for the course and service transmission to the client location tested: bandwidth, firewall, base operating system, software requirements, web browser, and set up of machine exercises. SYS-ED reserves the right to deny enrollment in its courses. SYS-ED offers entry level and specialized mainframe training programs. Entry level training programs consist of four components: z/OS operating system, programming skills, programming language, and system software. These programs have been developed and refined over a quarter century of teaching and draw upon the CETi courseware library. Specialized mainframe training programs are comprised of course modules selected by the client organization: topics, examples, workshops, validation assessments, and duration. Clients can elect to have project specifications included into the exercises as part of on the job training.
There are web server and web enabling technologies which in many situations will require integration with the existing mainframe systems and enterprise databases. Virtualization plays an important role in mainframe hardware. By implementing virtualization software, it is possible to virtualize the processor, memory, storage I/O, and networking resources into aggregated pools - applications can utilize resource pools without regard to specific hardware. This improves utilization of the mainframe and reduces the need for upgrades. The z/VM operating system can support hundreds of Linux images simultaneously. Web-enabled applications can be accessed by the company website or a native application. An advantage associated with a web-enabled application is the utilization of other web services such as security and personalization. Web service information also can help administrators troubleshoot mainframe applications. SYS-ED trained first generation mainframe personnel in a variety of industries during the 1980’s. And look forward to the opportunity and challenge of training their successors in the twenty-first century. Albeit, with a more comprehensive set of delivery options for conducting the training. Mainframe Courses Courseware Teaching is Our Business Our Teachers Know How to Teach Enrollment - SYS-ED Mainframe Courses are Not for Everyone Mainframe Training - Distance-learning or at Your Office Returning to the classroom post-pandemic poses challenges relating to safety, educational continuity, and communication. The period 2020 - 2021 has been used to develop the virtual classroom capability for blended synchronous and asynchronous teaching and learning. The plan is to use a mixture of video conferencing and in-person experiences for information technology training. SYS-ED’s core mainframe curriculum have been submitted to the New York State Department of Education - Bureau of Proprietary School Supervision for technical review and licensing. Sources - IBM Hardware https://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/cgi-bin/ssialias?htmlfid=ZSD03046USEN& |
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