==> 'we will need to increase our MSU cap. Which will have __every__ major
vendor lining up with hands out for upgrade fees and increased license fees
because our increase in MSU usage is obviously to run their code more.'
Isn't this the root of the problem with mainframes? Just too darn expensive.
==> 'but Windows and Linux development is much faster due to superior IDEs. '
Or is it less testing?
Cliff McNeill
> Date: Mon, 4 Apr 2011 13:47:11 -0500
> From: john.mck...@healthmarkets.com
> Subject: Re: Mainframe Fresher
> To: IBM-MAIN@bama.ua.edu
>
> I have a z/OS web site. It is fairly simple. Because nobody really cares.
> "Web on z/OS? We do that on Windows! Does it support running .NET? No? What a
> piece of junk!" My web site main page has a set of links to a Windows Web
> server which display mainframe statistics. Why Windows? Because the BMC
> product which creates the graphs is Windows based. It has another link to a
> z/OS page which does 3.4 type information for some Solaris people so that
> they can do a fast check to see if a mainframe dataset is available (saves
> doing a TSO logon). The main use is to a RACF site on our z which allows our
> Help Desk people maintain RACF users (add/delete/revoke/resume/change
> password/display information). I wrote that RACF application myself, in REXX
> and HTML. Mainly because we can't afford a vendor product (according to
> management who really would like the z to simply disappear).
>
> Why not do new style development on the z/OS system? It costs too much. How?
> We use subcapacity for billing. We hit 100% of our MSU cap quite often (using
> Group Capacity on our z9BC). If we add more in-house written applications, we
> will need to increase our MSU cap. Which will have __every__ major vendor
> lining up with hands out for upgrade fees and increased license fees because
> our increase in MSU usage is obviously to run their code more. Yeah, I'm
> P.O.'ed at vendors (though not all - we do have some who charge us "one price
> for unlimited usage" and it's very reasonable).
>
> Also, I hate to say it (and perhaps it's only us), but Windows and Linux
> development is much faster due to superior IDEs. We use ISPF for development
> of COBOL programs. Writing Java code using Netbeans on Linux is much faster
> than COBOL using ISPF and batch compiles with CA-ENDEVOR. It is also easier
> to do testing than with Xpeditor CICS or TSO. This is just speaking for what
> __I__ do. I don't know what product the distributed (mainly Windows)
> programmers actually use. I do know that they are mainly into .NET .
>
> --
> John McKown
> Systems Engineer IV
> IT
>
> Administrative Services Group
>
> HealthMarkets®
>
> 9151 Boulevard 26 . N. Richland Hills . TX 76010
> (817) 255-3225 phone .
> john.mck...@healthmarkets.com . www.HealthMarkets.com
>
> Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message may contain confidential or
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>
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List
> > [mailto:IBM-MAIN@bama.ua.edu] On Behalf Of Steve Comstock
> > Sent: Monday, April 04, 2011 1:11 PM
> > To: IBM-MAIN@bama.ua.edu
> > Subject: Re: Mainframe Fresher
> >
> > On 4/4/2011 9:52 AM, john gilmore wrote:
> > > Steve Comstock writes:
> > >
> > > <begin snippet>
> > >
> > > He looks like a bright young man, the kind we want to sustain our
> > > favorite platform - but he can't find a job. And we on this list
> > > know he is not alone.
> > >
> > > This is the kind of reality we face if we don't, collectively and
> > > individually, take positive actions.
> > >
> > > Promote z/OS, get current ourselves, tell the stories of cool things
> > > you can do in z/OS.
> > >
> > > </end snippet>
> > >
> > > has prompted me to reflect that, while it is certainly true that
> > > there are cool things that can be done with z/OS, I have not seen
> > > a cool new z/OS application in many, many years.
> > >
> > > IBM code, ISV code, or the like for z/OS that is cool? Yes, sure.
> > > But a cool new application? No, emphatically no.
> > >
> > > To describe the applications I see routinely as pedestrian would be
> > > to overstate their merits. The platform is very largely in
> > the hands
> > > of fatuous, mediocre, risk-aversive crackpot realists who avoid new
> > > technology reflexively: Les courtisans qui l'entourant n'ont rien
> > > oublié et n'ont rien appris.
> > >
> > > New blood and new ideas are certainly needed, but how to infuse
> > > them into this tired environment is not at all clear to me.
> > >
> > > Steve's post has the great merit that it does not look at our
> > > current situation through rose-colored glasses.
> > >
> > > John Gilmore Ashland, MA 01721-1817 USA
> >
> >
> > But one of my points was: if you don't see it, _you_ should create it!
> >
> >
> > Perhaps some sort of surreptitious "skunk works" operation to develop
> > a demonstrable "cool application". You could lead the project in your
> > copious spare time, assisted by your merry band of cohorts. (Or is it
> > "band of merry cohorts"? I'm never quite sure.)
> >
> >
> > About two years ago I offered to prepare a small set of
> > webpages tailored
> > to each requestor. I got three requests, so I built small
> > sample websites,
> > including their corporate logo, and shipped them out. As far
> > as I know,
> > no one ever got around to installing them. Each sample
> > included 10 html
> > files as well as a number of supporting files.
> >
> >
> > I personally think hosting a website on z/OS (without WebSphere or
> > other charge for products) is pretty cool. It's not too hard to do, so
> > I tried to make it even easier. On to the next idea.
> >
> >
> > My current project is to create a page for our website that lists a
> > number of cool things to do in z/OS with links to our courses where
> > you can learn how to do those cool things. I hope to have it up in a
> > day or two.
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> >
> > Kind regards,
> >
> > -Steve Comstock
> > The Trainer's Friend, Inc.
> >
> > 303-393-8716
> > http://www.trainersfriend.com
> >
> > * To get a good Return on your Investment, first make an investment!
> > + Training your people is an excellent investment
> >
> > * Try our new tool for calculating your Return On Investment
> > for training dollars at
> > http://www.trainersfriend.com/ROI/roi.html
> >
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> >
>
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