Re: WEBSPHERE: install on Z/OS USS or Z/OS LINUX ?
z/VM isn't cheap. It depends on your definition of cheap. I was at the z9 109 RoadShow in Toronto this past Tuesday, and IBM told us that z/VM cost $25,000; an IFL cost $125,000 and zLINUX was free. -teD In God we Trust! All others bring data! -- W. Edwards Deming -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Re: Command to query system info
From REXX you might find the function syscpus useful, though it returns only limited information. From any other language, you can use the CSRSI callable service. It returns all the information D M=CPU does. HTH, Gil. On 9/23/05, George, William (DHS-ITSD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Is there a command that returns the model of the mainframe one is on? SYSVAR and MVSVAR both return allot of system info but not a system model name/number/desc. Thanks -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Re: SPOOL
The thing about this story that doesn't make sense is the periods in the name of the show. The thing about this story that doesn't make sense is how the heck is this related to SPOOL?? PLEASE people, if it is not related to mainframe, then DON'T post it here. Jantje. -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Re: Performance of PACK/UNPACK instructions
Cobol will pack before doing a compare for when the operands in the compare are not the same data type and atleast one operand is numeric. I am a bit concerned about the phrase pack/unpack pairs. Cobol will not do a pack/unpack pair for a compare ... is there something you failed to mention like a math operation? You are fortunate that the shop chose the 360/370/etc family of computers. pack/unpack instructions and indead the entire world of decimal arithmatic supported by native hardware instuctions is rare. Most hardware types you would see a call to an internal subroutine. It would not be easy to detect what the subroutine was doing but most likely it would be converting to the more universal numeric format ... double presion floating point! I would not suggest porting this application to a PC for example. Cobol compilers like most mainframe HLL has an optimizer. If the same source variable was used many times in succession as part of a compare that required it to be packed it would not be packed for each reference. I would guess, based on the statement pack/unpack pairs that there are assignment statements involved, not just compares. There are Cobol compile options that will produce a listing that will show you both the sort statement and the corresponding low level code, You might wish to use these features rather than guessing what the source statement might of been. Application programs are rarly opened up just to fix performace problems. There is a famous story in the history of computers. Gene Amdahl, the father of the IBM 360 started his own computer company (It was called Amdahl) The 360 was designed to make it easy to write assembler programs ... hence instructions like pack and unpack. At the time Amdahl computers hit the market the popular thing people wanted was speed, not ease of codeing. Pack and unpack cause a problem in the speed world because they are a class of instructions called SS (Storage to Storage) and defy attemps at internal pipelining which was the method of the day to achive speed. Why then did Gene Amdahl go into the plug compatable market place rather than produce a new instruction archicture like a RISC machine tha could of be bigger, faster, and more cost effective? (No he was not a fool, guess again) He reasoned that bigger, faster and more cost effective usually did not justify application rewrites in the software development world. This has been even more true since Amdahl's day with declineing costs for comparable hardware and increasing costs for both people and software. -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Re: WEBSPHERE: install on Z/OS USS or Z/OS LINUX ?
Ted MacNEIL wrote: z/VM isn't cheap. It depends on your definition of cheap. I was at the z9 109 RoadShow in Toronto this past Tuesday, and IBM told us that z/VM cost $25,000; an IFL cost $125,000 and zLINUX was free. -teD In God we Trust! All others bring data! -- W. Edwards Deming Linux may be free, but try and get IBM to support their software on the free Linux. IBM's software lists SUSE, United Linux, or RH as requirments, all of these charge you per ILF for the right to run their free software on your box. IIRC SUSE is $18K per processor. IIRC the $25,000 for z/VM is per month. I'm fairly sure we are paying $300,000 per year for it. Yes it is much, much less expesnive than z/VM for non-Linux purposes or z/OS. The price of a ZAP is also $125,000. So, in theory, if you are already running WAS on z/OS, running Java under CICS, or plan to run Java under CICS, a ZAP makes more sense and is less expensive that setting up a z/VM and zLinux farm. You get a processor for the Java stuff and you do not increase your z/OS software costs. -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Chinese character code table
Does anyone know where can I find the IBM Z/OS Chinese character code table? Thanks in advance for all your helps. Best regards, Chris. -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Re: Chinese character code table
There are many: http://www-03.ibm.com/servers/eserver/iseries/software/globalization/codepag es.html Charles -Original Message- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of chris Sent: Saturday, September 24, 2005 9:58 AM To: IBM-MAIN@BAMA.UA.EDU Subject: Chinese character code table Does anyone know where can I find the IBM Z/OS Chinese character code table? -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Is a Hurricane about to hit IBM ?
Hi, Some extracts from an article pointed to by this URL : http://news.com.com/IBM+works+to+make+mainframes+mainstream/2100-1010_3-1001 595.html?tag=nl a) A new machine, code-named T-Rex http://news.com.com/IBM+to+unearth+T-Rex+mainframe/2100-1010_3-1000894.html ?tag=nl , boasts three times the performance of its predecessor, according to Big Blue b) Farmers Insurance Group in Los Angeles. Berger is replacing five z900 http://news.com.com/IBM+unveils+new+name%2C+strategy+for+servers/2100-1001_ 3-246501.html?tag=nl mainframes with three z990s. He needed the new systems' power as part of a project to consolidate the company's data center with that of the Zurich Financial Services Group http://dw.com.com/redir?destUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.zurich.com%2FsiteId=3oId =2100-1010-1001595ontId=1001lop=nl.ex , which acquired Farmers. And he needed their ability to run modern software--in this case IBM's WebSphere package--to provide employees with a Web-based interface to claims-processing software. My Comments : We tried WebSphere on the mainframe and it is too slow and complex.. WebSphere on the distributed platform is like IMS on the Mainframe : Too many pieces that makes it complex because IBM build all these extra add-on's/shells and then the mainframe shops go into their mode of many different environments ex. Development, Test, Staging, Production. Causing one huge piece of burocracy with Change Control etc. What happened to providing quick solutions to the user ? That is service for the user.. Never mind the new buzzword called SOA. c) but an IBM employee changed all the mainframe code names to names of dinosaurs--carnivorous dinosaurs--after a March 2001 advertisement by rival Sun Microsystems derided the machines as extinct beasts that should be consigned to museums. The naming convention stuck, Zeitler said: The next one is called Pterodactyl. d) Big Blue describes the speed of mainframe processors not by the clock rate--the familiar megahertz and gigahertz ratings found elsewhere in the computing world--but rather by the length of one tick of a chip's clock. The servers' computing ability is measured using the IBM-defined measurement MIPS. And Big Blue refuses to subject its mainframes to the industry-standard TPC-C http://dw.com.com/redir?destUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tpc.org%2Ftpcc%2FsiteId=3 oId=2100-1010-1001595ontId=1001lop=nl.ex test commonly used to compare different systems, despite its concerted and recently successful effort to push its Unix servers to http://news.com.com/Unix+reclaims+server+speed+crown/2100-1010_3-1000822.ht ml?tag=nl the top of the list. My Comment : Maybe it's the only way IBM can hide the cost per transaction ? e) The mainframe's software is also improving. Its flagship operating system, z/OS http://dw.com.com/redir?destUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww-1.ibm.com%2Fservers%2Feser ver%2Fzseries%2Fannounce%2Fzos_r4%2FsiteId=3oId=2100-1010-1001595ontId=10 01lop=nl.ex , will improve in October with the release of version 1.5, Lechner said. The new version will be able to handle 11,000 encrypted transactions per second, compared with 7,400 for the current version 1.4, Lechner said. My Comment : People still do not get it , you have to make the supplier (IBM) quote you on a transaction as defined in your shop because a transaction could be defined as anything to justify the cost of the upgrade. Ex. They role in a new machine, they take your check for $10 million and nothing changes for you but then IBM responds with We did get those improvements some where else. Ya right. f) . Another speed increase will come with the new version 8 of IBM's DB2 database software, due by the end of the year My comments : AFAIK, this is mainly for the ODBC applications caused by peer pressure from SAP/PeopleSoft and DB2 Version 8 burns up more CPU to do this. The funny part here is that the ODBC users should have used Stored Procedures/RPC in the first place in stead of treating the Mainframe as a Database server. Does not say much for the software engineers at SAP/PeopleSoft. g) The Sun Fire 12K and Sun Fire 15K servers provide two to four times the performance at less than half the cost, and we don't lock our customers into expensive, complex services agreements, h) We continue to believe that the mainframe is a declining hardware platform, limited by applications availability and lack of competitive hardware offerings, We estimate that in fiscal 2002, about a quarter of IBM's revenues and 45 percent of its operating profits were somehow linked to the mainframe, My Comment : Yes, but why does all the investors still keep their money in IBM stock. All indicators points to a shrinking IBM. Is IBM doing an Enron on us. i) In the time that z900 and z800 have been on the market, we've shipped more capacity than the decade that preceded it, My Comment: My experience is shrinking quantity of
Re: WEBSPHERE: install on Z/OS USS or Z/OS LINUX ?
Some ramblings on free zLinux. z/VM is inexpensive relative to z/OS. I see z/VM as becoming more strategic in large zSeries sites between Linux on zSeries and CCL as a 3745 alternative. If CCL is well received IBM may further invest in zSeries specific solutions to z/OS problems intended to be deployed side by side on Linux running in an LPAR or under z/VM. If they provided a turnkey installation of Think Blue or some distribution with support bundled in and configured to be easy to install and use for IBM supported applications it would reduce some of the costs and overhead. Leaving every site that wants it to independently acquire SuSE or Red Hat is silly especially for those that want to use it as an appliance OS to run CCL or future offerings. z/VM is priced on value units. Dave Jones wrote a nice article recently The ABCs of z/VM pricing http://search390.techtarget.com/tip/1,289483,sid10_gci1085452,00.html Linux on zSeries is only free if you are just playing with it as a solo systems programmer or a really light weight proof of concept. For a real proof of concept which we ran this year we licensed z/VM and purchased IFL's. Trial copies of SuSE Linux, DB2 UDB, WebSphere all had to be arranged. Systems programming and application programming support time in excess of several hundred hours was invested. While valuable lessons were learned free it is not if you want to use it as more than a toy. Despite the fact we only used three guests during the proof of concept we ran it under z/VM because we wanted to evaluate how bringing z/VM into our shop would impact operations and support staff training needs and operational procedures. We knew that if we moved forward to production that LPAR would not be enough. I think Linux on zSeries is not a toy and it is worth spending money on but despite the fact that it is several years old many of us are still trying to find the right way to use it for production. I like the idea of being able to deploy applications on z/OS and instead of using middle tier Wintel or UNIX servers using Linux on the same zboxen. Now if vendors including Tivoli will just listen! Best Regards, Sam Knutson, GEICO Performance and Availability Management mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] (office) 301.986.3574 Dreams are free, but you get soaked on the connect time. -Original Message- z/VM isn't cheap. It depends on your definition of cheap. I was at the z9 109 RoadShow in Toronto this past Tuesday, and IBM told us that z/VM cost $25,000; an IFL cost $125,000 and zLINUX was free. -teD This email/fax message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution of this email/fax is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please destroy all paper and electronic copies of the original message. -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Re: Order of allocations within a job step
On Fri, 23 Sep 2005 15:45:14 -0600 Paul Gilmartin [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: :In a recent note, Shmuel Metz (Seymour J.) said: : Date: Thu, 22 Sep 2005 15:26:13 -0300 : In [log in to unmask], on 09/21/2005 :at 09:54 AM, Barry Merrill [log in to unmask] said: : Please educate me further: The allocation of an existing dataset has : to verify the dataset exists, by reading the VTOC to verify its : existence, : No. In fact, there is IBM-supplied JCL that refers to data sets that : do not exist. : and since DATASET NOT FOUND errors occur prior to LOADTIME : DATASET NOT FOUND means that no catalog entry was found; it has : nothing to do with whether a DSCB exists. :I do not see DATASET NOT FOUND in that case. Rather, I see: :IKJ56228I DATA SET SPPG.FOO.BAR NOT IN CATALOG OR CATALOG CAN NOT BE ACCESSED :IKJ56701I MISSING DATA SET NAME+ :IKJ56701I MISSING NAME OF DATA SET TO BE ALLOCATED Repeat after me. JCL is not TSO. :I suspect (without experiment) that DATASET NOT FOUND in fact :occurs at OPEN time, when a VTOC search for the DSCB fails. The JCL message occurs at allocation. S213-04 occurs when the VTOC search fails. -- Binyamin Dissen [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.dissensoftware.com Director, Dissen Software, Bar Grill - Israel Should you use the mailblocks package and expect a response from me, you should preauthorize the dissensoftware.com domain. I very rarely bother responding to challenge/response systems, especially those from irresponsible companies. -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Re: WEBSPHERE: install on Z/OS USS or Z/OS LINUX ?
Are You saying that from a management and/or operations view, z/VM is mandatory to get full/enough value out of deploying Linux on zSeries ? Thomas Berg == Knutson, Sam == wrote2005-09-24 19:38: Some ramblings on free zLinux. z/VM is inexpensive relative to z/OS. I see z/VM as becoming more strategic in large zSeries sites between Linux on zSeries and CCL as a 3745 alternative. ... Despite the fact we only used three guests during the proof of concept we ran it under z/VM because we wanted to evaluate how bringing z/VM into our shop would impact operations and support staff training needs and operational procedures. We knew that if we moved forward to production that LPAR would not be enough. ... Best Regards, Sam Knutson, GEICO Performance and Availability Management mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] (office) 301.986.3574 Dreams are free, but you get soaked on the connect time. -- -- Mundus Vult Decipi -- They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. - Benjamin Franklin -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Early SPF
I remember the first time I saw ISPF was as 3270 Display and Structured Programming Facity or SPF for short. It became ISPF and later morphed to two products ISPF ISPF/PDF. Later it was merged backed together as ISPF. The VM version has stayed with the two products, ISPF and ISPF/PDF. In fact z/VM says it has a co-requiste for ISPF for VM and it is the same version available back in 1988 or so. Jim Marshall -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Re: Basic remote copy questions
Bruce Black wrote: Disaster can happen during backup session, so the latest copy may be incomplete, but what about previous ones ? Is it possible to affect previous generation to be affected by broken operations on VTOC/VVDS/ICF regarding other datasets ? I don't see how. This is the same as a system crash or power failure while datasets are being created. Those datasets may have errors, but existing closed datasets should have no problems. Bruce, Generally speaking, yes, it is the same as system crash! I didn't noticed that similarity, perhaps because I have never seen MVS crash vbg. But seriously: You said existing closed datasets *should* have no problems. I believe so. However I was asked can you *assure* it ?. That's why I asked the question. Things get more complicated, when PPRC-XD (I don't like it) is used. -- Radoslaw Skorupka Lodz, Poland -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Re: WEBSPHERE: install on Z/OS USS or Z/OS LINUX ?
In addition to the previously mentioned points, several more: 1. If you can manage to get up to z/OS 1.6 and z890, z990, or z9 hardware, you are eligible for zAAPs. zAAPs are quite financially attractive -- so much so that it's worth getting there if you run anything but trivial Java workload. In fact, it may be worth creating a new 1.6 LPAR just to run WebSphere until you can get your 1.4 LPARs updated (waiting for 1.7 there, perhaps). 2. If z/OS qualities of service (the best) matter for your application, go with z/OS. If not (still exceptionally good -- and the best Linux anywhere), go with Linux. Linux may open up other opportunities for consolidating workload (e.g. Oracle) on the mainframe (thus reducing costs and improving service), so bear that in mind, too. 3. If it's your first WebSphere project, get help. One very good idea is to take IBM's free Wildfire class. Search on WebSphere and z/OS in the IBM course catalog ( http://www.ibm.com/services/learning ) to find it. Getting help and mentoring up front will avoid time wasted later. WebSphere is a major subsystem, so it only makes sense. (If this were your first time deploying CICS, you'd do the same.) 4. The mainframe is unforgiving if you have sloppy code, but it will make decent (or better) code sing. That's because you can actually tell what's going on with your code on a mainframe -- it monitors and manages application code. If you have programmers who aren't used to that they'll need to adjust. It's the difference between writing software and writing an enterprise application. The former just about anyone can do, but the latter requires a little talent. Consider beefing up your monitoring tools (including a WebSphere monitor) to help your developers through this cultural adjustment. 5. Make sure you run WebSphere with at least two servants. Don't take the world's most highly available platform then shut off WebSphere's single most useful high availability feature. Sit down with a WebSphere architect if you need help. 6. Stay on top of the PSP buckets and such. Be prepared to move quicker than you're used to with other subsystems -- PTFs and service releases come fast and furious, and developers often want them yesterday. 7. Along those lines, make sure you are providing your developers with test resources (e.g. a reasonable WebSphere test LPAR) that they largely control. If you don't delegate some respectable resources to them then they can't get their jobs done. 8. Try to enjoy the journey, because the end result is definitely worth the effort. WebSphere on z/OS and on Linux on zSeries are both wonderful products now, and you can write and deploy some fantastic (and exceptionally reliable) enterprise applications with them. There are more and more absolutely joyful customers out there due to this wonderful platform. - - - - - Timothy F. Sipples Consulting Enterprise Software Architect IBM Americas zSeries/z9 Software Phone: +1 312 529 1612 E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Number of processors in a sysplex
With z900, z990, z800, z890 series, machines, each CPC could have up to 32 PUs designated as CPs; a sysplex could have up to 32 CPCs, so a sysyplex could have up to 32 * 32 = 1024 CPs. Now, the new z9 series can have up to 54 CPs per CPC; I have not seen anything about a different number of CPCs in a sysplex, so I am assuming a sysplex with all z9 systems could have up to 32 * 54 = 1728 CPs. Is this right? Or is the upper bound still 1024? Kind regards, -Steve Comstock -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Re: IBM-Macros wrong
On Sep 24, 2005, at 4:41 PM, Schiradin,Roland HG-Dir itb-db/dc wrote: IGDSGCL is bad in z/OS R5, R6. IEFSSSA miss some assembler equates (R5/R6) Perhaps same apply to R7 Both works fine using PLX. No wonder. As usual it's a pain to code plain assembler. Roland, Just curious as to how do you handle bad IBM macros... Do you APAR them, fix them (if you can) or do you put them in the source of you program and fix them there ) Ed -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Re: Number of processors in a sysplex
Now, the new z9 series can have up to 54 CPs per CPC; I have not seen anything about a different number of CPCs in a sysplex, so I am assuming a sysplex with all z9 systems could have up to 32 * 54 = 1728 CPs. Is this right? Or is the upper bound still 1024 The upper limit for z/OS 1.7 is still 32 CPUs per MVS image so the limit is still 1024 CPUs. Greg -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Re: Order of allocations within a job step
In a recent note, Binyamin Dissen said: Date: Sat, 24 Sep 2005 21:24:43 +0300 JCL is not TSO. I stand corrected. I guess that shows I make the preponderance of my mistakes using DYNALLOC rather than JCL. Dammit! Why can't IBM report the same error with the same message and the same code in any two different contexts? Don't they believe in reusable code, or at reusable messages? -- gil -- StorageTek INFORMATION made POWERFUL -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Re: WEBSPHERE: install on Z/OS USS or Z/OS LINUX ?
I agree with most of what everone has added to this thread, and I wanted to point out again that z/VM, while it's a nice product to have, is just way too expensive and quite unnecessary to use for just a small number of z/Linux LPARs. I think that most existing z/800 and z/890 processor complexes probably already have been delivered with an IFL, and not to use it by running a z/Linux LPAR is really a waste. I also agree that if you have to pay for one now, that a Zaap is a pretty good deal and can pay for itself if you aren't going to run a z/Linux LPAR. But the IFL is great otherwise. Additionally, I have successfully configured multiple non-IBM servers that were previously running Linux and Windows to run the same workload on a z/Linux LPAR and the performance has always been much better. Obviously the hardware reliability is always better on the mainframe, and the cost (without z/VM) is almost non-existent (again, assuming you already have the IFL sitting there). Brian -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
