Re: Paddle temporary fix?
ions on campus. There were export restrictions on IBM 370s and above but not obsolete technology like IBM 360 and OS/MVT. I understand OS/MVT still runs today as Virtual machine on a PC using Hercules (VM like). Actually the free MVS 3.8 runs under Hercules on laptops. Before the MVS or maybe it was OS/390 was withdrawn from view, much of its code was still commented as OS/MVT. I would believe it is still in the latest z/OS. Capt Jim Marshall, USAF(Ret) -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
Re: Goodbye and thanks for all the fish
Bob Richards will be missed by all up here in the greater DC area. When I was the Data Center Technical Lead at the US Office of Personnel Management, 2001-2013, after retiring from the Air Force. I'd read Bob's posts and knew he was well qualified. He and Rebecca were in Atlanta where Bob was working for Suntrust Bank. He was let go and immediately I asked if he would be interested to come to this area and work for my Systems Services contractor. He said yes and he was hired, onsite and got to work in no time. This was in the late 2000s. He worked with the team maintaining our z9BC Parallel Sysplex providing a 24/7 system for the US Federal Retirement & Healthcare Systems and also then OPM did 95% of all the Federal Background Investigations. It was an operation covering the entire world. Bob and the team made my Disaster Recovery Plan come true when they would fully recover our Sysplex at IBM Sterling Forest NY, in 24 hours with only up to 5 seconds of Data loss and be able to run a 72 hour test of our worldwide operation without impacting the 24/7 production systems in DC. Bob did z/OS and really made me look good when the Data Center achieved 5 years of Continuous Operations, including all the Database systems with only unavailability of our system including all applications for 4 hours per week. In 5 years we only had 28 hours of systems unavailability of which 18 hours was due to UPS batteries which were 13 years old; non-IT management would not spring for the money for new batteries until I retired in 2013 and tried to get Bob to apply his 8 years of Air Force service into a Federal Job but he enjoyed what he did and if hired he'd fill my old job which was strictly hands-off despite being an ACE Systems Programmer. Bob knew the end was coming but worked up until a week before it was time. My heart goes out to Rebecca and know she will miss Bob terribly. He was one class act, a knowledgeable professional and fun to be around. He and the team sure did make me look good in the eyes of the CIO, non-IT Management and our retirees of which approximately 500K Federal Retirees are located overseas. Thanks Bob and to Rebecca for supporting him on all those Sunday Mornings from 0500-0900 to do upgrades and changes getting all system up by 0900; speak about pressure Jim Marshall, USAF(Ret) -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
GDG Copy in FIFO Order
I’ve had a need from an application for processing files in a GDG in FIFO order. Way back when an application came to me with the requirement. He was receiving “N” number of File Transfers over night and needed to process them the next day in FIFO order. I took some existing code I found on the CBT Tape and customized for my customer's needs. It has the ability to specify if you want 1-N of them or ALL. Additionally I create a file which can be used to DELETE the GDG(s) processed. I made it so it is completely explained, documented within the code and easy to read. It is in Assembler which should not scare you. In general whenever I was given a requirement I always believed someone else already encountered it, solved the problem and all I needed to do was to find the solution. The first place I would always look on the CBT Tape at WWW.CBTTAPE.ORG maintained by Sam Golob. He does a great job ensuring things are documented and easy to find. There is literally hundreds of thousands of lines of code in the hundreds of files. There is an index of them all which is easy to read. If anyone wants the code, send me an e-mail at my address. Jim Marshall, USAF-Ret, US Govt-OPM-Ret marshall-ja...@comcast.net -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
Vacancy - WashDC area - z/VM zLinux Sysprog
Vacancy Announcement – z/VM zLinux Systems Programmer I am helping a local software company locate a z/VM Linux Systems Programmer needed in the Arlington, VA area. This firm will hire the person as an employee to work on a US Government contract with 3 years to go. The firm has contracts all over the WashDC area and pays competitive salaries along with good benefits. I personally know employees who have worked 20-25 years for this firm on a variety of contracts. If anyone is interested let me know, contact me OFF-LIST, and would be glad to forward your contact info to them. Jim Marshall marshall-ja...@comcast.net If you are skeptical about living here in the WashDC area, let me know and I can discuss living, commuting, etc. I find the area quite attractive, have convinced others to relocate, and get over the notion is the cost of living is outlandish. jim -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
ObamaCare Web Site Problems
There is a NetworkWorld story which is worth a read revealing some of the problems. Much thanks to Compuware using some of its Application Performance Monitoring tools to uncover certain things. It is worth it to click on the gentleman's Blog for more detail. Of course this is only the Internet facing portion and even if fixed for added speed, never know if the back-end processing will do as advertised. NETWORKWORLD ARTICLE: “Why is the Obamacare Healthcare.gov website so sick?” http://www.networkworld.com/news/2013/102313-healthcare-gov-275167.html -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
Re: OpenPGP Encryption
PGP is used to encrypt data files PGP is good encryption but it is not in use very much on IBM mainframes because the encryption can not be offloaded to crypto hardware , like RSA/DSA (Using crypto express cards) and AES/DES using CPACF And some people consider it a waste of good cpu time to encrypt both the data and the connection Steve Finch Have to present another view. We run IBM Encryption Facility software for the encryption/decryption of data; we chose not to use encrypting cartridge drives for doing backups (another story), IBM EF does support OPEN-PGP quite well and we do use it for outsiders who do not have IBM EF' although I can give them a FREE JAVA client to run on their z/OS platforms or distributed machines. IBM EF or OpenPGP does indeed encrypt the data but not the session. We believe the most important part of a transfer is the credentals which flow. Once these are compromised, then it is really bad. Therefore we mandate the session is also encrypted TLS/SSL. Many of our partners do not want to encrypt the data at rest and insist transmiting the data in the clear inside of a secure tunnel is sufficient. But if that tunnel is a Site-to-Site VPN, once it comes out of the tunnel, then it is in the clear. The beauty of running this all on z, is the end point is the memory of the transfer software here on z. The world has a tendency to put Windows and UNIX servers in some DMZ. When the data lands in the clear, it is exposed. Of course they counter it is not their for long. n the end, we have all the crypto coprocessors and accelerators properly configured and used on our z9BCs. I do not find the performance impact bothersome or even of a concern. jim marshall -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
Parallel Sysplex Online Training
Not to plug Peter Enrico's new Parallel Sysplex available class, but if I was new to Sysplex, it would be worth the money to sit at the feet (as close as a Web session could get me) of the Master. Here some info I got late last week. The purpose of this email is to remind you about my 2012 seminar / workshop schedule, and to also tell you about the availability of the presentation slides from my June SHARE Webcast. My 2012 classes include two important changes. First is that I will be offering my Parallel Sysplex performance workshop as an online / web based class. Hopefully many of you that could not attend classes due to travel and budget restrictions will be able to attend my web based class. The class is still interactive with live lecturing, and there is still lots of in-class analysis. The second change is that I have enhanced my classes with more analysis exercises. I have worked to ensure that all my classes provide you with a strong opportunity to conduct an analysis on your own data. This is so you leave class not only having learned about z/OS performance, but having done an analysis with your own data on your own WLM Service Definition, z/OS systems, and Sysplexes. You will leave our classes having done an actual performance analysis based on your own data! No other z/OS performance seminar or z/OS conference can offer the level of analysis and value you will gain in our workshops. for more information contact Peter Enrico, peter.enr...@epstrategies.com - Jim Marshall, Long time Admirer and attentive listener. -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
