Mainframe Weekly is a new blog featuring the insights of Trevor Eddolls. Trevor is an editor who has worked for Xephon for some time. Xephon publishes those "Update" journals - you know the ones, DB2 Update, CICS Update, etc. The ones that are full of content and don't accept any ads.
I've had the pleasure of writing for DB2 Update and working with Trevor for a number of years now, and I look forward to regularly reading his new blog. Recent entries there have covered CICS, DB2 and Viper, and storage technology.
Do yourself a favor and be sure to check in on Trevor's blog on a regular basis.
News, views, and items of interest on IBM's Db2 database management system and mainframes.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Monday, August 07, 2006
Upcoming SHARE Conference
Just a quick posting to remind everyone that the bi-annual SHARE conference is coming up next week in Baltimore, MD. For those of you who don't know about SHARE: the conference has offered education to IT professionals, improving the value of IT to businesses, and advancing careers since 1955 - the longest history of any IT user group.
SHARE in Baltimore runs from August 13-18, 2006 and, as usual, there will be a plethora of useful and educational sessions on multiple IT topics. According to the folks at SHARE there will be over 800 technical sessions to choose from. Session topics range from implementation of new software releases to in-depth looks at what the latest new technologies can do for your business.
I'll be there, and will be delivering two presentations on DB2. On Monday, August 14, (3:00 - 4:00 PM) I'll give an hour of DB2 for z/OS tips and techniques... and then on Tuesday, August 15, (8:00 - 9:00 AM) I'll be giving an overview of DB2 for z/OS performance tuning.
Hope to see you there!
SHARE in Baltimore runs from August 13-18, 2006 and, as usual, there will be a plethora of useful and educational sessions on multiple IT topics. According to the folks at SHARE there will be over 800 technical sessions to choose from. Session topics range from implementation of new software releases to in-depth looks at what the latest new technologies can do for your business.
I'll be there, and will be delivering two presentations on DB2. On Monday, August 14, (3:00 - 4:00 PM) I'll give an hour of DB2 for z/OS tips and techniques... and then on Tuesday, August 15, (8:00 - 9:00 AM) I'll be giving an overview of DB2 for z/OS performance tuning.
Hope to see you there!
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
New Mainframe Redbook
IBM published a new mainframe redbook this week that everyone who works with mainframe technology should download and have handy. It is titled Introduction to the New Mainframe: z/OS Basics and it offers a very nice high-level overview of mainframe technology circa 2006.
Of course, if you are a long-time mainframer much of this redbook may be too high level for you. But it will be just the right thing to have at your disposal when someone drops by to ask a basic question. Just e-mail them a copy of the book.
And even long-time experts still might want to at least leaf through it. It is divided into four broad sections, as follows:
Here is a brief synopsis out of the Preface of the redbook:
This IBM Redbook provides students of information systems technology with the background knowledge and skills necessary to begin using the basic facilities of a mainframe computer. It is the first in a planned series of textbooks designed to introduce students to mainframe concepts and help prepare them for a career in large systems computing.
This textbook can also be used as a prerequisite for courses in advanced topics or for internships and special studies. It is not intended to be a complete text covering all aspects of mainframe operation, nor is it a reference book that discusses every feature and option of the mainframe facilities.
Others who will benefit from this course include experienced data processing professionals who have worked with non-mainframe platforms, or who are familiar with some aspects of the mainframe but want to become knowledgeable with other facilities and benefits of the mainframe environment.
So download Introduction to the New Mainframe: z/OS Basics today...
Of course, if you are a long-time mainframer much of this redbook may be too high level for you. But it will be just the right thing to have at your disposal when someone drops by to ask a basic question. Just e-mail them a copy of the book.
And even long-time experts still might want to at least leaf through it. It is divided into four broad sections, as follows:
- Part 1. Introduction to z/OS and the mainframe
- Part 2. Application programming on z/OS
- Part 3. Online workloads for z/OS
- Part 4. System programming on z/OS
Here is a brief synopsis out of the Preface of the redbook:
This IBM Redbook provides students of information systems technology with the background knowledge and skills necessary to begin using the basic facilities of a mainframe computer. It is the first in a planned series of textbooks designed to introduce students to mainframe concepts and help prepare them for a career in large systems computing.
This textbook can also be used as a prerequisite for courses in advanced topics or for internships and special studies. It is not intended to be a complete text covering all aspects of mainframe operation, nor is it a reference book that discusses every feature and option of the mainframe facilities.
Others who will benefit from this course include experienced data processing professionals who have worked with non-mainframe platforms, or who are familiar with some aspects of the mainframe but want to become knowledgeable with other facilities and benefits of the mainframe environment.
So download Introduction to the New Mainframe: z/OS Basics today...
Monday, July 31, 2006
Network World: Mainframes Still Relevant
Just finished reading a great new article at NetworkWorld.com called Working on mainframes not just for old fogies. Well, that is sure good to know. I may be getting older, but I sure don't think of myself as one of those "old fogies" yet... and I still work on mainframes.
The article talks about the continuing relevance of mainframe computing in a novel way -- by talking to several young mainframe newbies. Yes, there are twenty-somethings out there who are working on mainframes, they are just hard to find. And the article makes the point that all of us in the mainframe world know -- we need more young 'uns to learn the mainframe.
The article goes on to point out some interesting mainframe statistics from the industry analysts. According to Gartner "large mainframe users have been increasing their mainframe environments for years." They say that installed MIPs will continue to gorw at a CAGR of 15 to 20 percent through 2009. And the analysts at IDC seem to agree, with 2006 MIPS shipments up 14.2 percent.
If you work on mainframes be sure to click over and give the article a read. To me, anyway, it is invigorating to hear about young people embracing the mainframe. And the more younger people who learn about mainframe computing, the stronger the platform becomes... and that is good, too.
The article talks about the continuing relevance of mainframe computing in a novel way -- by talking to several young mainframe newbies. Yes, there are twenty-somethings out there who are working on mainframes, they are just hard to find. And the article makes the point that all of us in the mainframe world know -- we need more young 'uns to learn the mainframe.
The article goes on to point out some interesting mainframe statistics from the industry analysts. According to Gartner "large mainframe users have been increasing their mainframe environments for years." They say that installed MIPs will continue to gorw at a CAGR of 15 to 20 percent through 2009. And the analysts at IDC seem to agree, with 2006 MIPS shipments up 14.2 percent.
If you work on mainframes be sure to click over and give the article a read. To me, anyway, it is invigorating to hear about young people embracing the mainframe. And the more younger people who learn about mainframe computing, the stronger the platform becomes... and that is good, too.
Friday, July 28, 2006
IBM Software Support Toolbar
It seems like everyone under the sun is offering a toolbar to add in to the Internet Explorer browser. Google has one, Yahoo has one, and so do countless others. Now, IBM has one, too.
The new IBM Software Support Toolbar plugs into your browser to allow you to search IBM's Support knowledge base using keywords, specific error codes or exact phrases. You can also use it to search or browse for product downloads including Fix Packs, Updates, Patches, etc. So if you have trouble remembering how to get to the IBM site for support, or just want a quicker way to get there, the IBM Software Support Toolbar could prove itself to be quite helpful.
The toolbar even allows you to seek specific results for a specific brand. So you can scroll to the "Information Management" brand and select from that sub-menu. That way you'd only be looking for the "database stuff"...
The new IBM Software Support Toolbar plugs into your browser to allow you to search IBM's Support knowledge base using keywords, specific error codes or exact phrases. You can also use it to search or browse for product downloads including Fix Packs, Updates, Patches, etc. So if you have trouble remembering how to get to the IBM site for support, or just want a quicker way to get there, the IBM Software Support Toolbar could prove itself to be quite helpful.
The toolbar even allows you to seek specific results for a specific brand. So you can scroll to the "Information Management" brand and select from that sub-menu. That way you'd only be looking for the "database stuff"...
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