Catching up on my reading : Hot Topics, IBM Systems Magazine and Enterprise Tech Journal

Finally, I found some time to catch up with some reading.

Hot Topics, a z/OS Newsletter (August 2012)

Let me start with the Hot Topics Newsletter. Unfortunately enough, it will only appear once in a year from now on. You know, I just make a random selection of articles I particularly liked, but of course all the rest is worth your while. And that also goes for the other magazines.
I have the impression that z/OSMF is for many customers still a great unknown and people are hesitant to use it. Well, the article 'Don't just emulate it!' on the z/OSMF ISPF feature might be a good entry point. It describes how you can use z/OSMF to open one or several ISPF sessions in your browsers, use split screens or tabbed displays, you can even have several, parallel TSO/E user sessions at once.
Another article on the new GRS support of FICON CTC communication shows you how much your GRS configuration might be affected and how much planning you might have for migration.
Furthermore : hints and tips on migrating to z/OS 1.13, learn how z/OS 1.13 SPOOL migration lets you merge/consolidate volumes to new volumes in a non-disruptive manner within a few hours, an article on learning how to obtain new mainframe skills directing you to the Academic Initiative but also to (quite interesting) online course materials

IBM Systems magazine (September-October 2012)
Online Version - PDF Version

This issue focuses on data analytics in the broadest sense but I think the title of the intro by Greg Lotko sums it up nicely : 'Transforming Data Into Value' ! Of course this also implies there's a lot of attention for the new zEC12 including the cover article. There's a good article on Data Marts. Data Marts are great but tend to have some issues like rapid multiplication, a lack of architecture, administrative complexity and so on. This article shows how the zEnterprise can play a role in tackling these problems.
Ever heard about millicode ? Well, just check out Bob Rogers' article on the evolution of microcode and millicode. Great reading material.
At the end of this issue, you can also find the 2013 Mainframe Buyer's Guide listing a bunch of IBM partners. And, there's also an issue about Women in Technology which is not included in the .pdf version.

Enterprise Tech Journal (October-November 2012)

The Enterprise Tech Journal also focuses on the new zEC12 in its cover article but puts the emphasis on workload optimization. In other words : software performance is of the essence. I'm just not sure that when there's e.g. a forecasted performance improvement of 45% for Java Workload that this is already the case for the moment. Some of the new features like the new transactional execution facility is implemented but I have the impression it's not being used by any software for the moment. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Furthermore : a good introduction to the RMF Device Activity Report as well as to 'Rational Developer for z/OS', there's an interesting article on how backup strategies are important as they can have a significant influence on your recovery processes, Willie Favero helps you plan your upgrade to DB2 10, Marcel den Hartog (re)introduces us to "the dying art of performance management" for speeding up the mainframe and of course there's a lot more there to enjoy.

As I always say, just check them out !

Sampling Techdocs : February 2010 - April 2010

Here we are with some new documents from TechDocs I recently came across or found while browsing through the latest publications.

• White paper : Planning Considerations for Running zAAP Work on zIIPs
  This 6-page white paper gives you a brief but quite complete introduction to the zAAP on zIIP functionality : "This document will review the functions, features and restrictions involved with successfully using this support, (...) called ZAAPZIIP support". It also explains the implementation differences for various z/OS releases.
  
  
• White paper : How to Generate WTO Messages from RMF Performance Exceptions
  RMF allows the definition of performance-based exception thresholds, and displaying these thresholds on the Monitor III Workflow/Exceptions Report in an ISPF session. This paper describes how to surface those exceptions as Write-to-Operator (WTO) messages. This is done by customizing JCL to run the RMF Monitor III session as a started task or batch job.
  
  
• Technical document : Overview of Supported Disk and Tape Storage for Linux on IBM System z10
  Nice summary, reference with not only IBM equipment mentioned.
  

• White Paper: IBM HyperSwap Technology April 2010
  Presentation: IBM HyperSwap Options April 2010
  I've been writing about this in the RealDolmen System z newsletter before. But here's another and very good overview of the various HyperSwap possibilities. The white paper follows the same content as the presentation but with more details.
  

• Presentation : Effective Capacity for IBM TotalStorage DS8700 R5.1
  Technical document : DS8x00 Host Port Locations Quick Reference
  This is for the storage techies : two technical documents, a presentation on capacity sizing for the DS8700 (SSD included) and a spreadsheet with the DS8000 host port locations.
  

Well that's it for now. As I always say : just check them out !

RMF The Latest and Greatest

I just came across this new presentation about RMF on the presentation page of the z/OS RMF web page : 'RMF - The Latest and the Greatest (z/OS v1.9 -z/OS v1.10)'. It gives a nice overview of recent enhancements. There's information on System z10 Support like e.g. HiperDispatch. There are some sample charts explaining how to analyze the possible benefits of HiperDispatch. There are also additional fields documenting CBU and OOCoD enhancements and Large Page Support.
Next to that, XCF reporting has been extended by the detection of bottlenecks on system and TC level and by the identification of path contention. There's also information on the reporting of System Locking Activities and on Blocked Workload Analysis.
If you want to have a graphical, front-end interface for all this, you might want to try the RMF Spreadsheet Reporter V5 for Windows. You can download it over here, and there's a presentation of it over here. A short description of the Spreadsheet Reporter :

"The RMF Spreadsheet Reporter serves as a front-end to the RMF postprocessor on your z/OS system. With its graphics capabilities, RMF Spreadsheet Reporter allows you to analyze z/OS performance data through powerful graphical charts — right from your workstation.
The new interface: resource oriented
Version 5 is a major revision of the RMF Spreadsheet Reporter, which was originally introduced in 1997. In Version 5, the task flow of the previous versions is replaced by an intuitive resource-oriented interface".

Sampling Techdocs : October - November 2008

Hello, here we go again for another round of interesting material from TechDocs.

• White Paper : Migrating to WebSphere z/OS V7
  Here's an 87-page document on migrating to WebSphere Application Server for z/OS Version 7. The document starts with the big picture and some Frequently Asked Questions on timing, common problems and gotchas etc. It further describes "the process involves planning the migration, customizing the migration jobs using the MMT tool, and submitting the jobs to perform the migration".
  
  
• Technical Documents : WebSphere for z/OS - Version 7.0 Handouts for WBSR7 Wildfire Workshop
  Next to this, here's a collection of updated presentations and Hands-on labs on Websphere 7 for the wildfire workshops. Topics covered : Overview, Using the Spreadsheet and WCT to build a Deployment Manager, Adding a Managed Node, a Server and Clustering, Accessing Data (JDBC, JCA and Messaging) and New V7 Functionality -- the "zDiff" Items.
  
  
• Technical Document : WLM Workload Analysis Using RMF
  "Even if you have been running in goal mode for a long period of time and everything has been executing well, there are many changes that may trigger a need for reviewing and modifying goals set in the policy". This document explains the use of RMF (RMF Monitor III and the RMF postprocessor) and what to look for when e.g. service class goals are not met.
  
  
• Technical Document : z/OS 1.10 Installation Plan Checklist
  Betty Brody publishes this "z/OS 1.10 Installation Plan checklist for installing and migrating to z/OS 1.10 from a previous z/OS release. To be used as a supplement to existing product publications".
  
  
• Technical Document : System z and zSeries I/O Feature Reference Table
  This is a really nice document : which connectivity (OSA-Express, Ficon, ISC) is used on which server ? I've immediately printed it out as this will surely come in handy !

Well that's it for now. As I always say : just check them out !