The IBM Mainframe Computing Environment

Objectives

On successful completion of this course attendees will be able to:

• list the principal components of IBM mainframe systems
• describe how data is stored, the different data codes and types, and the devices used
• explain the concepts of operating systems
• describe the operating systems and their associated software, as available for IBM mainframe systems
• describe the functions carried out in mainframe based IS departments
• understand the different number systems and representations used in the mainframe.

Who Should Attend

The course is suitable for all new and trainee programmers, operators. etc., as well as non-technical staff working in an IT environment who require a background understanding.

ContentsThe Mainframe Computer

Where did it come from?; Data Processing in the 1970s; Data Processing in the 1980s; Types of computers; General purpose; Scientific; Scientific AND general purpose?; The PC; The Graphical User Interface (GUI); The application development backlog; The Local Area Network (LAN); Who runs the distributed data centre?; Total Cost of Ownership (TCO); Today's real world; What is a mainframe?; What can it do?; Hardware and software; Types of computing; Batch; Batch processing today; Interactive; On-line; Real time.

Enterprise Computing Hardware

Enterprise computing hardware; An IBM mainframe computer room and its contents; The processor complex; Parallel sysplex; Channels; Controllers; I/O units; Addressing; Local and remote; Disk storage; Old technology; Storing data on a traditional disk; The cylinder concept; Sectors; Cache storage; RAID - a newer technology; Disk Mirroring (RAID-1); Data Striping (RAID 5/6); Remote Disk copy; Virtual disks; Optical disks; Why magnetic tape?; Reel to reel tape; Cartridges; High performance tapes; Automated Tape Libraries; Virtual Tape Server; Other Input/output peripherals; Terminals, Laser printers, Line printers, Micro film and microfiche; Magnetic Ink Character Recognition; Optical Character Recognition; Bar codes; Communications equipment.

Mainframe Programs

What is software?; Types of software; System software; Exits; Application software; What does a program comprise?; Main module; Subroutines and procedures; Functions; Data; EBCDIC; ASCII; Building a program; Programming languages; Executing a program.

Practical Operations

Who runs the IT environment ?: Operators, Help Desk Operatives, Security Administrators, Systems Programmers, Storage Administrators, Network Analysts, Application Developers/Support' Database Administrators.

Mainframe Operating Systems

Mainframe operating systems; z/OS operating systems; zVM operating systems; z/VSE operating systems; Linux operating systems; z/TPF operating systems.

z/OS Operating System

The z/OS operating system - MVS; Some important definitions; Address spaces; Common area; Private area; Main components of MVS; MVS processing environments; On-line; TSO; z/OS communications server; VTAM; TCP/IP; JES: JES2, JES3; Transaction Servers: CICS, IMS; Databases: DB2, IMS; UNIX System Services; WebSphere Application Server.

Numbering Systems

Numbering systems; Decimal arithmetic; Binary arithmetic; Binary subtraction; Negative binary numbers; 2's complement; Hexadecimal arithmetic; Hexadecimal / binary relationship; Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code; Packed decimal numbers; Memory addressing.