Running Mainframe z on Distributed Platforms: How to Create Robust Cost-Efficient Multiplatform z Environments

Running Mainframe z on Distributed Platforms: How to Create Robust Cost-Efficient Multiplatform z Environments

by Kenneth Barrett, Stephen Norris
Released March 2014
Publisher(s): Apress
ISBN: 9781430264309

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Book description

"Should you choose to implement zPDT, RDz UT, or RD&T in your team's arsenal, you will find Barrett and Norris's insights, genius, and hard work illuminating as to how to rationally and economically manage the environment." —Scott Fagen, Chief Architect—System z Business, CA Technologies

"A must-read for anyone interested in successfully deploying cost-efficient zPDT environments with agility in an enterprise that requires simple or complex configurations. The case-study-based exposition of the content allows for its easy consumption and use. Excellent!" —Mahendra Durai, SVP & Information Technology Officer, CA

Running Mainframe z on Distributed Platforms reveals alternative techniques not covered by IBM for creatively adapting and enhancing multi-user IBM zPDT environments so that they are more friendly, stable, and reusable than those envisaged by IBM. The enhancement processes and methodologies taught in this book yield multiple layers for system recovery, 24×7 availability, and superior ease of updating and upgrading operating systems and subsystems without having to rebuild environments from scratch.

Most of the techniques and processes covered in this book are not new to either the mainframe or distributed platforms. What is new in this book are the authors' innovative methods for taking distributed environments running mainframe virtual machine (VM) and multiple virtual storage (MVS) and making them look and feel like other MVS systems.

The authors' combined expertise involves every aspect of the implementation of IBM zPDT technology to create virtualized mainframe environments by which the mainframe operations on a z series server can be transitioned to distributed platforms. All of the enhancement methods consecutively laid out in this book have been architected and developed by the authors for the CA Technologies distributed platform. Barrett and Norris impart these techniques and processes to CIOs and CTOs across the mainframe and distributed fields, to zPDT and RDz UT implementers, and to IBM's independent software vendors and customers.

What you'll learn

In particular, readers will learn from Running Mainframe z on Distributed Platforms:

  • how to create and maintain pristine z/OS and z/VM multi-user sysplexed environments

  • how to establish a mainframe distributed lab with repeatable processes and easy maintenance

  • how to ensure backup/recovery integrity and business continuity

  • standards and conventions, including the use of symbols in the system IPLs

  • z/OS and z/VM optimizations

  • DASD repository methodologies

    • Who this book is for

    CIOs and CTOs across the mainframe and distributed fields, zPDT and RDz UT implementers, administrators and ISVs and customers.

    Table of contents

    1. Title Page
    2. Contents at a Glance
    3. Contents
    4. About the Authors
    5. Foreword
    6. Acknowledgments
    7. Preface
    8. CHAPTER 1: Understanding the Mainframe Environment, Technologies, and Methodologies
      1. The IBM Mainframe Virtualization Technology
      2. Understanding the zPDT 1090
      3. zPDT Capabilities
      4. Catalogs
      5. Learning How to Share z/OS Parameters and Symbols
      6. Mainframe Practices in a Distributed Environment
      7. Recognizing the Potential for Cloud Enablement
      8. Summary
    9. CHAPTER 2: Creating a Mainframe Virtualized Environment: Requirements and Choices
      1. Use Cases
      2. Hardware Considerations and Options
      3. Recovery for System Failures and Outages
      4. Software Update Requirements
      5. Sharing Data
      6. Failsafe System
      7. Case Studies
    10. CHAPTER 3: Building the Hypervisor Host
      1. Networking Design Considerations
      2. Hard Drive Configuration
      3. Installing the Linux Operating System
      4. Configuring the Linux Host Network Settings
      5. Case Studies
    11. CHAPTER 4: Creating a Base Environment
      1. Create a User
      2. Install the z1090 Software (Emulator)
      3. Copy the Supplied DASD Files
      4. Create the Device Map
      5. Start the Base System
      6. Case Studies
    12. CHAPTER 5: Constructing the z/VM Environment
      1. Installing the Base z/VM System
      2. Optimizing the z/VM Environment
      3. Conclusion
      4. Case Studies
    13. CHAPTER 6: Establishing a DASD Repository for a Multi-Server Environment
      1. A DASD Repository Built on a Network File System Server
      2. Product Development Requirements
      3. zEnterprise Availability on a Distributed Platform
      4. Current Software Levels
      5. Process for Using zEnterprise Mainframe Software
      6. The Lab Environment May Grow
      7. Network File System Server
      8. DASD Repository Efficiencies
      9. Case Studies
      10. Summary
    14. CHAPTER 7: Staging for z/OS Optimization
      1. DASD Volume Updates to the Virtualized Mainframe Environment
      2. System Volume
      3. DASD Repository
      4. Progress and Prospectus
      5. Case Studies
    15. CHAPTER 8: Migrating to Mainframe zEnterprise DASD
      1. Backing Up the Base Environment
      2. Starting the Vendor System
      3. System Manipulations
      4. Procedure Libraries
      5. Parameter Libraries
      6. System Migration Considerations
      7. Sharing Data Sets and Volumes
      8. Starting the New System Environment
      9. Verifying the New System
      10. Summary
      11. Case Studies
    16. CHAPTER 9: Customizing the z/OS Environment with Symbols
      1. Reserved Symbols
      2. MVS Operating System Management
      3. Establishing Shared Parameter Libraries
      4. Creating Shared Master Catalog
      5. Manipulating with System Symbols
      6. Starting a z/OS Virtual Guest
      7. Start to Finish with Symbols
      8. Summary
      9. Case Studies
      10. Conclusion
    17. CHAPTER 10: Updating the Environment
      1. Maintain z/OS Operating Systems with IBM Recommended Service Updates
      2. Maintain Subsystems with IBM Recommended Service Updates
      3. Summary
      4. Case Studies
      5. Conclusion
      6. Conclusion
    18. CHAPTER 11: Preparing for Recovery
      1. Backup/Restore Process
      2. Backup Volumes
      3. Emergency Recovery System
      4. Conclusion
      5. Case Studies
    19. CHAPTER 12: Deploying Virtualized Mainframe Environments
      1. Creating and Hosting the Deployment Image
      2. Pre-Deployment Requirements
      3. Deploy the Base Image
      4. Post-Deployment Activities
      5. Considerations to Simplify Deployment
      6. Conclusion
      7. Case Studies
    20. APPENDIX A: Software Licensing
      1. IBM Software Licensing, Approval, and Certification
      2. Third-Party Software Licensing, Approval, and Certification
      3. Summary
    21. APPENDIX B: Setting the Standards and Conventions
      1. z/OS System Naming Standard
      2. DASD Volume Serial Naming Convention
      3. Data Set Naming Standards
      4. Network Naming Standards
      5. Application Naming Standards
      6. Naming Standards Explained
      7. Modifications for the Distributed Environment
    22. APPENDIX C: IEASYS Member Example
      1. IEASYS Member
      2. Summary
    23. APPENDIX D: LOAD Member Example
      1. LOAD Member
      2. Summary
    24. Glossary
    25. Index

    Product information

    • Title: Running Mainframe z on Distributed Platforms: How to Create Robust Cost-Efficient Multiplatform z Environments
    • Author(s): Kenneth Barrett, Stephen Norris
    • Release date: March 2014
    • Publisher(s): Apress
    • ISBN: 9781430264309