Mainframe, Performance, Topics Podcast

About Mainframe, Performance, Topics Podcast

Martin Packer (Principal z Systems Investigator) and Marna Walle (z/OS Development) are two IBMers talking about whatever z/OS topics come to mind.  Often guest experts weigh in on current technologies.  This podcast will give you timely, interesting, and entertaining z/OS topics.  Each episode comprises a “Mainframe” item, a “Performance” item, and “Topics” which is anything Martin or Marna care to talk about, which might or might not be related to their jobs.  So it goes…

Publisher

Marna Walle

Category

technology

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

21 Mar 2020

Latest episode

8 Apr 2025

Latest episodes

37 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   8 Apr 2025

   Episode 36 "Telum Like It Is"

   Episode 36 "Telum Like It Is" What’s New z/OS dependencies moved from Semeru 17 to 21 (https://www.marnasmusings.com/2025/03/keeping-up-with-javas.html). EOS for Semeru 11 is 30 Nov 2025. Manual of the Moment: z/OS 3.1 Planning for Installation refresh, Software Dependencies section (https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/zos/3.1.0?topic=installation-software-requirements-running-zos-31) Mainframe - Position z/OS for IBM z17 z/OS V2.4 and higher is supported on IBM z17. Use SMP/E FIXCATs to find the necessary service. z/OS Sysplex requirements for coexistence is z15, z16, and z17. Exploitation for z17 in z/OS includes: Workload level sustainability and power consumption, Workfload classification pricing, new CL6 link technology, BCPii and HMC hardened security, CF Level 26, and more. Mainframe Also - Preview of z/OS 3.2 (https://www.ibm.com/docs/announcements/AD25-0004) z/OS 3.2 will IPL on z15 and higher servers. Planned GA is 3Q2025. Some new functions previewed, but stay tuned for further announcements with more complete functions. Highlights: new REST APIs for doing installation of service updates, support for direct encryption to tape, new z/OSMF Storage Management interface, RACF certificate support for multiple altnames, and more. Performance - IBM z17 highlights Telum 2 processor has the 2nd generation on-chip AI accelerator, with 8-bit integer (INT8) and 16-bit floating point (FP16) datatypes for more thruput. 5nm (from 7nm), with clock speeed of 5.5 GHz (from 5.2). DPU has 4 port cards (from 2), with energy consumption reduction. DPU accessible from other chips and DCMs. 1 to 4 processor drawers. 4-drawer models are Max183 and Max 208. Memory 64 TB (from 40). Measurements with new Channel Measurement Groups 4 and 5, with SMF 73 support. Topics Martin and Marna discuss how they prepared materials for IBM z17, with the Upgrade Workflow and Redbooks. On the blog Marna's blog (https://www.marnasmusings.com/) Martin's blogs (https://mainframeperformancetopics.com/) So It Goes

2. 

   28 Oct 2024

   Episode 35 "In search of EXCELence?"

   What’s New z/OS dependencies moved from Semeru 11 to 17 (https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/zos/3.1.0?topic=installation-software-requirements-running-zos-31) before November 2025 Manual of the Moment: MVS Extended Addressability Guide (https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/zos/3.1.0?topic=mvs-zos-programming-extended-addressability-guide) for learning about address spaces, data spaces, and hiperspaces. Mainframe - Looking at ages of fixes you haven't installed yet IBM has started adding a REWORK date to PTFs. The date may be a day or two before the actual availability date. Use case example: requirement with a policy that Security/Integrity (SECINT) PTFs that meet some criteria must be installed within xx days of availability. Fits nicely with the z/OS UUID support, from Episode 34 (https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/marna-walle/episodes/Episode-34-Homeward-Bound-e2cmmv2). Performance - Drawers, Of Course Martin explores the IBM z16 drawers, frames, and cache hierarchy. All of an LPAR’s logical processors and memory should be in the same drawer. Important because cross-drawer memory and cache accesses are expensive. Topics - Excel Love It Or Hate It Martin and Marna discuss how they use Excel, and what they like and dislike about it. Graphing and customization difficulties were investigated. On the blog Marna's blog (https://www.marnasmusings.com/) Martin's blogs (https://mainframeperformancetopics.com/) So It Goes...

3. 

   6 Dec 2023

   Episode 34 "Homeward Bound"

   Episode 34 "Homeward Bound" Mainframe - z/OSMF Software Management UUID (https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/zos/3.1.0?topic=services-retrieve-zos-system-uuid) What it is: ability to programmatically retrieve a unique value (UUID) which can then be used to find out installation information about the active z/OS system. This function is optional. Requires: z/OS 3.1, an SMP/E CSI specific to that software instance, and an installed usermod which is provided by z/OSMF Software Management. How it works: once the UUID has been encoded into your z/OS system's LPALIB data set, you can use a REST API to retrieve the UUID. Then, this allows you to use the UUID to run many other REST APIs to look at the installed software with assurance that you are looking at the actively running system software instance. You must ensure that for each new software instance, you install a new UUID. The UUID is also available from the D IPLINFO (https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/zos/3.1.0?topic=command-displaying-ipl-information-iplinfo) command. Performance - Logical Processor Home Addresses This is the LPAR's preferred physical location for a specific logical process to be dispatched. Drawer, DCM, chip, core. Degrees of meaning for Verical High, Medium, Low, and Dedicated. z16 support is in the SMF 70-1 records, OA62064 (https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/apar/OA62064) . Better than SMF 99-14 in some ways. Useful for an analysis of effect of PR/SM weights and HiperDispatch, verify location of ICF and IFL LPARs. Logical processor is not always dispatched to its home address. VH and Dedicated will always dispatch to the home processor. Location of memory is not included, although SMF 113 gives hints. Might need SMF 99-14 in addition, as it has affinity nodes, which 70-1 doesn't. All in all, a very useful advancement in the instrumentation. Topics - Useful Tips for Debugging a DFSORT E15 Exit Martin explores his experiences with DFSORT E15 and offers advice. DFSORT E15 is great at flattening records and enhancing filtering. You might find yourself needing to maintain this exit, which others have written. Some useful advice is: let the exits do the I/O for you, do a COPY first, stop after one record at first, write diagnostic data into output records, forcing an abend can help, code a SYSUDUMP DD, maintain a DFSORT symbols convention, GETMAIN your working storage, and you can write to the spool. On the blog Marna's blog (https://www.marnasmusings.com/) Martin's blogs (https://mainframeperformancetopics.com/) So It Goes

Podcast Authority Score: 15 / 100

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