Master the Mainframe Contest and z/OS Education Available

IBM's FREE Master the MainframeLearning System is available to help ANYONE get started on IBM Z.  This fun and engaging system provides hands-on learning to build critical, introductory mainframe skills, and no prior mainframe experience is required!  It is based on the successful Master the Mainframe contest system and open to everyone by registering here.

http://ibm.biz/masterthemainframe
IDs are valid until: August 31, 2018

 


Developers will benefit from participating in the following ways:

- Part 1: Basics of z/OS TSO, ISPF, SDSF, and Unix Services shell prompt
- Part 2: Basics of z/OS JCL, data set types, and z/OS data storage
- Part 3: z/OS various job roles, responsibilities, and application development using Java. C, COBOL, and Assembler

Those that complete Part 2 and Part 3 successfully will receive IBM Open Badges to display on their social media pages.

Also, don't forget to promote the Master the Mainframe contest to faculty and students in your area...it is now open and running globally!

Webinar: IBM's New z14 Enterprise Server

Date: Tuesday, August 1, 2017
Time: 10:30 am - 12:00 pm ET
Click here to register (to listen to the playback)
 
Note: The charts from this webinar are available on my presentations page.
 
In the Agenda:

• IBM z14 technical overview
• Achieving pervasive encryption
• New coupling link technology
• Systems administration simplified
• Operating system support

On July 17, 2017 IBM announced the newest member of the IBM Z® family, the IBM z14™ (z14), designed to be the cornerstone for a trust economy.

• Pervasive encryption – 100% encryption of all data with zero application changes
• Speed, efficiency, and access improvements to both serve up data to build services and new offerings and to perform machine learning and insight on the data where it resides
•  Bridging the skills gap – providing ‘from anywhere’ mobile access and simplified administration of z/OS

In this 90-minute webinar:

• Find out about the new and enhanced technology in the z14
• Explore how these enhancements will impact your business now and in the future

GlassHouse Systems Speaker: Jim Elliott
Jim is an IBM Z consultant for GlassHouse Systems Inc. supporting our mainframe customers across Canada and the USA. He spent most of his career at IBM in technical roles and from 1992 had been the Product Manager for the mainframe operating systems in Canada. From May 1998 to December 2001 he was a mainframe Product Manager for IBM Americas where he led the launch of Linux on the mainframe. From January 2002 to May 2007 he was the Linux and Open Source leader for IBM Canada and then moved to System z sales in May 2007. He took on his final role at IBM as Canadian z Systems technical sales leader in January 2015 and retired from IBM in January 2016 to join GlassHouse Systems.

About GlassHouse Systems
GlassHouse Systems is a leading security and enterprise infrastructure solution provider, with 25 years serving private and public customers across Canada and the US. GlassHouse Systems specializes in security solutions, deployed on premises remotely managed 24/7, hosted or SaaS.

The IBM Z announcement of the IBM z14 is now live

The IBM Z announcement of the IBM z14 is now live. 

• Go to https://www.ibm.com/us-en/marketplace/z14 for detailed information on the launch. 
• The specs for the z14 are available at https://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/cgi-bin/ssialias?htmlfid=ZSD03046USEN

The following Redbooks are now available:

• The IBM z14 Technical Introduction is available at http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/abstracts/sg248450.html
• The IBM z14 Technical Guide is available at http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/abstracts/sg248451.html
• The IBM Z Functional Matrix is available at http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/redpieces/abstracts/redp5157.html
• The IBM Z Connectivity Handbook is available at http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/redpieces/abstracts/sg245444.html

Also, the following IBM z14 publications are available now on ResourceLink.

• Installation Manual for Physical Planning GC28-6965-00
• IOCP User's Guide SB10-7172-00
• Planning for Fiber Optic Links GA23-1408-00
• PR/SM Planning Guide SB10-7169-00

VM Workshop 2017

The VM Workshop for 2017 takes place from June 22 to June 24 at Ohio State University in Columbus OH. I will be presenting on the history of mainframe virtualization.

For more information visit the VM Workshop web site at http://www.vmworkshop.org/2017.shtml

Mainframe related blogs

Just a quick advert for a couple of other blogs which I recommend following:

• IBM Mainframe Insights which is a great source for general mainframe related info (with a focus on z/OS)
• IBM Enterprise Linux Insights which covers Linux on z Systems and LinuxONE

Ubuntu 16.04 now on z Systems

For more details see the Canonical announcement

For more information on Ubuntu on IBM servers

Read the FAQ for more information on this offering. A big difference from SUSE and Red Hat for z Systems is the pricing. Ubuntu is priced at $19,500 USD per drawer per year. That means on a z13s or LinuxONE Rockhopper you get 1 to 20 IFLs and on the z13 or LinuxONE Emperor you get 1 to 30 IFLs for that one low price. This should be a huge game changer for Linux on the mainframe.

New z Systems Announcement

Join IBM on Tuesday, February 16, 2016 to hear about new IBM solutions to boost businessinnovation with the strength, agility, and by leveraging the cloud on today's most trusted system.

Register for this exclusive webcast, and learn how to accelerate innovation in your enterprise. Hear unique perspectives from experts and organizations who are driving change and achieving success in an increasingly competitive and connected world. Listen to insightful viewpoints and strategies that can help you take advantage of today's dynamic environment. And be among the first to see IBM unveil a new system and technologies that offer today's businesses unimaginable potential to out-compete with speed and intelligence.

Register today!

IBM z Systems web site