This morning I had my Live Virtual Class (LVC) on z/VSE hardware exploitation. You can still register for the repeat later today.   Tomorrow is the next LVC for Linux on z Systems environments: Topic : Fully Automated Installation of Ubuntu Server 16.04 with preseed Date : Wednesday, August 3, 2016 Abstract : This Live demo session explains and demonstrates how to perform a fully automated installation of Ubuntu 16.04.1 LTS server on z Systems platform.   More information and registration links are here . For the z/VSE session you may... [More]

Tags:  lvc installation linux vse ubuntu hardware live-virtual-class

It's time to register for the next major z/VSE, z/VM, KVM and Linux on z Systems conference - the 10th European IBM / GSE Technical University for z/VSE, z/VM, KVM and Linux on IBM z Systems.   This conference has general sessions in English, international (English) and German tracks. It is scheduled from October 24 to 26, 2016 in Leipzig, Germany. Hotel rooms can be guaranteed until August 24. More information, registration and the agenda is here .   I am looking forward to meet you there.

Tags:  vse gse technical conference

About 10 days ago, I informed you about the next z/VSE Live Virtual Class (LVC). It is scheduled for Tuesday next week (August 2, 2016).   Topic: z/VSE exploitation of IBM z Systems hardware and IBM Storage Date: Tuesday, August 2, 2016   Abstract: This session provides information on the latest z/VSE hardware support. It shows how z/VSE 6.1 exploits z Systems and attached devices. It will give a short overview on z/VSE's implementation of PAV, SCSI, OSA, Crypto, FlashCopy, and more. I also added the latest news about z/VSE. The... [More]

Tags:  live-virtual-class device processor lvc vse hardware

The z/VSE 6.1 base and extended base available via Shopz were updated. All PTFs as of June 30, 2016 are now included.   That is if you download or order z/VSE 6.1 you will get z/VSE 6.1 including the latest Recommended Service  Level (RSL) with cutoff date June 30. The latest RSL levels are documented on the z/VSE preventive service page - here .   If you have already z/VSE 6.1 installed, just apply that RSL, and you are on the same level as the new Shopz level.   Remark to the z/VSE 6.1 update: The SPLEVEL.PROC does not... [More]

Tags:  service rsl splevel base support vse

I am not in the office today. Therefore you don't see a z/VSE topic.   Have a nice day.

Today a z/VSE user asked, if z/VSE has an API to generate a one-way hash (a cryptographic function) in an application like z/OS has. z/OS Cryptographic Services provide a callable service to generate a one-way hash (e.g. CSNBOWH) to ensure the integrity of transmitted messages and stored data. This function uses an algorithm to generate a one-way hash (called message digest) from a given input (text).   On z/VSE you have 3 options to generate a one-way hash: IBM TCP/IP for VSE/ESA 1.5F or IBM TCP/IP for z/VSE 2.1: with the functions md5... [More]

Tags:  api hash vse service crypto

Just last week there was a question about 4 digit device addresses from a z/VSE user, who couldn't find it in the z/VSE 5.1 Release Guide. He got a good answer and was pointed to the IPL ADD command in the z/VSE System Control Statements.   Today I want to give a bit more information and references for our 4 digit device address implementation. With z/VSE 4.3 we introduced 4-digit device addresses. The support was announced in the z/VSE 4.3 Release Guide ("Support for Device Addresses up to X'FFFF'"). You can define... [More]

Tags:  cuu tape vse disk device

The CICS Transaction Gateway for multiplatforms (CTG) provides an API, that may be used in Java applications for multi-user access to CICS servers such as CICS Transaction Server for VSE/ESA 1.1.1 or z/VSE 2.1 (CICS TS). You may communicate from CTG to CICS TS via ECI (External Call Interface) calls over TCP/IP or SNA. The CTG directly connects to the CICS TS server. I provided more details in an older blog entry two years ago - here .   Today I want to point you to additional resources - Featured documents for IBM CICS Transaction Gateway... [More]

Tags:  cics documentation vse cics_transaction_gateway

Today I have a short video for you. It's a good summary of tips, that help our z/VSE Level 2 team to speed up the PMR resolution. The Youtube video is here .   Some additional material the z/VSE service team may ask for: Issue the SIR command on the console and make a screen shot from the output or prepare the console log output (EXEC PRINTLOG) The SIR output shows the processor, the z/VM and z/VSE release, VSE Supervisor and VSE/POWER PTF level, number of CPUs, ... Prepare the console log output. We scan that for messages and errors.... [More]

Tags:  tips support service vse

Today we again have about 90 F.   Two years ago I described a connector called GDPS (Geographically Dispersed Parallel Sysplex) client, that can be used for high availability and disaster recovery in computer environments - see here . To use this connector the z/VSE system needs to run as a z/VM guest. z/VSE supports the heartbeat mechanism of GDPS. Therefore the GDPS system can monitor z/VSE, and in case of a problem can initiate any action.   The latest IBM Redbook edition "IBM GDPS Family: An Introduction to Concepts and... [More]

Tags:  gdps disaster recovery vse redbook connector high_availability

Today a new z/VSE 6.1 announcement letter was posted. It announces, that the General Print Server (GPS) feature for IBM TCP/IP for z/VSE 2.1 will be available July 22, 2016.   This is in addition to functionality that is already provided with the Application Pak feature of the product. Both features require a license to use them. To get the license for the GPS feature, the GPS feature must be ordered separately. The GPS feature requires that the Application Pak feature is also licensed. More information on the IBM TCP/IP for z/VSE 2.1... [More]

Tags:  announcement storage sod processor tcpip vse gps

In the past I provided some information about the VSAM Redirector, part of the z/VSE e-business connectors component. More information in my related blog entry is here .   The VSAM Redirector allows you to redirect all accesses to a certain VSAM file into any other file system or database on any other (Java-enabled) platform. It consists of two parts: The VSAM Redirector Client is an exit program running on z/VSE. It is called for each VSAM request and forwards it to the VSAM Redirector Server. The VSAM Redirector Server is running on a... [More]

Tags:  connector service vse redirector support apar

Today I want to inform you about the next Live Virtual Classes (LVCs).   First the KVM for z Systems LVC : Topic: KVM for z Systems Performance Date / Time: Wednesday, July 20, 2016 at 11:00 AM EST / 5:00 PM CET Abstract: KVM for z Systems performance has not been presented at conferences before. The session is not intended to compare to other hypervisors and it covers performance aspects of the KVM host, virtual devices, considerations for guest definitions to reach certain performance levels. The session will also give examples how to... [More]

Tags:  storage kvm lvc live-virtual-class education hardware vse processor

Just today a customer contacted us, that he got message 1YM7t      TAPE DATA HANDLER ENCOUNTERED CONNECTION ERROR caused by an IP address in the VTAPE command with leading zeros, e.g. VTAPE START,UNIT=190,LOC= 8.011.003.024 :2000,FILE='C:/TEST.AWS'   A decimal IP address need to be specified without leading zeros, that is VTAPE START,UNIT=190,LOC= 8.11.3.24 :2000,FILE='C:/TEST.AWS'   After that change his VTAPE command was successful.   We will add the following text to the explanation of... [More]

Tags:  tcpip message virtual_tape tape vse