Mainframe Strategy: Identifying and Solving Common IBM Z Issues
January 19, 2022
One of my recent clients was a Fortune 100 company utilizing many mainframes and all of the complexities that go with it. My client had robust availability, resiliency everywhere, and redundancy exactly where you expect it. They had a multitude of highly skilled individuals keeping their infrastructure and applications running smoothly. They also had an […]
ArticlesA Simplified Approach to Understanding z/OS Performance
January 18, 2022
Knowing and understanding the performance of z/OS systems has always been important for enterprises as mission-critical business processes run in z/OS systems. Each mainframe shop has its own way of dealing with performance, which is a factor of in-house skills. As deep technical skills are becoming rare, a simplified approach to z/OS performance can help […]
ArticlesAIX 7.3 and HMC v10 Upgrades
January 18, 2022
In late 2021, IBM released the final versions of HMC v10 and AIX v7.3. Below is a summary of my experiences upgrading my HMC to v10 and a couple of LPARs to AIX v7.3 HMC v10 Upgrades on Your POWERHMC The first step for me is to login to the BMC interface on the HMC […]
ArticlesCounting the Benefits Part 2: IBM Z and the Global Economy
January 17, 2022
In Part 1 of this article, I set the stage for recognizing that the IBM Z mainframe has many relevant differentiators that need to be specifically accounted for in RPFs and cost-benefits analyses in order to create a fair playing field where implicit strengths of the mainframe are not assumed as being part of other […]
ArticlesSpeech-to-Text Conversion Using Python
January 13, 2022
In this tutorial from Subhasish Sarkar, learn how to build a basic speech-to-text engine using simple Python script
The Value of a COMMON Membership
January 12, 2022
In my last post, I wrote about IBM i resources for continuous learning. This week, I want to talk about COMMONand the value of a COMMON membership. COMMON is a non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance the careers of its members through education, certification, advocacy and networking. Many associate COMMON with the annual conference, but […]
ArticlesThe Mainframe Ecosystem: A Community Effort
January 10, 2022
Community. That’s the driving force behind the burgeoning IBM Z mainframe ecosystem, whether supported by IBM itself, ISVs, universities or end users—or more likely, all of the above. Indeed, each of these segments benefits from the others by working toward common goals, such as improving mainframe ease of use, cultivating skills for the future or developing open-source […]
ArticlesPaving a Path Forward on IBM i and AIX
January 10, 2022
As organizations accelerate their digital transformations, IBM i and AIX partners and customers are re-evaluating their approach and planning their path forward. While the pandemic added new challenges, many organizations are facing the same or similar challenges that were present before COVID-19 and now are just at a heightened level of importance. Modernizing RPG Applications […]
ArticlesHashes and How to Create Them on z/OS
January 10, 2022
Hashes can be really handy. Want to confirm that a file was received intact? Compare sender and receiver hashes. Want to see if a file has been updated recently? Compare hashes generated over time. Want a fast key for a lookup table? Use a hash as the key. But what are hashes, and how can […]
ArticlesLog4Shell Part 2: 3 Best Practices for Software Security
January 6, 2022
Log4Shell and others provide a constant reminder that IT security is a perpetual task. Jesse Gorzinski highlights three security best practices you should follow to keep software secure.