This course is designed for system programmers, operators, and application programmers that need an understanding of the z/OS environment and the subsystems supported. Workstations will be used to illustrate concepts and provide basic exposure to the elements of the z/OS environment

Mainframe Training Prerequisites

z/OS (MVS) Skill Pack or equivalent experience with TSO/ISPF and JCL processing are required.

Mainframe Training Course duration

10 days

Mainframe Training Course outline

I. System Basics

• Examine how data is represented in computers, using binary, hexadecimal, and decimal.
• Introduction to memory addresses and basic instruction operation
• Explore the role of the PSW in machine operations
• Introduce basic computer hardware inventory: CPU, Memory, and I/O devices

• Examine basic program structure.
• Introduction to Linkage Editor functions
• Illustrate connection between data, JCL and programs

• Evolution of operating systems from MVT/MFT to z/OS.
• Examining LPARs and parallel sysplex configurations.

• Review the IPL process
• Steps in systems initialization

• Interrupts and interrupt handling
• PARMLIB definitions related to system functions
• System Address spaces

• Real storage management:
• Central and expanded storage usage
• Virtual storage management:
• Paging/Swapping mechanisms
• Auxiliary storage management

• Review of initiator/terminator functions
• Address spaces and task control

• Introduction to DASD hardware functions:
  • CKD, ECKD, and FBA devices
  • Parallel Access Volumes (PAV)
  • Volume Affinity
• Components of I/O operation:
• Introduction to channel command processing
• Access method services
• Caching mechanisms

• Data set organization and access methods:
  • Sequential access (SAM)
  • Basic Partitioned Access (BPAM)
  • Basic Direct Access (BDAM)
  • VSAM processing (ESDS, KSDS, RRDS)
• Introduction to database processing concepts

• Examine basic objectives in managing system resources
• Explore the process of defining objectives
• Discuss the process WLM uses to make decisions and monitoring requirements
• Scheduling environments
• Intelligent Resource Director

• Introduce DFSMS concepts
• Review SMS components
  • SMS Control data sets
• ISMF Panels and Storage Administration Functions
  • Storage Groups
  • Data Class
  • Management Class
  • Storage Class

• Introduction to JES2 Concepts
  • Introduction to JES2 Checkpoint and Spool operations
  • Examine JES2 job execution phases
  • JES2 and Workload Manager (WLM)
  • JES2 system configuration options (including Poly-JES)
• JES2 Initialization
  • JES2 start-up options
  • JES2 procedure and specification requirements
  • Dynamic allocation of PROCLIB and PARMLIB specifications
  • Introduction to JES2 initialization statements
• Controlling JES2 Processes
  • JES2 device assignments
  • Internal reader facility
  • Job selection criteria and job initiation
  • Member affinity and initiator management
  • Output management
  • Print/Punch phase and output routine
• Spool Volumes and Operation
  • Spool volume allocation
  • Spool management
  • Spool Offload Facility
• JES2 Checkpoint Processing
  • Checkpoint sizing and placement
  • Checkpoint configuration considerations
  • Checkpoint reconfiguration dialogues
  • Recovering from Multi-Access Spool (MAS) failures
  • JES2 Checkpoint and coupling facility
• Remote JES2 Configurations: RJE/NJE
• Network Job Entry (NJE) definitions
• Networking considerations and topology
• Remote Job Entry (RJE) definitions

• USS File systems
• USS Setup, commands, and definitions

• Basic networking and configurations
• VTAM/SNA overview and function
  • Examine terminology associated with SNA networks
  • Review VTAM/SNA networking concepts and configurations
  • VTAM JCL and data sets
  • VTAM initialization parameters (ATCSTR00 and ATCCONxx)
  • Terminal definitions, USSMODE, LOGON mode
• TCP/IP overview and function
  • Examine terminology associated with TCP/IP networks
  • Review TCP/IP networking concepts and packet delivery
  • Examine architecture and standards
  • Review TCP/IP protocols
  • Describe various TCP/IP applications and their uses

• REXX Overview
  • Basic language structure
  • Clauses
  • Literals
• Running REXX programs
  • ALTLIB
• REXX Procedures
  • PARSE
  • Data Stack
  • Operators
  • DO Loops
  • Built-in functions
  • External functions
  • Routines
  • ADDRESS host environments

• SMP/E Overview and Methodology
  • SMP/E data sets and their role in maintaining system information
  • Introduction to SMP/E dialogues
  • Introduction to the SMP/E zones; Global, Target, and Distribution
  • Establishing the SMP/E environment and its definitions
• SYSMODS
  • Introduction to SYSMOD types; PTF, APAR, FUNCTION, and USERMODS
  • Review HOLDDATA
  • Examine MCS statements and how utility functions are performed within SMP/E
  • RECEIVE, APPLY, and ACCEPT processing
  • Examine the SMP/E process for introducing change into the z/OS environment
  • RECEIVE processing
  • APPLY CHECK and APPLY processing
  • ACCEPT CHECK and ACCEPT processing
• RESTORE and REJECT processing
  • Examine SMP/E process for restoring and removing changes from z/OS
  • RESTORE CHECK and RESTORE processing
  • REJECT processing
• Managing SYSMODS
  • CLEANUP processing to remove extraneous data from zones
  • REPORT processing commands for reviewing SYSMOD status
• Controlling SMP/E data sets
  • UCLIN processing to modify data elements within zones
  • ZONE processing commands
  • BUILDMCS command for migrating SMP/E managed elements to other systems
• SMP/E Reporting
  • SMP/E logging functions to trace activity
  • SMP/E LIST command to report on managed elements
  • SMP/E Report functions