Mainframe, Performance, Topics Podcast

Marna Walle

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… 

  1. Sep 2

    Episode 37 "Watts Up"

    Episode 36 "Watts Up" What’s New z17 ME2, single frame and rack mount! Webpage of the Moment: Java dependencies for z/OS elements and components We've moved z/OS dependency from Semeru 21 to 25!Mainframe - New System Recovery Boost Goodies Provided in  OA66837 Message enhancement, more information in SMF 90.40 and 89. New Recovery Process Boost for dynamic I/O activation. There are now 8 of these types of recovery process boosts.Available on z/OS 3.1 and higher, for z16 and higher. Performance - IBM z17 Sustainability Metrics Power consumption data is provided on z/OS 3.1 and higher, in SMF 70.1 CPU Control Section.Available at both LPAR and Machine level. Machine consumption level has: infrastructure, unassigned (not deployed to any LPAR), and total. LPAR consumption level has: CPU (both GCP and zIIP), memory, and I/O.Martin's observations: LPAR consumption is largely driven by CPU, and there is a substantial amount of non-LPAR power consumption. Topics - Restarting Things Martin and Marna discuss why software gets restarted (z/OS IPLs and middleware restarts).Martin has noticed in engagements that it takes time for things to warm up. Most notably, Db2 buffer pools maturing.It is helpful to know when your warm-up period happens, such that you can be ready when your heaviest workload arrives. Restarts don't necessarily mean a workload or service outage, because of IBM Z technology advances (sysplex, workload balancing, ...) On the blog ⁠Marna's blog⁠⁠Martin's blogSo It Goes⁠

    Episode 37 "Watts Up"

  2. 04/08/2025

    Episode 36 "Telum Like It Is"

    Episode 36 "Telum Like It Is"What’s Newz/OS dependencies moved from Semeru 17 to 21. EOS for Semeru 11 is 30 Nov 2025.Manual of the Moment: z/OS 3.1 Planning for Installation refresh, Software Dependencies sectionMainframe - Position z/OS for IBM z17z/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 3.2z/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 highlightsTelum 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.TopicsMartin and Marna discuss how they prepared materials for IBM z17, with the Upgrade Workflow and Redbooks.On the blogMarna's blogMartin's blogsSo It Goes

    Episode 36 "Telum Like It Is"

  3. 10/28/2024

    Episode 35 "In search of EXCELence?"

    What’s New z/OS dependencies moved from Semeru 11 to 17 before November 2025 Manual of the Moment: MVS 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. 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 Martin's blogs So It Goes...

    Episode 35 "In search of EXCELence?"

  4. 12/06/2023

    Episode 34 "Homeward Bound"

    Episode 34 "Homeward Bound" Mainframe - z/OSMF Software Management 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 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 . 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 Martin's blogs So It Goes

    Episode 34 "Homeward Bound"

  5. 07/05/2023

    Episode 33 "These Boots Were Made"

    Episode 33 "These Boots Were Made" What’s New Preliminary z/OS 3.1 Upgrade materials Python 3.1.1 zIIP enablemment OA63406 and PH52983 Mainframe - Requires: z/OS V2.5 with PTFs, IBM z16 with microcode. Has both driving and target system requirements, use IBM.Function.ValidatedBoot FIXCAT. Front end: Siging the in-scope artifacts (NUCLEUS, LPA, IPL Text, and SA Dump Text), z16 is not required here although z/OS V2.5 and PTFs are. Back end: Verification of those signed in-scope artifacts. z16 with correct microcode level is required here (with z/OS V2.5 and PTFs). Security set up work is required. Performance - Open Data Sets, Part 2 Follow on, from Part 1 which was physical open and close of data sets as seen by z/OS. This is about Db2 with the notion of logically Open and Closed data sets. Its main role is to manage inter-Db2 read/write interest, for Datasharing efficiency purposes. Two Db2 subsystem parameters have traditionally been used to control pseudoclose: PCLOSET and PCLOSEN. PCLOSEN is gone in V12 with APAR PH28280, as part of a DSNZPARM simplification effort. So PCLOSET would need adjusting down to whatever mimics PCLOSEN - in anticipation of this APAR or V13. Topics - Messing With Digital Electronics Martin explores his experiences with input devices (Stream Decks, Quick Keys, ...) Martin has even built his own input devices: having an RFID card kick off automation, rotary encoders, USB Human Interface Device. On the blog Marna's blog Martin's blogs So It Goes

    Episode 33 "These Boots Were Made"

  6. 04/21/2023

    Episode 32 "Scott Free"

    Episode 32 "Scott Free" What’s New Preview of z/OS 3.1 Mainframe - SMFLIMxx Parmlib Member IEFUSI exit replacement with a parmlib member, related to storage and limits that can be specified. Functions are delivered as continuous delivery, such as the SAF check filter, and number of shared pages used. In z/OS 3.1: Dedicated Real Memory Pools to assign memory to a specific application, like zCX, in all frame sizes. Performance - Open Data Sets, Part 1 Looking at many open data sets (100s of thousands) for middleware. ALLOCxx's SWBSTORAGE has to specify ATB to put control blocks above the bar. Applications need to exploit the service. Monitoring virtual storage is key here, and remains important. The number of volumes needed affects how much memory is needed, so there is no one answer. Topics - Evolution of a Graph Martin explores the large improvements he's made with his custom graphing programs. Start with naive rows and columns, with rigid labels. Then, generating the titles with REXX. Then, using REXX to drive GDDM directly. Then, use REXX to generate many more data point and plotting them directly. Then, have REXX generate the series names. Martin encourages all to evolve their graphs, to tell the story better, and run more efficiently. Customer Requirement ZOSI-2195 "Extended GDG causes space issues", has been satisfied. IGGCATxx's GDGLIMITMAX with OA62222 on V2.3. On the blog Marna's NEW blog location is here Martin has quite a few new blog articles here So It Goes

    Episode 32 "Scott Free"

  7. 07/11/2022

    Episode 31 "Take it to the Macs"

    Episode 31 "Take it to the Macs" show notes. This episode is about our After Show. (What is that?) Long show notes can be found here. What’s New New news for CustomPac removal date, it is July 10, 2022. Data Set File System released OA62150 closed April 28th, 2022 only on z/OS V2.5 Mainframe - z/OS Management Services Catalogs: Importance of z/OSMF Workflows z/OS Management Services Catalog, zMSC, allows you to customize a z/OSMF Workflow for your enterprise, and publish it in a catalog for others to "click and use". There are 7 initial sample Services that IBM provides, or you can provide your own with a starting Workflow. zMSC Services are based on z/OSMF Workflows. You can see why the discussion on knowing z/OSMF Workflows is important. Performance - System Recovery Boost (SRB) Early Experiences System Recovery Boost provides boosts of two kinds: speed and zIIP. There are different capabilities of SRB, based on which HW server you are running (z15 or z16):Shutdown - which allows you to have 30 minutes worth of boosting during shutdown. This function must be requested to be used each time. IPL - which allows you to have 60 minutes worth of boosting during IPL. This function, provided by default, is on. Recovery Process Boost, provided on IBM z15. Extends to structure or connectivity recovery, for instance. Newer additional functions for Recovery Process Boost, specifically on IBM z16, for stopping and starting certain middleware. Martin has several early field experience, which he has summarised in four blog posts. Topics - Stickiness This topics explores what makes some technologies sticky, and some not. Martin and Marna discuss some of the attributes are important for continuing to be used, and what makes a function fall away over time.Value Completeness Usability and immediacy Reliability Setup complexity On the blog Marna's blog is here Martin has quite a few new blog articles here So It Goes

  8. 03/16/2022

    Episode 30 "Choices Choices"

    Short show notes - long show notes here We have a special guest joining us for the performance topic, Scott Ballentine. What’s New New news for CustomPac removal date, which has been extended past January 2022. The reason was to accommodate the desired Data Set Merge capability in z/OSMF which customers needed. For the new withdrawl date, it is planned to be announced in 2Q2022. Mainframe - Only in V2.5 This topic was looking at some new functions that are only in z/OS V2.5. Data Set File System, planned to be available in 1Q 2022. Dynamic Change Master Catalog RACF data base encryption has a statement of direction. Increase z/OS Memory limit above 4TB to 16TB. More Concurrently ”Open” VSAM Linear Datasets. Db2 exploits with Apar PH09189, and APAR PH33238 is suggested. ISPF Updates to ISPF in support of PDSE V2 member generations, and SUBMIT command to add an optional parameter SUBSYS. Access Method Services - IDCAMS - DELETE MASK has two new options TEST and EXCLUDE z/OS Encryption Readiness Technology zERT There’s a lot of other stuff rolled back to V2.4 Performance - What's the Use? - with special guest Scott Ballentine This discussion is a summary from a joint presentation on Usage Data and IFAUSAGE The topic is motivational because customers can get a lot of value of out this usage data, and understand the provenance of IFAUSAGE data. A macro vendors or anybody use can use to show which products are used and how. It can show names: Product Vendor, Name, ID, Version, Qualifier, Show numbers: Product TCB, Product SRB, FUNCTIONDATA The data is ostensibly for SCRT, which is fed by SMF 70 and SMF 89 Scott talked about encoding via IFAUSAGE, appears in SMF 30 and 89-1 SMF 89-1: Software Levels query, Db2 / MQ subsystems query SMF 30: Topology (e.g. CICS connecting to Db2 or MQ), Some numbers (Connections’ CPU) Both SMF 30 and 89: FUNCTIONDATA Examples were mentioned that might inspire developers to think about how they code IFAUSAGE Hope is developers will delight customers by using IFAUSAGE right, and customers will take advantage in the way shown with reporting examples. Topics - Choices, Choices This topics is about how to choose a language to use for which purpose. Different languages were discussed for different needs. Use Case: Serving HTML? Host consideration: Running on e.g. laptop? Host consideration: Running on z/OS? Overall lesson: Choose the language that respects the problem at hand. On the blog Marna's blog is here Martin has quite a few new blog articles here So It Goes

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About

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… 

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