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Multiple Virtual Storage, more commonly called MVS, was the most commonly used operating system on the System/370 and System/390 IBM mainframe computers. IBM developed MVS, along with OS/VS1 and SVS, as a successor to OS/360. It is unrelated to IBM's other mainframe operating system lines, e.g., VSE, VM, TPF.
Transaction Processing Facility (TPF) is an IBM real-time operating system for mainframe computers descended from the IBM System/360 family, including zSeries and System z9.
z/OS is a 64-bit operating system for IBM z/Architecture mainframes, introduced by IBM in October 2000. It derives from and is the successor to OS/390, which in turn followed a string of MVS versions. Like OS/390, z/OS combines a number of formerly separate, related products, some of which are still optional. z/OS has the attributes of modern operating systems, but also retains much of the older functionality originated in the 1960s and still in regular use—z/OS is designed for backward compatibility.
In computing, a core dump, memory dump, crash dump, storage dump, system dump, or ABEND dump consists of the recorded state of the working memory of a computer program at a specific time, generally when the program has crashed or otherwise terminated abnormally. In practice, other key pieces of program state are usually dumped at the same time, including the processor registers, which may include the program counter and stack pointer, memory management information, and other processor and operating system flags and information. A snapshot dump is a memory dump requested by the computer operator or by the running program, after which the program is able to continue. Core dumps are often used to assist in diagnosing and debugging errors in computer programs.
Db2 is a family of data management products, including database servers, developed by IBM. They initially supported the relational model, but were extended to support object–relational features and non-relational structures like JSON and XML. The brand name was originally styled as DB/2, then DB2 until 2017 and finally changed to its present form.
The IBM Information Management System (IMS) is a joint hierarchical database and information management system that supports transaction processing.
IBM CICS is a family of mixed-language application servers that provide online transaction management and connectivity for applications on IBM mainframe systems under z/OS and z/VSE.
In software engineering, a pipeline consists of a chain of processing elements, arranged so that the output of each element is the input of the next; the name is by analogy to a physical pipeline. Usually some amount of buffering is provided between consecutive elements. The information that flows in these pipelines is often a stream of records, bytes, or bits, and the elements of a pipeline may be called filters; this is also called the pipes and filters design pattern. Connecting elements into a pipeline is analogous to function composition.
This article discusses support programs included in or available for OS/360 and successors. IBM categorizes some of these programs as utilities and others as service aids; the boundaries are not always consistent or obvious. Many, but not all, of these programs match the types in utility software.
In computing, Advanced Program to Program Communication or APPC is a protocol which computer programs can use to communicate over a network. APPC is at the application layer in the OSI model, it enables communications between programs on different computers, from portables and workstations to midrange and host computers. APPC is defined as VTAM LU 6.2
In IBM System z9 and successor mainframes, the System z Integrated Information Processor (zIIP) is a special purpose processor. It was initially introduced to relieve the general mainframe central processors (CPs) of specific Db2 processing loads, but currently is used to offload other z/OS workloads as described below. The idea originated with previous special purpose processors, the zAAP, which offloads Java processing, and the IFL, which runs Linux and z/VM but not other IBM operating systems such as z/OS, DOS/VSE and TPF. A System z PU is "characterized" as one of these processor types, or as a CP, or SAP. These processors do not contain microcode or hardware features that accelerate their designated workloads. Instead, by relieving the general CP of particular workloads, they often lead to a higher workload throughput at reduced license fees.
To quiesce is to pause or alter a device or application to achieve a consistent state, usually in preparation for a backup or other maintenance.
Teleprocessing Network Simulator (TPNS) is an IBM licensed program, first released in 1976 as a test automation tool to simulate the end-user activity of network terminal(s) to a mainframe computer system, for functional testing, regression testing, system testing, capacity management, benchmarking and stress testing.
An access method is a function of a mainframe operating system that enables access to data on disk, tape or other external devices. Access methods were present in several mainframe operating systems since the late 1950s, under a variety of names; the name access method was introduced in 1963 in the IBM OS/360 operating system. Access methods provide an application programming interface (API) for programmers to transfer data to or from device, and could be compared to device drivers in non-mainframe operating systems, but typically provide a greater level of functionality.
In IBM mainframe operating systems, Execute Channel Program (EXCP) is a macro generating a system call, implemented as a Supervisor Call instruction, for low-level device access, where the programmer is responsible for providing a channel program—a list of device-specific commands (CCWs)—to be executed by I/O channels, control units and devices. EXCP for OS/360 and successors is more specifically described in the OS System Programmer's Guide.; EXCP for DOS/360 and successors is more specifically described in DOS Supervisor and I/O Macros. This article mostly reflects OS/360 through z/OS; some details are different for TOS/360 and DOS/360 through z/VSE.
Splunk Inc. is an American software company based in San Francisco, California, that produces software for searching, monitoring, and analyzing machine-generated data via a Web-style interface.
Resource Measurement Facility (RMF) is a performance monitor for the z/OS Operating System. It also collects data for long-term performance analysis and capacity planning. The product consists of the following components:
IBM WebSphere Application Server for z/OS is one of the platform implementations of IBM's WebSphere Application Server family. The latest version is Version 9.0.
IBM WebSphere Optimized Local Adapters is a functional component of IBM's WebSphere Application Server for z/OS that provides an efficient cross-memory mechanism for calls both inbound to WAS z/OS and outbound from z/OS. Because it avoids the overhead of other communication mechanisms, it is capable of high volume exchange of messages. WOLA is an extension to the existing cross-memory exchange mechanism of WAS z/OS, with WOLA providing an external interface so z/OS address spaces outside the WAS z/OS server may participate in cross-memory exchanges. WOLA supports connectivity between a WAS z/OS server and one or more of the following: CICS, IMS, Batch, UNIX Systems Services and ALCS. WOLA was first made available in WAS z/OS Version 7, Fixpack 4 (7.0.0.4). Functional enhancements have appeared in subsequent fixpacks as documented in this article.
The SMF 120 Subtype 9 is a new SMF record made available IBM's WebSphere Application Server for z/OS Version 7. Its design is based on customer feedback regarding the data required when operating WAS z/OS. The previous WAS z/OS SMF records were Subtypes 1, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8. Those subtypes continue to exist, but Subtype 9 may be viewed as a replacement.
References
- IBM Redbooks. ABCs of z/OS System Programming Volume 2, International Technical Support Organization, July 2008.
- BMC CMF Monitor - http://www.bmc.com/products/proddocview/0,2832,19052_19429_23401_1365,00.html
- Examples of SMF Reports - http://www.pacsys.com/smf/smf_example_list.htm
- Streaming z/OS IT Operational Data with IBM Z Common Data Provider. Planet Mainframe. August 27, 2020.
- IBM Z Operational Log and Data Analytics documentation - https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/z-logdata-analytics/5.1.0?topic=overview-z-common-data-provider
- IBM Z Operational Log and Data Analytics Product Page - https://www.ibm.com/products/z-log-and-data-analytics
- IBM Z Anomaly Analytics with Watson documentation - https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/z-anomaly-analytics/5.1.0
- IBM Z Anomaly Analytics with Watson Product page - https://www.ibm.com/products/z-anomaly-analytics