Re: curious about Java usage.
In this series of articles you might get some insight into how we deployed some mainframe java apps: http://cicswiki.org/cicswiki1/index.php?title=RD/z_Architecture In short - we were able to build the Java apps on a build server and deploy it (the jar files) to the mainframe via a secure file transfer. Java gives the flexibility that you do not have to compile it on the mainframe. We simply copied the CICS jar file to the Linux build server and were able to compile the applications. I am sure this approach will also work for batch. Thanks Corneel Booysen. -Original Message- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:ibm-m...@bama.ua.edu] On Behalf Of John Chase Sent: Monday, December 21, 2009 10:37 AM To: IBM-MAIN@bama.ua.edu Subject: Re: curious about Java usage. On Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:39:49 -0400, Jousma, David david.jou...@53.com wrote: We are in the middle of implementing our first home-grown application written JAVA app. It is stored in ZFS datasets. Our current mainframe change control doesn't support unix file systems. We have a separate change control process for the open systems(unix and windows) from IBM and is a combination of ClearCase, Clear Quest, and Build Forge. I installed the Buildforge agent on the mainframe. It is the conduit to these processes. In our case, the java app is compiled off platform, and all the parts and pieces are then pushed to the mainframe. Does Buildforge support classic mainframe entities, like COBOL, MVS datasets, etc.? Our current mainframe change control product doesn't support the UNIX-y stuff yet; that's being investigated for a future release of it. -jc- -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@bama.ua.edu with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@bama.ua.edu with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Poll about telecommuting
Hello everybody, With gas prices up so much we thought we would host a poll about the state of telecommuting. It is available at CICS World: http://www.cicsworld.com/ Thanks. Corneel. -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
CICS Wiki news
Hello everybody, 1. We got a nice addition from Leigh Compton on how to optimize web service invocations when the requester and provider programs are in the same region: http://cicswiki.org/cicswiki1/index.php?title=How_do_I_optimize_Web_service_invocations_when_the_requester_and_provider_programs_are_both_in_CICS? 2. Roland started his article on using the dynamic program library: http://cicswiki.org/cicswiki1/index.php?title=Dynamic_DFHRPL 3. Hordes of people joined this week and I look forward to their contributions on the Wiki. 4. Please check out the new blog called The Master Terminal in the Wiki sidebar. It is for Hursley people and is administrated by Chris Hodgins. The URL is: http://masterterminal.wordpress.com/ 5. My blog finally has an About Corneel section on CICSWorld ( http://www.cicsworld.com/blog/2 ). I started with a series of articles on the The uncertain future of CICS. The first is called Is COBOL like Oil? and is bound to ruffle a few feathers. Check it out at: http://www.cicsworld.com/node/559 Have a great week! Corneel. -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Re: (fwd) Re: Is IT becoming extinct?
Funny thing - I was just writing about COBOL yesterday: Is COBOL like Oil? : http://www.cicsworld.com/node/559 Thanks Corneel Booysen. -Original Message- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Howard Brazee Sent: Tuesday, April 08, 2008 2:19 PM To: IBM-MAIN@BAMA.UA.EDU Subject: Re: (fwd) Re: Is IT becoming extinct? On 8 Apr 2008 10:55:13 -0700, [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Tom Ross) wrote: I work on the IBM COBOL compiler, and if you could see the amount of interest, the number of compiler licenses, the sheer number of COBOL programmers on IBM Mainframes doing new work everyday in COBOL, you would never say such a thing. For example, we are being overwhelmed with requests to continue our improvements for XML support in COBOL, it has been the most quickly adopted new feature of COBOL in my quarter century as an IBM COBOL compiler developer. COBOL is more alive today than it was 10 years ago! Demise indeed... It's certainly not dead - but its share is dropping as alternative tools do more tasks. I don't think it is more alive today than it was 10 years ago. -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
CICS Wiki news.
Breaking a long drought on the Wiki I added the following articles: - How do I write to an HFS file from CICS? http://cicswiki.org/cicswiki1/index.php?title=How_do_I_write_to_an_HFS_file_from_CICS? - How do I authenticate a web user in CICS? http://cicswiki.org/cicswiki1/index.php?title=How_do_I_authenticate_a_web_user_in_CICS? - The Dignus vendor page at http://cicswiki.org/cicswiki1/index.php?title=Dignus The Dignus page is also the target of our vendor spotlight. Well it looks like Roland and I have been a bit busy but I have him committed to write an article for us on the new dynamic program library feature of Transaction Server 3.2 I also have another promise from Ian Steyn for an article of how to implement CPSM. Speaking of Ian - the Wiki is now fully integrated with CICS world at www.cicsworld.com . Check it out! But how about all of you? Please contact me with ideas on new articles or just jump in and get it done yourself. I hope more of you will become active in the Wiki. Have a great week. Corneel. -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
CICS Wiki news
Hello all, 1. Well SHARE is over and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I found most of the tracks very enjoyable. There were exceptions like the SOA track but you can read my comments about it at http://www.cicsworld.com/node/384 . 2. CICS World is alive! My friend Ian made his new site available and I will be switching the Wiki links I have to pcs305 over to cicsworld this week. Please have a look at www.cicsworld.com . 3. The vendor spotlight is on MacKinney Systems. MacKinney Systems has established itself as a leader among z/OS, VSE and CICS mainframe software vendors with software tools and technical support meeting the high standards and demands of its many Fortune 100 customers at prices affordable to even the smallest mainframe shops. MacKinney Systems is an IBM Business Partner in business for more than 25 years with over 50 z/OS, VSE and CICS software utilities to help meet your software needs. Over 6,000 sites have proven MacKinney Systems' to be the easy answer to their z/OS VSE and CICS mainframe software needs. Please visit the Wiki main page for the spotlight article and see what large collection of software they have to offer. http://cicswiki.org/cicswiki1/index.php?title=Main_Page 4. After SHARE I have the sincere promises of several Hursley folk (as well as a well-known CICS expert from IBM Dallas) that they will begin to add some articles to the Wiki. Let's hope that those promises will be kept. Have a nice week. Corneel. -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Video of mainframe being shaken
Hi all, for those of you who attended SHARE - in Cheryl's session on Friday she showed a video of a mainframe being shaken on an earthquake simulation machine while it was processing transactions. Do any of you know where I can find that video? Thanks. Corneel. -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Wiki news.
Hello everybody, I have been away for almost three weeks. (See my personal note below). So I have not been able to provide Wiki news. Thanks for Roland who looked after the Wiki in this time. - We passed one hundred team members while I was gone! As great as it is - we can do even better. There are thousands of members on these lists so let's do some recruiting. - SHARE is in Orlando next week. Yours truly will be attending and yes it is my first SHARE so excuse me for being excited. - The Vendor spotlight focuses on GT Software: http://cicswiki.org/cicswiki1/index.php?title=GT_Software (They are also on the main Wiki page) Be sure to register for their Rockin' Your Mainframe with SOA Party that they are hosting at SHARE Tuesday night, Feb. 26 at 7:00 PM. To register, go to: http://www.gtsoftware.com/rock.asp Regards. Corneel. --- Personal note --- On February 11th 2008 at the age of 67 my mother Wilma Booysen went to be with her Lord and Savior. Though our pain is real - our hope to see her again surpasses that pain. --- Personal note --- -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
CICS wiki news and and a very important question
Hello everybody, Here is some Wiki news and a very important question: 1. The vendor spotlight goes live today with the first vendor (Document Systems, Inc). Check it out on the Wiki main page or visit the vendor page at http://cicswiki.org/cicswiki1/index.php?title=Document_Systems_Inc. 2. Craig Schneiderwent wrote an article on how to find the queue manager name in a CICS program. http://cicswiki.org/cicswiki1/index.php?title=How_do_I_find_out_the_queue_manager_name_in_a_program%3F Ok so here is the very important question (well actually two): Who are developing new CICS applications and what language do you use? (Check out the poll at CICS Community: http://www.pcs305.com/ ) Have a great week. Corneel. -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
CICS Wiki news.
Hello all, here is some Wiki news. 1. The first old CICS website has been adopted into the Wiki. Check it out at http://cicswiki.org/cicswiki1/index.php?title=CICSCentral 2. I added the Yellow brick moment where Bob Yelavich will entertain us with CICS trivia. http://cicswiki.org/cicswiki1/index.php?title=Yellow_brick_moment 3. The first vendors for vendor spotlight are preparing their Wiki content. More information on this soon. 4. Quite a few new people have joined the Wiki. Check it out here: http://cicswiki.org/cicswiki1/index.php?title=Team Well my boss told me I had to choose between SHARE and Impact and I chose SHARE - so see you all in Orlando. Regards. Corneel. -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
CICS Wiki news.
A happy and prosperous New Year to everybody! Here is some Wiki news: http://cicswiki.org/cicswiki1/index.php?title=Main_Page 1. A new fresh Main Page view will hopefully help in navigation. - I added the CICS 3.2 Info Center in the sidebar simply because I always seem to be looking for the URL and I figured I might not be alone. 2. Announcing the Old CICS community website adoption plan. If you have an old CICS related website and would like the content to be preserved - the Wiki team will migrate your pages to the Wiki for free. This way you have your work preserved and searchable. Look here for more details: http://cicswiki.org/cicswiki1/index.php?title=Adoption_plan 3. Announcing the Vendor spotlight. Starting February - each week we will highlight the Wiki pages of a vendor on the Main Page. Vendors this is your chance - create some Wiki content and you will receive free publicity on the Wiki Main Page. 4. I wrote a new article on how to do session management in CICS. It is available here: http://cicswiki.org/cicswiki1/index.php?title=How_do_I_do_session_management_in_CICS%3F 5. I would like to invite you to the one-per-month club. Write one article a month for the Wiki. Remember - this community can not afford you retiring without sharing your knowledge. So add an item to your Bucket List: Write one article for the CICS Wiki per month. If you run out of ideas what to write about - here is a list of all the wanted pages on the Wiki: http://cicswiki.org/cicswiki1/index.php?title=Special:Wantedpages Let's make this a great year for this community. Regards. Corneel Booysen. -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Re: OT: Computer Science Education: Where Are the Software Engineers of Tomor...
I just cannot resist. We moved to the US a few years ago and the other day my wife was talking to one of our children's teacher. They were making an appointment for a meeting and my wife said: ...so I see you around fifteen hundred hours The deer in the headlights look washes over the teachers face until my wife corrects the statement with - ...I mean I will see you at 3pm Corneel Booysen. -Original Message- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Rick Fochtman Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 8:41 PM To: IBM-MAIN@BAMA.UA.EDU Subject: Re: OT: Computer Science Education: Where Are the Software Engineers of Tomor... ---snip-- Oh, good, so it's not just me... ;) For some reason, I do that all the time. The look on their face says it all. At a local pizza place, they sell soup, pretty good soup I might add. On the board it's 12oz, 16oz and 32oz. I always order it by Pint or Quart. That gets them going as well. Ah... a pint, that's 32oz, right...? No, wait, isn't that 16oz? I know, I know, I'm an anal-orifice (tm). -unsnip At our local McDonalds, I once asked for McNuggets. Offered sizes of 8, 12, or 16, I asked for a dozen. Got the Deer in the headlights stare; she had to call the manager to decypher dozen. Tell me about the dumbing down of America! :-( -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Re: The future of PDSs
So I wonder if it is true that the original name of HAL was really a dig at IBM. (As in each letter of the name is one place higher alphabetically than the letters in IBM. Remember the evil computer killed all the people... Never mind me - I did not sleep either :-) -Original Message- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Chase, John Sent: Friday, December 14, 2007 10:33 AM To: IBM-MAIN@BAMA.UA.EDU Subject: Re: The future of PDSs -Original Message- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List On Behalf Of Kelman, Tom How about something simple like HAL ala 2001: A Space Odyssey. Probably not available (in the US) for 50 years plus Arthur C. Clarke's remaining lifetime, due to copyright -jc- -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Re: Uh, oh ...
Rugby is football for real men... ;-) -Original Message- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Field, Alan C. Sent: Friday, December 07, 2007 3:06 PM To: IBM-MAIN@BAMA.UA.EDU Subject: Re: Uh, oh ... I know this one ... He means Rugby. Football is played with a round ball. Some people call it soccer. Rugby is played with an elliptical ball. Think Football without the padding. -Original Message- -snip A bit like how the Aussies treat the English cricket team.. Still, at least we beat them in the only sport that really matters - Rugby. ---unsnip-- You mean Football?? What's a rugby ??? -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Re: Anyone else see the Waffle Dinges man on TV this morning?
One of the dialects of Flemish/Dutch is Afrikaans and that language is alive and well! Goeie dag. (Good day) Corneel Booysen. Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. 5050 Edgewood Ct, Jacksonville, FL 32254 Phone: (904) 783-5517 -Original Message- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Rick Fochtman Sent: Thursday, December 06, 2007 7:12 AM To: IBM-MAIN@BAMA.UA.EDU Subject: Re: Anyone else see the Waffle Dinges man on TV this morning? -snip- Actually, we don't speak Belgian over here. We speak mainly Dutch or French and the Dutch word 'Dinges' is not really a synonym for 'toppings'. It's a word you use when you don't immediately find the right word for something. English equivalents : 'thingummy', 'what-d'you-call-it' . . . -unsnip Isn't Flemish also used in some areas of Belgium? Or is it pretty much a dead language? Do the Walloons have a separate language? -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Re: T3 Sues IBM To Break its Mainframe Monopoly
I love the letter Clement! Maybe we can end it with: Mr. Palmisano we are asking you today...BREAK DOWN THIS WALL!!! (Quoting president Reagan - incase somebody had doubt where that came from) Corneel Booysen. -Original Message- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Clement Clarke Sent: Wednesday, December 05, 2007 8:32 AM To: IBM-MAIN@BAMA.UA.EDU Subject: Re: T3 Sues IBM To Break its Mainframe Monopoly Hi Roger, Sam and Doc and other interested people, I have just learned that Sam is in Oz (for the first time ever). See http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,22874620-16123,00.html In the past, I have spoken to a few people in IBM (gosh, I worked there for 4 years), and, if we are quick it might be possible to get it discussed. I've written something fairly quickly, and stood on the shoulders of others by incorporating their comments. I'll send it to Sam first thing tomorrow (it is sleep time in Oz) after you have commented. It is here: http://members.ozemail.com.au/~oscarptyltd/Letter%20to%20Sam%20Palmisano .html Cheers, Clement Clarke Ian wrote: Clem If there is an interest in developing and signing such a letter to Sam I can host such and effort on my site. Ian http://www.pcs305.com On Dec 4, 2007 6:57 PM, Clement Clarke [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: A letter or two to Sam might help. How about if we formulate one together and send it to him? My guess is that the email sent about students being unable to use Z/OS might form a good basis? Clem -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
CICS Wiki news
Just a short note to give some Wiki news. 1. We are over 75 users on the Wiki team - this is very exciting. I hope you all will contribute much in the next year. 2. Michael and Roland contributed to an excellent article on CORBA tuning. Check it out at http://cicswiki.org/cicswiki1/index.php?title=CORBA_Tuning 3. I added the Cite extension to the Wiki. This allows you to refer to references throughout an article and then have those references listed at the end of the article. The extension is fully described at: http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:Cite/Cite.php and was masterfully used by Roland in this article: http://cicswiki.org/cicswiki1/index.php?title=How_do_I_set_or_change_LE_runtime_options%3F 4. It is clear to me that activity is winding down on the Wiki as the year draws to a close. Let me take this opportunity to wish all of you a Merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, if I left out any celebration - may you have a great time in that too and finally have a prosperous New Year. 5. The how do I list of questions remain largely unanswered at: http://cicswiki.org/cicswiki1/index.php?title=How_do_I... Here is the content of the page. Programming 1. How do I store session data in applications? 2. How do I share data between two programs in CICS? 3. How do I develop reusable code in CICS? 4. How do I access my terminal's characteristics? 5. How do I communicate to another system from CICS? 6. How do I get a list of the running transactions in a CICS region? 7. How do I obtain the name of the program that called my program? 8. How do I authenticate a web user in CICS? 9. How do I do session management in CICS? 10. How do I read a member of a PDS from CICS? 11. How do I read an HFS file from CICS? 12. How do I submit a batch JOB from a program? 13. How do I web enable an existing CICS application? 14. How do I find out the queue manager name in a program? 15. How do I read a user journal with a program? 16. How do I direct the output of Send Text and Send Map to a buffer? 17. How do I get consumed cpu of a running transaction? 18. How do I find out which load library a program is loaded from in my program? 19. How do I know in my program whether it is running in CICS or batch? 20. How do I get RACF resource information from CICS? 21. How do I use RACROUTE? 22. How do I find whether a field is modified in the screen or not? 23. How do I single-Thread an TDQ ATI process? 24. How do I (Add your question here) [edit] Administrative 1. How do I add a VSAM file to a CICS system? 2. How do I How to display MVS storage in the CICS region using IPCS? 3. How do I optimise a VSAM KSDS file's space and I/O? 4. How do I route CSMT TDQ to SYSLOG? 5. How do I route CSMT TDQ to another TDQ? 6. How do I close/open files for Batch Jobs? 7. How do I start the ibm TCPIP listener under CICS? 8. How do I remove entries from MSGUSER log? 9. How do I handle excessive growth in MSGUSR? 10. How do I spin off JES output in MSGUSR? 11. How do I allocate a file while CICS is running? 12. How do I set or change LE runtime options? 13. How do I get rid of long running conversational tasks? 14. How do I find out which load library a program is loaded from? 15. How do I display warning before or after the user signs on with CESN? 16. How do I throttle CICS High CPU Transactions? 17. How do I obtain the client IP address from a TN3270 session terminal? 18. How do I stop 3270 VTAM traffic, but not stop LU 6.2 traffic? 19. How do I reduce CICS statistics/monitor output to minimum? 20. How do I prevent full ESDS datasets? 21. How do I determine who is using DSA? 22. How do I determine if a Typeterm is In Use? 23. How do I cause a reload of a CF data table file in CICS? 24. How do I catch a disconnected tn3270 session? 25. How do I disconnect AOR TOR from PLEX(CMAS)? 26. How do I (Add your question here) Thanks. Corneel. -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
CICS Wiki news.
It was a slow week on the Wiki but hopefully this week we will get more participation. Here is what happened last week and today: 1. Several good updates by Roland last week. Check it out in Recent changes. ( http://cicswiki.org/cicswiki1/index.php?title=Special:Recentchanges ) 2. There is a new automated registration process available. It is at http://cicswiki.org/cicswiki1/index.php?title=Special:RequestAccount I had at least one successful registration through the new process but also one failure. Please try it out and let me know if it works. 3. I updated the Boot camp section with an article on Editing guidelines. ( http://cicswiki.org/cicswiki1/index.php?title=Boot_Camp ) 4. I am looking for the CICS Wiki team to be more active - please create some articles. If there are articles you would like to see on the Wiki - let me know. Thanks. Corneel. -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
CICS Wiki news.
Hello everybody,
On the CICS Wiki this past week:
- The news feed is finally working - try it at
http://cicswiki.org/cicswiki1/index.php?title=NewsFeedfeed=rss .
You need a news reader to take full advantage of the feature. (I am trying
to tune down the verbosity of the news feed)
- A few history related pages have been added. On the Category tree -
select History, expand it and check them out.
- Online training is now available on CICS Wiki. Check out
http://cicswiki.org/cicswiki1/index.php?title=Boot_Camp. I will add more
advanced training tracks this week. Members - you too can have a home page
on the Wiki - just follow the instructions in the Boot camp section.
- I have simplified the ribbon of approval award token. If you want to
award somebody's work - include this template in the article:
{{CICS_Wiki:Award}}.
- Earl Haigh gets this week's award for a great home page and for creating
the Vendor Category. Earl also added a good example of how a vendor page
could look. Check it out at
http://cicswiki.org/cicswiki1/index.php?title=BatchCICS-Connect_-_24x7_Integration.
Vendors - don't lose out on this opportunity to get free publication of
your products.
- I added a few more extensions - the News feed being one and
IncludeArticle is another. For information on IncludeArticle go to
http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:IncludeArticle .
- This week there was a very good thread on the CICS list about the setup
of Consoles terminal definitions in CICS. Can I get a volunteer (not
Roland or Earl) that is willing to create an article for us?
- I am very encouraged by the number of members on the Wiki but not so
much on the number of articles that I see the members create. Remember a
Wiki is almost fool proof (hey - it tolerates me :-) ). If you mess up -
we can restore from previous versions or delete a page and try again. If
you are stuck and wonder how you would do something specific - read the
help section or contact me.
- I am very encouraged by the number of IBMers (is that a word?) that have
joined the list. Please feel free to contribute in anyway you can.
Have a great week everybody!
Regards.
Corneel.
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CICS Wiki
I would like to introduce to you the new Wiki website that is available to the CICS community. This site runs the same software as Wikipedia and is intended to act as a knowledge base for the CICS community. The URL is www.cicswiki.org . This site does not compete with the CICS Community web site that Ian Steyn and I already maintain. ( www.pcs305.com ) In fact you will notice that all the news and forum functions on the CICS Wiki points to the CICS Community website. I urgently need people who are willing to create and edit articles. If you would like to see sample articles check out the following: http://cicswiki.org/cicswiki1/index.php?title=CALL_vs._LINK http://cicswiki.org/cicswiki1/index.php?title=XPROG753 Those of you that are alert will notice that these two subjects were featuring on the CICS List last week. I attempted to summarize the comments on the CICS List on the subjects into these two articles. Since I have been a member of the CICS List these two subjects have come up over and over. One of the goals of the CICS Wiki is to record this collective knowledge and make it available to the community. So please consider applying for an id. I would have opened subscription on the Wiki if it was not for the danger of bots and the like that might have crept in. Therefore I have to keep a little watch over that. Other than that the site belongs to the community. If there is contention about the content of an article, I will attempt to resolve it as peacefully as possible. Please be respectful to each others contributions as you edit articles. IBM Hursley lab please consider to get involved with this Wiki it will greatly enhance the user experience if we have lively participation of the CICS team in England. Third party Software vendors you are welcome to have a presence on the Wiki. I will gladly provide you with ids. If you already maintain a CICS community website I would like to urge you to move your collection of knowledge to this site. I will assist anybody that wants to do this in any way that I can. You will notice that I created a basic taxonomy that you can use when editing articles. Please select the category that the article belongs to when you create an article. Also - feel free to add to the taxonomy. Did I mention that editing Wiki articles is extremely easy? Please follow the Help link on the site for Wiki documentation. So there it is an experiment in collaboration. Lets see how well we can make this work for all of us. Best regards. Corneel Booysen. -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Re: Age Poll Results: 49.47
This poll has served to confirm my concern about the aging workforce and the effect of that on the future of the mainframe. I watched with interest what discussions the poll provoked on the lists. It certainly seems that there are a lot of valuable people working on the mainframe. There are people with years –nee decades - of computing experience and heaps of wisdom to share. If we look back over the last ten years – IBM has also succeeded in bridging the chasm that once stood between mainframe technology and the rest of the computing world. They continue to innovate and share (Alphaworks). They also continue to participate in standards organizations to ensure that they don’t slip down the proprietary slope again. Sometimes they upset me tremendously with decisions they make like z/NALC (see http://www.pcs305.com/node/147 for more details). I am of the opinion that it creates an uneven playing field for products like CICS. But seen holistically I believe that IBM is dedicated to the future of the mainframe. The question is – are we? I suppose (or hope) the initial response to the question would be “Yes”. But the unavoidable follow-up to that is – what are we doing about it? Are we creating an environment that promotes and nurtures new talent? Over the years I have seen the mainframe world make at least three mistakes: Firstly we don’t create development environments that promote innovation. As I say this I realize the reaction that I will get. Before you flame me all the reasons for controls, security and standards – hear me out. I believe in all of that – but I also believe that we sometimes prevent developers from being creative by implementing too many controls and procedures for creating new applications. All of us believe in the protection of production environments – but do we really have to tie down development environments with all the controls? About ten years ago at a previous employer – we performed an experiment. We removed the access control from our development CICS; we gave the programmers access to their own compile JCL; we gave them access to define their own CICS resources (with clear guidelines mind you) and we sat back to observe. That amount of trust we put in the developers was returned with increased productivity and a new found trust between developers and system folk. Did we still protect production – yes. Did the sky fall because we let a developer define his own program definition – no. Did we succeed to create an environment that promoted innovation – yes there was measurable success. Secondly we do not learn and implement the new technology that IBM makes available. I know – here comes another wave of complaints about how long it takes to test and promote a new version of software into production. But do we really know what those new enhancements are that IBM has just brought out in CICS or TCP or z/OS? Hands up CICS people – who downloaded the 3.2 beta edition and tested it? It was free – question is – are we interested in learning new stuff or are we counting the days to retirement? Let Bob Yelavich be an example to all of us ( www.yelavich.com ). I see that in myself at times when I let myself get so bogged down with work that I forget to sharpen the proverbial blade. But if we don’t do that – then next week we sit in a meeting where somebody asks whether the mainframe can do Web Services – or how well does Java work in CICS. Will be able to answer or will we let that slide because we don’t want to show our ignorance? Or – are we still of the opinion that older languages are “better” than modern languages? Have we allowed ourselves to discover new technologies without discarding the wisdom of the older technologies – or are we stuck in an immature self-opinionated rut counting the days to retirement? Frankly - I don’t think it is always that deficient. Most of the times the new technology falls on us like a wave and we are just overwhelmed by it. Then we do what is natural and we go back to the older technology where we feel comfortable (and more useful). Thirdly – on a much more personal level – do we invite young people into our world? IBM can create thousands of university programs to train people on the mainframe; they can create sites like Alphaworks; they can create the software that can do the job – but if we that work on the mainframe do not portray an open attitude of acceptance towards young people we might just get written off as dinosaurs working on dinosaur technology. Do we willing explain to a young person why two-phase commit is important or do we get on our soap box and spew out insults that are prefixed or post-fixed with “whippersnapper”. Do we call them over to show them how easy it is to communicate with the mainframe via TCP/IP or do we continue to monologue about how to calculate a Set Buffer Address while their eyes glaze over? In other words – are we being ambassadors for
