The z/OS operating system is known as IBM's flagship mainframe operating system. In this course we will discuss the fundamental properties of MVS, ISPF, and JCL. The main focus will be on obtaining sufficient hands-on, such that you will be able to find your way on the system.

During this course, participants will:

• get familiar with the basic concepts of z/OS and its subsystems;
• learn to functionally understand how the file system is organized;
• explore the standard ISPF/PDF environment;
• learn to use the basic possibilities of the ISPF editor efficiently;
• launch batch jobs, and learn how to check its output and return codes through SDSF;
• write JCL statements, learning how to specify which program to run and which (input and output) data sets to pass.

This course is also available as four separate modules: Mainframe computing introduction, MVS and z/OS overview, ISPF/PDF basics, and JCL.

• Hardware
  computer architecture • binary data • CPU • memory • I/O • IBM mainframe • storage • channel subsystem • peripheral devices • network • multi-processing • LPAR • sysplex
• Concept of MVS
  Virtual and real storage • paging • address spaces • system initialisation (IPL)
  Evolution of MVS to z/OS
• Task management • storage management • resource and workload management
• Data management
  Access methods • data organisation • the catalog • storage management subsystem (SMS) • dataset types • storage media • database types (Db2, IMS)
• Applications
  traditional & object oriented • programming languages (COBOL, PL/1, Java) • runtime environments (CICS, IMS, WebSphere)
• JES and job management
• Recovery and monitoring
• z/OS subsystems
  User interaction (TSO, ISPF, USS (Unix shell), zLinux) • security (RACF) • data communication monitors • Db2 • SDSF • Web based access (HTTP, TCP/IP, WebSphere, MQ) • ...
• Overview of ISPF
  logon and logoff, call up ISPF/PDF, screen types, menu structure, action bar, help function, ISPF data set names

• ISPF settings and function (PF) keys
• Finding/locating data sets and members
  member selection, scrolling, find, locate
• View/Edit
  main commands (save, cancel, find, change, undo) • line commands (copy, move, delete, repeat, insert) • columns (indentation, bounds, cols) • treatment of members (copy, move, create, replace, cut, paste) • edit profile (caps on/off, recovery on/off)
• Basic data set utilities
  allocation, move/copy, library utilities, dataset list
• Batch jobs and use of the spool
  submit of Job Control Language (JCL), display of the spool with SDSF (Spool Display and Search Facility)
• The Job Entry Subsystem (JES) and batch processing

• The JCL different statements and their function
  JOB statement (accounting information, job scheduling & execution parameters, job output specification) • EXEC statement (parameters PGM, PROC, PARM, COND, TIME, ...) • DD statement (data set description, resource specification, output description, in-stream data sets) • IF-THEN-ELSE construction • OUTPUT statement
• Job log and job output • SDSF manipulation
• Special datasets and associated parameters
  concatenation • partitioned and sequential data sets • temporary data sets • backward references • GDG • SMS parameters • JOBLIB • STEPLIB • ...

• INCLUDE and JCLLIB
• Use of procedures
  definition • parameters • changing and adding • symbolic parameters

• Debugging of JCL, frequent abends, ...
• JES2 control statements

This is mainly a practical training: additional to the live instructor-led explanations and demonstrations, a lot of time is spent on practical exercises.

Delivered as a live, interactive training – available in-person or online, or in a hybrid format. Training can be implemented in English, Dutch, or French.

No specific background is required.

Every starting user of z/OS: programmers, analysts, job schedulers, system programmers and end users.