Take a break !

In our newsletter

New z/OS utility ?? z/OS Containers (zCX) ?? IBM z/VM maintaining a tradition ?? Where next for the Mainframe ?? IBM z Ambassador ?? Docker ?? VS Code ?? YouTube Video Replay added ?? Cost of a Data Breach 2023 Report ?? Just For Fun ??

Intro

Whilst many of us are winding down for the summer I wanted to keep the newsletter going and I wanted to share a few general interest stories.

New z/OS Utility - GDKUTIL

Sharing z/OS data in the cloud using base z/OS utility GDKUTI

A big thank you to Marcus Mello Mainframe Consulting LDA who I would like to thank for informing me of a new utility for z/OS called GDKUTIL which is now available.

The utility was introduced in z/OS 2.5 [OA62318]

"There’s a new utility for z/OS called GDKUTIL as a DFSMS utility (like IEBGENER) that can be used to share data between z/OS and the cloud without any additional hardware or software.

This game changing new utility can be used to download or upload sequential data to the cloud and is documented in the DFSMS-dfp utilities manual."

?? ?? You can read more about this here:

z/OS Container Extensions (zCX)

IBM? z/OS? Container Extensions (IBM zCX) makes it possible to integrate Linux on IBM Z applications with z/OS.

Our most recent events at Mainframerz have explored Open Source tools on the mainframe and I wanted to share a link to help people. At the moment I think we are on different paths at different speeds when it comes to the mainframe.

If you are still keen to stay with z/OS can I suggest the article below on running zCX or Containers that allow you to run Linux through z/OS on the mainframe that may be very interesting.

Below is how IBM introduce this topic.

IBM? z/OS? Container Extensions (IBM zCX) makes it possible to integrate Linux on IBM Z applications with z/OS. Application developers can develop and data centers can operate popular open source packages, Linux applications, IBM software, and third-party software together with z/OS applications and data.

IBM provides a Linux distribution configured to run

CE. IBM supplied support code will simplify installation and operation. Clients can participate with their own Linux applications that can easily be packaged in Docker format and deployed in the same way as open source, IBM, and vendor packages. Container Extensions runs on IBM z14? and later systems.

?? ?? You can read more from IBM here:

IBM z/VM (Virtual Machines)

Where the Mainframe leads others follow

I want to give a shout-out to one of my friends Rituraj Mahato who has posted a great story that fits around the theme of my newsletter this time of how the mainframe continuously evolves.

The post discusses how the mainframe from the 1970s offered Virtual Machines well before the concept of the Cloud we are all familiar with today.

What is great is how a number of the key concepts are shared and when we look back we can see how the mainframe has helped to shape computer concepts that we see today.

To find out more about Linux partitions, moving partitions and load balancing, then I will recommend the post from Rituraj.

?? ?? You can read his post here:

The next computer in the cloud could be an IBM mainframe

Leading on from the story from Rituraj above is a story I found which I think might be very interesting in what may become the next development for the mainframe.

VirtualZ Computing Inc. claims to be the first and only woman-founded and women-led mainframe systems integrator in history. That is a bold position, but perhaps more important is its pair of revolutionary software applications called Lozen and Zaac that connect native mainframe data with various third-party distributed, cloud-based applications.

Currently the software is still being tested with IBM with a planned release likely to be in the Autumn or 'the Fall' if you prefer.

?? ?? I recommend reading the story here:

All about Docker

I think it is fair to say that the mainframe is going through a period of change and at the moment some people have embraced new technology and ideas quicker than others and areas like DevOps have possibly also moved slightly quicker into new technological capabilities.

With apologies to some and hoping to share a simple overview of Docker my thanks go to Amrut Nikam

?? What is Docker?

Docker is an open-source platform that allows developers to build, ship, and run applications inside containers. It enables a consistent and reliable environment from development to production, making the deployment process smoother and faster. Gone are the days of "It works on my machine!" ??

?? Why Docker?

With Docker, you can package your application, its dependencies, and even the operating system components into a single container. This means you can focus on writing code, knowing that it will run the same way on any system, regardless of its configuration.

?? ?? You can read the post with more information and a very handy quick visual guide on docker here:

?? Did you know?

The whale emblem created by Ricky Asamanis, a graphic designer from Indonesia. The whale carrying a stack of containers symbolizes the company's four core values: expedition, automation, encapsulation, and simplification.

From VS Code to Mainframe Developer Cockpit

Code4z offers ‘in the zone’ productivity, heightened ‘situational awareness’, and a big WOW factor

I wanted to share a post from Alan Black who has shared a great article about VS Code which has been featured at one of our previous Mainframerz Events.

I have lifted a couple of paragraphs from the article as teaser of what you can find out, with VS code you have a powerful tool for coding.

Whether fighter pilot or Formula One racer, performing at an elite level requires a relentless focus on precision execution. To help these professionals capture small margins of advantage that add up to big victories, their teams equip them with purpose-built cockpits with access to the most powerful instruments/controls, range of motion minimized, and efficiency maximized with the latest technological innovations.

With its extensible ‘any language, any platform’ design, Visual Studio Code has become the de facto platform for coding productivity. Experiences are easily tailored to individual preferences making the tool an extension of the developer’s professional identity. And most importantly they’re tailored to specific needs (languages, databases, platforms, frameworks…).

?? ?? You can find a link to the full article that Alan has shared on his profile here:

YouTube

At the bottom of my newsletter is a link to our Mainframerz Meetup channel on YouTube, here you can find replays of our last event as well as our previous events which have included.

• Security
• CICS
• COBOL
• & more

Look in the links at the bottom to find the YouTube link, you will find a mix of content all aimed at the mainframe and we are always looking for new ideas and content.

?? Useful Links ??

Just to add that the links posted in the last newsletter have now also been added by myself to the list of useful links available in the links section at the bottom of the newsletter.

If you feel there are any links that you use that you would like to add or suggest for inclusion in the links guide, please let me know.

IBM z Ambassador

If you are like me you will have seen quite a few titles and badges being shared on LinkedIn to recognise contributions with the mainframe or in the mainframe community.

I thought as we have previously covered what are IBM Champions in the newsletter and in a previous Mainframerz event this time I would shed some light on what is an IBM z Ambassador.

Actually I'm not going to tell you but one of my recent connections has summed it up really well in a blog post, so please allow me to introduce you to Devonte' Hawkins .

?? ?? Read all about what it means to be an IBM z Ambassador here:

?? Have you seen the Hindustan Ambassador - what's in a name?

The Hindustan Ambassador was a car manufactured by Hindustan Motors of India from 1957 to 2014, based on a Morris Oxford series III model, first made by Morris Motors Limited in the United Kingdom from 1956 to 1959.

In 2017 the Ambassador brand name was sold to PSA Group for $10 million.

Source: Wikipedia.org

The IBM Security Cost of a Data Breach Report 2023 is here!???

To close out this section I wanted to end with a report that is close to my heart ?? as someone who provides a log management tool for customers and someone who loves the film War Games.

I would like to end with the IBM Security Cost of a Data Breach report 2023. I'm sure many of you will be aware of the potential for a data breach and the various solutions available to help. I wanted to share the Security Cost of a Data Breach report from IBM as it helps put dates and figures due to the impact of a security breach.

The report also highlights some of the steps you can take to prevent this from happening and explores the impact on multiple industries and geographies.

?? ?? You can read find out more about this report and help available from IBM here:

?? ?? If you are curious to know a little more about what I do and some of the products I support including log management solutions that run on mainframe or unix to capture both mainframe and distributed logs in one central audit proof repository, you can read more here:

?? Did you know?

The global average cost of a data breach hit an all-time high of $4.45 million.

?? Just for fun {mainframe & non-mainframe}

?? ?? Meta just released Llama 2 and this is why you should care:

Fernando Beltran shared an interesting story with me.

Llama 2 is available for free for research and commercial use.

You can utilize it in your personal environment without any worries about privacy, unlike ChatGPT or Google Bard. This is because it operates exclusively within your own environment, eliminating the need to share any sensitive information with others.

Llama 2 pre-trained models are trained on 2 trillion tokens and have double the context length than Llama 1. Its fine-tuned models have been trained on over 1 million human annotations. Llama 2 outperforms other open-source language models on many external benchmarks, including reasoning, coding, proficiency, and knowledge tests.

?? ?? You can read more about this here:

Firmware vulnerabilities in millions of computers could give hackers superuser status

As part of my day to day role I speak to many customers and occassionally I meet a customer who has not updated his environment in a very long time, with the approach: "if it ain't broke don't fix it".

I always advise all customers to keep their environment constantly updated to remain audit compliant and to ensure that the latest security patches are deployed as well as the latest features and functions.

I wanted to share another example of a vulnerability that can occur if you don't stay up to date.

Two years ago, ransomware crooks breached hardware-maker Gigabyte and dumped more than 112 gigabytes of data that included information from some of its most important supply-chain partners, including Intel and AMD. Now researchers are warning that the leaked information revealed what could amount to critical zero-day vulnerabilities that could imperil huge swaths of the computing world.

In short this is a hardware vulnerability that needs to be addressed, a shout out here to Craig S. who shared this story on his profile with a link to the article and more details.

I know that the majority of readers keep your environment up to date but if you do have an out of date environment not running the latest patches or security then please suggest that they update the software estate.

?? ?? You can read the article by visiting Craig's LinkedIn post here:

Different Digital Computer Types - What's in a name?

The classification of digital computers is based on their types and sizes, which can be divided into four categories: microcomputers, minicomputers, mainframe computers, and supercomputers.

Traditional there have always been four types of Digital Computer and arguably now a new 5th type is on the horizon in Quantum computing.

I wanted to share an article I read which tries to explain the different types of digital computer, as these are common terms that we hear all the time I like that the article defines what are the different types of Digital Computer available.

1. Microcomputer
2. Minicomputer
3. Mainframe
4. Supercomputer

The next arrival in 5th spot will be occupied by Quantum computers very soon.

?? ?? You can read more about the different definitions here:

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