SPARTA News


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June 2018


SPARTA President’s Corner

contributed by Randy Springs



Last month, I attended the IBM zSeries Technical University in Orlando. These events feature many of the same IBM speakers who present at SHARE, and cover technical and performance topics for Z systems, as well as a few other platforms. I picked up some good information about features in z/OS V2.3 and some migration considerations.

Another reminder that your SPARTA group still needs a volunteer to replace Pam Tant as treasurer. This position does not involve a large time commitment, so consider serving and talk to Pam or me about the position.

Our speaker this month will be Maggie Li, Chief Architect for Syncsort, on new features found in their software product line. Syncsort recently acquired Metron and now supports Athene, their capacity planning and utilization monitoring tool.

Please plan to join your colleagues for chicken, networking, and education on Tuesday, June 1 at 6:15 p.m. at our usual LabCorp location.

Randy Springs
BB&T



Future Speakers

(subject to change)


June 5, 2018 - SyncSort Updates by Maggie Li of Syncsort


July 10, 2018 - ICE/OPsys by Jerry Seefeldt of New Era


August 7, 2018 - TBD


We need ideas and volunteers for future speakers. Presentations don’t have to be fancy, just informative and interesting. Even a 5 or 10 minute talk can start an interesting interaction. Contact Ron Pimblett by phone as noted below.



2017-2018 SPARTA

Board of Directors


Randy Springs - President

BB&T                  (919) 745-5241

3200 Beechleaf Court, Suite 300

Raleigh, NC 27604


Ron Pimblett - Vice President

MDI Data Systems

Land line 613 599 6970

Mobile 613 981 6919

190 Guelph Private

Kanata, ON K2T 0J7


Chris Blackshire - Secretary

Retired (Dell, Perot Systems, Nortel)  (919) nnn-nnnn

street

Durham, NC 27713


Randy Springs - (Acting) Treasurer

BB&T                  (919) 745-5241

see Randy

Springs earlier


Ed Webb -  Communications Director

SAS Institute Inc.  919-531-4162

SAS Campus Drive

Cary, NC 27513


Mike Lockey -  Web Master

Guilford Co. Information Services  336-641-6235

201 N. Eugene St.

Greensboro, NC 27401



Meetings


Meetings are scheduled for the first Tuesday evening of each month (except no meeting in January), with optional dinner at 6:15 p.m. and the meeting beginning at 7:00 p.m.


These monthly meetings usually are held at LabCorp’s Center for Molecular Biology and Pathology (CMBP) near the Research Triangle Park (see last page). Take I-40 to Miami Boulevard and go north. Turn right onto T.W. Alexander Drive. Go about a mile or so. Then turn right into LabCorp complex and turn Left to the CMBP Building (1912 T.W. Alexander Drive). In the lobby, sign in as a visitor to see Bill Johnson. Bill will escort you to the conference room.


Call for Articles


If you have any ideas for speakers, presentations, newsletter articles, or are interested in taking part in a presentation, PLEASE contact one of the Board of Directors with your suggestions.


Newsletter e-Mailings


The SPARTA policy is to e-mail a monthly notice to our SPARTA-RTP Group. The newsletter is posted to the website about five (5) days before each meeting so you can prepare. The SPARTA-RTP Group is maintained by Chris Blackshire; if you have corrections or problems receiving your meeting notice, contact Chris at chrisbl@nc.rr.com.


January 2018 “CBT Tape” Shareware Online


The directory and files from the latest CBT tape V495 (dated January 15, 2018) are available from www.cbttape.org.


If you need help obtaining one or more files, contact Ed Webb at SAS (see Board of Director’s list for contact info).


Minutes of the May 1, 2018 Meeting


• The meeting was called to order at 7:00 PM by Chris Blackshire standing in for Randy Springs, the SPARTA President.


• The meeting was held at a LabCorp conference room in RTP, N.C.


• Nine (9) people were present of which seven (7) are 2017/2018 paid members.


• Everyone introduced themselves, told where they worked, and briefly described their job functions or their job hunting challenges.


OLD BUSINESS


• The minutes of the April 3, 2018 meeting as published in the May 2018 Newsletter was approved.


• The April 2018 Treasurer's report was approved as published in the May 2018 newsletter. The April balance was $1,035.76 (see details in the newsletter).


• Call For Articles: Articles are needed for this newsletter. If you would like to write an article for this newsletter, please contact Ed Webb. Keep in mind that you don't really need to write the article, it can be an article that you read that you would like to share with the membership.


• The SPARTA Web page is available. To access the SPARTA Web page, point your Web browser to this site: http://www.spartanc.org. Please send any comments or suggestions about the Web page to Mike Lockey. Be sure to check the Web page every once in a while to see any new or changed information.


• Chris reminded everyone to leave the LabCorp conference room clean.


• Future Speakers and Topics (subject to change based on internal politics, budget, the weather):


Date

Company

Speaker

Topic

June 5, 2018

Triangle Systems

Jim Ott

IOF Update

July 10, 2018

New Era

Jerry Seefeldt

ICE/Opsys

August 7, 2018

SyncSort

Dave Hodgson

Sorting

September 11, 2018

TBD

TBD

SHARE Conference Report

October 2, 2018

Rocket Software

Mitch Hoffman

z/OS Mainframe

November 6, 2018

Watson Walker

Cheryl or Frank

z/OS Performance/Metrics

December 4, 2018

IBM

Shalawn King

IBM Z Cloud Portfolio


If you have suggestions about speakers and topics, contact Ron Pimblett.

• The next SPARTA monthly meeting will be on Tuesday, June 5, 2018 at LabCorp in RTP.

• Food for the June 5 meeting will be Bojangles chicken.

• The 2018 dues are due ($30) starting in February 2018. Please pay Randy Springs.

• Thanks to LabCorp and Bill Johnson for hosting the meeting.

• There are currently 78 people on the SPARTA-RTP e-mail list.

• Send any e-mail address changes to Chris Blackshire so he can update the SPARTA-RTP Listserv. You will be added by the moderator (Chris = SPARTA-RTP-owner@yahoogroups.com) sending you an invitation to Join the list.

• No update from Randy Springs on the SPARTA website connection to LinkedIn.

• Chris is in the process of putting a package together for Brad Carson, Tommy Thomas, and John Bryan's SPARTA contributions and death information on the web page under a new Emeritus section.

• Randy Springs is looking for a new Treasurer volunteer. He projects about 3 hours per month is needed.

-The treasurer position duties are:
--Collect dues and pay expenses at each monthly meeting.
--Deposit income at the BB&T bank monthly.
--Make an updated monthly excel income-expense list for the monthly newsletter.
--Give a Treasurer report at each meeting.
--One Time: Be added to the checking account authorization.
-Contact Randy Springs if you are interested.

• No update about whether SPARTA needs to change the website to HTTPS access. A security certificate would be $75 per year from GoDaddy. Randy Springs will work with Mike Lockey to research if we need this option and how to change it.

• No status update from Bill Johnson on whether we can continue to use the LabCorp conference room after the LabCorp data center is moved out of the building that we meet in. The move is scheduled sometime between July and November and Bill Johnson may not have access to this building after the move. That means we may have to find a new meeting place.

NEW BUSINESS

• None.

• The Business portion of the meeting ended about 7:45 PM.

Presentation

What's New In CICS TS V5.4

By Dan Zachary of IBM CICS Level 2 Support

• A big thank you to Ian Burnett - CICS TS for z/OS Performance Lead
-- ian.burnett@uk.ibm.com
-- He originally wrote this pitch
-- All mistakes belong to Dan Zachary

Agenda
• Support for applications written to the Java EE 7 Full Platform specification
• CICS asynchronous API
• CICS policies - system and task rules enhancements
• Security and resiliency enhancements
• EXCI support for channels and containers
• New mechanism for controlling MQ trigger and bridge monitors
• Enhancements that simplify or automate common workflows
• Resources for getting started with CICS

Java EE 7 Full Platform
- Support for applications written to the Java EE 7 Full Platform specification
- CICS asynchronous API
- CICS policies - system and task rules enhancements
- Security and resiliency enhancements
- EXCI support for channels and containers
- New mechanism for controlling MQ trigger and bridge monitors
- Enhancements that simplify or automate common workflows

• Support for applications written to the Java EE 7 Full Platform specification
- CICS TS now supports Java applications that are written to the Java Enterprise Edition 7 (Java EE 7)
Full Platform specification, using the embedded version of IBM WebSphere Application Server
Liberty (Liberty).
- Java applications that are hosted in CICS TS are integrated with CICS tasks by default. They
provide a simple and powerful mechanism of modernizing CICS applications by using Java EE 7
features and capabilities.
- Support added to V5.3 by APAR PI77502
- The Big Picture
- - Web client < - HTTP - > Liberty JVM Server < - - > Distributed Data
- - JAVA EE7 Apps - JBDC, JCA, JCICS < - - > COBOL Applications < - - > z Systems Data

• Link to WebSphere Liberty
- Use EXEC CICS LINK to invoke a java program.
- Support for Link to Liberty added to V5.3 by APAR PI63005
- The ability to LINK to a Java EE application from other languages has been added.
- Non-Java programs, such as COBOL and PL/I programs, can now pass large volumes of structured parameter data to Java EE applications by using the standard CICS API.
- Link to Liberty just an EXEC CICS LINK call
- Channel and container API to transfer data
- - Class must only use default zero argument constructor
- - Annotation configures this method as an entry point
- - Method accepts no arguments

• IBM Record Generator for Java V3.0
- Standalone Java utility which generates Java helper classes to describe COBOL or Assembler data structures.
- Simplifying the development of Java programs which interact with record orientated data.
- Supersedes JZOS Record Generator V2.4.6
- Available 29th September 2017
- IBM Record Generator for Java

• CICS TS remote development feature for Java
- The CICS TS remote development feature for Java enables Java EE developers to develop
local applications that call CICS programs on a remote CICS TS. - The JCA interface is used, meaning that the application can then be installed and run in Liberty in CICS without any changes.
- - - - - - Workstation - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - IBM CICS
HTTP - Development Liberty Server
- - - - - - J2EE 7 Web Application- - - - - - - COBOL Application (Production)
- - - - - - CICS Remote Development - - - - COBOL Application (Development)
- No requirement for CICS TG
- Development use only

• Simplified CICS bundle resource lifecycle
- The management of the CICS bundle resource lifecycle is also simplified.
- It is now easier and quicker to export, install, and remove all types of CICS bundles.
- CICS definitions and installed resources now also hyperlink to zFS Unix File System paths.

• Improved ability to purge tasks running in a JVM server
- The operations experience is also enhanced by using the improved management of JVM servers and associated CICS tasks.
- CICS is now better able to remove disruptive tasks from the JVM server using the purge option, and can now remove associated threads and tasks in a more orderly sequence when disabling the JVMSERVER.

• zIIP offload improvement
- Allows a Liberty HTTP request to attach the CICS task on a T8 (Java) TCB
- - Exploits Liberty thread pooling
- - Reduces TCB switching
- Also available on CICS TS V5.3 (APAR PI54263)
- - Decrease Total Path Length by 26%
- - Decrease GP by 53%
- - Avg zIIP offload now at 94.7%
www.developer.ibm.com/cics/2016/05/17/improving-ziip-eligibility/

• CICS TS for z/OS Performance Report
- New draft version now available with V5.4 performance data.
- - Release to release comparisons
- Includes studies of:
- - CICS tasks for Liberty Applications
- - Asynchronous API
- - EXCI support for channels and containers
www.redbooks.ibm.com/abstracts/sg248298.html

• IBM SDK for Java 7.0 and 7.1 End of Service
- Withdrawal Announcement 916-121-August 2, 2016
- To be withdrawn from service on September 30, 2019:
- - IBM 64-bit SDK for z/OS, Java Technology Edition V7.0.0 and V7.1.0
- WebSphere Application Server Liberty base-Removal Notices
- - Liberty fix pack 19.0.0.3:
- - In this fix pack, the Liberty kernel will be recompiled and can no longer run with Java SE 7.
- - Blog post Java 8 recommended for CICS TS V5

CICS asynchronous API
- Support for applications written to the Java EE 7 Full Platform specification.
- CICS asynchronous API
- CICS policies-system and task rules enhancements
- Security and resiliency enhancements
- EXCI support for channels and containers
- New mechanism for controlling MQ trigger and bridge monitors
- Enhancements that simplify or automate common workflows

CICS asynchronous API
- A new asynchronous CICS API enables developers to incorporate programming logic that follows the 'parent-child' logic model in their CICS applications.
- This allows application processes to run in parallel, enabling developers to create more responsive applications that are designed to minimize response times.
- The new asynchronous CICS API is supported across different programming languages using a simple set of functions:
- - RUN TRANSID
- - FETCH CHILD
- - FETCH ANY
- - FREE CHILD
- Applications that utilize this new API benefit from the comprehensive statistics, monitoring and transaction tracking capabilities.

CICS policies - system and task rules enhancements
- Support for applications written to the Java EE 7 Full Platform specification.
- CICS asynchronous API
- Security and resiliency enhancements
- EXCI support for channels and containers
- New mechanism for controlling MQ trigger and bridge monitors
- Enhancements that simplify or automate common workflows

• CICS policies now include system rules
- Policies are now expanded to support a new set of system-based rules.
- This simplifies CICS systems management by providing a single place to create and manage both task-based and system-based policy rules.

• CICS policies - additional enhancements and simplification
- Policies now provide the same capabilities as CICS system events and with a number of additional advantages. These include:
- - combining multiple rules in a single policy
- - writing a message to the CICS log in addition to emitting an event
- - removing the requirement to define a capture specification for each event

• New policy rules editor in CICS Explorer
- A new policy rules editor in the CICS Explorer replaces the more limited functionality provided by the previous policy definition wizard. Additional capabilities include:
- - editing existing policies
- - defining multiple rules in a single policy
- - specifying a user-defined abend code for the abend action on task rules

• CICS policy system rules replace CICS system events
- CICS system events are now deprecated and may be removed in a future release of CICS.
- CICS policies are the strategic replacement for the CICS system events technology.
- All events emitted by policy make use of the existing CICS events infrastructure.
- The underlying CICS events infrastructure and CICS application events remain strategic.
- APAR PI83667 provides support for Policy system rules for all CICS TS V5 releases.

Security and resiliency enhancements
- Support for applications written to the Java EE 7 Full Platform specification.
- CICS asynchronous API
- CICS policies - system and task rules enhancements
- EXCI support for channels and containers
- New mechanism for controlling MQ trigger and bridge monitors
- Enhancements that simplify or automate common workflows

• CICS TS implements three security-related IBM Health Checker for z/OS checks
- CICS TS now supports three new IBM Health Checker for z/OS checks, each of which define security best practices.
- If a CICS region becomes non-compliant, a Health Checker exception message will be issued.
- This support available in prior releases via APAR PI76965 and APAR PI76963

• Support for Workload Manager Health API
- CICS TS can now utilize the z/OS Workload Manager Health API as
a means of controlling the flow of work into a CICS region.
- This can allow a CICS region to have a warm-up process after system initialization, to help to ensure that the CICS region is ready to receive work.
- SIT parameter
- - WLMHEALTH=OFF
- - WLMHEALTH=20,25 - - Interval = 20 seconds
- - WLMHEALTH=20,25 - - Increment = 25%
- SPI Command
- - EXEC CICS SET WLMHEALTH OPENSTATUS() INTERVAL() ADJUSTMENT()
- - - 20 s = 25%
- - - 40 s = 50%
- - - 60 s = 75%
- - - 80 s = 100%
- - Allows regions to be open/closed for listening

• Workload Manager Health API exploiters
- TCP/IP Sysplex Distributor & port sharing
- - Avoids new TCP/IP connections being sent to CICS regions that are not ready
- - Works with all TCP/IP listeners, CICS Web support, EZA sockets, Liberty
- - Allows JVM servers and web service pipelines to fully initialize
- - Shutdown of TCP/IP services now sends HTTP close headers
- MQ adapter
- - Prevents trigger message floods at startup
- CICSPlex SM WLM
- - WLM dynamic routing will avoid AORs with WLMHEALTH = 0

• CICSPlex SM MAS internal tasks run as CICS system transactions
- CICSPlex SM MAS internal tasks now run as CICS system transactions and are implemented under the standard CICS CAT1 security category.
- Additionally, this improves CICS TS resiliency by avoiding the possibility that a user could inadvertently purge critical system management tasks.

• CICS 3270 Intrusion Detection Service
- Detects if a 3270 terminal emulator invalidly modifies a protected field.
- The CICS 3270 Intrusion Detection Service (IDS) can help alert you to 3270 protocol violations as they occur in CICS Basic Mapping Support (BMS) applications.
- CICS TS also integrates with the new z/OS Communication Server IDS function to identify potential protocol violations in real time, for both BMS and native 3270 data streams.

• Read-only versions of CEDF and CEDX
- New CICS transactions CEDG and CEDY are introduced, which examine application programs safely when debugging in a production environment, without the risk of inadvertently overwriting sensitive in-memory storage.

• Additional security infrastructure enhancements
- CICS TS now supports mutual authentication for Kerberos so that a client who uses Kerberos can verify the identity of the CICS TS server.
- The default CICS start-up configuration has been changed such that only CICS regions defined to RACF will be allowed to generate RACF passtickets
- Daily logging of userids that only use web access is now mandatory and the performance of this logging is improved.
- Pre-set userid terminals that do not have terminal specific security can now be configured to share System Authorization Facility (SAF) security registration.

EXCI support for channels and containers
- Support for applications written to the Java EE 7 Full Platform specification.
- CICS asynchronous API
- CICS policies - system and task rules enhancements
- Security and resiliency enhancements
- New mechanism for controlling MQ trigger and bridge monitors
- Enhancements that simplify or automate common workflows

• New EXEC CICS commands for batch programs
- The EXCI interface enables standalone applications that run on z/OS to programmatically interoperate with CICS-hosted applications and APIs.
- This interface is now enhanced to add support for CICS channels and containers. It provides a mechanism to exchange large volumes of structured parameter data between batch applications and CICS applications.
- EXCI PUT Container, GET Container, MOVE Container, DELETE Container, DELETE Channel

• Target program can be in a CICS region running an older release of CICS
- Any CICS applications coded to the channel and containers API and invoked using Distributed Program Link (DPL) can also be invoked unchanged from an EXCI client, including CICS applications that run on earlier CICS TS releases that support channels and containers.

• This new API can be used totally outside of CICS
- This new API can also be used as a way to pass data between programs that run outside CICS, such as programs that make up a batch application, even if the application does not communicate with CICS.

• For large payloads, channel uses less cpu than commarea


New mechanism for controlling MQ trigger and bridge monitors
- Support for applications written to the Java EE 7 Full Platform specification.
- CICS asynchronous API
- CICS policies - system and task rules enhancements
- Security and resiliency enhancements
- EXCI support for channels and containers
- Enhancements that simplify or automate common workflows

• MQMONITOR - a new RDO resource
- CICS system administration of applications that utilize MQ is simplified.
- A new resource definition online (RDO) defined resource MQMONITOR provides control over the transaction ID and user ID under which a monitor task runs.
- CICS can now automatically start and stop MQ monitor tasks, which are based on the status of the MQCONN resource.

• MQMONITOR
- Can be used to control an MQ bridge / trigger or user written monitor
- Configure the transaction ID, User ID that the monitor runs under.
- AUTOSTART starts the monitor as the MQCONN resource is enabled
- Integration with WLM health to avoid a CICS region being flooded

• MQMONITOR interaction with WLM Health
- If WLM health is enabled
- - CICS postpones starting of MQMONITORs until WLMHEALTH > 0%
- - If WLM health percentage is < 100 % message GET rate is limited
- - When WLMHEALTH drops to 0%, all MQMONITORs are stopped
- DFHMQ0370 MQMONITORs are currently restricted to nnn MQGETs per second

• Improvements for Java applications accessing MQ servers
- In addition, the MQ resource adapter can be configured as a JMS provider in the CICS Liberty JVM server. MQ servers on any platform are now supported as a JMS provider.
- When using MQ on z/OS on the same LPAR, cross-memory bindings can be used to optimize performance.
- Java Applications that use the MQ Classes for Java or the MQ Classes for JMS in the OSG JVM server to access MQ for z/OS, can gain a performance benefit from reduced TCB switching.

Enhancements that simplify or automate common workflows
- Support for applications written to the Java EE 7 Full Platform specification.
- CICS asynchronous API
- CICS policies - system and task rules enhancements
- Security and resiliency enhancements
- EXCI support for channels and containers
- New mechanism for controlling MQ trigger and bridge monitors
- Enhancements that simplify or automate common workflows

• IBM z/OS Provisioning Toolkit
- The IBM z/OS Provisioning Toolkit is a simple command line utility for the rapid provisioning of z/OS development environments.
- System programmers can easily manage the provisioning process by pre-configuring the environments using z/OSMF workflows.
- Application developers can provision and deprovision z/OS applications environments in minutes, without requiring any z/OS specific administration skills.
- Uses IBM Cloud Provisioning and Management for z/OS to control developer access and set appropriate provisioning limits.
- The toolkit is fully supported and available now to all z/OS V2 clients at no additional charge.
- The toolkit provides a simple command line interface to drive the automatic provisioning process: run, start, stop, rm (remove).
- Creating portable application images allows developers and testers to provision and run development environments in a single action, in minutes.

• CICS Explorer quick filter enhancements
- The quick filter capability of CICS Explorer is redesigned to easily create additional views that focus on specific information.
- Quick filters can be added to existing views and a full set of equality operators are now available.

• Import and export of view configurations
- Quick filters can also now be quickly saved to permanent view configurations to provide rapid access to frequently used information.
- View configurations can be exported for sharing across teams and for back-up purposes, and can now be imported into CICS Explorer instances from a central web server.

• Support for new deployment tasks in DFHDPLOY
- DFHDPLOY can now perform PIPELINE SCAN, PROGRAM NEWCOPY and PROGRAM PHASEIN operations.
- This enables automation to be written to update these resources without requiring the direct use of the CICSPlex SM API.
- APAR PI72104 adds this capability to earlier CICS TS V5 releases.

• System auto-install of program definitions for Language Environment
- Upgrades are simplified because system auto install is now used to install program definitions for Language Environment (LE) as required. Only those programs that are used will have their definitions installed.
- This drastically reduces the number of installed definitions and removes the need for LE definitions to be refreshed for each individual CICS region when z/OS is upgraded.
- This capability is available with an APAR on CICS/TS 5.1, 5.2, and 5.3.

• New NOSUSPEND option on EXEC CICS named counter server commands
- Makes possible an immediate return to the application program during coupling facility structure rebuild.
- A new condition, BUSY with RESP2 500 means:
- - The NOSUSPEND option was specified on the command, and the coupling facility structure is not currently available during a rebuild.
- Applicable to the following EXEC CICS named counter server commands:
- - DEFINE COUNTER and DEFINE DCOUNTER
- - DELETE COUNTER and DELETE DCOUNTER
- - GET COUNTER and GET DCOUNTER
- - QUERY COUNTER and QUERY DCOUNTER
- - REWIND COUNTER and REWIND DCOUNTER
- - UPDATE COUNTER and UPDATE DCOUNTER

• Non-Java support for JSON web services
- JSON messages can now be processed in CICS regions with no Java configuration.
- You don't have to configure and install a JVM server
- Performance and throughput for many workloads will be better than when using a JVM server to process JSON
- Implemented by using program DFHPIJT as the terminal handler of a provider pipeline

• New options to dump non-CICS address and data spaces
- New options, JOBLIST and DSPLIST, are added to the INQUIRE SYSDUMPCODE and SET SYSDUMPCODE commands
- These new options can be used to dump non-CICS address spaces and data spaces when a CICS dump is triggered

Resources For Getting Started With CICS

• CICS Developer Center
- Continuous Delivery of CICS TS also requires Continuous Delivery of education
- The CICS Developer Center has a number of resources to help users make the most of CICS :
- - Blogs - around 120 technical articles to date
- - Samples - hosted on GitHub
- - Support - Q&A forums
- - Podcasts, videos, client success stories & more

https://developer.ibm.com/cics

• Introduction to CICS
Video course series from IBM Redbooks

https://ibm.biz/cics-java-courses

• Getting Started with Java in CICS
Video course series from IBM Redbooks

https://ibm.biz/cics-java-courses

• CICS Performance Series
- A series of educational videos covering the key topics and considerations for understanding CICS performance.
- - Including:
- - -Making sense of MIPs, MSUs and SUs
- - - LPAR capping
- - - CICS & z/OS WLM
- - These videos and our our IBM Redbooks publications can be found on one page in the Developer Center, here:

https://developer.ibm.com/cics/cics-performance-resources/

• CICS resources

• CICS TS V5.4 Overview
- All you need to know e-book: https://ibm.biz/cics54book
- Webcast: https://ibm.biz/cics-54-replay

• CICS Developer Center: https://ibm.biz/cicsdev
- Tutorials, samples on GitHub, client success stories
- Performance Series: https://ibm.biz/cics-performance

• IBM Redbooks Video Courses: https://ibm.biz/cics-video-courses
- NEW Introduction to CICS
- 3 CICS Java courses

• CICS Social Channels
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IBMCICS
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/IBM_CICS
- Youtube: https://ibm.biz/cicsvideos
- CICSbuzz monthly email newsletter: https://ibm.biz/cicsbuzz-subscribe

• IBM Z Trial Program: ibm.biz/ibmztrial
- Experience the value of the latest IBM Z capabilities today at no charge, and with no install required.
- No charge, on-demand environment
- - With no lead times, and access to a no charge remote environment. Trying out IBM Z capabilities is now easier than ever.
- No setup, no install
- - We provision an environment for you. With all the tooling and connections pre-configured, start trying out the latest IBM Z has to offer in minutes, not hours.
- Hands-on tutorials
- - Experience the latest products and features on the mainframe, with short, step-by-step walkthroughs built in to your trial environment.

• Available Trials
- z/OS Connect Enterprise Edition
- Apache Spark on z/OS
- Application Discovery and Delivery Intelligence
- Information Management Systems (IMS)
- Db2 Administration Solution for z/OS

• Coming Soon
- Db2 Utilities Solution for z/OS
- CICS Transaction Server
- IBM OMEGAMON for JVM on z/OS
- IBM Cloud Provisioning and Management for z/OS

Contact Info:
Ed Addison of IBM
CICS Level II STSM
Work: (919) 254-6515
Email: eaddison@us.ibm.com

Dan Zachary of IBM
IBM CICS Level 2 Support (Level II STSM)
Work: (919) 254-7414
Email: dan_zachary@us.ibm.com

• Presentation Access - See SPARTA webpage for the complete presentation.

• The May 1, 2018 monthly meeting ended about 8:40 PM.


Treasurer’s Report for April 2018

contributed by Randy Springs


The balance in the account is $1,035.76 as of April 30, 2018.


SPARTA Financial Report
3/01/2018 through 04/30/2018


INCOME


Opening Balance

623.52

Total Deposits


Food money donated

170.00

Dues

210.00

Sponsorships

200.00

TOTAL INCOME

$580.00



EXPENSES


Food

167.76

Web Site

0.00

Petty Cash

100.00

Bank Service Charges

0.00

TOTAL EXPENSE

$267.76



BANK BALANCE

909.76

PETTY CASH on hand 

126.00

TOTAL CASH

$1,035.76



Items of Interest



SPARTA Schedule and Menu for 2018

contributed by Chris Blackshire


June 5, 2018 - Fried chicken
July 10, 2018 - Subs (date changed because of the July 4 holiday)
August 7, 2018 - BarBQ
September 11, 2018 - Pizza (date changed because of the Labor Day holiday)
October 2, 2018 - Fried chicken
November 6, 2018 - Subs
December 4, 2018 - BarBQ


SHARE in St. Louis Early Registration Ends June 25th

Contributed By Ed Webb


Start working now on getting to SHARE in St. Louis, Missouri August 12-17, 2018. Hotel reservations can be made at no charge at SHARE's Event hotel site.

Early registration ends Monday, June 25, 2018. And yes, for the first time in 7 years (15 SHARE conferences), the registration fees have increased.

Registration for SHARE has changed for GDPR compliance, including Opt In/Opt Out for personal information sharing, explicit consent for SHARE to use your personal data per the updated privacy policy found here.

Explore the just-released, desktop online agenda for access to technical education sessions that will span topics such as Pervasive Encryption, Cloud Technology in the Enterprise, Data Privacy, API Economy and IBM Z(r) topics.

Be prepared to participate in 2019 at one of these just announced venues:

SHARE Winter 2019:     Phoenix, AZ   March 10-15
SHARE Summer 2019:  Pittsburgh, PA  August 4-9

You can always see the future SHARE schedule here.


Upload of Support Data to IBM Changes June 21, 2018

Contributed By Ed Webb


"Due to GDPR requirements, a new authentication method has been implemented [by IBM] on both ECuRep and Testcase requiring clients to use authentication and secure protocols to upload documentation in support of PMR/PMHs. To properly secure the authentication credentials, a secure connection type will be required (FTPS, SFTP, or HTTPS). Many clients will need to change their scripts and update firewall rules, in order to comply. If the necessary changes are not made PRIOR to June 21, 2018, clients will not be able to supply the documentation necessary for us to properly support them. IBM support will be severely curtailed.

Additional Details: The following Red Alert was issued: IBM testcase and ECuRep Alert.

This Red Alert directs you to the Support File Transfer Details page.

A transmission test process can be found in these FAQs.


IBM Hot Topic: ICSF Delivers With Its Latest Release

Contributed By Ed Webb


"Cryptographic Support for z/OS V2R1 - z/OS V2R3, also known as ICSF FMID HCR77C1 or web deliverable number 17, was released in September of 2017 and has many things to brag about. The updates contained in this release vary from usability improvements, such as an ISPF-based browser for CKDS key material, to integrated support for a PCI HSM configured CCA coprocessor. ”

Learn about the changes in ICSF from this IBM Systems Magazine article.


Personal Security From all Angles

Contributed By Chris Blackshire


I went to a Fidelity sponsored Lunch and Learn about personal security.
“1 in 5 elderly people will be financially exploited. Only 1 in 44 cases are reported.”

Some great URLs follow that they gave to the participants.

If you believe you identity has been stolen: identitytheft.gov

Emergency preparedness for home and family: www.fema.gov

Selecting a vendor for background checks or internet analysis: http://www.napbs.com/

Information on protection of seniors from exploitation: National Adult Protection Services Association

How to add a “security freeze” at the credit bureaus: ftc.gov
TransUnion: 800-680-7289
Equifax: 800-525-6285
Experian: 888-397-3742

U.S. Trusted Traveler Programs

Storing critical documents in a secure digital repository

The following are on the Fidelity web site in a public area that needs no logon to read:

Fidelity Security Overview

Fidelity Customer Protection Guarantee

Boost Your Login Protection:

Create a Strong Password:

Browse With Vigilance (https is explained):

Take Precautions at Home:

Monitor Your Accounts:

Look Out for Suspicious Emails (phishing explained)

Fidelity Investments Aging Well Guide


Humor



Humorous Thoughts

Contributed by Ed Webb


• When you think about it, beef jerky is just a cow raisin.
• Waldo’s parents are probably worried sick.
• College apartments are where furniture goes to die.
• Bath tubs are just reverse boats.




Membership Information



Don’t Forget the Next SPARTA Meeting


Tuesday, June 5, 2018

7 p.m.


Location: LabCorp in RTP


Take I-40 to Miami Boulevard and go north. Turn right onto 1912 T.W. Alexander Drive. Go about a mile or so. Then turn right into LabCorp complex and turn left to the CMBP Building. In the lobby, sign in as a visitor to see Bill Johnson. Bill will escort you to the conference room. Use 1912 TW Alexander Drive, Durham, NC 27703 in your map app.


Free Food before meeting: Fried Chicken, Sodas and Tea, Dessert


Program:

SyncSort

Speaker: Maggie Li, Chief Architect for Mainframe for SyncSort








SPARTA News

P.O. Box 13194

Research Triangle Park, NC  27709-3194


First Class Postage


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