For a long time, disaster recovery (DR) in Db2 z/OS environments was mostly about getting systems back online after a major outage. Whether it was a hardware failure, a data center problem, or a natural disaster, the focus was on full system recovery, bringing the...
Why MFA is Crucial in Today’s Security Landscape Traditionally, user authentication has relied heavily on passwords or passphrases. However, passwords alone have become a weak point in cybersecurity. They are often easy to guess, reused across systems, or written...
After publishing “Strengthening Enterprise Security with IBM Multi-Factor Authentication,” I’m excited to share part two: my hands-on experience implementing and using multi-factor authentication (MFA) on z/OS. Before discussing the practical aspects, it’s important...
Mainframe Reporting and Saving Data: Why Backups Are Non-Negotiable I’ve spoken with countless output management customers, and I’m alarmed by a recurring theme: many lack not only a robust backup strategy but also fail to practice their restores. This gap leaves them...
![This Critical System [Just Runs] – But Do You Trust It?](https://planetmainframe.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/This-Critical-System-Just-Runs-1080x454.jpg)
Every enterprise has a system that delivers reports and information, working seamlessly in the background, unseen, taken for granted, and assigned no true owner. It isn’t the application that processes transactions. It isn’t the database that stores records. It’s the...
An Agnostic Services Vendor Weighs In After Years of Intensive Migration Activity Summary GTSG’s thirty-seven years on the mainframe include hundreds of thousands of hours dedicated to ISV migrations. We've observed many paths taken by mainframe shops,...
Enterprise systems don’t stay online by accident. Behind every seamless ATM transaction, insurance policy update, or healthcare claim processed in milliseconds, there’s a mainframe running—and behind that mainframe, a database administrator (mainframe DBA) ensuring...
Streamline your Db2 13 migration with 7 expert steps from Rocket Software’s Paul Bartak. Plan now to avoid disruption later.
High-quality indexes are critical for fast data access and returns. IBM Db2 for z/OS relies on an advanced data structure called the Optimized Balanced Plus Tree to power high-speed indexing. This structure, an evolution of the classic B+ Tree, helps Db2 deliver...
Unlocking the Value of Cheryl Watson’s Tuning Letter Back Catalog If you work with IBM mainframes, you’ve probably heard of Cheryl Watson’s Tuning Letter, which I now have the pleasure of editing. For decades, it’s been one of the most trusted resources for...
