An index is a database structure, separate from the data, that provides a method to search; it provides a technique for both rapid random lookups and efficient access of ordered records. Hashing is an indexing technique that leverages mathematical techniques to...
The FICON Control Unit Port (CUP) provides an in-band management interface defined by IBM that defines the channel command words (CCWs) that the FICON host can use for managing the switch. The protocol used is the IBM version of the ANSI FC-SB4 single-byte command...
Like many of my fellow Planet Mainframe readers, I belong to several LinkedIn professional groups. Recently, there was a vibrant discussion thread going on in one such group that discussed subject matter experts and their value. It gave me an idea for a blog post....
17 July 2017 marked the IBM announcement of the latest IBM mainframe: the IBM z14. Congratulations to the IBM Z team on a successful launch of what looks to be yet another in a long and distinguished history of superb enterprise computing platforms. Similar to the...
Timing, timekeeping, time synchronization, more specifically accurate synchronization, is a key requirement for modern information technology systems. This is especially true for industries involved in transaction processing such as the financial industry. As such,...
Having a choice means having options to select from. Most of us like to have a choice when it comes to purchasing products. Imagine how boring life would be if we all wore the same clothing every day as if we were in the military (been there done...
The IBM z16 became generally available (GA) in May 2022. It introduced yet another significant change to IBM Z time synchronization via the new “time direct to the CEC” functionality. This article will briefly review the z15 time synchronization change that served as...
If you’ve earned your living in the IT field for any length of time, you know that words and phrases come and go with regularity. “Hybrid” is one of the words de jour. And, it’s a good word. My only quibble is that those of us who have built integration technology...
No. But it has been a victim of friendly-fire. I’m not sure that there is a headline relating to IT and enterprise software more cliché than the one at the top of this article. Cringeworthy? Perhaps, particularly If you’re in your 4th decade in the mainframe and...
Admittedly, I’m as much a music fan as I’m a technophile—perhaps it’s this combination that makes it easy for me to draw comparisons from the punk music genre to that of the mainframe. After all, punk hasn’t changed—it has simply evolved. From the early days of 1970s...
