Episode 24 "Our Wurst Episode"

Here are the show notes for Episode 24 “Our Wurst Episode”. The show is called this because we both attended the IBM TechU in Berlin, Germany, and our Topics topic is our trip report.

Mainframe Topic: CICS ServerPac in z/OSMF

• IBM’s first delivery on new installation strategy, will be with CICS and associated SREL products. This is the first of many (really, all).
• Choice on new installation strategy or old during ShopZ ordering.
• We encourage making the z/OSMF choice, as that is consistent between IBM and other vendors, and is intended to be easier.
• Infrastructure already available in continuously delivery PTFs, and rolled back to z/OS V2.2. This makes the driving system have the proper infrastructure so anybody can package and deliver that way.
• All software that you ordered as a ServerPac, and installed either way, will give you the same (or hopefully better) equivalent installation.
• There is an IBM Statement Of Direction that this installation choice is coming, but we do not have an exact date yet.
• For other software ISVs, they can exploit the new z/OS installation strategy whenever they are ready.
• Prepare now by becoming familiar with z/OSMF Software Management and Workflows

Performance Topic: DB2 And I/O Priority Queuing

• Follow on from Screencast / Martin's Blog post topic:, "Screencast 12 – Get WLM Set Up Right"
• Recent talk has been about whether to turn off I/O Priority Queuing in WLM.
• Service classes with DB2 subsystems in are heavily I/O Sample oriented, which is unusual among service classes in a system.
• Means access to CPU is not properly managed, as CPU & zIIP samples few, relative to I/O samples. Reminder: Most of DBM1 is now zIIP-eligible.
• Can achieve goal even with lots of delay for zIIP or CPU, but that’s definitely not what you want.
• You don’t want to just turn off WLM I/O Priority Queuing, as it’s sysplex-wide, it might affect other work that needs it, and Db2 might actually need it.
• First you need a reasonably achievable goal for the service class. Make sure you’re more or less achieving the existing goal.
• Second, calculate what the velocity achieved would be without I/O priority queuing .
• You should evaluate or adjust the goal attainment, but that is BAU. Changing WLM always needs some care.

Topics: Berlin Trip Report May 20-24

• We both attended IBM Z TechU in Berlin, and got to see each other.
• Marna had about six sessions.
  The SMP/E Rookies session had fabulous attendance – 44. Some were more experienced, but most were not.
  z/OSMF had good attendance too, about 82. More are interested in this topic, especially if you compare to just a couple of years ago.
  Best attended was the z/OS V2.4 Preview, with about 150 people. There was excellent interest in what is coming in the new release.
  Marna did her own poster to help with z/OSMF configuration, and several people came by to chat.
• Both Marna and Martin shared a poster about this podcast. We helped with getting one person a podcast app (on each platform), and a subscription to this podcast.
• Martin had five sessions.  One was co-written with Anna, “2 / 4 LPARs” Two were solo efforts: Parallel Sysplex Performance Topics, and Even More Fun With DDF.

Contacting Us

You can reach Marna on Twitter as mwalle and by email.

You can reach Martin on Twitter as martinpacker and by email and blogs at blog.