Welcome

Emuframe is a blog about IBM Mainframe (IBM Z) that I started in 2015. It focuses on the z/OS operating system.

Although the blog has evolved over time, the main goal was to teach how to perform tasks within z/OS.

Nowadays, I believe that focusing solely on z/OS while ignoring other technologies is “too limiting”.

In addition to teaching z/OS, I will research and teach how to use other technologies (Docker, Ansible, Python, etc.) and connect them with z/OS.

Description

This website contains documentation with the steps I follow to perform specific tasks. This does not replace the official documentation for each product. It is an additional resource to help make tasks easier to accomplish.

With the goal of having a resource repository, I will also include JCLs or REXX scripts that have helped me in the past.

Additionally, if I develop any web tools myself that I find interesting to include, I will do so.

About Me - Javier Fernández García

Since 2019, I have been a z/OS Systems Technician. I primarily work in the areas of operating system, security, and storage for various clients.

I have experience in:

• Operating System:

  • Installation: z/OS 2.5 and z/OS 3.1. IBM Workload Scheduler for z/OS (TWS - OPC). IBM System Automation. BMC Control-M. BMC FDR 6.1. ESP Workload Automation. SAS 9.4…
  • Maintenance installation (PTFs) for the operating system and products.
  • Identifying and resolving system errors.
  • Modifying IODF.
  • Disaster Recovery testing.
  • Managing system resources and HMC.
  • Installing products in Docker containers (e.g., IBM Workload Automation Dynamic Workload Console) and connecting them with z/OS.
  • Reports: CPU consumption, LPAR status, monthly SCRT report, reports from SMF records, etc.

• Security (RACF):

  • User/group permission management: creating users, connecting to groups, etc.
  • Certificate maintenance: adding certificates to RACF, creating Keyrings, connecting certificates to Keyrings, etc.
  • Extracting data from the database.
  • Resolving vulnerabilities.

• Storage:

  • Disk initialization.
  • SMS class maintenance (Data Class, Management Class, Storage Class, Storage Groups).
  • Creating/modifying ACS routines.
  • HSM, RMM, and FDR maintenance.
  • Reports: Storage Groups status, scratch tapes, etc.

• Other Skills:

  • Programming: REXX, JS, PHP, Python, SQL (databases)
  • zCX, z/OSMF, ZOWE, BMC AMI Cloud (formerly Model9), Next.js, Docker, Ubuntu, RHEL

Software I Use

To emulate the Mainframe architecture, I use IBM Z Development and Test Environment Personal Edition on Ubuntu.

I use z/OS 3.1, specifically the ADCD z/OS V3R1 May Edition of 2024: ADCD z/OS V3R1 May Edition of 2024