This course will introduce delegates to the z/OS operating system and the IBM systems on which it runs. It covers common z/OS terminology and explains the main concepts employed by z/OS in performing its functions, before moving on to the TSO functionality and JCL Commands that are essential for all users of the z/OS Operating system.

Course Objectives

Delegates will:

• Understand the history and make-up of the IBM System z and z/OS operating system.
• Log-on to TSO and control the TSO session.
• Navigate the ISPF panels.
• Create, edit and view data sets and members within PDS and PDSE libraries.
• Perform general utility functions from within ISPF.
• View and manage job output using SDSF.
• Code JCL to perform general tasks within the z/OS system.
• Understand the Job listings and associated messages.
• Diagnose and resolve JCL problems.
• Analyse Job failures, correct and re-start jobs.
• Code JOB, EXEC, and DD statements.
• Create data sets of different types.
• Improve programmer efficiency and reduce program test time.
• Decrease the number of job failures.

Audience

This course is designed for anyone requiring a complete Technical Introduction to the z/OS operating system - including TSO/ISPF and JCL.

It provides the perfect starting point for any staff moving into the world of the IBM System z from other technical backgrounds as well as those completely new to IT. Delegates requiring more in-depth training can move on to operator or developer courses but this course is always the best way to start out.

NOTE: The three sections of this course are also covered separately in the following classes:

• z/OS for Beginners
• z/OS TSO/ISPF Workshop
• z/OS Job Control Language

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this course.

Duration

5 days. Hands on.

Course Content

z/OS Introduction

• Brief history.
• What is z/OS?
• Basic processor resources.
• Storage development.
• z/OS and I/O Devices.
• Principal software components.
• z/OS Objectives.
• Control of work.
• Control of resources.
• Operator communication.
• Support for Applications.
• I/O Processing.
• Task Processing.

Hardware Platform

• PR/SM and LPARs.
• z/Series processors.
• I/O Processing – Hardware perspective.
• ESCON / FICON.
• Cartridges / Disks.
• Other peripherals.
• Modern disks versus old technology.

z/OS Structure

• Task Management.
• Multi-tasking.
• Multi-processing.
• The dispatcher and dispatching priorities.
• Input/Output - process z/OS perspective.
• Virtual Storage Operation.
• Address Spaces.
• Common areas.
• System Address Spaces.
• Sub-systems.
• Started Tasks.
• Work-load Manager.

Data in z/OS

• Internal representation.
• Packed Decimal.
• Error correction.
• Data Sets.
• Data set naming and location.
• Catalogue Structure.
• VTOC structure.
• Data Set Structures.
• Data organisations and access methods.
• Record formats.
• Buffering.
• Portioned Data Sets and PDSE.
• Virtual Storage Access Method.
• ESDS, KSDS, LDS, and RRDS.

Running Work in z/OS

• Batch processing.
• JES2 versus JES3.
• JES2 Overview.
• JES2 Job Submission.
• System Networks.
• SNA – VTAM etc...
• TCP/IP.
• Network management.
• On-line processing.
• CICS overview.
• Databases.
• DB2 plus others.
• Applications Development.
• Programming Languages.
• Compile stages.
• CICS and DB2 requirements.

z/OS Facilities

• DFSMS family of products.
• Aims of Storage Management.
• ACS Routines.
• HSM's role.
• SMS and non-SMS Allocation processes.
• Global Resource Serializtion.
• Data in Memory.
• LLA, DLF and VLF.
• System Management Facility (SMF).
• System Security - RACF.

z/OS Commands

• PR/SM Review.
• IPL, IML and HMC.
• Auomatic commands from Parmlib members.
• Managing tasks.
• Managing devices.
• Starting and stopping z/OS.

JES2 Commands

• Starting JES2.
• Managing initiators.
• Managing JOBs/Tasks.
• Managing Input queues.
• Managing Output queues.
• Stopping JES2.

TSO/E Environment

• TSO and z/OS relationship.
• Initial logon process and screens.
• The role of Session Management software.
• Native TSO (Line Mode).
• TSO with ISPF (Panel mode).
• RACF Profiles.
• Data set naming conventions.
• Batch TSO.

ISPF/PDF Overview

• Relationship between ISPF and TSO.
• The 4 panel types described.
• Primary option menu.
• Program Functions Keys.
• General ISP Commands.
• Jumping between panels/functions.
• Scrolling.
• Split screen mode operation.
• HELP information described (TSO and ISPF).
• FIND and CHANGE commands introduced.
• END versus RETURN.
• RETRIEVE commands.
• Keyboard customisation overview.

ISPF Interface (a.k.a. ISPF Option 0)

• Terminal settings.
• Log data set settings.
• List data set settings.
• Default JCL set up.
• Function Key customisation.

ISPF View (a.k.a. ISPF Option 1)

• Entry Panel described.
• Member list panel described.
• Data panel described.
• Summary of View/Browse Commands.
• FIND Command described.
• Difference between Browse and View.

ISPF Edit (a.k.a. ISPF Option 2)

• Panel descriptions.
• Edit profile and commands described.
• Edit Primary versus Line commands.
• Using Line commands (A, B, C, D, I, M, O, and R).
• Comprehensive line command overview.
• Shift commands.
• Comprehensive Primary command overview.
• TAB Control descriptions (3 types).
• BOUNDS command.
• CHANGE command described.
• COPY and MOVE described.
• CREATE and REPLACE described.
• CUT and PASTE described.

ISPF Utilities (a.k.a. ISPF Option 3)

• Library Utility (ISPF Option 3.1).
• Data Set Utility (ISPF Option 3.2).
• Including VSAM capability.
• COPY / MOVE Utility (ISPF Option 3.3).
• Data Set List Utility (ISPF Option 3.4).
• Output Display Utility (ISPF Option 3.8).
• Compare Utility (ISPF Option 12).
• Search Utility (ISPF Option 14).

TSO/E Commands (a.k.a. ISPF Option 6)

• Command panel described.
• TSO/E Command overview.
• Scripting overview (CLIST and REXX).
• Allocating own ISPF Libraries.
• Emulator interaction.
• PC File Transfer.
• Keyboard mapping.

SDSF

• Security Controls (role of RACF and ISFPARM).
• SDSF Primary Menu.
• Display active tasks.
• Displaying input queues.
• Displaying held output currents.
• Displaying the current status.
• Display the initiators.
• Displaying the SYSLOG.
• PREFIX and OWNER commands.
• Displaying a specific job's output.
• Submitting a job from the output queue.
• Capturing output to a data set.
• Entering z/OS and JES commands.

Introduction to JCL

• Evolution of JCL.
• JCL syntax.
• Statement types.
• Operand types.
• JCL Error points.
• Comprehension quiz.

JOB Statement

• Influences on the JOB statement.
• CLASS and its role in JOB selection.
• GROUP.
• JOBRC.
• MSGCLASS and output affected.
• MSGLEVEL.
• NOTIFY.
• PASSWORD.
• REGION.
• MEMLIMIT.
• TIME.
• TYPRUN.
• USER.

EXEC Statement

• Influences on the EXEC statement.
• PGM / PROC.
• COND.
• PARM.
• REGION.
• TIME.

DD Statement Basics

• Influences on the DD statement.
• DDNAMES sources.
• User programs.
• Utilities.
• Reserved DDNAMES.
• z/OS.
• JES2.
• In-stream data sets.
• *.
• DATA.
• DLM.
• Spooled data sets (SYSOUT).
• DSN.
• Permanent data sets.
• Temporary data sets.
• DISP.

Using Data Sets

• Data set organisations (DSORG).
• Non-VSAM types.
• VSAM types.
• Defining a new permanent data set.
• LRECL.
• RECFM.
• BLKSIZE.
• SPACE.
• UNIT.
• VOL.
• Defining a new cartridge data set.
• EXPDT.
• RETPD.
• LABEL.
• Defining a temporary data set for this step.
• Defining a temporary data set for another step.
• Referencing a previous temporary data set.

Impact of SMS

• DATACLAS.
• MGMTCLAS.
• STORCLAS.
• AVGREC.
• LIKE.
• REFDD.

JCL Miscellany

• RESTART.
• RD.
• Concatenated data sets.
• Deferred data sets.
• DUMMY data sets.
• DSN=NULLFILE.
• Backward references.
• OUTPUT statement.