z/OS Boot Camp

Get your new hires in the Zone with our fabulous Z Boot Camp.  Our instructors will amaZe your staff with their
experience and knowledge, as they work through the curriculum and transform your employees into Z wiZards.  

z/OS Boot Camp Roadmap 

Introduction to IT
  • Origins of processing information using digital technology
  • How digital technology is implemented in modern day computers
  • Major hardware components of a computer
  • System software and applications
  • Number systems
  • Relationship between components such as:
    • Processor
    • Memory
    • Input/output
  • Operating system tasks
  • Data storage fundamentals (including databases)
  • Communications technologies
Introduction to Z Systems
  • Concepts and facilities offered by Z Systems mainframes (hardware and software levels)
  • Hardware components, concentrating on power and scalability offered on Z Systems
  • z/OS operating system’s major functions
  • The range of operating systems supported
  • Compatibility with legacy systems
  • z/OS operating system
  • Subsystems that run on z/OS (JES, TSO/ISPF, DBMSs, ACFs, z/OS Communications Server, etc.)
  • Online transaction processing (OLTP)
  • Benefits of a 64-bit Operating System
  • Virtualization
  • Redundancy
  • Availability (through technologies such as design of the hardware, z/VM, PR/SM and Parallel Sysplex)
z/OS Data Structures
  • Data fields, records, and data sets
  • Data types (Sequential, Partitioned, VSAM, and Databases)
  • The UNIX file system 
  • z/OS methods used to store and find data (VTOCs, Catalogs, and z/OS subsystems)
  • CAS, LPA, and VLF.
  • System Managed Storage (DFSMS) concepts
z/OS Systems and Subsystems
  • Details of each Subsystems (within z/OS) and relationships with each other
  • z/OS Base Control Program (BCP)
  • z/OS Communications Server (SNA and TCP/IP)
  • Security Packages (RACF, ACF2, TopSecret)
  • The system programmer, administrator and user development environment (TSO/ISPF)
  • Online Transaction Processing (CICS)
  • Data Base Management Systems (DB2 and IMS)
  • Web services (WebSphere and MQ Series)
  • Batch processing (JES2, JCL, Initiators)
  • System initialization parameters
  • Protection the operating system affords against malfunctioning software and hardware (ACR, ABEND, etc.)
  • Documentation and interpretation of error messages and codes
  • Initialization of a z/OS partition
TSO/ISPF
  • ISPF Menu system
  • Action bar
  • Panel skip
  • Window split
  • Starting multiple windows
  • Create and manipulate datasets
  • Submit batch work
  • Obtain information on system parameters, settings, and operation
  • Run foreground applications
  • Examine and manipulate system output
  • Enter the Unix environment and issue TSO commands
  • The ISPF Full Screen Editor
JCL and Utilities
  • The three major JCL statements (JOB, EXEC and DD)
  • The use, format, and syntax of each
  • Creation of datasets of various kinds (sequential and PDS)
  • The manipulation of those datasets within a multi-step job (moving, passing, cataloging, deleting, etc.)
  • Catalogued and Instream procedures
  • Building Generation Data Groups
  • Creating and manipulating generation data sets as well as VSAM data sets
  • Step restart and the use of conditional step execution
  • Utilities involving listing data set, sorting data, and creating VSAM clusters and GDGs
  • Use of IEFBR14
  • System Managed Storage (DFSMS)
  • SDSF 
Intro to Structured Programming and REXX (Optional)
  • Defining terms
  • Language translator and Linkage Editor
  • List 5 constructs of Structured Programming
  • Subroutines
  • Differences between REXX program and Stored program.
  • Create REXX procedures- invoke TSO/E commands and programs
  • Create REXX procedures- perform I/O against sequential and partitioned data sets
  • Create ISREDIT macros- enhance the ISPF edit environment
  • Create REXX procedures- interact with the MVS operator’s console
  • Create REXX procedures- capture and tailor the output of TSO/E commands

Have questions about our z/OS Boot Camp? Reach out to us to learn more!

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