We are delighted to announce that the latest issue of Cheryl Watson’s Tuning Letter, as well as the May 2020 CPU Chart, are both available to subscribers on our publications site now.
Tuning Letter 2020 No. 1 contains:
- A description of the latest changes to IBM’s Tailored Fit Pricing model. In Tuning Letter 2019 No. 4, Cheryl described the benefits and drawbacks of IBM’s Tailored Fit Pricing option. Cheryl felt that TFP, like nearly all pricing options, would be a good fit for some sites, but that the drawbacks would inhibit wider acceptance. Since the publication of that article, IBM has addressed many of Cheryl’s concerns. Cheryl’s ‘IBM’s TFP – Update‘ article in Tuning Letter 2020 No. 1 describes the changes and her latest thoughts on how suitable TFP is for our subscribers. The IBM changes were not formally announced, so if you are, or soon will be, negotiating a TFP contract, this is a must-read article.
- Cheryl also took this opportunity to address the topic of MLC to OTC conversions. Despite the fact that most sites are still concentrating on controlling MLC costs, we are seeing an increasing number of clients where the ongoing OTC costs are significantly higher than their MLC costs. Check out Cheryl’s ‘MLC Conversion to OTC‘ article for invaluable insights into controlling your total software costs.
- ‘Focus: IBM z15 T02‘ provides a deep dive into IBM’s latest mainframe. We have been receiving many inquiries about the new model, so if you are considering an upgrade from a z13s or z14 ZR1, you are not alone. This article describes the new and not-so-new features in the T02, and should be reviewed before placing your upgrade order.
- Regular readers will be looking forward to Todd Havekost’s quarterly installment. In ‘Learning From SMF – MQ Statistics‘, Todd uses MQ to illustrate how SMF can be used to not only monitor a product (MQ in this example), but also gain a deeper understanding of how the associated product works. I know very little about MQ, but I had a long to-do list for myself by the time I reached the end of Todd’s article. We’re sure that you will enjoy the article as much as I did.
- We announced our Important Messages Health Check last year. Since then, over 100 customers have downloaded a copy, and we have been receiving very positive feedback. In ‘Important Messages Health Check 1.3‘, Mario Bezzi describes his latest enhancements to the check.
In addition to all the above, Tuning Letter 2020 No. 1 contains information about New Function APARs, new performance-related APARs, End-of-Support dates, new and updated Techdocs, and a plethora of other time-saving information – 134 pages in total.
And if all that isn’t enough to keep you entertained, the latest CPU Chart, including over 40 attributes of the latest IBM z15 T02 CPCs, is available on the publications site now, in both spreadsheet and PDF format. If you are considering an upgrade to one of the new z15 T02 models, there is a wealth of valuable information waiting for you on the website.