As we said in our newsletter, the events of September 11th shocked and saddened us all. Our hearts and minds are with all those affected. Some of our readers in the Middle East have written to remind us that the terrorists do not represent their faith of Islam. We understand, and we hope that our government’s response will be measured and precise, bringing those responsible to justice without further loss of innocent life.
1. Corrections
2. Cheryl Watson’s TUNING Letter 2001, No. 4
1. Corrections
On page 4 of our 2001, No. 4 TUNING Letter, we incorrectly specified the URL for WSC Flashes as <www.ibm.com/support/tech/docs>. The correct url is www.ibm.com/support/techdocs.
I just noticed a typo in our 2000, No. 6 TUNING Letter on page 29. IBM generates their mix ratings from 25% TSO, CICS/DB2, IMS, and CB84 (not CBW2 as stated in the newsletter).
2. Cheryl Watson’s TUNING Letter 2001, No. 4 Summary
The fifty-two page 2001, No. 4 TUNING Letter was emailed to electronic subscribers on Monday, September 24. The issue was mailed to print subscribers yesterday. Here are a few of the topics we covered, taken from our “Management Issues”. You can purchase a printed copy of the current TUNING Letter for $85.
Software Pricing
The majority of this issue discusses the newest IBM software pricing methodology that must be used for all IBM products running under z/OS on a z900 processor. This is a major change in pricing methodology and will change the way you run your data center. It’s not optional, but it could save you money on software license charges. If you don’t spend the required time, however, it could cost you more. Even if you don’t see a z900 in your near future, understand that at some point, you will be using this new methodology. If you have plans for a z900 soon, then the articles will help you understand the intricacies of the new pricing. This is one of the most major changes since the MVS SP 5 announcement in April 1994. Also, for the real techies in your midst, John Arwe (IBM WLM developer) provides an in-depth look at how WLM handles defined capacity for software pricing.
One section of the article doesn’t depend on whether you have z/OS or a z900. “Value Unit Pricing” is a new method to provide IBM DB2 and IMS utilities at a discount compared to their original prices and their competition. You might want to check that section out. Another article on software pricing doesn’t require any specific level of hardware or software. It describes a service to help you improve your software asset management.
Preventive Maintenance
It’s extremely important to stay aware of the high performance (Hiper) APARs today. Many, if not most, of these APARs identify problems that could cause an unscheduled IPL. It’s simply not worth it to ignore the problems that other sites have already identified. You’ll find the most important APARs that IBM and we can identify in the following two sections: SHARE Trip Report and Notes.
Elsewhere in This Issue
Elsewhere in this issue we cover APARs and tips relating to CICS capture ratio, I/O Priority Queuing, CA90, COBOL programs running under UNIX, STEPCATs and JOBCATs, DB2 Disaster Recovery, Open Cryptographic Services Facility, and new redbooks and white papers. My SHARE Trip report includes APARs, ordering dates for z/OS, a new book, DFSMShsm Statistics, sysprog tools, TCP/IP buffering, and PDSE monitor. Our What’s New section provides a description of z/OS R2 and z/OS R3. And our Q&A provides a recommendation on setting goals for CICS and IMS.
Stay tuned!