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Getting resolution on an ever-evolving platform requires ever-evolving solutions. In this episode, we talk with the Team Lead for z/OS & USS Support, John Shebey, about what it takes to optimize problem resolution on such a demanding system. 

Getting skills on Z is discussed almost as frequently as Z itself, and with good reason! The jobs are out there, they need to be filled, but it takes the right type of person and the right type of education to bring it all together. There is perhaps none better to discuss this topic than COO of Interskill, Darren Surch.  Learn more about Interskill's offerings at interskill.com To see some of the courses that Jeff is featured in, visit learn.ibm.com

Being back in the studio means we can finally get the band back together. In this episode, we've got Gary Puchkoff and Allison Moshier to tell us how z/OS Container Extensions have advanced since we last chatted, and to give us a peek of the direction of things to come. 

Standing in for the now-possibly-unbanned Peter Enrico, Scott Chapman is in the virtual studio to give us a fresh batch of insight into how IBM Z users can get the most from their systems. We learn that sometimes exceeding your goals is *not* a good thing, and that recompiling code to take advantage of new features isn't always as simple as hitting the big green "recompile" button.  Learn more at https://www.pivotor.com 

The Go language has emerged as a leading language for server-side and cloud applications, DevOps automation tools, and so much more. Like all good things, it has come to z/OS, and may just be what you're looking for to extend existing methods into a new direction. Bill O'Farrell and James Tang are here to walk you through all of the questions you never knew you had about the Go language.  Go on z/OS download - https://www.ibm.com/account/reg/us-en/signup?formid=urx-49659 Product page (Demos on "Resources" tab) - https://www.ibm.com/products/open-enterprise-sdk-go-zos IBM Documentation - https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/sdk-go-zos  Go on z/OS community - https://community.ibm.com/community/user/ibmz-and-linuxone/groups/topic-home?CommunityKey=6fb961a9-1e24-42c4-ad73-6a4a6b799f8a  

SDSF is, to many, the part of ISPF that lets you manage jobs and fire off the occasional command, but not many truly appreciate its journey and just how deep those hooks go into the core of the OS. Ken Jonas and Rob Scott stop by this episode to shed some insight into SDSF and what the future may hold for such a powerful tool. 

In order for Z continue to run the world, we need a world around for it to run. Recent efforts in Sustainability are designed to lessen the impact of computing on our own natural resources, as well as making better decisions with regards to modern workloads. There's lots to discuss, and Dustin Demetriou is going to lay it all out for you on this new episode of Terminal Talk. 

It's time to rethink your storage model. Don't worry, nobody is saying throw everything into the cloud, rather TCT is a new offering allowing for a whole new tier of storage which leverages the cloud storage provider of your choice. That's about the extent of my Storage knowledge, so if you want to know more, hit play and listen to Robert Gensler tell us all about Transparent Cloud Tiering.

VTOC. Know it. Use it... Love it? If you're putting data on volumes, you're using a Volume Table of Contents to keep track of what's where, and like most things in Z, knowing just how that information gets put to use can help aid in performance and reliability. Let the experts, Kevin Miner and Mike Koester take us through the importance of this oft-overlooked aspect of storage management. 

When you think of DevOps, your mind probably fills with visions of mobile apps, some middleware applications, maybe a backend service or two, but probably not machine firmware and millicode. Brenton is here to change that thinking, telling us all about how implementing DevOps at all levels can help teams get more done with greater efficiency. 

The processor powering the next generation of IBM Z and LinuxONE machines has some seriously impressive tech inside. From caching structures that keep response times down, to even more speciality engines built around AI, to even more security enhancements, Telum has much to offer. The research and collaboration that went into bringing all of this to life deserves some airtime as well, and we've got Dr. Christian Jacobi, Distinguished Engineer, IBM Z Hardware Development Systems to tell us why Telum is grabbing the industry's attention, how it all came together behind the scenes, and how its technology will benefit Z and LinuxONE users around the world.   Read more here: https://www.ibm.com/blogs/systems/ibm-telum-processor-the-next-gen-microprocessor-for-ibm-z-and-ibm-linuxone/ Anandtech Article: https://www.anandtech.com/show/16924/did-ibm-just-preview-the-future-of-caches  

For testers, there's just never enough time, and being thorough without pushing back release dates is a constant struggle. With some very clever test architecture, and just heaps of pure genius, PJ Catalano and team have been able to get a jump on testing some big features in new hardware without sacrificing quality. Get a peek into the world of Enterprise System Test in this episode. 

You've gotta stay on top of your installed software, and the right approach can make all the difference. World renowned software install/management/upgrade expert Marna Wanna (and co-host of the other mainframe podcast, Mainframe, Performance, Topics) joins us to shed some light on what it takes to keep current without adding drama to an already-busy workload. 

What happens when you try and mix core Z tasks with modern automation frameworks? Turns out you get a robust system for getting those basic tasks done quicker, and in a way that enables much greater integration into other tooling.  In this episode, we talk with The Michaels from Ensono, and hear how they leverage Ansible with z/OS to make things run smoother, just by aligning workloads, and in a single-digit matter of months. Truly inspiring.  Learn more at https://www.ensono.com and https://www.ansible.com/integrations/infrastructure/ibm-zos  

In this "Back to School" episode, we learn all about Messaging, as in the process of sending/requesting logic and/or data on a computer platform, NOT passing notes in the back of class, and more specifically MQ, the specific middleware supported just about anywhere, but most importantly on Z. Professors Matt Sunley and Matt Leming walk us through the business and technical side of this powerful side of enterprise applications.  Learn more at: https://www.ibm.com/products/mq   Sound Effects provided by ProSoundEffects / Pond5 Additional sound effects from https://www.zapsplat.com

Alongside the dizzying array of processors, I/O adapters, power management and networking hardware, nestled up in a far corner of the z15 sits a pair of servers with perhaps the most important job in the world; starting everything up. The Support Element (SE) and Hardware Management Console (HMC) give you all the controls needed to manage your Z resources, including LPARS, power management, and loading microcode.  In our first ever "Back to School" episode, Fred Bader introduces us to this all-important part of the IBM Z data center.  Back to School episodes are made with absolute beginners in mind. We will keep making regular episodes, where we dive deep into technologies, but we wanted something that newbies could jump onto without feeling overwhelmed. Seasons pros just may learn a thing or two as well!  So don't worry, we didn't fire Old Man Charlie or anything :)     Sound Effects provided by ProSoundEffects / Pond5 Additional sound effects from https://www.zapsplat.com

Rich and Randy are avid advocates of Z, but also know that the real magic happens when people can benefit from it without needing to know a whole lot about the tech underneath. That's the case with the most recent pivot towards serverless computing, and what this episode is all about. This episode is a good peek into what it takes to blend cutting edge tech with the expected levels of capacity and availability. Make sure to stay tuned towards the end for some extremely solid career advice from the guys. 

For many, Python is just _the way things get done_, and having it available on z/OS alongside so many other great languages, subsystems and features helps make the platform more accessible than ever. Hear straight from Chad McIntyre, IBM Open Enterprise Python for z/OS Dev Lead, on just how important this effort is, why now, and how you can be best positioned to meet the needs of today's Python developers.  Knowledge Center - https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSCH7P_3.9.0 Marketplace - https://www.ibm.com/products/open-enterprise-python-zos MRS (external pax download) - https://www-01.ibm.com/marketing/iwm/platform/mrs/assets?source=swg-ibmoep

Before software goes into production, it needs to be tested, and "It looks good to me" just isn't good enough. To ensure maximum coverage is attained, testing tools and frameworks are the way to go, and in this episode, we hear from Will Yates and Michael Baylis about how the Galasa Project helps them ensure solutions pass all the right tests.  https://galasa.dev 

If you were able to open up a data set without knowing the volume it's on by heart, thank Catalog. This often-overlooked but absolutely necessary component of z/OS deserves a deeper look, and Stephen Branch is here to spell out all of the interesting bits, as well as explaining some data set basics for the new learners. Definitely an educational and insightful episode.