Terminal Talk

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 s...

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 si...

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 lo...

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...

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 de...

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. 

It's been a while since we last got a deep dive into IBM z/OS Container Extensions, and there's much to discuss. Terminal Talk Top Tier Listener Anthony Giorgio is on the scene with an action-packed look at the what, how, and why of this wonderful new addition to IBM Z's bag of virtualization tricks. Anthony's got both hands on the pulse of these latest developments, and we think there will be a l...

The strengths of IBM Z have always been apparent in critical business applications, and as more and more businesses look to use cloud technology as part of their day-to-day operations, there is a great opportunity for Z to demonstrate its value once again. In this episode, we talk with Tom McPherson, Vice President of Platform Services, IBM Cloud Infrastructure, about the role IBM Z plays in makin...

Maybe it's because nobody wanted to get on another web conference, or maybe we just like the sounds of our own voices... or maybe this year's Master the Mainframe is so much different and exciting that it's worth talking about for nearly 45 minutes. No matter the reason, in this episode, we talk about the changes and challenges that went into the technical end of Master the Mainframe 2020. If you'...

Getting comfortable in z/OS takes a considerable amount of discovery. There are constructs and commands unlike anywhere else, which makes the learning curve somewhat daunting. Mike Fulton, IBM Distinguished Engineer for IBM Z Application Foundation is working to change that with IBM Z Open Automation Utilities. Now, leveraging some new capabilities in USS, users can manage jobs, files, and core Z...

Behind the scenes, but bathed in light, FICON connects powerful mainframe systems to massive storage devices. Encoded within that light lives some of the world's most important data which needs to get to their destination quickly. How do you get security without sacrificing speed? Give a listen to this week's episode with Chris Colonna: FICON Channel Firmware Execution Lead

It was a dark quiet night, just like this one, when a series of Linux guests running under z/VM suddenly gave up the ghost. Those in charge knew it was time to bring in the big guns. With Chief Sleuth Emily Hugenbruch hot on the case, and a deep bench of talent providing backup, this was one defect that got de-commissioned.    Big thanks to Jim Ground for providing the atmospheric background music...

You never know what's going to bring COBOL to the forefront of people's thoughts, but here we are. Jessielaine Punongbayan,Senior Mainframe R&D Engineer at Broadcom Inc., has made a name for herself over the years as a Systems Programmer and COBOL coder, but has recently been making waves with a series of posts on Medium.com highlighting ways that mainframe usage can be modernized, reinvented, and...

When it comes to keeping data safe, there's no such thing as too many options. In this episode, Eli Dow gives us a peek into how it all works, how it will help us from a personal and business standpoint, and how you can get started today.   Learn more here: https://fhe-website.mybluemix.net   Get the toolkit here: https://github.com/IBM/fhe-toolkit-macos  

Live from Fort Poole, we welcome Chris Poole to talk about the latest in protecting valuable business applications and data, IBM Kuberenetes Service and Hyper Protect

At the intersection of transactions, security, and business logic sits Blockchain. Hard to think of a better platform than IBM Z to stand this up and leverage the already-impressive capabilities of the platform. Rebecca Gott, DE for Blockchain on IBM Z

You don't go from Waterfall to Agile overnight, but real meaningful change requires a driving force to maintain momentum. In this episode, Dave Jeffries, VP of z/OS Development talks about making strides in modernizing mainframe development

The hits just keep on coming, and in another huge step forward for Z, you now have the option of using Ansible for automation of z/OS applications. Curious why all the fanfare? Let Dan Jast, Offering Manager for Ansible on z/OS fill in the blanks.

From humble beginnings come great things. It's up to you to figure out if we're talking about the show, mainframes, or today's extra-special guest, IBM Z General Manager, Ross Mauri. Happy 100 Episodes, let's keep this going!

It should come as no surprise that important applications need rock-solid code. COBOL, being a language specifically designed for highly-precise transactions at high scale delivers just that, and Tom Ross is the perfect guest to tell us about it.

What's new with Zowe? A whole lot! If you haven't been paying attention, it's worth hearing what's been going on with everything, and there's nobody better to do it while keeping you entertained than Joe Winchester.

We don't need to tell you this, but designing an IBM Z system is no simple turn of the crank. Rhonda Sundlof has a wealth of experience from a variety of areas that help deliver the fantastic systems you know today. Something for everyone in this episode.

Our last episode with Mark Brooks was such a hit, we thought we'd follow it up with a deeper look at GDPS, the technology that keeps Z going through even the toughest of situations. Stephen Anania is your guide, prepare to dive in.

Parallel Sysplex on IBM Z allows for some pretty amazing things in the areas of reliability, performance, serviceability and more. The technology enabling this certainly warrants a deeper look, and fortunately we have Mark Brooks to demystify it for us.