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1. ENTERPRISE COMPUTING
Enterprise computing: business-oriented information technology that's critical to a company's daily operations:
enterprise computing is the use of technology, information systems and computers within an organization or business
personal computing is the use of technology by an individual for business or personal activities
Can be applied broadly across an organization and then further customized by users within each business function:
analytics, reporting, database management and other applications are standard across the system
application packages used and the data accessed in each business function, may be different
ideal for combining robust software and hardware solutions to meet the needs of large global organizations
Collection of centralized computing hardware combined with big business software solutions for e.g. resource management and streamlining processes.
Centralized structure, weighted IT department, everyone works with standardized technology solutions.
Common components in enterprise computing:
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Sales Force Automation (SFA)
Enterprise storage systems:
CD and DVD jukeboxes
Blu-ray optical libraries
Storage Area Networks (SAN)
Network-Attached Storage (NAS)
Enterprise-wide technologies include:
Grid computing
Cloud computing
Blade servers
Thin clients
Web portals
Electronic data interchange
Intranets
Extranets
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)
Computer-based and Web-based training
Teleconferencing
Telecommuting
Workgroup computing
Typical: intranet web portal for employees, giving access to company-managed applications while there is no space for unique softwares per employee.
2. EDIFACT, EDI
Companies have to share information with each other (e.g. webshop shares address of registered user for e-commerce, warehouse, transport and logistics companies).
Point-to-point data exchanges: from custom format evolved to standard: Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce and Transport (EDIFACT).
EDIFACT was developed by the United Nations, internationally agreed upon message format, directories and guidelines for multi-country and multi-industry environment.
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) communications: enables business processes to run more efficiently, reduces errors, allows for remote submissions and avoids paper from being physically misplaced and changing hands.
Large-scale enterprise computing: powers all major transactions, the mainframe is responsible for:
87% of all credit card transactions
supporting 71% of all Fortune 500 companies
3. ESSENTIAL TECHNOLOGY CHARACTERISTICS, UPTIME
Essential characteristics:
uptime, availability: enterprise systems need to be available to service transactions at rates of five 9s or better (99.999% availability: maximum 5 minutes offline per year; six 9s: maximum 30 seconds offline per year).
security: enterprise systems ensure the security, privacy and integrity of the data they handle.
performance: enterprise systems are built with specialized processors and equipment to handle data transmission from networks and storage devices; the system must be able to process 10s of billions of encrypted transactions per day
IBM Z systems:
can be configured to reach seven 9s (3 second outage per year)
incorporates hardware-based crypto services
rated at 19 billion transactions per day
When an application is developed, it must be:
tested
secure
performing as it should
It is also important to know where and how the code must run.
Well specified effort: to run a proper application on a proper hardware.
The general approach to availability in case of a general-purpose server is to shut it down in case of any mediocrate failures, do the maintenance then mount it back. This takes time, e.g. a night or a weekend.
Another approach in such case is to run the application in multiple instances (e.g. streaming or social sites). In case of a failure (first attempt), the structure will root to another instance from the second attempt. It would give the second chance.
In critical environment like dealing with medical records, credit transactions or B2B (business to business) communication, another approach is necessary. The applications in mainframe world are critical: they must perform at the first time, there are no second chances. Therefore, the development does not happen in a production environment.
The companies which utilize IBM Z:
have large number of end users
have to process large amount of data
no failures and interruptions are allowed
The IBM Z architecture is designed to fit to enterprise workloads. Tightly orchestrated collection of resources, which can be balanced between multiple OSs, multiple machines, multiple physical locations. In Z, the importance and solutions lie within the
OS
storage devices
hardware
redundant memory (RAIM)
processors
security profiles
system configuration
network connectivity
4. IBM Z PRACTITIONERS
For operating and support IBM Z systems, personas are seperated by functions.
System Programmers maintain the operating system:
install the operating system
ensure up-to-date status via updates and fixes
upgrading and maintaining all programs and software running on the OS
provide database maintenance
update custom applications or work with software that the application runs on called an application server
work with a broader team to debug software if an error is to occur by analyzing output on the OS (system logs)
Application Developers:
design, build, test, and deliver the application needed by the organization
gather the requirements from their customers and business analysts
write code in their chosen programming language to create the application
in development phase compiling, debugging and testing
maintain and enhance existing applications used by the company
System Administrators are imilar to system programmers but:
more focused on the day-to-day tasks
focus on the application layer instead of the underlying software utilized by the application
check the status of batch operations (long-running applications), output control and perform health checks on the applications in use (designed and real usage of resources)
work closely with the security aspect of the environment
maintain access to resources and access lists
System Operators:
monitor and control the jobs and applications
detect errors and unusual behavior by starting and stopping jobs and monitoring the system consoles
close contact with the system administrators
keeping an eye on many different systems simultaneously (sometimes)
If the mainframe is part of a hybrid cloud, there are more roles and the originals can be different as well.
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