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Mainframe Systems and Career Opportunities

Mainframe Systems and Career Opportunities. Chris Barber Mainframe Platform Architect February 14, 2013. Agenda. My Background What is a Mainframe? Allstate and the Mainframe Mainframe Career Opportunities Why the Mainframe?. My Background. Education

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Mainframe Systems and Career Opportunities

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  1. Mainframe Systems and Career Opportunities Chris Barber Mainframe Platform Architect February 14, 2013

  2. Agenda My Background What is a Mainframe? Allstate and the Mainframe Mainframe Career Opportunities Why the Mainframe?

  3. My Background • Education • 2004 – BS – Applied Computer Science • 2007 – MS – Computer Science • 2010 – MBA • Work Experience • 2003 – 2004 – Undergraduate Fellow • CSCI 360 - Computer Programming in Assembler Language • CSCI 463 - Computer Systems Organization • 2004 – 2010 – Systems Programming • 2007 – TDY through the entire mainframe support organization • 2010 – 2012 – Performance Tuning and Capacity Planning • 2012 – Today – Mainframe Platform Architect • Associations • SHARE • Computer Measurement Group • zBLC

  4. What is a Mainframe?

  5. What is a mainframe? • Large Scale Computing Platform • Batch • Transaction Processing • Database • Highly reliable • Security • Hardware Redundancy • Operating System Stability • The Original Virtual Server • Who uses them? • 99% of top 500 banks worldwide • 5 top insurers in the United States • Local to national governments worldwide 50 years

  6. Allstate and the Mainframe • 1970’s • Allstate ran mainframe environments in 16 locations across the country • 1980’s • Allstate continues to rely on mainframe computing, consolidating to 9 Regional operating centers. • 1990’s • Allstate consolidates mainframe environment to 4 locations • Allstate partners with IBM development to create and install the 1st Parallel Sysplex • 2000’s • Consolidated mainframe systems from 4 datacenters to 2 • Management changes caused lack of focus on mainframe platform • Today • The mainframe environment and applications are critical to Allstate’s strategy • Revitalization effort underway to optimize Availability, Performance, and Environmental management

  7. Mainframe Career Opportunities Infrastructure Engineering Operations System Programming Performance and Capacity Planning System Administration Production Control

  8. Systems Programming • Software Installation • Operating System • Subsystems (CICS, MQ) • 3rd Party Software • Problem Analysis • IPCS • Modernization Opportunities • z/OSMF • Linux on z • Hybrid Systems • DB2 Analytics Accelerator for z/OS

  9. Performance Tuning and Capacity Planning • System Level Analysis • SMF Data • Real-time Monitoring • Hardware Research • Workload Characteristics • Exploitations of Chip, Peripherals, Memory, and Coupling Technology • Modernization Opportunities • Scripting of Manual Reporting • Development of Custom Charts/Graphs

  10. Operations/System Administration • Intimate knowledge of company processing • Close relationship with application teams to address problems and fulfill requests • IPL’s • Workload Management • Front-line monitoring • Alert Management

  11. Production Control • Job Scheduling • Schedule Definitions • Job Execution Monitoring • Event Monitoring • Abend Resolution • System Error Messages • Incident Escalation • 24X7 shift work

  12. Why the Mainframe? ?

  13. Why the Mainframe? • Fewer staff to support more processing • More opportunities for advancement • More opportunities to move throughout the organization • Mainframe systems skills not found off-shore • Mainframe systems outsourcing rate – 0% • Unix systems outsourcing rate – 50% • Windows systems outsourcing rate – 42% • Aging & Retiring (finally) workforce • Companies lulled into complacency – lost focus on filling mainframe talent • Improved Economy accelerating departure • Fewer servers to support more processing • 1:500 compared to other server environments • Less lifecycle activity combined with years of experience allow technicians to understand inner workings of the system.

  14. Why the Mainframe? • Exciting new developments • New hardware • Faster, more scalable machines • Hybrid computing • Appliances and Accelerators • Operating system redesign • Enhanced usability for future mainframe professionals • Enhanced insights into performance • New workloads gaining traction • Linux on z • Data serving • Transaction processing • Java • Cloud computing • Mainframe virtualization technology made it the cloud before there was a “cloud” • The Bottom Line • The cost of mainframe computing has been on the decline over the past 5 years, as businesses have also begun to realize other platforms are not as inexpensive as once thought.

  15. What you can do next? • IBM’s Master the Mainframe Contest • Not just about prizes • www.systemzjobs.com • Job board for only mainframe employment opportunities • NIU Internship and Career Fairs • Read • http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/portals/systemz - ABCs of System programming • Connect • System z official Twitter handle: • @ibm_system_z • Top Facebook pages related to System z: • Systemz Mainframe • IBM System z on Campus • IBM Mainframe Professionals • Millennial Mainframer

  16. Questions ?

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