Mainframe isn’t hard. There’s just a lot of it. That’s a good thing.
It’s a philosophy that’s been expanded into a platform. The philosophy requires every piece of data to be fully accounted for, with a series of interlocks and confirmations around each transaction that makes inconsistency nearly impossible, as long as the precautions are upheld. On the hardware side, the philosophy ensures tight integration between the logical flow of data and the physical implementation of channels and devices. Everything knows enough about everything around it to allow for an informed and optimized handoff.
If you’re the type of person who enjoys RPGs, strategy, and indie puzzle games, there is something for you here. The z/OS operating system is made up largely of components which can be learned piece by piece, each with their own set of rules, messages, controls, and documentation. Learn the rules, interpret the messages, adjust the controls, repeat, and before long, you’re the expert. Whether you dive deeper or expand outward into the next component is up to you.
The goal of this site is to provide answer seekers with simple undiluted facts. Everything here is based solely on my own experience although I’ll defer to the official documentation whenever it comes to specific numbers. Think of this as a single perspective, not an official record or affiliated channel. We’re just here to talk mainframe.
parmlib (coming soon)