Last Updated: 1 November 2022
Basic z/VM Knowledge Roadmap
This track assumes you have little or no experience with the IBM mainframe, and your role will only require a basic knowledge of the product. The courses in this roadmap will touch on the basics, but will not include some of the more technical courses intended for z/VM System Programmers.
Examples of this role may include: Architect, Sales, Manager, General Operator
Session 100 - What is z/VM?
What is the IBM z/VM hypervisor? This video highlights just some of z/VM's rich history and incredible capability for the IBM Z and LinuxONE mainframes.
Date added: November 1, 2022
Session 101 - z/VM Virtualization Basics
This presentation is a perfect starting point for anyone interested in learning about the basics of IBM z/VM. The presentation delves into the history of z/VM that first began more than 50 years ago. The presentation explains the reasons for virtualizing, and goes over the concepts of IBM Z hardware and the z/VM Hypervisor.
Date added: November 1, 2022
Chapters:
0:00 - Introduction
1:25 - Agenda
1:54 - IBM Z Nomenclature
3:26 - Why Virtualize?
4:34 - Virtualization Timeline
7:30 - IBM Z Architecture and Virtualization
14:01 - Virtual Machines
15:53 - Processors and z/VM
17:20 - Memory and z/VM
18:31 - I/O and z/VM
24:05 - Networking and z/VM
26:51 - SPOOL and z/VM
27:59 - Security and z/VM
29:30 - Over-committing Resources
35:05 - How to Build z/VM
39:34 - Dynamic Resource Management
45:19 - Problem Determination
46:49 - System Readiness
48:01 - z/VM Helpful Resources
Material:
z/VM Virtualization Basics presentation
Session 102 - CP and CMS Customization
This video provides information on customizing z/VM CP and CMS. Some of the basics of customizing XEDIT are covered as well as keeping the customization across sessions through the various profile files.
Date added: November 1, 2022
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
00:16 - Part 1: CP / CMS Query and Set Help
03:05 - Part 2: Common CP Commands and Customization
09:30 - Part 3: Common CMS Commands and Customization
14:45 - Part 4: XEDIT Subcomands and Customization
33:40 - Part 5: PROFILE EXEC and CMS Defaults
Material:
CP and CMS Customization presentation
Session 103 - Twelve Pillars of System Management
This presentation is aimed at z/VM customers that need help understanding all that is involved with z/VM System Management. z/VM Senior Consultant, Alan Altmark, breaks down the topic into twelve easy to understand pillars. The pillars are all things a z/VM systems administrator / manager should be thinking about and practicing.
Date added: November 1, 2022
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
01:43 - Pillar 1: z/VM Hypervisor Lifecycle
09:08 - Pillar 2: z/VM Virtual Server Lifecycle
13:39 - Pillar 3: Real Resource Management
20:29 - Pillar 4: Performance Management
24:28 - Pillar 5: Security
36:22 - Pillar 6: Networking
43:01 - Pillar 7: High Availability
50:58 - Pillar 8: Disaster Recovery
55:47 - Pillar 9: Automation
58:04 - Pillar 10: Alert Management
59:19 - Pillar 11: Operations
63:35 - Pillar 12: Chargeback
67:02 - Conclusion
Session 104 - Introduction to System Administration
In this session, Bill Bitner explains some of the basics of being a z/VM System Administrator, sometimes referred to as a z/VM System Programmer. The session explains the critical areas of a z/VM system, how those areas are connected, and how to make changes to some of those areas.
Date added: November 1, 2022
Chapters:
0:00 - Introduction
4:36 - Single System Image (SSI) overview
7:07 - Recipe for a z/VM system
11:33 - How do we get there?
13:55 - Hardware Management Console (HMC) and Stand-Alone Program Loader (SAPL)
18:41 - Parm disk
20:16 - System configuration file
37:07 - Logo file
37:35 - User directory
46:48 - Other utilities
47:35 - Conclusion
Material:
Introduction to z/VM System Administration presentation
Session 105 - Introduction to CMS Pipelines
CMS Pipelines is a powerful VM programming framework. This introductory video discusses the fundamentals and demonstrates some of the basics.
Date added: November 1, 2022
Chapters:
0:00 - Introduction
1:14 - The basics
4:07 - CMS Pipelines implementation and terminology
6:02 - First program and help demo
8:57 - Problem 1: I want to know how many page volumes I have
13:55 - Problem 2: Which real volumes contain my virtual disks
20:19 - Use as a Rexx exec
26:55 - Multistream pipes - overview
29:09 - Problem 3: Determine entitlement of a logical partition
34:12 - Multistream pipes - lookup
35:50 - Problem 4: Do I have the service I need?
42:27 - Other uses for Pipelines
44:51 - Conclusion
Session 106 - Introduction to RACF
Resource Access Control Facility (RACF) for z/VM is an External Security Manager (ESM). RACF is a paid z/VM feature that can be used to maintain z/VM security and integrity by identifying and verifying users and authorizing users to access protected resources. This introduction video presents an overview of how to setup RACF, permissions, user attributes, various options, VM events, groups and sharing user IDs.
Date added: November 1, 2022
Chapters:
0:00 - Introduction
2:11 - RACF on your z/VM System
6:34 - RACF and DirMaint
8:24 - RACF/VM Installation
15:22 - Resource classes in RACF
27:58 - Permissions
33:41 - User attributes
37:17 - RACF commands
43:05 - RACF options
45:55 - VM events controlled by RACF
51:06 - Groups
53:33 - Shared User IDs
Material:
Introduction to z/VM RACF presentation