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 Work Experience Associations 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

What is a Mainframe?

What is a mainframe? 50 years 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

Allstate and the Mainframe 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

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

Systems Programming Software Installation Problem Analysis 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

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

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

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

Why the Mainframe? ?

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.

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.

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

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