The Mainframe is Alive and Well

If you’ve arrived at this page I do not have to tell you that the mainframe, aka IBM Z, is not only alive and well, but prospering. According to resources cited by IBM, mainframes are used by 71 percent of Fortune 500 companies… and IBM mainframes handle 90 percent of all credit card transactions as well as 68 percent of the world’s production IT workloads. So who uses the mainframe? Well, 44 of the top 50 banks and 8 of the top 10 insurers worldwide use mainframes. Indeed, as this list proves, many of the world’s largest organizations rely on the IBM Z mainframe. And despite such pervasive usage mainframes account for only 6 percent of IT costs! And the mainframe is one of the most resilient computing platforms around, delivering 99.99999% availability (that’s seven 9s). And with its instant recovery capability, even when it is down it won’t be down for long. Then there is the Telum chip, upon which the IBM z16 is built, thereby delivering unparalleled performance for AI and machine learning processes. Telum adds a new integrated AI accelerator with more than 6 TFLOPs compute capacity per chip. Telum contains 8 processor cores, clocked at over 5GHz, with each core supported by level-2, level-3 and level-4 caching. After all, the mainframe is a modern platform, and it is here to stay!

Mainframe and Related Articles by Craig S. Mullins

Put the zIIP in Java and COBOL Programs. SHARE’d Intelligence, February 8, 2024. The Role of Mainframe Data in a Hybrid Cloud Environment. Cloudframe blog, June 29, 2023. Techniques for Application Developers to Encourage zIIP Usage. CloudFrame blog, June 16, 2023. Strategies for Modernizing the Mainframe Experience. CloudFrame blog, May 22, 2023. Five Great Use Cases to Gain the Benefit of zIIPs. CloudFrame blog, May 15, 2023. The Benefits and Challenges of Mainframe Application Modernization. CloudFrame blog, April 18, 2023. The Role Of Db2 DBAs In Promoting zIIP Usage. CloudFrame blog, April 12, 2023. Common Misconspetions About zIIPs. CloudFrame blog, March 22, 2023. zIIPing Along with Mainframe Specialty Processors. elnion, March 11, 2023. Why You Need to Know the Difference Between a TCB and an SRB. CloudFrame blog, March 1, 2023. Mainframe Cost Optimization: Full Capacity, Sub-Capacity, And Tailored-Fit. CloudFrame blog, February 15, 2023. What is the Average Cost per MIPS or MSU? Who Cares! CloudFrame blog, January 25, 2023. The Many Types of Mainframe Pricing. CloudFrame blog, January 12, 2023. Improving Mobile Access to Mainframe Assets. CloudFrame blog, Deccember 28, 2022. The Last MSU Is The Cheapest. CloudFrame blog, Deccember 22, 2022. MIPS versus MSUs: What’s the Difference? CloudFrame blog, November 11, 2022. The Whack-A-Mole Effect: Tuning Mainframe Usage for Cost Savings. CloudFrame blog, October 19, 2022. Understanding Mainframe Pricing to Aid in Modernization and Cost Control. CloudFrame blog, October 11, 2022. All About zIIPs. Planet Mainframe, August 11, 2022. The Impact of Tailored Fit Pricing (TFP) on zIIPs. CloudFrame blog, July 29, 2022. Mainframe Modernization is a Non-Sequitur. elnion, July 18 2022. Predictions for the Fuutre of zIIP and Specialty Processors. CloudFrame blog, July 18, 2022. Best Practices for zIIP Using COBOL and Db2. CloudFrame blog, June 23, 2022. Common zIIP Usage Mistakes and How to Identify Them. CloudFrame blog, May 26, 2022. Java and the zIIP: The 5 Major Benefits CloudFrame Mainframe Modernization blog, April 13, 2022. Types of Processing That Can Utilize zIIPs & Why You Want to Use zIIPs. CloudFrame Mainframe Modernization blog, March 9, 2022. Digging Into the zIIP: What Does zIIP Eligible Mean? CloudFrame Mainframe Modernization blog, February 25, 2022. Understanding Mainframe Specialty Processors: zIIPs and More. CloudFrame Mainframe Modernization blog, February 15, 2022. The Benefits of In-Memory Processing. Planet Mainframe, September 24, 2020. Navigating IBM COBOL 4.2 End of Support Waters. Cloudframe blog, August 19, 2020. 100 years of mainframe? Webinar looks at the future of the IBM mainframe. TechRepublic, July 23, 2020. The Mainframe is a Modern Platform. The Data Administration Newsletter (TDAN), July 15, 2020. Consider Cross-Compiling COBOL to Java to Reduce Costs. Cloudframe blog, July 7, 2020. Optimizing Mainframe Data Access. Planet Mainframe, June 11, 2020. Embracing In-Memory Processing for Optimizing Performance. Planet Mainframe, May 20, 2020. The Mainframe is a Modern Platform. Enterprise Systems Media, May 19, 2020. Don’t let cloud exuberance stop other IT infrastructure investments. IBM IT Infrastructure Blog, March 30, 2020. The Mainframe is a Modern Platform. Database Trends and Applications, February 10, 2020. Hybrid multicloud: A mouthful, but the right approach. IBM IT Infrastructure Blog, August 15, 2019. IBM Z Offers Powerful Scalability, Robust Security, and High Performance. TrustRadius, February 20, 2019. New IBM z14: More Secure, Flexible, Powerful & Analytical Than Ever Before. Planet Mainframe, July 18, 2017. Mobile Computing, The Mainframe, and z/OS Connect. Planet Mainframe, January 11, 2017. The Nexus of Forces Impacts the Mainframe, Too. Planet Mainframe, May 26, 2016. How to Tell Your Mom About the Mainframe. Planet Mainframe, May 3, 2016. The Mainframe Dilemma: Coping With an Aging Workforce. Planet Mainframe, April 2016. Big Data and the Mainframe: A Perfect Partnership. Planet Mainframe, February 2016. Every IT Professional Should Work in a Mainframe Environment (…at some point). Planet Mainframe, December 9, 2015. Consider Capping to Control Costs. Planet Mainframe, November 7, 2015. Controlling Mainframe Software Costs. DB2portal, April 2015. Understanding the Rolling Four Hour Avg to Control DB2 Costs. Information on Demand 2013, October 21, 2013. Consider Capping to Control Costs. The Data Administration Newsletter, February 2011. Capping to Control Costs. zJournal, October / November 2010. Just the Facts About Mainframe Specialty Processors. The Data Administration Newsletter, November 2009. An Overview of Mainframe Specialty Processors. Quest Pipelines, October 2009. An Overview of Mainframe Specialty Processors. IDUG Solutions Journal, Summer 2009 (August). A Forced Tour of Duty. Database Trends and Applications, June 2007. IBM Mainframes - Not Just for Big Shops Anymore. DB2portal, August 2006. Mainframes Still Relevant. DB2portal, July 2006. Mainframe Availability. DB2portal, May 2006. System z9 Business Class Mainframe Getting Positive Press. DB2portal, April 2006. Mainframes Alive at Merrill Lynch. DB2portal, April 2006. The Aging Mainframer. DB2portal, December 2006. It's Alive! It's Alive! TechTarget, February 2005. IMS is Alive and Kicking. zJournal, June/July 2004. The IT Skills Shortage. Database Trends, August 1999. The Living Mainframe. Computing News & Review, April 1999.

Mainframe Information and Links

Links to useful and interesting mainframe-related sites, articles, and information

Mainframe Documentation etc. z/OS Internet Library IBM Product Doc Reference IBM Z Hardware Comparison IBM Z web site CICS Documentation Clipper Publications Db2 for z/OS Manuals Enterprise COBOL for z/OS doc Enterprise PL/I for z/OS doc Enterprise Storage Mgmt Forum IBM MQ documentation IBM IMS documentation IBM Mainframes community IBM OMEGAMON doc IBM Redbooks IBM Software Lifecycle IBM Systemn/360 Model 40 Operating Techniques ISPF Productivity Tool for z/OS Linux Distributions Tested on IBM Z Mainframe History Mainframe Materials Site Mainframe Reddit Mainframe Utilities (from David Leigh) RACF Resource Center SHARE Tape Data Formats and Media Types VSAM Guide (State of Hawaii) Mainframe Blogs Cheryl’s List blog Cloudframe Resources Dancing Dinosaur Blog (Alan Radding) Db2Portal (Craig S. Mullins) IBM zManage Blog Mainframe Nation Mainframe Performance Topics (Martin Packer) Mainframe Security (bigendiansmalls) Mainframe Tips, Tricks & Tutorials Mainframe Update Blog (Trevor Eddolls) Mainframes230 Blog Open Mainframe Project Blog Planet Mainframe SHARE’d Intelligence Blog zMainframes zlog Mainframe Vendors 21st Century Software Action Software International Adaptigent ASG Technologies (acquired by Rocket) Attachmate (acquire by MicroFocus) Barnard Software Beta Systems BMC Software Broadcom CA Technologies Cloudframe Compuware (acquired by BMC Software) CSI International Data21 DataKinetics dbizners DclGenerator Dino-Software Global Technology Solution Group GSF Software H&W IBM Corporation Infotel Corporation Innovative Data Processing (acquired by Compuware) InnovizeIT Intellimagic Levi, Ray & Shoup Log-On Software Luminex MacKinney Systems Mainline Mainstorconcept MicroFocus (acquired by OpenText) Model 9 (acquired by BMC Software) NTT Data Phoenix Software International Precisely (previously Syncsort) Progress - DataDirect Responsive Systems Rocket Software SAS Institute SEA (Software Engineering of America) Softbase Systems Software AG Software Diversified Services (SDS) Software Engineering GmbH (SEGUS in the US) Syspertec Group Treehouse Software UBS-Hainer UNICOM Systems VirtualZ Computing Arcati Mainframe Market Survey BMC Annual Mainframe Survey COBOL as a research theme Complete History of Mainframe Computing The First Mainframes IBM Mainframe Lifecycle History IBM System 360 manuals IBM System 370 manuals Mainframe Family Tree & Chronology Mainframe Hall of Fame Mainframe Languages Mainframe Photo Album Mainframes.com The (mostly) cool history of the IBM mainframe Watson Walker (performance/cost analysts) z Architecture Reference Summary Seven9s Mainframe Merchandise

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