Neon Enterprise Software Blog

As some of you may know, I was recently married on June 7^th and I’m now Mrs. Neely.  Leave it to a mainframer to get married on 6-7-8 huh?

Since then, after enjoying a fabulous honeymoon, I’ve gotten some cute comments that have made me think about where I am today.  Someone said to me, “so when’s the 3^rd generation of mainframe Assembler developers going to pop out?”  J  As the daughter of the smartest mainframer I know, this question, apart from being somewhat cheeky, made me smile.  My dad, Tom Harper, had no intentions to breed me as another mainframer yet here I am, wanting to learn everything I can from him to become a better developer.  We just celebrated a belated Father’s Day, so what an appropriate blog right?

I’ve been thinking about some of the things I’ve learned that I really use everyday on the job as an Assembler software developer - some of the things my father taught me that are not necessarily underlined in any textbooks or taught in the chapters of lesson plans.  I wanted to share some of these with you to hopefully pass on some valuable and expedient Father of the Bride tips.

• Getting my program to assemble clean is only 10% of the work.

I remember when I first started writing code and modules, I would struggle to get the code written.  Then I would struggle more to get the module to assemble clean.  I would shout “Dad, my program ran and it worked!”  He would shrewdly reply “No, I think you mean it assembled cleanly.”  And so then the real work would begin to actually run and test the program.  The real work to find the exact HLASM instruction I needed to accomplish what I meant to do; the precise instruction sequence to make the code most efficient; or the perfect combination of structured programming macros (SPMs).  “Computers only do what you tell them, not what you meant to tell them” my dad would say.  But aren’t computers smart?  Especially mainframes?!

• Using USING is the only way to fully understand how to use USING

I remember the first time I went to Dave Cole’s session on Using USING.  I think I was 18 and when the session ended, I really couldn’t tell you a thing about USING except that it was the only HLASM instruction to start with a U.  Dave is a great presenter and very knowledgeable, but I just wasn’t ready to be able to grasp the concept.  I could have read the IBM manual a hundred times and still not get it.  Some things, my dad said, you need to learn by doing.  The USING instruction is one of those things in life where “you don’t know how to use it until you use it…but you can’t use it until you know how to use it.”  So if you are coding something involving base, displacement, registers and/or symbol references, you’ll probably need a USING.  And don’t ask me how to code one up – just try…and XDC!  Push the instruction to the limit and make it do the work for you whenever possible – soon you will feel like you are using USING instead of USING using you! J

• Maintaining Assembler code libraries is crucial

As a new mainframer, one of the things I’ve learned pretty quickly from my dad is to always maintain your code libraries.  The real world, with millions and millions of lines of code, doesn’t work like in college.  Having one set of code libraries where you just update your modules whenever you’re working won’t cut it.  It will only take one instruction to mess up the entire product by “making just this small little change”…and you’ll see how important it is to keep backups and all sorts of different code versions!  Most shops have many libraries set up too: Development à QA à Testing à Production.  And in development, each developer has his/her own set.  “A product written in Assembler is only successful when all of its modules are operating on the same level.”  So true!  And not to mention fixes and new product versions must be carefully separated from (yet integrated too!) what already exists.  When a library “goes bad”, time is wasted on finding and fixing the problem.  You don’t want to be that problem!

• Social networking and interaction is actually a good thing

If you know me the way my dad does, you’d know that I’m not in any way a social butterfly.  This company would go down in flames if I were in charge of sales!  But when it comes to everyday work, I know I’ll progress a lot more each day if I don’t keep all to myself.  Being new and working in a hall full of the smartest Assembler developers I know – there is opportunity every day to learn from the best.  And if you’re a mainframer, you already know that “the more you learn, the less you know!”, so even on a good day at the office, don’t forget that there’s always something to learn from your peers.  And at the SHARE conferences…my first SHARE I didn’t say a word and really didn’t enjoy the evening receptions much (but I tagged along with my dad…18, free drinks and nobody IDing me...what’s a girl to do).  Too many people, nobody even twice my age (LOL!) and who would want to have a conversation with a girl who knew almost nothing about mainframes?  Well, as it turned out, everyone!  Socializing, networking and making new friends – all of this at SHARE and elsewhere has helped enhance my knowledge of Assembler.  I’ve met some of my best friends and references by extending myself beyond my company’s network of people.  Manuals are great, but nothing beats advice from the people who have been in  your shoes!

So keep these things in mind as you go forth and code.  Don’t be afraid to try or ask, keep each detail of the product in mind and talk to other mainframe geeks and dads.  Or ask me! 

I hope one day people will say, “you know, you’re beginning to code a lot like your dad.”  Not only is he a great product author and developer, he gave an amazing toast at my wedding - he did much better than Steve Martin in Father of the Bride. I hope to indeed carry on his legacy of fabulous mainframe software development and make an impact on the mainframe world.  And who knows, perhaps there will be a third generation mainframer one day.  J

Be sure to check out the photo attached to this blog!

“You fathers will understand. You have a little girl. An adorable little girl who looks up to you and adores you in a way you could never have imagined. I remember how her little hand used to fit inside mine. Then comes the day when she wants to get her ears pierced, and wants you to drop her off a block before the movie theater. From that moment on you're in a constant panic. You worry about her meeting the wrong kind of guy, the kind of guy who only wants one thing, and you know exactly what that one thing is, because it's the same thing you wanted when you were their age. Then, you stop worrying about her meeting the wrong guy, and you worry about her meeting the right guy.”

I’ve been hearing some conflicting opinions about the future of mainframe careers.  People seem to have different ideas on what the job market will be like in 10-15 years, varying from one extreme to the other. 

There are those that believe the mainframe workforce is entirely healthy, and perhaps overly so – that there are plenty of young professionals out there who will be able to handle the workload once the current veterans retire in the next decade.  Others feel like this profession is just like any other IT area – people are coming in at the same rate others are leaving.  No over-injection of new mainframers and no shortage either.  And finally, there are those who expect a shortage of knowledgeable workers will hinder the mainframe industry in the next decade. 

Though I am inclined to regard the 3^rd option as most likely, the other 2 possibilities deserve some thought.  Are the too many new mainframers coming into this business?  Will there be people who have in-depth knowledge of large systems who won’t be able to find stable jobs?  Will demand for mainframers diminish as procedures and development become more automated?  In short, I don’t think so.  My personal experiences in college, my face-to-face conversations with high school students, recent meetings with computer science boards and large corporation leaders, and just looking down the hall here at NEON Enterprise Software, Inc.- these all lead me to fully believe that an over-populated mainframe workforce is highly unlikely. 

No surplus, no shortage – this probably seems like a reasonable assessment.  But anyone working for a mainframe company right now will probably agree that the average age of their mainframe staff is not getting any younger.  What about all those people taking mainframe courses right now that will surely cause an influx of mainframe professionals very soon?  Won’t there be enough to steadily replace those who are retiring?  Good questions, but I ask you to think about the current mainframe workforce.  How many years of experience do you think current mainframers have?  Many of them have been working on the mainframe their entire career and have the practical and necessary bits of knowledge I would die for.  Where is this indispensable expertise going to transfer to?  Books and manuals are great, but nothing compares to what you can learn from working with intelligent mainframe experts.  Crucial efforts are being made, but I really believe that the pipe is flushing out faster that it is filling up.  It’s like a bad gas leak in your car – you can’t fill it up faster than it’s leaking so you have no choice but to pay to get it repaired.  As hard as you may try, you can’t drive your car without essential (high-priced) gas!

So the 3^rd assessment of the mainframe workforce – that there will be a shortage of large systems professionals in the next decade – is what I believe because it’s what I experience and deal with on a daily basis.  When I came to work for NEON Enterprise Software, Inc., not only did I significantly reduce the average height of the developers but I also reduced the average age.  The situation here is not unlike most ISVs and large corporations that run on the mainframe.  I have spoken with companies – banks, retailers, insurance providers, etc. – who all stress the same key point.  They need mainframe people now and will need mainframe people in the next 10 years.  There is no maybe for these people, there is no go-around - mainframes are key to their business’ success and thus so are mainframers. 

How can almost 80% of the world’s business data be securely taken off the mainframe?  How can millions of transactions run as efficiently and effectively off the mainframe?  Do you want a less than instant response during you next trip to the ATM?  Do you want your bank account to be probably secure?  Do you want your flight reservations to be unreliable?

So while there are conflicting views about the future of mainframe careers, I truly believe that the current experienced workforce will be tough to replace.  There are many articles out there that cover the different mainframe career outlooks.  I encourage you to search the web on your own and read them – take them with a grain of salt though.  Going out into the mainframe world today will give you a much better perspective on the current circumstances.  Check out the staff hallways of ISVs and large mainframe corporations.  Call companies that you know are on the mainframe and ask to speak with the youngest mainframe employee.  Look up you local colleges and universities to see if any mainframe courses are being offered.  …And let me know what you find out!

Also, in the meantime, be sure to check out the upcoming SHARE conference, in Orlando February 23-29.  There will be many opportunities to learn more about your mainframe topic of choice and to network with peers and veterans.  Register today!

Until next time,

Kristine

I recently had the opportunity to speak to high school students about the mainframe.  At the Houston Community College Career Fair, NEON Enterprise Software, Inc. , IBM and other mainframe companies collaborated to present a morning session that was all about the mainframe.  HCC is currently offering a mainframe certificate program.  Since IBM was on its way back from an expo, they were able to stop by in Texas and show off a real mainframe to these students.  When you don’t know what a mainframe is or how sleek it looks today, this can be a pretty convincing sight to see!

The day was all about talking up the mainframe as a valuable and conceivable career path.  I presented on my experiences in school and the road that took me to the mainframe.  Others presented on why mainframe are important, why these careers are appealing, and the variety of mainframe careers available.  We emphasized how significant mainframes are in the world today and how many companies rely on it.  While we realize that not all 300 students would stand up and shout “I want to work on the mainframe!”, I think it was good to expose them to the ideas and opportunities that are available out there. 

What I enjoyed most was talking to some of the students after the presentations.  At least 20 or so came up to me and were genuinely interested in a career on the mainframe.  That may not sound like a whole lot, but if we all can reach out locally and advocate for mainframe careers, we can make a big impact.  It was a lot of fun telling them about how cool mainframe stuff is and how much I love being a developer.  I even met one kid who said he knew Assembler!  16-bit Assembler…J

Getting involved locally in your area can make a difference in the large scope of all things mainframe.  I want to encourage you to reach out to local colleges, universities, and high schools in your area and ask how you can participate and promote the mainframe.  Check their websites for upcoming career days, get in touch with career counselors and computer science department heads, offer to present or help coordinate your company’s presence at career events…there are many ways to get involved.  I’m telling you, seeing the excitement in just one kid’s face when they really understand the power and grandeur of the mainframe will make your day! 

Kristine

Mainframe History Quiz!

For something a little different, I thought I’d give y’all a little mainframe challenge to enjoy!  Here’s a 10-question quiz to test what you know about mainframe history - have fun and don’t peek at the answers at the bottom J

1. Punch card technology was first constructed by Herman Hollerith in:
1. 1860
2. 1880
3. 1908
4. 1930
2. Which was never a real IBM computer system?
1. 980
2. 3033
3. 7094
4. 650
3. What does ENIAC really stand for anyway?
1. Electronic Number Inversion and Conversion
2. Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator
3. Electrical Numeric Integer Advanced Calculations
4. Everyone Needs Insane Acronym Choices
4. In 1991, who unsuccessfully announced “I predict that the last mainframe will be unplugged on March 15^th, 1996”?
1. Dr. John V. Atanasoff
2. Steve Jobs
3. Bill Gates
4. Stewart Alsop
5. I was born this same year that the IBM XT made it’s debut:
1. 1983
2. 1982
3. 1981
4. 1984
6. What is the correct chronological order of these events (leading up to most recent)?
1. Punch card technology à COBOL introduced à UNIX developed à EDVAC created
2. EDVAC createdà Punch card technology à COBOL introduced à UNIX developed
3. Punch card technology à UNIX developed à COBOL introduced à EDVAC created
4. Punch card technology à EDVAC created à COBOL introduced à UNIX developed
7. Which is/was not a real programming language?
1. Snobol
2. Limbo
3. m6
4. Jal
8. IMS came about due to the needs of:
1. NASA
2. U.S. Military
3. WWII leaders
4. U.S. prison systems
9. What does MVS stand for?
1. Multi-functional Virtual Storage
2. Multiple Virtual Storage
3. Multi-tasking Variety Storage
4. Multiple Virtual System
10. The latest and greatest IBM z9 came out in:
1. 2006
2. 2004
3. 2005
4. 2003
   
   

Hope it wasn’t too hard J  I had a fun time researching these questions…if you find any errors or have any fun facts to add, be sure to add a comment or let me know!

Finally, I came upon an interesting article from the NY Times written in 1984 denouncing the future of the mainframe…J  

Answers: 1. b; 2. a; 3. b; 4. d; 5. a; 6. d; 7. c; 8. a; 9. b; 10. c

Til next time! Kristine

As a developer, you can usually (ok, well, more than "usually") find me working on ISPF (Interactive System Productivity Facility).  So for this blog, I thought I'd share some of my favorite and most used ISPF commands.  If you are an experienced ISPF user, perhaps these are some of your faves too, and if not, these are definitely some commands I recommend you try out. 

• Block column shifts
• Place a pair of "((" or "))" around a block of code to shift the code left or right.  By typing a number after the closing block command, you can specify exactly how many columns you want the code to be shifted left or right. 
• I find this particularly useful in ISPF Edit when I'm working on a module and discover that a chunk of code needs to be placed in an IF/ELSE/ENDIF block or needs to be further nested in an SPM (Structured Programming Macro...see other blogs for more info.).  Much easier than manually indenting the code, especially when you have more than just a few lines you want to shift.
• Block exclude
•  Place a pair of "xx" around a block of code to exclude those lines from display.  You can also just use "x" followed by a number to specify exactly how many lines you wish to exclude.
• I use this a lot when I'm working on a module in ISPF Edit and need to simultaneously look at two chunks of code that are not located near each other in the module.
•  AUTOTYPE
• Set one of your function keys to AUTOTYPE (type "KEYS" in ISPF).  This command will let you type a partial name into a Library field (project, group, type or member) or the Other Data Set Name field - then press your function key you set up and ISPF will fill in the value.  Pressing the key again will retrieve the next value.
• Very useful if you are constantly working between many different libraries and can't always remember them all :-)
• System command extension
• While in SDSF, you can type "/" to bring up a pop-up in ISPF that will allow you to enter very long commands. 
• Sometimes the command line is not long enough to type in your entire command and this allows for commands up to 126 (I believe that's the limit...) characters long.  What I really like is that it remembers your previous commands so you don't have to retype it all again.
• TSO ISRDDN
• Type this command in ISPF to "view and manipulate allocated files, to view existing ENQs and ENQ contention, and to browse storage and loaded load modules."  This diagnostic facility is very useful for investigating datasets.  You can view and compress datasets, get detailed information and display a list of jobs and users using a dataset.
• I like this command because it gives me a good overall picture of what's going on in my sessions regarding datasets - very useful when doing testing.
• EX ALL;F 'string' ALL
• This is a nice condensed find command that I often use in ISPF EDIT to isolate the results of the find.  The find command can be as complex as you like, and the results are displayed in an easy to read chunk, with all the lines that did not meet the find criteria omitted from the display. 

There are many others, but this is a good starting list for those of you who are new to ISPF and want some commands to make your life easier. 

So if you use ISPF often too, what are your favorite slick commands?  I always want to learn more, so please share!

Til next time, Kristine

It’s a crazy but fabulous Friday as I get the final preparations done for SHARE in Tampa next week.  As the project manager of zNextGen, I’ve learned that a lot goes into making each conference a success.  It takes many dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers, and I am glad to be one of them!  I wanted to post an update on how things are going for zNextGen and give a preview of all the exciting events taking place next week for our project.

There is great energy surrounding the zNextGen project, especially as we gear up for our 4^th SHARE.  Tampa will surely be another notable and beneficial experience, thanks to the hard work of my team to continue to momentum from Baltimore.  Since the conference in August, 2006, zNextGen has grown to 200+ members, representing over 88 companies and 6 countries around the world!  A large community indeed, but through monthly calls, team calls, emails and our website, we have become quite a cohesive group.

We are looking forward to another successful SHARE in Tampa next week.  There are many sessions that have been specifically geared towards benefiting our members, including a trio of z/OS introductory sessions to be given by Bob Rogers on Sunday.  We have created another zNextGen certificate track and Grid of Recommended Sessions to help our members take full advantage of all that SHARE has to offer.  The zNextGen Opening session on Monday is sure to be exciting, as we have Cheryl Watson lined up as our star keynote speaker.  We have networking and social activities planned, including the primary event on Wednesday night sponsored by NEON Enterprise Software, Inc.     

If you are attending SHARE next week, be sure to catch me sometime during the week!  I will be presenting the following 3 seesions:

• Session 1214: Change That IMS Database – Without an Outage!; Monday @ 3pm, Room 8
• I will be giving an overview of our own Tony Lubrano’s HALO, a product that allows you to convert IMS databases and implement changes without taking databases offline for the entire conversion.
• Session 3100: zNextGen Project Opening and Keynote; Monday @ 4:30pm, Room 25
• This is our opening session, where we have Cheryl Watson lined up as our keynote speaker.
• Session 3101: zNextGen Project Wrap-Up; Thursday @ 3pm, Room 25
• This session will wrap things up in preparation for the next SHARE.  We have a free-for-all planned and will review the week in Tampa.

In addition to those sessions, here are others I highly recommend:

• Session 8179: The Incredibly Powerful (but Little-Known) CFC/UPT Instructions; Monday @ 4:30, Room 6
• NESI’s own Tom Harper will show how to design and code CFC and UPT to sort an arbitrary number of records.
• Session 1314: A DB2 for z/OS Performance Tuning Roadmap; Monday @ 3pm, Room 9
• NESI’s own Craig Mullins (check out his blog too!) will discuss DB2 tuning issues and provide performance tips.
• Session 1332: Change Control For DB2 Access Paths; Tuesday @ 4:30, Room 9
• NESI’s own Craig Mullins will discuss the challenges of managing DB2 access paths along with using Bind ImpactExpert to analyze and manage access path changes.
• Sessions 2891-2893: z/OS Basics: A z/OS Walking Tour Through MVS Concepts and Facilities; Sunday @ 1:30, 3 and 4:30, Ballroom C
• Bob Rogers will present on z/OS operating system and hardware basics, using his unique talent for making the complex understandable and the trivial interesting.
• Session 3102: Fulfilling the Challenge: A Perspective on Education; Tuesday @ 8am, Room 25
• Special guest Professor David Douglas from University of Arkansas will discuss the current environment and trends within the Academic-Industry-IBM triangle.

So many good sessions, so little time!  And I must mention again that NEON Enterprise Software, Inc. is sponsoring the big zNextGen Networking Event on Wednesday evening @ 7pm @ Shark’s Restaurant and Bar!  Free food and drinks for the first 60 people to sign up (see me or any zNextGen team member for details) plus free gifts for all!

I think this will be our best SHARE yet and I encourage you to get more information about the conference and zNextGen from the websites.  If you will not be at SHARE, don’t worry, I will definitely post a review when I return and get my head on straight again! J

-Kristine