Help Boards and Interview Q&A provide moderated technical questions and answers in forums divided along subject lines.

IBM home page for zSeries/Operating System (z/OS). Information on the latest version with links to an overview, recent announcements, software, migration and installation, news, support, downloads, education, library and ease of use issues. z/OS replaced OS/390 (which replaced MVS) when IBM eserver zSeries 900 (z900) replaced System/390 enterprise servers (mainframes).

Xephon's monthly technical journal covering z/OS, OS/390 and MVS. Older issues, including published code, are available for free download.

On-line access to manuals covering all components of MVS/ESA. Requires no special reader, though it does simulate IBM BookManager.

On-line access to manuals covering all components of OS/390. Needs no special reader, though it does simulate IBM BookManager.

Books, education, technical reports, freeware and links of interest to those who support z/OS.

The next IBM z/OS and OS/390 annual technical conference. Focusing first and foremost on performance issues, 4.5 days.

On-line access to manuals covering all components of z/OS. Requires no special reader, though it does simulate IBM BookManager.

IBM home page for Information Management System (IMS). Information on the family of software with links to a library, success stories, news, events, education, services and support. IMS is a transaction processing system (IMS/TM), a hierarchical database (IMS/DB), data management tools and connectors.

IBM home page for Database 2 Universal Database (DB2 UDB). Information on associated products and links to features and benefits, system requirements, library, success stories, news, downloads, events, education, services and support. DB2 is a relational database management system (DBMS).

IBM home page for Resource Access Control Facility (RACF) security software. Introduction with links to a technical overview, news, downloads, user groups, past and future presentations, migration, library, FAQs and education.

A 2000 IBM presentation in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format, explaining why Overflow Sequential Access Method (OSAM), not VSAM, is now the access method of choice for use internally by IMS databases. By Alan Cooper.

Provides z/OS-based mainframe application concepts, techniques and examples, with special emphasis on integration with the Internet. Hosted by a California consulting firm.

Common technical terminology used to describe concepts within IMS/TM and IMS/DB. From IBM.

A BMC comparison of VSAM and its non-IBM competitor IAM running in an z/OS environment. From the September 2000 issue of tech NEWS.

On August 9, 1972, D.A. Jardine wrote this humorous obituary for Operating System/360 (OS/360), the original ancestor of z/OS.

Both links and original material covering common programming problems in the z/OS environment. By Canadian Bill Lalonde.

An IBM Systems Journal article describing how the z/OS development team tested the operating system. Discusses verification methodologies, and test technologies and techniques.

Annual security conference intended for organizations using RACF, but covering non-mainframe-specific topics, such as smart cards and digital certificates.

IBM resources for the full UNIX implementation built into z/OS.

A list of, and links to information on, the Base Elements included in the latest release of the z/OS operating system, and the optional Features.

The IBM common run-time environment for popular programming languages.

IBM security features with and products for z/OS.

A specially priced offering of z/OS providing select z/OS function for the zSeries 800.

IBM's performance measurement and management software.

The software used to install and maintain z/OS software from IBM and many other software companies.

Cheryl Watson specializes in z/OS tuning. This site offers access to some of her free reports and details on how to acquire her chargeable materials, including her Tuning Newsletter, CPU chart, classes on video, and BoxScore and GoalTender software.

Detailed usage information on a broad range of commonly-used z/OS software. Some is specific to ASU's academic mainframe.

Xephon's monthly technical journal covering DB2, predominantly in z/OS, but also other platforms. Older issues, including published code, are available for free download.

The NCSU Administrative Computing Services mainframe overview, with detailed ISPF, IOF and ftp usage instructions.

Detailed step-by-step information on using mainframe utilities and other commonly-used software, including SAS.

Introductory information on using SDSF and ISPF, showing the actual screens you will see. In Adobe Acrobat .pdf format from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Safe Drinking Water Information System/Federal Version (SDWIS/FED).

Includes step-by-step instructions to create and compile COBOL and FORTRAN programs on the z/OS mainframe.

Detailed usage information for z/OS JCL, TSO, ISPF and z/OS Abend codes.

Dorkie's favourite Web links for those using z/OS, as well as a few pages of his own. Mostly in English, with a few available in French.

Help Boards provide question and answer discussion threads on z/OS application programming, databases, utilities, JCL, Middleware including CICS, IMS, TSO, ISPF, data management and problem determination. There are also links to IBM manuals.

A Web site that looks at operating systems, takes a look at MVS, now officially known as z/OS.

Short article with many embedded links describing Operating System/360 (OS/360), the original ancestor of z/OS that was written as the operating system for high-end System/360 computers in the early 1960s.

Leonard Woren's favourite z/OS software and links.

Focused mainly on the 1993 book by David Elder-Vass, an abridged version of which is featured on the site.

On-line newsletter of technical articles related to TSO and ISPF, with lots of REXX-related information. Includes some articles on the company's (Chicago-Soft) mainframe software products.

Access to mainframe and other user documentation for Florida's educational Data Center, both generic and site-specific, including DFSMShsm, CICS/VSAM, DB2, tn3270 and ftp. Non-IBM software manuals require ID and password.

Documentation for z/OS programmers using VSAM in a CICS environment. Includes a small amount of installation-dependent information from Florida's educational Northwest Regional Data Center.

IBM software to view and control the JES2 queues, running batch jobs, started tasks, and on-line TSO users.

Student guides for TSO (ISPF), CICS, MVS QuickRef, AbendAid, local JCL standards and a small glossary.

StorageTek's policy statement detailing their products' support for IBM mainframes and their operating systems.

Published twice annually by IBM for z/OS Systems Programmers, with one to five page technical articles. Available on-line in PDF format.

Announcement, general availability, marketing withdrawal and end of support dates and program numbers for z/OS, OS/390 and MVS/ESA.

Integrated testing of an older Program Update Tape (PUT) level with hipers and PE's from a more recent PUT level for specified operating system, database and teleprocessing monitor versions.

Performance tips for PeopleSoft running on z/OS DB2. From consulting firm DataBase Consulting Services (DBCS).

Web-based wizards for infrequent z/OS Systems Programming tasks.

Favourite links of a man with a passion for MVS (now z/OS), including many to original material on his own OS/390-MVS Cyber Mall site.

Explains how to use VSAM in TSO, ISPF and REXX. Part of Gilbert Saint-Flour's mainframe Web site.

Instruction manuals, Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQs) and News for students and other users of the mostly-mainframe University of Florida (UF)Computing and Networking Services (CNS).

Details on how to write a program for operating systems other than z/OS that will read a z/OS Partitioned DataSet (PDS, also known as a Library) that been sent with TSO's TRANSMIT (XMIT) command.

IBM home page for Data Facility Sort (DFSORT). Includes links to product details, publications, support and downloads. DFSORT is sort/merge software with utility capabilities such as data analysis, conversion and reporting.

Originally the Hierarchical Storage Manager (hsm), now "a functional component of DFSMS that provides facilities for managing storage devices" (IBM).

The storage management components of z/OS, including DFSMSdfp, DFSMSdss, DFSMShsm and DFSMSrmm.

As well as a description of the MVS Project, under which all z/OS activities of the SHARE user group are organized, there are also useful Web links.