Tag: mainframe

It’s summer. Time to hit the beach with a good…list of tech links :) (What I find interesting in tech August 2024)

The last time I wrote about what I find interesting in tech, it was winter. Now it’s anything but, and I have lots of things I’ve been studying in IT. Lots of material on COBOL and mainframes since I am working on mainframe modernization. But there’s stuff regarding Python, cloud, Apple computers and so much more. Let’s see what we have here….

Software: this section is so big I need to break it up! First up, COBOL:

Next, here’ some good stuff on Python:

And lastly here’s some general software links:

Mainframe


Apple…a few good links:

Some helpful cloud pieces:

  1. Getting start with the Container Registry,  here
  2. On  deploying a simple http server to ibm cloud code engine from source code using python node and go 
  3. Provisioning on ibm cloud using terraform with a sample_vpc_config 
  4. On  how set or restore remote access windows vsi 
  5. How to create a single virtual server instance (VSI) in a virtual private cloud (VPC) infrastructure on IBM Cloud, here.
  6. File Sharing through RDP from MacOS  here 

And finally, here’s a good set of Random links that were too good to pass up:

What I find interesting in Mainframes and CI/CD (tech update June 2023)

I’ve so many good pieces on IT, I’ve got to break them down into subcategories. Last month I’ve shared things on cloud tech. This month the focus is on mainframes and CI/CD (things I’ve been working on over the last year or more).

Mainframes: I’ve been doing work on mainframe modernization, which has me focusing on tools around that, among other things.

z/D&T is one of those tools. Here’s a good overview of it. Here’s a piece on deploying IBM mainframe z/OS application on AWS with IBM z/D&T. This is a good IBM zDT Guide and Reference. More on zD&T there. I like it.

DBB is another tool in use. Here’s an intro. Here’s something on using it to migrate data sets.

Not all these tools are IBM related. Endevor is another tool to study. Here’s something on how Endevor software ‘s change manager bridges enterprise git. Here’s something on mapping strategies using endevor bridge for git. How to create a package in Endevor and how to review and approve a package in Endevor review approve package. Also something on on Endevor pricing and setup.

Linux is kinda a tool (I guess?) on mainframes. This is a good explainer on Linux on IBM Z. More on IBM z linux here.

Finally, here’s a good article on mainframe modernization patterns. More on mainframe application modernization beyond banking from IBM. Still more on mainframe modernation. Also: using collaboration not migration to modernize your mainframe applications with the cloud.

CI/CD: I’ve also been focusing on work around CI/CD. So there’s been lots of work using Jenkins. Here’s a piece on how to create a ci/cd pipeline with kubernetes and jenkins. Also a tutorial for installing jenkins on IBM Cloud. Check out this tutorial on setting up a ci/cd pipeline with jenkins to deploy multi arch image on ocp on linuxone and x86. That was especially good.  Here’s something on  blue/green deployment with docker github and jenkins.

Here’s a side by side of github actions vs jenkins which should you consider. This helps if you want to know if you should use a jenkinsfile or not. Check out this good jenkins ci/cd review. More on Configuring a jenkins agent on openshift.  Here’s how to add z/OS to your jenkins build farm. This was a  good jenkins groovy tutorial.

Related to the Jenkins work is work around IBM’s Urbancode Deploy (UCD). Here’s A tutorial on ibm urbancode deploy. Another tutorial on how to build a pipeline with jenkins dependency based build on UCD. Something on how to integrate UCD with jenkins for continuous integration is here.

Lastly, here’s some things to consider re installing UCD. More on how integrate UCD and jenkins for ci/cd. Here’s what’s needed in terms of system requirements for UCD.

Finally, here’s some more on continuous testing in devops. More on ci/cd pipelines. And last, another mainframe tool for CI/CD:  Workflow.

 

 

 

 

 

What I find interesting in tech, August 2021

Here’s a cornucopia of things I have found interesting in tech in the last month. As usual, lots of cloud, some Kubernetes, DevOps and software of course, as well as IOT. Grab a drink and read!

Cloud: 

Devops:

Software:

Kubernetes:

Security:

IOT:

Cool stuff:

General

(Photo by Sam Albury on Unsplash )

You can now have your own PDP/11 to play with!

If you ever wanted to get your (virtual) hands on a PDP 11, now you can, by going here: Javascript PDP 11/70 Emulator. 

They seem terribly small and limited now, but when I started in IT they were a real workhorse computer and for a time they threatened IBM’s dominance in the IT space. (Then the PC and DOS and Windows came along and did even more to challenge IBM.)

(Image from here.)

How to run Minecraft on a mainframe and other cool things

Here are two interesting pieces of innovative things people have done with Minecraft. The first one, New Minecraft Mod Teaches You Code as You Play, is a novel way to learn how to code. If you have a young one who loves Minecraft and whom you want to learn how to code, this may be a good way to do this. The second one is an amazing story found on Reddit: My experiences with running a Minecraft Server on an IBM Mainframe.

I was amazed he managed to get it to run, albeit slowly. Needless to say, a Mainframe is not an ideal platform for this software. Still, that he did get it to run is a testament to his ingenuity and also the flexibility of Minecraft and the IBM Mainframe.