Episode 16 "Chapter and Worse"

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Here are the show notes for Episode 16 "Chapter and Worse". The show is called this because our Topics topic is about adding chapter markers (and pictures!) to our published MP3 file. We hope those of you that can see them enjoy them.

Mainframe

Our "Mainframe" topic discusses a new z/OS V2.3 function, Coupling Facility Encryption, with Mark Brooks, Sysplex Design and Development. Mark talked about this latest capability in Sysplex, which has been getting a lot of attention as part of the larger Pervasive Encryption direction.

Mark explained that CF Encryption means that the customer's data is encrypted by XCF in z/OS, sent along the link as encrypted, and stored as encrypted on the Coupling Facility.

z/OS sysprog needs to set it up by:

• using new keywords on CFRM policy on a structure by structure basis
• putting it in your CFRM couple data sets, and the policy change will be pending
• rebuild the struture (to get it from unencyrpted to encrypted)
• DISPLAY XCF structure commands can be used to see what the policy has, what the structure currently is, and the form of encryption used.

List and Cache structures contain customer sensitive data, the XCF control information will not be encrypted because it is not sensitive customer data. Lock structures don't contain sensitive customer data, and are not encryptable.

Tooling:

• zBNA looks at new SMF data, so that you can see the amount of data transferred to the CF. From there, you could judge the cost of doing the encryption.
• SMF 74 Subtype 4 records contain the new information on the amount of data, via measurement APAR OA51879 on z/OS V2.2. Planning can begin on z/OS V2.2 with this APAR.

For more information, see the z/OS Setting Up a Sysplex.

Performance

Martin talked about MSU-related CPU fields for doing software pricing analysis. Some of these fields are used by SCRT in support of the new Mobile function. Most notably the fields cover:

• Mobile Workload Pricing (MOBILE), using a new WLM mechanism, .
• CATEGORYA and CATEGORYB: These are just placeholders for any future additional pricing options that come about.

Container Pricing is another pricing model, ....., and maybe another topic on that later.

The overall idea: Be aware of the new fields that you will be analysing. These fields are available at two levels:

• At the System level, as Rolling 4 Hour Average numbers - in SMF 70 Subtype 1.
• At the Service Class Period level, as interval-based numbers - in SMF 72 Subtype 3.

Topics

Our podcast "Topics" topic is about adding chapter markers to the MP3 file for podcast apps. This makes it nice to skip from one section to another easily. Our podcast has five sections, each with its own graphic and chapter.

Contacting Us

You can reach Marna on Twitter as mwalle and by email.

You can reach Martin on Twitter as martinpacker and by email and blogs at blog.