It’s that time of year again – caps, gowns, degrees: graduations!  I recently took a trip to Tucson, AZ to see my brother graduate from the University of Arizona with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.  Yes, I’m a very proud sister J  This made me think of all the new computer science (CS) grads out there that might be trying to get a job or deciding whether or not to attend grad school.  Here are some thoughts for the new CS Grads out there.  (warning: this blog most and all others may be mainframe biased…maybe…or probably)

There are two likely paths out there once you have your bachelor’s degree in computer science: going to grad school or entering the job world.  Which one?  Well, of course it is a very personal choice, but here are some key things to consider.  When you are contemplating this choice, think about the type of career you would like to have – in one year, in 5 years and in 30 years.  Would you like to start out as a techie and eventually work your way up into management?  Or would you like to always be right in the trenches of the newest mainframe technology?  Would you prefer a career that involves a lot of people interaction?  What interests you most as a focus area?  Development?  Engineering?  QA?  Performance?  Databases?  Sales?  The choices for a mainframe career path are almost endless.  So there’s a lot to think about, but the good thing is that there is no right or wrong answer here.

If you are confident that one day you might want management to be a part of your career path, then furthering your education would be a smart idea.  Or if you have a very specific topic you’d like to focus on, finding an education (perhaps a certificate or some mainframe courses) that pinpoints that area would be very helpful.  On the opposite end of the spectrum, if you have no idea what you’d like to focus on, getting that next degree could also act as a guide for you to figure out what really excites you about CS.  There is certainly value in going to grad school – so keep these things in mind as you think about that next degree.

So what about jumping into the real world and getting a mainframe job?  Another route to consider – not easy either.  If an opportunity presents itself to you – in the form of a job or internship, I would not hesitate to take the opportunity and run with it.  On-the-job mainframe education is priceless, so take it if you can.  A lot of companies realize that if you are a hard worker and a fast learner – that it could be worth their time to provide you with company in-house training.  Whether the job is exactly what you had in mind as a career path, it might be worth your while for the experience you will get for working for a mainframe company – whether it is a customer or an ISV.  A lot of times, companies will even place you in a job role that is your choice.  That’s the fun part about a mainframe career – they can be as dynamic as you make them.

Making connections, attending conferences, and getting to know the mainframe business are all important for getting companies to recognize that you want to be the next new mainframe star.  My view is that the mainframe world has many opportunities for CS grads interested in pursuing a mainframe career.  While those opportunities might not always be obvious, keep your eyes and your mind open while you begin your CS career path.  

You don't need to search very much these days within the mainframe world before you hear something about zPrime.  What is zPrime?  What does it do?  How can it help me?  Why will zPrime save me money?  All great questions - glad you asked! 

While I can't spill any details on NEON's zPrime, I can connect you with the people who can help you make the right zPrime decision.  What a wonderful time to re-invigorate the mainframe community in these tough economic times.  We recently had a webinar all about zPrime - incredible turnout and the results were positive and exciting.  One attendee mentioned to us: "That was a very impressive web seminar - NEON is at the cusp of a 'disruptive innovation' for the mainframe landscape that will cause a real paradigm shift."  It's great to be a new mainframer in the midst of all this new technology!  What a unique perspective to be viewing the birth of zPrime.  I can't wait to see what happens and will be anxiously awaiting more positive feedback from our customers already using zPrime to save money. 

Be sure to watch for the most up to date information on the NEON website.  In the meantime, take a look at these recent interesting articles on zPrime:

One of the questions I often get when meeting new mainframers or when speaking at a career day is what do you actually do everyday?  Yes, I am a nerd at heart and I spend a lot of time coding HLASM, but there is a lot more too this career than what you may think.

While I would recommend you checking out session 3113 at SHARE in Austin, What Does an Application Developer Do Anyway? A Dual Perspective, I would like to share with you now what a busy day might be like for me.  This is a busy time for me - preparing for SHARE, managing zNextGen and getting real work done all in one day is a challenge. 

So here is what an example of a day this week:

• 7am: Check email before getting ready for work to address any important issues that came up overnight
• 8am: Bike to work (if it's not raining!)
• 8:30-10:0am: catch up on emails, phone messages, Bugzilla, wiki, etc and pick up where I left off coding an enhancement
• 10-10:30am: Draft up zNextGen listserv email and other minor zNG to-do's for SHARE in Austin
• 10:30am: SCLM meeting
• 12:30-1pm: Resume coding
• 1-2pm: Run a house-related errand and grab a quick lunch
• 2-3:30: Research and work on enhancement
• 3:30-4pm: Get with Tony to ask questions & go through some XDC testing
• 4pm: Continue enhancement & development work, along with more research
• 5:30-8:30pm: Bike to gym for a workout, then bike home
• 9:30pm: work on SHARE and zNG presentations

Busy days before SHARE but I certainly enjoy what I do and am very passionate about zNextGen!

So during a day on the job, I work with a PC with 2 screens - this makes my life much easier!  I login to our code base via Hummingbird (other options are Extra, etc).  I use ISPF, SCLM, RACF, BookManager and listservs to code and look up information (among many other information resources!).  We use Bugzilla to keep track of enhancements and bugs.  There are so many good tools for good programming and development - it can take time to learn all the fun details, but it's worth it.  Trust me, once you code on a "green" screen, you'll forget GUI coding!

As an Application Developer, besides HLASM, I need to know REXX and JCL pretty thoroughly.  XDC is my favorite debugging tool, and knowing how to debug your code is just as important as knowing how to write it!  Library managment and communication are also important for developers - maintaining code library separation and cohesiveness is key and it's always best to communicate on a regular basis with the R&D team, the doc team, upper management, peers, marketing and the administration for your company.

Besides coding and technical tasks, there are meetings, conference calls, emails, business trips, presentations, interviews and blogging that I do as part of being an application developer! 

This may sound like a lot of work...it is!  But there are plenty of mainframe topics that I don't know and don't necessarily need to know: TCP/IP, Linux/VM, Networking, MQSeries, WebSphere, SOA, etc.  These are all interesting and hot mainframe topics, but they're just not needed for me to succeed as an application developer.

I hope this helps to create a realistic and clear picture of what a mainframe application developer career might entail for you.  Whether you are a new mainframer or a computer science student, I encourage you to explore this career role and the many others that are out there too.  You don't have to be a nerd at heart like me to enjoy a mainframe career!

It's hard to deny that the economy is in a slump right now.  Everyone probably knows a friend or family member who has lost a job, who is struggling to pay bills or is working overtime to pay the mortgage.  Hopefully that person is not you. 

I am sure there are mainframe companies out there that are stressed, and there certainly are intelligent mainframers who are out of work.  But even in this economy, the mainframe workforce and technology must continue to play its key role and step up to become THE leader in technology.  But how and why?

From the viewpoint of an ISV Assembler programmer, I see the dismal economy as somewhat of an opportunity for mainframe technology to excel and prepare itself for a strong rebound.  It's hard to imagine a rebound right now, but I believe it is inevitable.  Mainframers need to be ready.  ISVs need to design their software even more so with dollar savings for customers in mind.  Customers should expect nothing less from us than software that is highly tuned to save them money. 

Why is this exciting?  When you are forced to think about the drab economy when you write software, it leads to opportunities to explore more advanced coding techniques.  It makes you think about hardware options, new streamlined technology, and everything you can do to generate the best code.  zIIPs and zAAPs, new instructions, z10s, new storage options, virtualization - all exciting issues (among others!) that can be addressed, especially in this economy. 

From a general mainframe standpoint, I think this economy will push companies to explore mainframes and technology to the nth degree.  Mainframes are considered a safe and reliable machine - a very good thing today.  Companies are very cost aware today and while crunching the numbers, mainframes will make sense. 

Mainframe education - in this job market, getting a good mainframe education should be a viable and longterm career choice.  There are many schools out there offering mainframe courses and certificates.  It's a tough job market out there, but if you have marketable skills that will turn your next job into a career, I'd say go for it!

I'll admit I may have a somewhat different perspective than some of you - I am not worrying about my sinking 401k, I am not concerned about the value of my home, and I am not loosing confidence in my mainframe career.  Yes, the economy is bad and I certainly realize not all mainframers are lucky enough to be employed right now.  But I do believe there is no better opportunity than right now for mainframers to kick things up a notch to become the absolute leaders in technology.

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