Author Archives: Martin Packer

(Originally posted 2007-10-08.) I don’t think you can see this information but I can see what are called “Referrer URLs” for hits on this blog. (The HTTP protocol defines a header that contains the URL you came from – when you clicked on a link.) Disregarding the several “Direct” hits – which tell me nothingContinue reading “I May Not Know Who You Are But I Have Some Idea Why You’re Here”

(Originally posted 2007-10-07.) Finally the last web application I use that required Internet Explorer is replaced with a Firefox-friendly version (or so we’ve been told). Hurrah! Except, as always, I’ll believe that when I see it. (This is our Online Travel Reservations application that used an ActiveX control. Now it looks very much like anContinue reading “Bye Bye Internet Explorer”

(Originally posted 2007-10-04.) Well, is it? Apparently there are umpteen (count’em if you want a more precise number) 🙂 expansions of the acronym “UCB”. But the one I care most about is Unit Control Block. (I think had been born before this meaning came into being – but I’m not sure.) 🙂 Actually Unit ControlContinue reading “Is UCB Too Obscure For Wikipedia?”

(Originally posted 2007-10-03.) I’m towards the end of revamping our analysis code to support (z9) and z/OS R.8. What took us so long? 🙂 I’m telling you this for two reasons: So you know what there is that might slow you down. So you have some view as to whether we can competently process yourContinue reading “Late To The Party”

(Originally posted 2007-10-03.) Thanks to the people who responded to this blog entry. And to the people who talked to me offline. The result is a slight shift in emphasis: I never did talk about UIC as the primary metric of memory constraint. If you read the referenced blog item I mentioned it as oneContinue reading “Mor(e )on UIC”

(Originally posted 2007-09-27.) I was asked an interesting question today by a customer – one with dozens of LPARs and therefore not much time to study each one in excruciating detail… “Given that System High UIC (hereafter referred to as ‘UIC’) behaves differently in z/OS R.8 how should I treat it?” I’ve posted on thisContinue reading “Memory Metrics Now That z/OS Release 8 Is Upon Us”

(Originally posted 2007-09-26.) Last week I was at the System z Tech Conference (again getting my zeds mixed up with my zees). 🙂 I presented 4 times, one of which was a repeat. What’s especially nice is that I got 87 attendees for the “Memory Matters in 2008” presentation – spread across 2 sessions. ThisContinue reading “System z Technical Conference, San Antonio TX”

(Originally posted 2007-07-13.) I previously mentioned the change in zNALC LPAR setup… You can (with APAR OA20314) now specify LICENCE=ZNALC. The SCRT co-requisite is Version 14.1.0. By the way, from when you submit your SCRT report at the beginning of August you have to use this new version (until a new one is mandated) inContinue reading “SCRT Version 14.1.0 is Announced”

(Originally posted 2007-07-12.) I’ve just created a wiki to discuss primarily SMF. Mainly from the management perspective, rather than the contents of each individual record. This follows on from things I’ve mentioned in this blog before. If you’d like to contribute to it (and it is DESPERATELY in need of contributions right now) get aContinue reading “z/OS Performance Instrumentation Management Techniques wiki”

(Originally posted 2007-07-05.) I presented a set of (someone else’s) foils on Web 2.0 to my team meeting last week. (Interestingly, being 6 months old they were already way out of date – what with Twitter and all.) Remember I’m in a mainframe crowd of effectively “gurus”. 🙂 So why should they be interested inContinue reading “Why Mainframe Folk Should Care About Web 2.0”