How Are Program Libraries Concatenated - Assignment Example

How Are Program Libraries Concatenated? The programs are organized in a partitioned data set (PDS) of related members, for instance, JCL, load modules, system data sets or program source modules. The system data sets are stored in the partitioned data sets if they contain numerous related files. A good example is a definition for ISF panels that are stored in the PDS. The program libraries are concatenated using different types of statements (Ebbers et al., 2012). What statement in a JCL stream does this for you? Elemental JCL comprises of three forms of statements, that is, DD, JOB, and EXEC (Ebbers et al., 2012). The DD statement has a critical feature in JCL because one ddname may have various DD statements referred to as concatenated. Concatenation allows the data sets to be processed in a sequence automatically (Ebbers et al., 2011). In using sequential files recognized by zOS, a disposition is used (DISP). Define what each of the following DISPs would be used for: - NEW designate that a new data set will be developed. The job has a unique access to the data set while it is running. Additionally, the data set should not exist on the same volume containing the new data, set or be in the system or user catalog (Ebbers et al., 2012). - OLD reveals that a data set is already in existence and that this job will have personalized access to it while it is running (Ebbers et al., 2012). - SHR shows that a data set is already existing and that various concurrent jobs are able to share access and at the same time run. Mainly, all concurrent jobs should specify SHR (Ebbers et al., 2012). - CATALG means to Keep and catalog the data set at the finale of a job step (Ebbers et al., 2012). - KEEP describes Keep (but not catalog) the data set at the end of a job step (Ebbers et al., 2012). - DELETE refers to Delete (and uncatalog) the data set at the end of a job step (Ebbers et al., 2012). Which would you use to define a new file? To write over an old file? To add to the end of an old file? DISP=NEW shows that a file is new and does not exist in the system. DISP=OLD is used to show that a file will be overwritten, and hence the old data will disappear and replaced with new data. DISP=MOD implies that a new data is to be added at the end of a file (Ebbers et al., 2012). When would you use an Indexed VSAM file rather than a sequential file? An indexed VSAM file is used when the data sets are held in control areas (CA) and control intervals (CI). The indexed VSAM file is used when the records are ordered according to a collating sequence of an embedded prime key field. Also, it is used where the order of the records is fixed or where the records are commanded by their relative key. In addition, VSAM files are used to insert new records into a suitable place in a file as well as the records that follow, which are moved to a new location. The VSAM file is used when there is no need for reorganization (Singh, 2011). What would be the advantages and disadvantages of VSAM File usage? The advantage of using a VSAM file is that various datasets are accessed efficiently and quickly because of its organization. Another advantage is that records are inserted in an effective way. The disadvantage of VSAM file usage is that the records are deleted from the disk physically rather than being removed logically (Somnath, 2010). What would you use the following utilities for? - IDCAMS is implemented to manipulate and create VSAM data sets. In addition it performs other functions such as catalog updates (Ebbers et al., 2012). - IEBGENER is a utility that copies one sequential data set to another. In addition it performs the role of filtering the data, changing BLKSIZE and LRECL, as well as generating records (Ebbers et al., 2012). - IEBCOPY is a utility that copies all or some members from one partitioned data set to another. Also, it copies a partitioned data set into a personalized sequential format that is referred to as unloaded partitioned data. Additionally, it read an unloaded partitioned data set as well as recreating the original partitioned data set. Likewise, it compresses partitioned data sets to reclaim the lost space (Ebbers et al., 2012). - IEFBR14 is a utility that gives a zero (0) completion. It is utilized as a safe vehicle to ‘execute JCL’ (Ebbers et al., 2012). Question 2 – Employee policy statement Holiday pays - The company observes annual holidays that are marked on specific days in a year. - Full-time employees are entitled to receive holiday pay at the normal rate where the following conditions are met: 1. The employee is not able to work because of an illness. 2. An employee works a full shift on a scheduled work shift preceding the holiday. - However, holiday pay will not be paid if: a. The worker is on lay-off status b. The worker is on leave of absence when the holiday occurs. c. The worker is requested to work during a paid holiday, but he or she declined the request. Overtime - Holidays do not qualify for overtime calculations unless the employees are involved in the real work. Floating holidays - Floating holidays are scheduled to offer qualified employees extend weekends through a combination of a weekend with a particular holiday. Part-time accrual - Part-time employees may qualify for vocational accrual on a pro-rata basis that is grounded on their regular workweek. Accrual of sick leave - Beginning with the initial day of employment, sick leave will accumulate at the rate of 1 (on preceding e) day in a month. The sick leave may continue for a maximum of 60 (sixty) days. Pay for illness - Illness pay will be grounded on a regular eight-hour day in working time and at the employee’s base rate. Absence because of an illness for less than three hours in a day will not be paid. This condition excludes daily overtime hours, paid vacation and holidays, Saturdays and Sundays. Question 3 – data security policies for IT organization The IT organization is responsible for the data’s security. The fundamental areas that should be reviewed include data and information security, identifying and access management along with compliance management (Ebbers et al., 2012). The security policies form a part of a logical abstraction in Enterprise Security Architecture. Polices will be designed on the basis of risk-based business demands. The levels involved include infrastructure policy, security policy, application security policy, physical policy, information policy and business continuity policy. These policies will mention what is supposed to be done and at the same time avoid reference to specific technical solutions. In this case, it is recommended that internationally recognized standards for different elements of security from standard bodies should be incorporated in these policies. They include TCG, IEEE, ISO, OASIS, IRTF and ISACA. Their directions are given in the form of job aid guidelines, correlation of regulatory requirements or operational security baselines (Shen, 2014). In this case, the IT organization will implement a Capability Maturity Models that will help to assess whether it is performing according to the standard. The best model is COBIT because it addresses the fundamental security planning (Lincke, 2015). Fig. 1. COBIT 5 capability maturity model Source: Lincke, S. (2015). Security planning: An applied approach. Cham : Springer. At level 1, full functionality of the goals is attained where a security workbook is documented. At level 2, plan are documented where scheduled are indicated for instance, compliance testing and security enhancement. At level 3, security policies, guidelines, procedures and standards are implemented and fully documented. Level 4 involves maintenance of a set of metrics that measure security performance, for example, determine the quantity of hacker attacks that the security policy safeguard in a month. Level 5 consist of setting objectives for security metrics to attain business goals (Lincke, 2015). Question 4 The IT direction appropriate for a marketing and distribution company is one that is built on Internet-centric technology architecture. This ensures that the enterprise applications go above the enterprise resource planning packages in a way that incorporates internal back-end procedures with the ones that influence business partners and customers. In this case, the architecture for infrastructure and application focus on external and collaboration needs. From this point of view, a component-based application architecture permits an in-depth functionality and individualized features for vertical markets that are not available in most of the enterprise application packages (Information Resources Management Association & Khosrow-Pour, 2003). URL: https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=RGXEoPkZVacC&pg=PA63&dq=information+technology+that+supports+Internet+sales+of+the+organization&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj7uLHvkMnJAhWpqYMKHdp-AZcQ6AEIJTAC#v=onepage&q=information%20technology%20that%20supports%20Internet%20sales%20of%20the%20organization&f=false Question 5 – features of a software policy A software policy consists of six main quality characteristics, that is, usability, functionality, efficiency, reliability, portability and maintainability. Functionality refers to the important purpose of a service or product. Reliability is the ability of a software of a system to sustain its service provision under defined situations for a specified period of time. Usability means the ease of use for a specific function. While efficiency focuses with the system resources that are employed to give the required functionality. On the other hand, maintainability looks at the potential to recognize and correct a fault that has occurred within a software component. Whereas portability refers to how well a software is able to adapt to changes in its habitat or demands (Hu & Mousavinezhad, 2013). An example of a suitable software policy is ISO/IEC 9216. Fig 2: ISO/IEC 9216. Source: Seffah, A. (n.d.). QUIM: A Framework for Quantifying Usability Metrics in Software Quality Models. Retrieved December 11, 2015, from http://s3.amazonaws.com/publicationslist.org/data/gelog/ref-314/706.pdf Question 6 – roll out strategy to upgrade into a Mainframe platform Purpose - To upgrade to a mainframe platform. System Overview - Description of the system to be applied and its organization. Management overview - Description of how the implementation will be carried out and the recognition of the major activities involved. Implementation schedule - Description of the necessary tasks arranged in chronological order with the start and end dates assigned to each task. Security and privacy - Overview of the system, requirements and security that guide the process of implementation. Implementation support - Description of the support software, hardware, materials and facilities needed for the upgrade. Documentation - List of additional documentation necessary to support a deliverable system. Personnel - Description of the proposed staffing requirements as well as the training needs of the staff involved in the mainframe upgrade. Outstanding issues - Description of known problems or issues that are significant to the mainframe platform upgrade. Implementation impact - Description of how the mainframe upgrade will influence the network infrastructure, user community, and the support staff. Question 7 The area of the IST639 course that has the greatest impact as I develop my career in information management is data representation in computer systems. I have learned that the organization of a computer relies on how the control information, numbers, and characters are represented (Null & Lobur, 2014).   References Ebbers, M., Kettner, J., O’Brien, W., & Ogden, B. (2011, March 1). Introduction to the New Mainframe z/OS Basics. Retrieved December 6, 2015, from https://www.redbooks.ibm.com/redbooks/pdfs/sg246366.pdf Ebbers, M., Kettner, J., O'Brien, W., Ogden, B., & Redbooks, I. (2012). Introduction to the New Mainframe: Z/OS Basics (Illustrated ed.). IBM Redbooks. Hu, W. C., & Mousavinezhad, S. H. (2013). Mobile and handheld computing solutions for organizations and end-users. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference. Information Resources Management Association., & Khosrow-Pour, M. (2003). Information technology & organizations: Trends, issues, challenges & solutions. Harrisburg, Pa., U.S.A: Idea Group Pub. Lincke, S. (2015). Security planning: An applied approach. Cham : Springer. Null, L., & Lobur, J. (2014). The essentials of computer organization and architecture. Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Singh, S. K. (2011). Database systems: Concepts, design and applications. Delhi: Dorling Kindersley (India. Somnath. (2010, March 17). VSAM Concepts. Retrieved December 6, 2015, from http://www.aliencoders.org/content/vsam-concepts/ Seffah, A. (n.d.). QUIM: A Framework for Quantifying Usability Metrics in Software Quality Models. Retrieved December 11, 2015, from http://s3.amazonaws.com/publicationslist.org/data/gelog/ref-314/706.pdf Shen, Y. (2014). Enabling the new era of cloud computing: Data security, transfer, and management. Hershey, PA : Information Science Reference. Read More