IBM has not mentioned many details of the next major release of the
IBM z/OS version 2. Most people are asking if it will be GUI based, but no one really knows. The only statement released so far from IBM was on April 11, 2012. But you should know that Interskill Learning is prepared to begin development of new training courses for
IBM z/OS version 2.
Be sure to check
Interskill's news page as well as sign up for the
mainframe newsletter.
Learn more with
Interskill Learning Mainframe Training Online.
Statement of Direction: IBM z/OS version 2
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Provided by IBM)
Overview
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Since its initial release in 2001, IBM® z/OS® Version 1 has delivered over 11 years of value, offering support of IBM System z® and providing our customers with the foundation to run their most critical business solutions. The z/OS journey continues with new efforts to drive value while reducing complexity. In support of these efforts, IBM plans to introduce a new version of the z/OS operating system,
z/OS Version 2, with
z/OS V2.1 to be released in the second half of 2013 as part of a new two-year release cycle. As the System z platform continues to deliver value for smarter computing, IBM intends that
z/OS Version 2 serve as the foundational layer for new capabilities. This is an exciting time for IBM and for you, our customers, as we prepare new versions of z/OS and z/OS Management Facility (z/OSMF) to be delivered through a release schedule that is intended to align well with your business requirements.
Going forward, IBM intends to make new z/OS and z/OSMF releases available approximately every two years. Such a schedule would be intended to provide you with sufficient time to plan for new releases and to leverage them for the most business value. In addition, beginning with
z/OS Version 2, IBM plans to provide five years of z/OS support, with three years of optional, fee-based extended service (5+3) as part of the new release cadence. Beginning with
z/OSMF Version 2, IBM also plans to provide five years of z/OSMF support. However, similar to z/OSMF Version 1, optional extended service is not planned to be available for
z/OSMF Version 2.
In addition, in z/OS V2.1, IBM plans to further leverage enhancements in the current IBM mainframe servers and storage control units.
z/OS V2.1 is planned to IPL only on System z9® and later servers. Also,
z/OS Version 2 is planned to require 3990 Model 3 (3990-3), 3990 Model 6 (3990-6), and later storage control units.
Release schedule
Customers have indicated a preference for a release schedule providing more time to plan and install new features. Also, customers have told us that it would be preferable to spend more time exploiting new z/OS functional enhancements for business value as opposed to spending time on efforts related to remaining current to retain software support. In addition, customers have expressed a preference for installing and leveraging the value of related enhancements in one upgrade cycle rather than deploying enhancements delivered incrementally over several z/OS releases.
IBM's intent is that a new release cycle may help you focus more resources on leveraging business value from z/OS and improving operational efficiency, while preserving your z/OS investments. A two-year release schedule would also be more consistent with those of other IBM system software products, which can help you effectively plan your upgrades.
For interim updates, IBM intends to continue to offer updates, such as new server support, through other delivery mechanisms such as periodic small product enhancement PTFs (SPEs) and web deliverables.
Support and migration
IBM has made a number of enhancements to service and support to ease migration and compatibility with existing software, as explained further in the
Description section. The service and support policies for both the existing currently supported releases and the new version releases are planned to be modified to better align with the new z/OS and z/OSMF release schedule. IBM plans to support direct upgrades from
z/OS V1.12 and
V1.13 to
z/OS V2.1 with full coexistence, migration, and fallback support. Similarly, IBM plans to support direct upgrades from
z/OSMF V1.12 and
V1.13 to
z/OSMF V2.1.
IBM's statements regarding its plans, directions, and intent are subject to change or withdrawal without notice at IBM's sole discretion. Information regarding potential future products is intended to outline our general product direction and it should not be relied on in making a purchasing decision. The information mentioned regarding potential future products is not a commitment, promise, or legal obligation to deliver any material, code or functionality. Information about potential future products may not be incorporated into any contract. The development, release, and timing of any future features or functionality described for our products remains at our sole discretion.
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Description
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Coexistence, release migrations, and fallback
It is IBM's intent that
z/OS V2 and
z/OSMF V2 will continue to support coexistence, fallback, and migration rules similar to those for z/OS V1 and z/OSMF V1.
IBM plans to support an n-2 approach, where three consecutive releases are planned to be supported for coexistence, fallback, and migration. For example, where "n" is z/OS V2.1, IBM intends to allow you to upgrade from z/OS V1.12 directly to
z/OS V2.1 with full coexistence, migration, and fallback support to maximize the value of your investment, and from z/OS V1.13 to z/OS V2.1 with full coexistence, migration, and fallback support. Similarly, where "n" is z/OSMF V2.1, IBM intends to support upgrades from z/OSMF V1.12 directly to z/OSMF V2.1 with full coexistence, migration, and fallback support. Similarly, IBM intends to support direct migration from z/OSMF V1.12 and z/OSMF 1.13 to z/OSMF V2.1 with full coexistence, migration, and fallback support.
z/OS gives you compatibility and flexibility as you migrate systems in a multisystem configuration by allowing multiple releases of z/OS to coexist. This includes non-Parallel Sysplex and Parallel Sysplex® multisystem configurations, as well as sharing resources between two single-system configurations.
Coexistence allows systems within a multisystem configuration to be upgraded to a new release level of z/OS one system at a time. This is based on the fact that the release you are migrating to can coexist with the lowest release currently running in your configuration. It is IBM's intent that
z/OS V2 will continue to support coexistence, fallback, and migration rules similar to those for z/OS V1. Three consecutive releases are planned to be supported for coexistence, fallback, and migration. This has been referred to as an "n-2" approach, where n is the latest release.
Service support
IBM plans to enhance its z/OS and z/OSMF support programs to help customers easily upgrade releases with minimal disruption.
z/OS
Effective with
z/OS V2.1, IBM plans to provide five years of z/OS support, with the option to get three more years of fee-based extended service following end of support for the release. This is intended to allow you to upgrade on an "every release" or "every other release" schedule, while providing you ample time to complete migration.
IBM further plans to provide enhancements to current z/OS releases during the transition to the new support model as follows:
- z/OS V1.12 support is planned to be increased from three years to four years. Thus, support for Version 1.12 is planned to be extended from September 30, 2013, to September 30, 2014.
- z/OS V1.13 support is planned to be increased from three years to five years. Thus, support for Version 1.13 is planned to be extended from September 30, 2014, to September 30, 2016.
No changes are planned for z/OS V1.11 support, which is planned to withdraw program services on September 30, 2012. Refer to Software Announcement
212-025, dated April 11, 2012.
In addition, to allow z/OS V1.11 and z/OS V1.12 customers to upgrade to z/OS V1.13, IBM plans to continue to make z/OS V1.13 available for ordering until
z/OS V2.1 general availability.
z/OS Management Facility
Historically, z/OSMF releases have been aligned with z/OS operating system releases, and IBM intends to continue this alignment. IBM therefore plans to deliver z/OSMF V2.1 in the second half of 2013. In addition, effective with z/OSMF V2.1, support is planned to be increased from three years to five years.
IBM further plans to continue to provide key enhancements to current z/OSMF releases during the transition to the new support model as follows:
- z/OSMF V1.12 support is planned to be increased from three years to four years. Thus, support for Version 1.12 is planned to be extended from September 30, 2013, to September 30, 2014. This enables direct migration support from z/OSMF V1.12 to z/OSMF V2.1.
- z/OSMF V1.13 support is planned to be increased from three years to five years. Thus, support for Version 1.13 is planned to be extended from September 30, 2014, to September 30, 2016. In addition, the ordering period for z/OSMF V1.13 is planned to be extended until z/OSMF V2.1 becomes available.
Note: Similar to z/OSMF Version 1, optional extended service is not planned to be available for z/OSMF Version 2.
Hardware requirements
Along with
z/OS V2.1, IBM plans to use recent enhancements in IBM mainframe server design by leveraging more current System z servers. z/OS V2.1 is designed to run on more recent System z servers. This is intended to establish the foundation for z/OS and products that run on z/OS to take advantage of IBM mainframe server design enhancements to provide both performance and reliability improvements.
z/OS V2.1 is planned to support these System z server models and later server models:
- IBM System z9 EC and System z9 BC
- IBM System z10® EC and System z10 BC
- IBM zEnterprise™ 196 (z196) and IBM zEnterprise 114 (z114)
The following IBM System z servers, and earlier servers, are not planned to be supported with z/OS V2.1 and later releases:
- IBM zSeries® 900 (z900) and IBM zSeries 800 (z800)
- IBM zSeries 990 (z990) and IBM zSeries 890 (z890)
In addition, beginning with z/OS V2.1, IBM plans to require the functionality of these storage control units and later control units:
- 3990 Model 3 and 3990 Model 6
- 9393
- 2105
- 2107
- 2421, 2422, 2423, and 2424
Other information
Availability, prices, ordering information, and terms and conditions will be provided when z/OS Version 2 is announced.
Other statements of direction
- z/OS V1.13 Communications Server is planned to be the last release to include the TSO/E-based DNET function, one diagnostic tool for use in VTAM® dump analysis. IBM recommends that you use similar functions available in IPCS for VTAM diagnosis instead.
- The release of z/OS following z/OS V2.1 is planned to be the last release in which the consoles component will support shared mode. IBM recommends that you migrate to distributed mode, which was introduced in z/OS V1.10. A "best practices" health check was added in z/OS V1.13 to help you identify systems on which shared mode is in use. Distributed mode is designed to improve operations in sysplex environments by helping reduce the time required to IPL and for systems to join a sysplex, improve availability, and allow more MCS, SMCS, and subsystem consoles to be configured.
- z/OS V2.1 is planned to be the last release in which JES2 will support the z2 level for checkpoint data sets. z11 mode was introduced in z/OS V1.11. IBM recommends you migrate to z11 mode if you have not already done so.
- z/OS V2.1 is planned to be the last release to include Version 1 of the Standards Based Linux™ Instrumentation for Manageability (SBLIM) CIM Client for Java™. Version 1 support for the SourceForge open source project was sunset in 2010. Version 2 of the SBLIM CIM Client for Java, which is designed to be a JSR48 compliant implementation, has been included in z/OS starting with z/OS V1.10. IBM recommends that users of SBLIM CIM Client for Java Version 1 convert to Version 2.
- With z/OS V2.1, our product documentation is planned to "go green" with electronic delivery of documentation over the Internet, replacing delivery of documentation using physical DVDs. This change is intended to result in higher quality documentation and better information currency. To meet customer requirements for easier search and access of information and to modernize our documentation delivery processes, we will focus on Information Center delivery of the z/OS product documentation and discontinue the use of BookManager® format. Among the many advantages of information centers are that their content can be found using search engines such as Google and often represent the most current content. For customers requiring offline access to documentation, IBM plans to provide a downloadable version of the documentation in the Information Center. For users who do not need the entire product library, IBM plans to continue to provide PDFs for individual documentation download. The local Information Center provides built-in functions to keep content up-to-date and is also planned to contain a predefined search scope for z/OS Elements and Features message information.
- z/OS V1.13 is planned to be the last release to support the Windows-based Capacity Provisioning Control Center (CPCC) function for use with the Capacity Provisioning Manager (CPM). In the future, IBM intends to add function to the z/OSMF-based Capacity Provisioning application to allow you to control your CPM policies.
- In the fourth quarter of 2012, IBM plans to make secure delivery via FTP using Secure Sockets Layer (FTPS) an option for Internet delivery of ServerPac, CBPDO, and Internet delivery of PTFs ordered using ShopzSeries and the SMP/E RECEIVE ORDER command. In the third quarter of 2012, IBM plans to make a connectivity test available on ShopzSeries to help you verify that your system is set up to support secure delivery. In the fourth quarter of 2013, IBM plans to require the use of FTPS for direct downloads to z/OS systems. Download Director, an alternative download method you can use to download packages to a workstation and transfer them to z/OS later, is not affected by this change and is planned to remain available.
Business Partner information
If you are a Direct Reseller - System Reseller acquiring products from IBM, you may link directly to Business Partner information for this announcement. A PartnerWorld® ID and password are required (use IBM ID).
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- https://www.ibm.com/partnerworld/mem/sla.jsp?num=212-086
Trademarks
zEnterprise is a trademark of IBM Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.
IBM, z/OS, System z, System z9, Parallel Sysplex, System z10, zSeries, VTAM, BookManager and PartnerWorld are registered trademarks of IBM Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.
Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the United States, other countries, or both.
Other company, product, and service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.
Terms of use
IBM products and services which are announced and available in your country can be ordered under the applicable standard agreements, terms, conditions, and prices in effect at the time. IBM reserves the right to modify or withdraw this announcement at any time without notice. This announcement is provided for your information only. Additional terms of use are located at
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- http://www.ibm.com/legal/us/en/
For the most current information regarding IBM products, consult your IBM representative or reseller, or visit the IBM worldwide contacts page
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- http://www.ibm.com/planetwide/us/
