Companies that work with mainframe systems should have a comprehensive list of commercially available mainframe software to meet specific needs. The following is a short list of software used in the mainframe environment for various purposes:
• Batch management
or STAND-ALONE/BATCH
A product of UNICOM Systems. It is menu-driven software used to create and maintain file definitions in the CICS environment.
or STAND-ALONE/LA/LOT
AUTONOM/Log Analyzer, also a UNICOM product, is a batch utility for generating build information to determine the problem occurred and tune performance.
• CIC
o Advanced Debugging System
Developed by Gary Bergman Associates, Inc. It is used for debugging in the source and object areas.
o BatchCICS-Connect
A vendor-supported utility developed by Document Systems Inc. integrates batch processing with any data source, transaction, or CICS program.
or CFFLOW
This Circle Computer Group LLC utility allows CICS applications to run on the Internet.
o CICS application transformation tools
These IBM tools help scale the CICS application and data on demand without change. Other IBM utilities include subsystem management tools, Transaction Server for z/OS V3.1, Transaction Gateway, and so on.
or IPCP
This SDS software allows you to open and close (allocate and deallocate) CICS batch files without JCL changes.
• Management of data sets/DASD
oAPR
This Innovation Data Processing product is used to automate disk volume backup in case of data set update.
o Disk space analyzer
To improve system performance, Macro 4’s Disk Space Analyzer manages disk space efficiently and systematically.
o Fast Erase DASD
This NewEra product deletes the test data after completing the disaster recovery test.
or FASTCPK
Innovation Data Processing’s FASTCPK consolidates volume free space into contiguous areas, merges extents of sequential, PDS, DB2, VSAM data sets, frees up unused space within these data sets, and last but not least, analyzes the VTOC to detect logic errors.
fdr
It is a complete Innovation Data Processing DASD management system, supporting the latest technology changes from IBM and other vendors to tune system performance.
• Job management/JCL
or (E)JES
This Phoenix Software International JES administration interface allows the collection, display, and manipulation of JES data, resources, and spool parameters by authorized users only.
o ASG-JOB/SCAN
This ASG Software Solutions product enforces JCL standards and validation and ensures that the JCL production environment is error free.
or JCL Parser
JCL Analyzer, developed by CSI International, enables rapid identification of Program, Data Set, JCLLIB, Procedure and Inclusion used in jobs.
• Schedule management
o ASG-Workload Scheduler
ASG- Workload Scheduler is responsible for cross-platform scheduling between the mainframe and the Windows NT and/or UNIX environment.
• Security
or Administrator
This Vanguard utility provides management, reporting, and data extraction tools.
or FDRCRYPT
Innovation Data Processing has developed this software for FDR, Full Volume ABR, Data Set Backup, and FDRDSF encryption, thus protecting backup data from unauthorized users.
o SDS VitalSigns for FTP and SSH
Comprehensive and effortless FTP security for all file transfers and data in transit
• Tape management
o IBM Tivoli Automated Tape Allocation Manager for z/OS
It addresses tape device availability issues directly and helps minimize the backlog of work requests.
or Write/Copy
Open Tech Systems Inc. has developed this utility to migrate, consolidate, and provide location management of tape data sets.
o Virtual data recovery
This software solution from Open Tech Systems Inc. automates the creation and recovery of cataloged backups of virtual tape backup data.
o CA Tape Management 1
This utility provides automated tape management tasks that ensure control and protection of data sets and tape volumes.