Ent Sys - Quiz 1
What is "virtual" about virtual storage?
It gives the illusion that the system has more storage than it has physically.
What role does workload management play in a z/OS system?
Workload management manages the processing of workloads in the system according to the business goals. It manages the use of system resources such as processor and storages to achieve throughput (optimal use of the system), response and turnaround time.
List the three major types of storage used by z/OS.
(i) DASD (direct access storage device) volumes (ii) tape cartridges (iii) Virtual tape or virtual disk. (Virtual tape and virtual disk storage are high-capacity and relatively inexpensive disk storage attached storage devices that emulate tape volumes or one larger disk storage volume)
How does z/OS differ from a single-user operating system? Give two examples.
(i) process large workloads (ii) can allow thousands of user transaction concurrently
The death of the mainframe has been greatly exaggerated. A) True B) False
A
Mainframe memory is also referred to as: a. DASD b. Paging c. Address Space d. Storage
D
Name the two broad categories of workload likely to be found running on a mainframe. ANSWER Explanation for E - these are applications, not workloads A) Batch and Spreadsheets B) Spreadsheets and Word Processing C) Data Mining and Simulation Games D) Batch and online transaction processing E) Payroll and Inventory
D
List several differences and similarities between the z/OS and UNIX operating systems.
Differences: UNIX z/OS (i) boot the system & IPL the system (ii) Files and directories & Sequential datasets and partitioned datasets (iii) bytes oriented format & record format Similarities: Run application in Java, C, COBOL, and soon Both systems allow data stored in memory to be shared among processes. Both systems have the concepts of virtual memory management.
Mainframes are most extensively used by what type of businesses? A) Small/medium businesses B) Local "mom and pop" stores C) Only the "Fortune 10" D) Home based businesses E) Large corporations
E
What's the most accurate definition of a Network Interface Card (NIC)? a. A NIC controls the flow of information from the IP to the TCP, over hardware and software. b. A NIC moves information directly from the computer to computers on the internet. d. A NIC comprises of the hardware and software components that connects the RJ-15 cable to the RJ-45 e. A NIC is a computer hardware component that connects a computer to a network. answer choice: e
E
What z/OS application changes are needed to work in a Parallel Sysplex?
One or more CFs (coupling facilities)
Fill in the blank: A block of auxiliary storage is called a -------
Slot
A number of non-mainframe computer systems are available today which claim to be "mainframe like" or provide the same value as mainframes. A) True B) False
True
Characteristics of an online transaction are: A) Uses a small amount of input data and demands a fast (usually less than one second) response B) Entered by a large number of people during well-defined business hours (e.g. 9am to 5pm) C) Entered by a few people and so has little need for security D) Entered in groups (batches) by highly trained business employees E) Uses a small amount of input data and runs for a long time
A
Since its introduction in 1964, the IBM mainframe has A) Evolved and in many ways leads in delivering modern computing technologies B) Remained stagnant C) Evolved and incorporates some modern computing technologies D) Evolved but only supports 32 bit addressing; PC's support 64 bit addressing E) Evolved but only supports "green screen" terminals and interfaces
A
The "360" in the name "System/360" is a reference to what? A) The 360 degrees of a compass B) The revenue expected to be generated by S/360 sales ($360 Million) C) None of the above D) The projected number of systems that were expected to be sold (360) E) Nothing, it is an arbitrary number that "sounds good" for marketing
A
The S/360 eliminated several problems that were inherent in computers that preceded it including: the inability to upgrade to a larger computer, proprietary and incompatible peripheral interfaces, and the ability to run both engineering and commercial work on the same computer. A) True B) False
A
The z/OS acronym RAS stands for A) Reliability, Availability, and Serviceability B) Random and Secure C) Receive and Send D) Real as Storage E) Random Access Storage
A
What does GDPS stand for? a. Geographically Dispersed Parallel Sysplex b. Graphic DiPlo Sysplex c. Geomegric Duplicity Parallel Sysplex d. Graphical Digital Processing System
A
What does VSAM stand for? a. Virtual Storage Access Method b. Virtually Stored Accessories Methodology c. Virtual Safe Access Method d. None of the above
A
What's an example of a batch process? a. Payroll b. Credit card transaction c. Phone number look-up d. All of the above
A
What's the best definition of an LDAP? a. Defines a standard method to access and update information in a directory. b. A semiconductor chip that displays visible or infrared light when activated. c. A set of system commands, library routines, and other tools that allow the user to establish and control logical volume storage. d. None of the above
A
Which two operating systems are the most prevalent operating systems running on System z mainframes? A) z/OS and Linux for zSeries B) z/VM and Linux for zSeries C) zTPF and z/VM D) z/OS and VSE E) VSE and z/VM
A
An enterprise is about to upgrade an older System z server to the latest technology mainframe. This enterprise has a program that was witten 20 years ago, is still in use, and the source code for the program is no longer available. What should the enterprise expect relative to the old program when the server upgrade occurs? A) They should expect to contact IBM to make sure that the operating system services that the program uses are still supported B) They should expect that the program will run without any changes C) They should expect that they will have to find the source code and recompile the program so it will work with the new server D) They should expect that the new server will recognize that the old program is down level and return an error code E) They should expect that they will have to upgrade the program so it will work with the new server
B
How would you characterize the physical size of a mainframe computer (not including its I/O (or peripheral) equipment)? A) About the size of a pickup truck B) About the size of a large refrigerator C) About the size of a large hotel ballroom D) About the size of a desktop computer E) About the size of a microwave oven
B
Two distinguishing characteristics of mainframe computing are: A) Secure and outdated B) Secure and highly available C) Large scale (capacity) and outdated D) Highly available and cumbersome E) Secure and Expensive
B
Which customer enterprises would likely be interested in the System z On/Off Capacity on Demand feature? A) Customer enterprises that would like to deploy new applications with temporary extra capacity B) All of the above C) Customer enterprises that would like to pilot new applications with temporary extra capacity D) Customer enterprises with a need for predictable short term capacity growth E) Customer enterprises with a need for unpredictable capacity growth
B
Which is the best definition of a console as it pertains to Mainframe? a. A collection of optional software features, with a web-browser interface, that is used for configuring, managing, and monitoring data-copy functions. b. A user interface to a server, for example, the interface provided on a personal computer. c. A screen that resides within the computer. d. None of the above
B
Which operating system option provides interactive time sharing from remote terminals? a. HCD (Hardware configuration definition b. TSO (Time sharing option) c. SMF (System management facility) d. RPC (Remote procedure call)
B
Which system component decides the allocation of system resources? a. Performance manager b. Resource manager c. Resource director d. Resource handler
B
What's an example of a real-time transaction? a. Payroll b. Quarterly financial results c. Bank account balance query d. All of the above
C
Which IBM transaction processing monitor provides rapid high-volume transaction processing? a. COP (Customer online program) b. TBDD (Transaction block device driver c. CICS (Customer information control system) d. TPS (Transaction processing system)
C
Which mainframe component is attached to the central processor complex and used for monitoring and operating a system? a. Operator console b. Programmer console c. Support element d. Hardware console
C
Which mainframe job/role would you expect to perform software customization, capacity planning and performance tuning? A) End User B) Application Developer C) Systems programmer D) System Operator E) Database Administrator
C
What are the three main objectives of system security? a. Integrity, availability, and malware b. Confidentiality, integrity, and quality c. Integrity, quality, and ascendancy d. Confidentiality, integrity, and availability
D
What might a typical IBM Z Mainframe environment consolidate? a. CPU b. Cooling c. Network adapters d. All of the above
D
What z/OS interface enables programs to use authorization services to control access to resources? a. Application programming interfaces b. Extensible Markup Language c. System management interface d. System authorization facility
D
Which z/OS component is used for managing workload distribution, workload balancing, and distributing resources to competing workloads? a. Workload distribution b. Resource control c. Resource balancing d. Workload manager
D
What is the meaning of Enterprise Systems?
Enterprise systems is the combination of hardware and software that an organization uses for its daily operation. Many, not all, enterprise systems use a mainframe computer. It is possible to run an enterprise system on a cluster of machines.
Fill in the blank: A block of central storage is called a --------
Frame
Multiprocessing means running several processors simultaneously (available to the operating system and applications). What does multiprogramming mean?
Multiprogramming is running of more than one program simultaneously on the same processor.
Fill in the blank: A block of virtual storage is called a --------
Page
List a few characteristics of enterprise computing systems?
RAS- (reliability --> [self check and self recover], availability --> [provides symmetric multi processing -- sysplex] serviceability --> [ replace h/w or s/w with little interruption]) Security - can it be easily hacked? Scaleable- the ability to change capacity and power to handle workloads of different sizes
Tell in one line each, what is (a) System z (b) z/OS (c) z/VM ?
System z is a large scale computer system or mainframe computer built by IBM. z/VM is a base virtual machine building s/w (software) that is installed on top of the h/w (hardware). z/OS is a 64-bit operating system for a mainframe computer within a z/VM.
List several defining characteristics of the z/OS operating system.
The address spaces in z/OS provide system security using private and common ares. Provides data integrity for its large number of users. Can manage a large number of concurrent batch jobs. The security extends to system functions, simple files, applications, resources, user profiles and so on. Allows multiple communications subsystems such as multiple TCP/IP operation at the same time. Manage large I/O configurations such as thousands of disk drives, tape libraries, and terminals
Why does the power needed for a traditional COBOL application not have a linear relationship with the power needed for a new Java application?
The power of a system is often linked to the cost of software licensing. The power needed to run a COBOL application does not have a linear relation to that of running a new Java application because the cost of adding a new Java application increases non-linearly.
What are the differences between loosely coupled systems and tightly coupled systems?
Tightly coupled systems contain multiple processors (CPUs) that are connected by channels. They have access to a centrally shared memory or may participate in a memory hierarchy with both local and shared memory. Loosely coupled system has multiple stand-alone units/processors interconnected via high speed communication systems.
What z/OS application changes are needed for it to work in an LPAR?
Type 1 hypervisor
