CS 526

Enterprise Computing

Sample Syllabus

Course Information

Class Materials.
Course Overview.

Course Objectives

This course will cover the computing background for large-scale enterprise computing. Most large enterprise systems run on mainframe computers, so this will be a particular emphasis of the course. Virtualization is a strong theme of the course, allowing flexible and efficient resource sharing and management. We will be considering the strength of mainframes in supporting large-scale virtualization. Service-oriented architecture is also a strong theme of the course, and we will be considering how modern SOA frontends are integrated into legacy mainframe systems and applications. The course will cover the architecture of the modern mainframe, as well as legacy software tools such as COBOL and CICS that remain the most widely used software systems on the planet. The course will consider how these are integrated into modern software systems including Unix (z/OS Unix and Linux over z/VM), Java (Jzos and Websphere) and Eclipse (Rational Developer for z). The course will provide hands-on experience with two operating systems: z/VM, the operating system that pioneered software virtualization and today supports virtualization on a massive scale; and z/OS, the operating system that supports the vast majority of modern data processing applications. Two programming languages will be covered, with light homework assignments: REXX, a scripting language for mainframe systems and applications, and COBOL, the most widely used programming language in the world.

Course Outcomes

[Virtualization] Explain the total cost of ownership rationale for virtualization, and explain the software and hardware support for virtualization.

[z/VM] Implement and run Unix shell scripts on Linux guests, and REXX scripts on CMS guests, on the z/VM hypervisor.

[z/OS] Manage resources in the z/OS operating system, and implement and run enterprise applications using VSAM, JZOS, CICS and RD/z.

[USS] Explain the Unix System Services API for z/OS, and how it supports security and accountability in enterprise applications.

Texts

Texts will be provided as PDF files, so that selected parts can be downloaded.

  1. [zOS] Introduction to the New Mainframe: z/OS Basics by Ebbers et al. IBM Redbooks, 2006.
  2. [zVM] Introduction to the New Mainframe: z/VM Basics by Parzlale et al. IBM Redbooks, 2007.

Course Schedule

Week
 		Topics Covered
 		Reading
 		Assignments
0
 		ORIENTATION

1
 		Introduction to enterprise computing.  Virtualization and total cost of ownership (TCO). Service oriented architecture. Mainframe support for enterprise computing. zOS 1, 2
zVM 1
 		A0: MTM
Registration
2 Virtualization Basics. Supplementary reading
3
 Secure virtualization. KVM and SELinux.
 		Supplementary reading A1: MTM
Part 1
4
 The z/VM shell: Conversational Monitoring System (CMS). Introduction to XEdit. zVM 2-5
5
 System programming with the Restructured Extended Executor (REXX) language.  CMS pipelines and filters. zVM 7, 8 A2: CMS and REXX
6
 z/VM and Linux guests. zVM 9, 11, 13
7
 Introduction to z/OS using RD/z. Storage Components and I/O management. Working with data sets.  Virtual storage access method (VSAM).
 		zOS 3, 5-7
8
 		Introduction to COBOL.
A3: z/VM and Linux
9
 Compiling and Linking. JCL and SDSF.  Interactive z/OS facilities: TSO/E, ISPF, Unix.  Java on z/OS: JZOS.
 		zOS 4, 8-10
10
 Transactional enterprise applications.  Customer Information Control System (CICS). zOS 11
 		A4: MTM
Part 2
11
 		Middleware and application servers.  Message queues.  JEE Connector Architecture (JCA) for enterprise information systems.
 		zOS 12
12 Service oriented architectures and mainframe applications.  Web services.
 		zOS 13-15
13 Unix System Services.   A5: JZOS and RMI

FINAL EXAM


Class Format

  1. Lecture slides and podcasts: I will be making slides and podcasts available for the lectures at the beginning of each week. You should download and review these materials as soon as possible.
  2. Reading: There will be reading associated with each topic. You should view the slides as intended to draw out what is important in the reading and explain the key points of understanding. By doing the reading, you will get much better depth of understanding in the material than can be made available in the slides alone. Readings will be from the texts and from other on-line materials as the term progresses.
  3. Discussion: You can use on-line discussion groups to discuss the course material.
  4. Interactive discussion: I will be available to answer questions interactively once a week, using Wimbat Pronto.
  5. Assessment: Course workload includes weekly quizes, laboratory exercises on a mainframe hub, and a final exam. Students will also be graded based on their performance in the Master the Mainframe contest, though only on the first two parts of the contest that involve getting some familiarity with z/OS. Students may at their discretion choose to pursue the advanced part of the Contest.

Grading

The breakdown of grades is as follows:

Ethical Conduct

Cheating during in-class tests or take-home examinations or homework is, of course, illegal and immoral. A Graduate Academic Evaluation Board exists to investigate academic improprieties, conduct hearings, and determine any necessary actions. The term "academic impropriety" is meant to cinlude, but is not limited to, cheating on homework, during in-class or take-home examinations, and plagiarism.

Consequences of academic impropriety are severe, ranging from receiving an "F" in a course, to a warning from the Dean of the Graduate School, which becomes a part of the permanent student record, to expulsion.


The Graduate Student Handbook, Academic Year 2006-2007, Stevens Institute of Technology, page 10