IBM Z Xplore - Getting through Files Challenge in Fundamentals level

Hello 👋,

In this post, I'll guide you through the second challenge, Files, in the Fundamentals level.

If you're new here, I would recommend you to check my previous post on IBM Z Xplore and getting thru the first challenge (VSC1) in the Fundamentals level, 👉 here. 

Let's get started 

From the home page of IBM Z Xplore, you just need to click on that tile that say Files.

Now, you'll have to watch a video which runs for 2 minutes. This will help you demystify what the equivalents of files 🖹 and folders 📁are known as, in IBM Z systems. 

Data Sets and Members

In a Windows system, you've got Files and Folders. Likewise, in IBM Z, they are Data sets and PDS (Partitioned Data Set) respectively. 

        Files (in Windows)          =     Data sets (in IBM Z)

Folders (in Windows)     =     PDS (in IBM Z)

A file in Windows system can either be inside a Folder or outside, but it's still called as file. In IBM Z, if a file (actually, Data set) is inside a PDS, it's a Member. If the file is not inside a PDS, it's a Sequential Data set.

Inside the Files in Windows system, you've got Lines. Inside a Sequential Data set and member(s) of PDS, you've got Records.

Keep it Simple: A Sequential Data Set store records sequentially one after the another. It is useful where all the data needs to be referenced in the order that it was stored, such as a log or report. 

A Partitioned Data Set stores data in individual members. An example of the type of data stored in a PDS would be Program Load Modules or JCL Batch jobs.

z/OS works with a number of different types of Data Sets though but they're all out of scope for now. 

 

The way you name a Data Set or PDS is quite different in IBM Z as there are some rules:  

• A data set name consists of one or more parts connected by periods. Each part is called a qualifier.
• Each qualifier must be 1 to 8 characters in length.
• Each qualifier must begin with an alphabetic character (A to Z) or the special character @, #, or $.
• The remaining characters in each qualifier can be alphabetic, special, or numeric (0 to 9) characters.
• The maximum length of a complete data set name before specifying a member name is 44 characters, including the periods.

Some examples for valid Data Set names are,

INPUT.FILE.#1

OUTPUT.FILE.#1

S

You're all caught up! 

After watching the 2 minute video 📹, you'll have to take up a quiz which contain 3 questions. You'll get 3 brownie points if you answer all the 3 questions correctly. 

I'm gonna put the questions here but without the answers. Give it a go.  

Question 1: What are the two types of data sets we learned about so far?

Question 2: Which of the following can go inside a Partitioned Data Set, and can contain Records?

Question 3: Which data set do you have full read & write access to? (Hint: Your own data sets)

The Challenge 💪

Grab a copy of  the challenge instructions PDF.  Fire up the VS Code application in your PC and get into the Zowe Explorer extension. 

First thing that you have to do as part of this challenge is to have the data sets and members, that you'll use for this challenge, created from ZXP.PUBLIC.JCL (a read-only PDS) to your personal PDS, ZXXXXX.INPUT.  (Please make sure to enter your Z ID, not ZXXXXX).

Now, go through each and every member in your personal PDS (ZXXXXX.INPUT) for one of them will contain text directing you to rename it and the name you should rename it to. Follow the instructions in the PDF carefully to rename the member. 

Tip 💡: Don't miss to read the blue boxes (usually at the bottom of each page) in the Challenge Instructions PDF. 

After renaming the member, continue going through other members for one of them will direct you to delete it . Just right click on that member and choose "Delete". Poof! 💨 It should've been gone. 

Done with the renaming and deletion? 

Alright. Get into a different PDS named as ZXXXXX.SURPRISE. It will have only one member in it. You need to copy that member to your personal PDS (ZXXXXX.INPUT). How? The instructions in the PDF has it all. It's just a matter of few clicks on your mouse and you'll be done. 

Roger, Copy that?

Now, you should be looking for a Sequential Data set named as ZXXXXX.SEQDS. 

You'll usually view the contents of the members and data sets on the right side, on a editor which is called as Z Open Editor. It's an extension in VS Code and it allows you to view, edit and save z/OS data sets. 

Use the Z Open Editor to view the contents of the Sequential Data set and add a new line at the bottom (after the line starting with 'Visit') and enter some text. The text can be anything as long as it's appropriate. 

 You may then press Ctrl + S to save the dataset. 

Lastly, you've to make your own member in your personal PDS. To do that, just right click on your personal PDS, ZXXXXX.INPUT and choose 'Create New Member'. When prompted for a name, type MYNEWMEM as the name and hit Enter. You'll be done. 

Finish line 🏁

Now, you've got to record your victory🥇. In ZXP.PUBLIC.JCL PDS, look for FILES1 member, right click on it and select “Submit Job” to hand in your work. 

Then go back to IBM Z Xplore and Open the Files challenge. Go to the bottom of the page and hit on "CHALLENGE COMPLETE, CHECK MY JCL SUBMISSION". When you come out of the page, you should've unlocked new challenges.  

I hope that by now, you would've got acquanited with the PDS, members, data sets and records. In the next post, we'll look into JCL1 challenge in Fundamentals level.  

All about IBM Z Xplore and getting through VSC1

Hi 👋 Welcome to my blog. It's been quite some time since I have written anything over here. 

It's that time of the year again where we usually have an amazing contest opened up by IBM for students and working professionals. It's none other than  🥁 Drum roll 🥁,

MASTER THE MAINFRAME

Few things are changed. Master the Mainframe is now, The IBM Z Xplore Learning Platform. 

The IBM Xplore learning experience is your place to upskill, reskill, and learn new skills as you begin your journey and explore IBM Z and enterprise computing. 

This experience is open to all, available year-round at no charge and includes:

• IBM Z system access
• Progressive learning paths
• Hands-on challenges
• Digital badging
• Rewards
• Leaderboard

What IBM has got to say about this new platform?

Signing up to IBM Z Xplore

To sign in to IBM Z Xplore, click 👉 here. You'll be able to sign up either using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or the email ID that you used for creating an IBMid.

Once you're signed up, you will have to get through the first CHALLENGE, but hey! relax. It's like a walk in the park. You just need to answer some questions about yourself and you are done. Not just that - you get 25 brownie points for finishing the challenge and you'll also be taken to the home page of IBM Z Xplore 😎. I really love that Pixel font used in the site. 

Home page of IBM Z Xplore. 

There are 3 levels (viz. Fundamentals, Concepts & Advanced) shown at the home page and all you need to do is keep finishing challenges to climb up the ladder and move to the next level. The challenges will unlock one at a time, starting with VSC1 in the first level.

Getting started with VSC1 

Here is where you get your Z ID and Z Password to communicate directly with a Logical Partition (LPAR) on z15 Mainframe (I badly need an Emoji for a Mainframe machine). We will also use VS code to communicate with the z15 Mainframe.

In this challenge, you will,

1. Download and install VS Code and node.js
2. Login with your Z ID and set up the system
3. Submit a file as your final "check"

Grab a copy of the Challenge Instructions PDF and follow the steps listed out there to download and install the necessary softwares to get yourself connected to the z15. 

Things would be pretty easy for those who took part in Master the Mainframe 2020 as you would most probably have the softwares already installed on your local system. If that's the case, you can directly jump to 5th step in the Challenge Instructions. Else, follow all the steps from beginning. 

We need to setup a profile in the Zowe Explorer extension with the given Z ID and Password. Zowe Explorer is what we'll be using to interact with mainframe datasets and jobs. 

IBM started letting the participants use Zowe Explorer extension on VS Code to establish connection 🔌 with Mainframe, from last year (2020). In the MtM editions before 2020, we used Vista TN3270 terminal to establish connection with Mainframes. Zowe Explorer is a sub-project of Zowe, focusing on modernizing mainframe experience. Zowe is a project hosted by the Open Mainframe Project, a Linux Foundation project.

If you're at the tenth setup, Congrats 👏

You're done with the setup. Steps 11 and 12 MUST be completed to finish this challenge. In short, you must locate a file residing in a PDS (imagine it as a folder 📂) and use Zowe Explorer to submit it. That's it! The submitted job will take care of the rest and finish this challenge for you. 

Let me guide you. 

Hover your mouse pointer to the profile that you created under Data Sets.

In the search bar that pops up, type ZXP.PUBLIC.JCL and hit Enter

Under your profile in Data Sets, you will now see ZXP.PUBLIC.JCL with a folder icon and a twistie (triangle) on the left. Click on the twistie to view the contents inside the folder.

Locate VSCJCL, right click on it and select "Submit Job". 

This is what it takes to submit a job in VS Code. Just some clicks and you're done 😎. 

After a few moments, when you go back to https://ibmzxplore.influitive.com, you should see that the VSC challenge has been marked COMPLETE! 👏

You would've also unlocked 1 more challenge in this level. 

Update 📢

Looks like IBM hasn't dumped the Master the Mainframe 2020 site and associated Z ID's. You can still access the last edition's challenges from the old site. In the Home page of IBM Z Xplore, navigate to the user profile button on the top right corner and click on it. You'll see 'Master the Mainframe' under Switch to group. 

While setting up the new profile for IBM Z Xplore in VS Code, I noticed that the mtm2020 profile was still accessible. It is therefore safe to assume that different LPAR's are being used by IBM for mtm2020 and zxplore.

That's all folks!

See you on my next blog post where I will be writing about the Files challenge in Fundamentals level.