Hello hello hello!
Are you fresh and ready? Because I am! I’m keeping the introductions short for now, I don’t have much time on my hands and I’m anxious to get started on the mainframe 🙂
The Challenge
IBM Master the Mainframe Part Two – Challenge #01
In this challenge we will learn about z/OS TSO, Time Sharing Option. The purpose of this challenge is to learn basic navigation of z/OS TSO/ISPF.
Access TSO Ready prompt, then complete TSO tasks as instructed
Once we’re logged into the system we enter the primary command pfshow off. This will supress the function keys. We get the message that we can terminate the ISPF Primary Option Menu using x. Let’s do that. If the system asks you what to do with the Log Data Set, always enter ‘2’.
Actions to complete challenge #01
We need to enter a series of commands to complete this challenge. This one seems pretty much straight forward and detailed screenshots are available on the official master the mainframe website.
- Enter time to display time and date
- Enter netstat home to display system IP address
- Enter listc to display a current list of your personal data sets
- Enter submit ‘zos.public.jcl(part2)’ to process a background job allocating new personal data sets. If the system asks for a JOBNAME CHARACTER just enter ‘a’.
- Enter listc to display a current list of your personal data sets
- Enter submit ‘zos.public.jcl(tsojcl)’ to process a background job which executes the same commands
- Enter ispf to launch the full screen ISPF Primary Option Menu
- Enter pfshow on to display function keys at bottom of ISPF screen
The text in green are the issued commands. The text in red is the command result.
Verify the completion of Part Two – Challenge #01
Let’s enter the primary command dslist p2.output.
Then next to our Z#####.P2.OUTPUT we enter the line command ‘b’, b for BROWSE.
Then we navigate to ‘#01’ and enter the line command ‘s’ to select it.
If our member includes output from time, netstat home and listc then we have successfully completed challenge 1 of part 2.
It does! Perfect!
Don’t stop now!
Is this really the time to write a witty outtro and try to entertain my readers? I don’t know, I really don’t. Shouldn’t we try to finish part 2 as fast as possible to win a prize?
Well I can’t, but if you’re a student, YOU CAN!
Are you a student?
hello Kevin,
When I logout in ISPF with x or press F3 , I don’t get the READY ( I’m not going to the tso).
I just get the info that I’m logged off TSO at …. and to enter my password again.
Kinds regard
Joel
Hi Joel
I think this is a mistake on my part. Did you try executing “=x”? Otherwise, I don’t think it’s an issue really.
Kind regards,
– Kevin
hi kevin, I am not able to go past ‘listc’ when I enter it the second time. Can you please guide me on this?
Hi Anonymous
Can you try running it from the main menu (ISPF Primary Option Menu) again?
Kind regards,
– Kevin
When I logoff using x it does not take me to the ready screen it just logs me off and directs me to the main menu
Hi R,
That is not a problem! That is because you haven’t done anything which triggers the logging system. It has not recorded any of your actions so there is nothing to delete.
Kind regards,
– Kevin
Hey Kevin, I’ve completed all of the challenges and saw that challenge 1 wasn’t completed yet so I went back to do it and it cleared my progress of the other 14 challenges. Now re-doing the challenges it is telling me that Challenge 1 is incomplete again. Do you know why this is happening? Thanks!
Hi Anonymous,
Executing submit ‘zos.public.jcl(part2)’ another time will delete all progress unfortunately. They put up a warning at the start of part 3 about this kind of command but I don’t believe they did for this part 2 command.
I’m very sorry, but I think you’ll have to power through all challenges again 🙁
Kind regards,
– Kevin
Hi Kevin! First of all, THANK YOU! I just shared with all of my university-mates ur blog. Greetings from Brazil!
Hi Felipe,
Thanks for the kind words! And thanks for sharing my blog 🙂 Hello Brazil!
Kind regards,
-Kevin