SSC, Inc.

Project History

Contracts (primary contractor for SSC, Inc. working as FTE since 2013)

Hospitality - FTE - Feb 2012 - Apr 2013, Outsourced Service Provider Sep 2013 - Jul 2017, FTE Jul 2019 - Present

Assisted in the installation and migration to three new z16 processors (2023), with one at a remote DR location. Responsible for configuring the Couple Facility (CF) on all three processors, updated the Policy for new CFs and for changes in the structures. Responsible for setup of CF when z16 came online, to include Server Timer Protocol (STP)

Assisted in the installation of z/OS 2.5 (2022), and the successful migration from z/OS 2.3 into production on all LPARs. Performed the migration of all remaining HFS to ZFS files as a requirement for z/OS 2.5, to include new SYSPLEX ROOT using the "F OMVS,NEWROOT" command

Assisted in the setup and migration to a new DR location (2022)

Installed CA7 V12.1 with Datacom V15.1, and followed Broadcom/CA procedures to migrate from CA7 V11.3

Assisted in the installation and migration to three new z15 processors (2019), with one at a remote DR location, and a smaller z14 business class processor

Assisted in the installation of z/OS 2.3, and the successful migration from z/OS 2.1 into production on all LPARs

ServerPac installation of MQ 9.1 Long Term Support Release (LTSR), and migration from MQ 8.0

Upgrade of EMC Disk in 2015, using the z/OS Migrator tool and the use of REXX to build the necessary Jobs. REXX was used to analyze and cross reference UCB addresses to Symm addresses, as well as build the necessary z/OS Migrator Jobs. Migration to new disk was performed in one day for production disk, without any need of IPLs

Performed migration from diverse physical and virtual tape to new TS7720 clusters in 2012, in a three cluster grid. Used REXX, utilities, and Assembler code written to successfully migrate over 350,000 tapes.Two years later upgraded all three TS7720 clusters in the grid, and used REXX and IBM supplied LIBRARY COPYRFSH command to again migrate over 350,000 tapes. Chose not to use IBMTOOLS. Extensive use of Bulk Volume Information Retrieval (BVIR), and REXX to manage the TS7720 clusters. Used Assembler code to read three sources of input, to include: BVIR input, Catalog Search Interface (CSI) of associated VOLCATs, and CA1 Tape Management Catalog (TMC). This code helped to better manage the tape libraries.

Health Insurance Provider - FTE Jul 2017 - Jul 2019

Completed ServerPac installation of MQ LTSR 9.0 and CD 9.0.4, and migrated to 9.0 LTSR from 8.0 for all MQ subsystems on seven LPARs

Upgraded TMON products to latest releases available in beginning of 2018, to include: TMON Strategic Services, TMON/ZOS, TMON/MQ, and TMON/DB2. Completed migration to new releases across all LPARs

Assisted with the upgrade to an EMC DLM8500. Used the DLM batch utility for CP503 reporting of tapes, along with an Assembler program to read the CA1 TMC, DLM CP503 report, and CSI of OAM VOLCATs, all to validate Scratch and Private status across all three. Analysis resulted in identification of tapes that could be scratched in the DLM with DLMSCR utility, and a large reclaim of space in the DLM8500.

Installed Compuware ISPW Source Code Management (SCM) product, and setup to run in a Sandbox, Test, and Production environments

Disaster Recovery Organization Dec 2008 - Apr 2013

Provided z/OS and z/VM support for multiple client organizations performing Disaster Recovery (DR) testing

Configured software and hardware so that clients would have the necessary equipment and configurations to support their DR requirements

Healthcare Oct 2002 - Sep 2007 (became FTE from Sep 2007 through Feb 2012, while still contracting)

Implementation of Encryption Key Manager (EKM) with TS1120 drives, and encryption of offsite backups

ServerPac installation of and migration to z/OS R1.7 in 2006

ServerPac installation of z/OS R1.4 using OS/390 R2.10 as the driving system, and migration to 64bit processing on a Z800

ServerPac installation of CICS Transaction Server 2.3

ServerPac installation of CICS Transaction Server 2.2, and migration from CICS Transaction Server 1.3. CBPDO maintenance upgrade of CICS.

Implementation of Workload Manager in production on OS/390 R2.10 in preparation for migration to z/OS.

ServerPac installation of CICS Transaction Server 1.3, and migration from CICS 4.1. Included the implementation of Logger files using DASD-only.

ServerPac installation of OS/390 R2.10 using OS/390 R1.3 as the driving system

Installation of vendor software products in preparation for upgrade to z/OS R1.4, to include CA-Top Secret R5.3, and CA-Datacom R10

Installation of vendor software products in preparation for upgrade to OS/390 R2.10, to include CA-Top Secret R5.2

Installation and migration to an IBM Z800 processor

Implementation of an IBM Virtual Tape Server (VTS), and the use of the Export/Import feature for offsite storage of backups. Worked with CA to implement offsite slotting of stacked volumes, and have performed successful Disaster Recovery (DR) tests using the Import feature of VTS

Financial Institution Oct 1997 - Dec 2008

Assist with z/OS R1.7 upgrade (2007)

Assist with z/OS R1.4 upgrade (2004)

Assist with OS/390 R2.10 upgrade (2002)

Assist with OS/390 R2.9 upgrade (2001)

Assist with implementation of IBM 3494 Robotic tape unit and IBM 3590 drives. Migrated 3490e tape cartridges to 3590 cartridges using tape stacking program

OS/390 R2.7 upgrade (2000)

Setup Year2000 isolated environment, and prepared all mainframe components for Year2000 readiness

OS/390 R2.4 upgrade (1998)

Setup of HCD dynamic activation, and support of multiple LPARs

Law Enforcement Agency Apr 2000 - Sep 2002

ServerPac installation and production implementation of OS/390 R2.9. CBPDO maintenance upgrade the following year.

Wrote Assembler/COBOL application using CICS TCP/IP sockets and NCIC message processing

Wrote the 'Watch Your Car' web enabled application for Washington, DC using Assembler and COBOL in CICS

ESO maintenance upgrade of OS/390 R2.7

CBPDO upgrade of CICS 4.1 and NCP/SSP/EP

CICS Web interface setup, testing and production implementation

Law Enforcement Agency Mar 1999 - Oct 1999

OS/390 2.7 SIE installation and customization in preparation for migration from MVS/SP 1.3

Migration included: Amdahl 3380 DASD to IBM 3390 DASD, ISAM to VSAM, RACF 1.8 to RACF 2.7, CICS 1.5/1.7 to CICS 4.1, Amdahl 4705s to IBM 3745 and NCP 7.4, and movement of ADABAS databases

Utility Company (Maryland) Jun 1999

Reviewed migration strategy and provided onsite support for production cutover to OS/390 2.5

Utility Company (DC) Aug 1998 - Feb 1999

Customized and completed preparation of OS/390 2.4 for a successful migration from MVS/ESA 4.3.

Setup test/maintenance OS/390 2.4 LPAR.

OSA2 and TCP/IP customization for multiple LPAR support

Insurance Company Nov 1997 - Jan 1998

Prepared OS/390 1.2 for production migration

Customized ISPF access using LIBDEFs and REXX EXECs

Hospital Oct 1997

Prepared OS/390 1.1 for production migration

Government Sep 1997

Used IPCS and traces to debug VTAM hang problem for large defense organization

University Oct 1994 - Sep 1997

Awarded outsourcing contract for Mainframe System Programming responsibilities for prestigious University, to include: operating system, communications, online systems, database, and security

Performed two operating system upgrades in three year period

Implemented IBM 3494 robotic tape unit with IBM 3590 Magstar tape

Performed conversion of RACF utilizing Automatic Dataset Protection (ADSP) to all Generic profiles.

Performed conversion from CICS V2.1.2 to CICS V3.3

Migrated IMS V1.3 to IMS V3, and then IMS V3 to IMS V4 (no DBCTL)

Upgraded NOTIS library system on two separate occasions

Wrote simple Automated Operations application, which included the following: IEAVMXIT, TSO CONSOLE command, REXX EXECs, and assembler program used for IPL and shutdown of system