z/OS Overview

• Explain the differences between z/OS base elements and optional features
• Describe the types of services that z/OS provides
• Identify the server solutions included in z/OS
• Describe some of the benefits of having these solutions integrated in z/OS

Storage management

• Explain z/OS virtual storage concepts
• Describe the different common and private storage areas in an address space
• Describe the virtual to real address translation process (DAT)
• Describe the differences between address spaces, data spaces, and hiperspaces
• Differentiate between paging and swapping
• Describe the purpose of a coupling facility
• Define the three types of coupling facility structures, LIST, LOCK and CACHE
• Explain the purpose of Cross-system Extended Services (XES)

Managing work

• Describe how z/OS tasks and service requests are created
• List the program search order within z/OS
• Explain how and why z/OS dispatches a task
• Illustrate interrupt processing
• Identify supervisor calls
• Explain inter address space communication
• Describe how z/OS serializes the usage of critical resources
• Briefly describe UNIX System Services and file systems

I/O processing

• Define the function of Central Storage, CPU, Channel Sub-System, Channel Path, Switch, Control Unit and I/O device
• Describe the HCD process for defining an I/O configuration
• Describe the flow of an I/O operation through the hardware and software components of a z/Series server

Data management

• Describe the catalog process used to locate data sets
• Describe the roles and interactions of the Volume Table Of Contents (VTOC), index VTOC, and VSAM Volume Data Set (VVDS) in managing the datasets and free space on a DASD volume
• Understand the steps that z/OS uses to allocate data sets in both System Managed Storage (SMS) and non-SMS environments \
• Understand the functions provided by the different DFSMS components

Job management and flow

• State the purpose of JES2
• State the purpose of the spool and checkpoint data sets
• Understand the multi-access spool environment
• Describe the methods used to establish a job in the system
• Define job output class and output processing priority
• Explain the purpose of the Subsystem Interface (SSI)

Initial program load (IPL) and system initialization

• Explain the purpose of the system initialization
• Define the role of the NUCLEUS, PARMLIB and other critical datasets in system initialization
• Describe the purpose of the SYSRES and IODF volumes
• Describe the purpose of some of the system address spaces created during the system initialization process

Recovery and Termination Management

• Describe the purpose of the Recovery Termination Manager (RTM)
• Describe the purpose of recovery management support
• Describe the various problem analysis dumps and traces produced by z/OS and use the available analysis tools

Installing and configuring

• Differentiate between the ServerPac and CBPDO deliverables
• Describe a ServerPac installation of z/OS
• Describe a CBPDO installation of z/OS
• Describe z/OS Managed System Infrastructure for Set up (MSYS for set up)

Communication

• Differentiate between VTAM/SNA and TCP/IP networking protocols
• List some of the possibilities for interconnecting different network structures
• Describe some of the characteristics of a VTAM/SNA network
• Describe some of the characteristics of a TCP/IP network
• Explain how Internet Protocol (IP) addresses are used
• Recognize the TCP/IP applications provided by the z/OS Communications Server
• Explain the purpose and function of the Open Systems Adapter (OSA)

Security in z/OS

• Explain the authorized program facility APF
• Explain the difference between authorization and authentication
• Understand the role and structure of RACF
• Describe a digital certificate from a Certificate Authority (CA), and its purpose
• Describe the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)
• Describe Network Authentication Services