CMGA'99 Abstracts

Friday 3rd September

THURSDAY 2nd September

Dr Jeff Harmer
Managing Director, Health Insurance Commission

HIC Future Directions and the Role of IT

One of the biggest changes to the Health Insurance Commission came about in March 1996 when Medibank Private and the Health Insurance Commission were separated as organisations. The Health Insurance Commission is now a very different organisation and has taken this opportunity to re-consider its future and role in the health system. The paper will reveal the results of a major strategic planning exercise which led to an exciting new plan for the HIC. The HIC will clearly continue to be a processor and payment agency for claims for Medicare and the PBS and will also provide information to professionals and consumers to improve Australia's health outcomes. The use of Information Technology and electronic communications (E-Commerce) will be critical to the HIC's future business.

Pierre Louys
State Rail of NSW

CONTINGENCY PLANNING in the context of Y2K and beyond.

• Contingency plan over the millenuim change
• planning requirements
• statutory requirements
• Methodology
• service requirements over millenium change
• activities/resources to meet objectives
• contingency plans
• DRPs large and small

Minda Larson
Storage Technology Corporation

In the Blink of an Eye: SnapShot & Implementation, Usage, and Performance.

With the advent of the StorageTek Iceberg (also known as the IBM RAMAC Virtual Array), the first virtual volume DASD subsystem was available for use. One feature that virtual volume mapping provides is the ability to use pointer manipulation to create "instantaneous" data set and volume disk-to-disk copies. This paper is a discussion of user experience with ShapShot software. It includes a review of virtual volume mapping, an overview of SnapShot software functionality, some performance information, things that have changed since the original release of SnapShot software and what is coming in the future that will have a positive effect on implementing SnapShot software. This paper is not intended to be a highly technical discussion of the Iceberg/RVA and SnapShot software, but rather a document describing SnapShot software use from a systems programmer/storage manager perspective.

Adrian N. Cockcroft
Sun Microsystems

CPU Time Measurement Errors

The most common method of measuring CPU time in Unix is to sample the state of each CPU at each clock interrupt, and to accumulate global and perprocess counters. The hope is that by sampling a large number of values, the average will be accurate over time. Sampling theory requires an unbiased sample, but the clock interrupt is also used to schedule wake-ups. The bias causes large errors to accumulate, particularly for processes that wake up for a short time at regular intervals. Using alternative CPU measurement techniques, errors are analyzed over a range of workloads. The highest error levels are found at low load levels with fast CPUs. Measured rather than sampled CPU time should be used where it is available.

Brian Watts
SAS Institute Australia

Balanced scorecard for IT Performance Management

The balanced scorecard model was first identified and formalised by Robert Kaplan and David Norton in 1993 as a result of primary research into large corporations' business strategy. A balanced scorecard illustrates the steps between a company's vision, its performance measurements for this vision, and the required actions for these measurements. Traditional IT performance measures are primarily financial and tend to have a cost centre focus without regard to added value. A balanced scorecard for IT performance management provides a means to introduce new measures from identifiable quadrants such as Customers, Business Processes and Human resources, measures for added value, measures for a Balanced Scorecard.

This presentation will include a short case study on implementing a BSC using SAS and IT Service Vision.

Michael Horn
Consultant

Managing the Portfolio of Licensed Software Contracts

The paper would be designed to appeal to capacity planning functionaries. It would: · expose capacity planners to perspectives that are different to those of the people with whom they normally interact; · provide insights into 'softer' skillsets that would make capacity planners more useful to their organisations; · suggest a wider set of career options that are natural adjuncts to the capacity planner's training and experience; and · embolden capacity planners to be more proactive in the management of the computer environments they haunt. The licensed software contractual problems that costs sites money are common to sites - hence they can be written down, analysed and solutions can be proffered. Anybody with a modicum of ability who pokes around a computer site large enough to employ a capacity planner would soon save $100,000, and if the taste of first blood induces this interest to assume the proportions of a fetish, many hundreds of thousands of dollars can often be saved. Saving a million dollars is not beyond the pale of reason, and it has happened in my own experience.

Mike LeVoi
Hitachi Data Systems

XRC User Experiences

Setting up remote copy for disaster recovery can be a daunting and arduous task. In this paper, the two main methods for setting up remote copy are examined. The paper is based on users experiences gained at two sites. Although both sites decided to use Extended Remote Copy (XRC), the implementation for each site was quite different. The trials and tribulations of establishing XRC are examined and hints and tips are given on what is likely to work in most scenarios

Adrian Cockcroft
SUN Microsystems

Workload Analysis for Resource Management

Andrew Karp
Sierra Information Systems

Tips and Techniques for Large Files

This presentation is suited for CMGA attendees who work with large SAS System Software data sets. Among the topics discussed are: ways to plan projects involving large data sets, tools in the SAS System for efficiently working with large data sets, and some important pitfalls to avoid. You'll see how you can reduce storage space, computer resource utilization and avoid tedious data step programming when working with large files.

Andrew Muir/John Mycroft
Mycroft Systems

Exploiting Software Asset MAnagement (SAM) to contain Enterprise Software Costs

As hardware prices continue to fall and software costs take up a rapidly increasing proportion of IT budgets, software asset management (SAM) is now playing a vital role in the efficient running of the data centre.

This paper will examine the different elements of a Software Asset Management practise from automated inventory and usage analysis through to software license repositories and how the knowledge gleaned from implementing these can by used to negotiate successfully with both IBM and ISV's. It will examine how an increasing number of Enterprises are using these techniques to reduce their software bills by $Millions.

Adrian Heald
Capacity Reporting Services Pty. Ltd.

Revamping your capacity management system - IMPLEMENTATION

This paper looks at the issues we faced as we implemented the capacity management system described in "REVAMPING YOUR CAPACITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM", presented at CMGA '98. It examines methods of handling large volumes of data; of ensuring data and report integrity; and of reducing the personnel required to support a large capacity management system. The capacity management system described manages data from 7 MVS OS/390 partitions and numerous UNIX and Windows NT mid range platforms.

Andrew Karp
Sierra Information Services

Indexing and Compressing SAS Data Sets: How, Why and Why Not

This paper discusses two important tools for working with large SAS System Sofware data sets: indexing and compression. You will learn when you might want to consider using these features with your SAS data sets, and when it is best to avoid them. This presentation is especially relevant for CMGA attendees working in computer environments with large SAS data sets and/or data warehouses who are concerned about reducing the size of their data sets and/or speeding the retrieval of observations from them.

Neil Stenlake
Westpac Banking Corp

Software Asset Management - News From The Trenches

Why is Software Asset Management becoming one of the 'hot button' topics for IT management. Why are the same people balking at major hardware upgrades. CMOS MIPS are getting cheaper every year. However, the money you save on hardware upgrades, is being eroded by exponential software costs. What can the user community do to provide required capacity, and at the same time hold spiraling software costs. This paper explores some of the options you may wish to explore.

Michael Blackall
ANZ Bank

Disaster Waiting to Happen

Remote disk mirroring is a technology option that has become viable over the recent years to allow organisations to keep a relatively up to date copy of their data in another location. However, as with most things, there is always a cost to pay for the benefits received. This paper will show the experiences of one large site in implementing remote disk mirroring for all its production mainframe data. Considerations such as the performance impact of mirroring, choosing which data to mirror and the mode of mirroring will be discussed.

Mike Hall
IBM Australia

FICON - Now you understand ESCON, a whole new channel architecture

The ESCON channel architecture has been well accepted by the industry, but now a new channel architecture has arrived. FICON (Fibre Connectivity Architecture) addresses a number of important areas including speed, distance, and addressing limits.

FRIDAY 3rd September

The role of the network for the IT department of a large enterprise;
User report TELEKOM AUSTRIA

TELEKOM Austria’s IT department is responsible for all INTRANET users (15,000); the operation, administration and maintenance of all of TELEKOM Austria’s central office switches (NORTEL DMS100, SIEMENS EWSD); running the network and applications (OPAL) for the Postal Service Company (2,300 offices Austria-wide) as well as some applications (VENUS) for the PSK bank which uses the Post Offices as their POS (point of sales) outlets.
TELEKOM Austria’s IT department is among the 3 largest in Austria.
TELEKOM Austria’s internal communication was previously based on the classic IBM SNA environment and is now in the process of being transferred to a client server IP-based environment. However, some applications, primarily the ones for the PSK bank, still remain as SNA-based. Over the last two years, 58 locations have been equipped with ATM technology and 1,800 routers have been installed all over Austria to meet the multiprotocol, multicompany and multiuser requirements.
The paper will investigate the organizational challenge that a project such as this means for an IT department, some characteristics of the DP center itself (MIPS, HW- SW environment,...) the individual requirements of the various users (PSK, TELEKOM´s switches, internal users) and typical characteristics and benchmarks of an IP-based network; for example SNA integration, Quality of Service (QoS), Virtual Private Network (VPN) features together with security demands, remote access solutions and future aspects such as voice integration.

Graham Hemsworth
Cluster 3 Contract Management Office

Outsourcing, been there done that. (so what did we learn ?)

Outsourcing may be flavour of the month but it has really been with us almost as long as computers themselves. This paper looks at where IT outsourcing has come from, where it looks like going and most importantly what lessons we have learn along the way. For those intrepet soles that are embarking upon the outsourcing journey, this paper may provide a couple of signposts to point you in the right direction.

Bruce Riddell
StorageTek Australia

Planning for tape systems in consolidation environments

Consolidation of data processing during the last few years has become a pervasive trend. This is apparent from the obvious trend to fewer, larger data centres, right down to the more recently emerging trend of LAN server consolidation.
During most of the 1990's mainframe, midrange and PC environments usually had their own dedicated tape systems. In high end environments, shareable solutions were available, but were usually not used, as the costs were often seen to be too high for value for money to be apparent.
Consolidation combined with explosive growth in disk use and the capacity of tape systems over the last few years, has meant that many storage architects, are faced with a new challenge to determine if dedicated, platform specific tape solutions, are still the right solution.
The challenge requires a mixture of skills. From understanding that the performance of a technology can vary between platforms, through to understanding the cost metrics and useful lifespan issues required to determine investment value.
This paper will touch on all the key issues and provide practical guidance on how to go about designing tape solutions that provide best value for money in your environment.

Edward McCarthy
Health Insurance Commission

OS/390 + CICS = Web Enablement made easy

The rise of the internet and web browsers has created great demand from endusers for a better interface than the traditional 3270 'green screen'. However the skills of the traditional large organisation, and the application programmers they employ, lie in delivering COBOL based programs that communicate with 3270 screens.
The impression one can gain is that to deliver application systems that operate across intranets or the internet, is that one requires a new breed of programmers with new trendy skill sets, that web based systems cannot be delivered by the traditional IBM mainframe system and that they are very complex.
This paper describes how the Health Insurance Commission has delivered web based application systems using their existing programmer skill sets by using new IBM technology namely the MVS WebServer and the CICS Web Interface. Additionally the HIC has delivered these systems at relatively low cost with high levels of security. This paper will endeavour to show that delivering on the web is not that difficult.

Tony and Gayle Allan
Allan Project Management Services

CMGA On-Line Journal - A Case Study

In 1997, CMG Australia decided to discontinue printing its quarterly journal and publish the journal electronically. The first version of the electronic journal consisted of simple static web pages. In September 1998 the layout and content of the journal were revamped and the first issue of the new look journal was published in November 1998. In phase two of this make-over, new server technology has been developed. This paper will examine the requirements of an on-line journal (common to most on-line publishing efforts) and the opportunties and benefits of using a dynamic modular purpose-built publishing platform written entirely in Java.

Richard Geyer
Flinders Power Pty. Ltd.

The Inside Information on Outsourcing

This paper provides an overview of services based Information Technology outsourcing; looking at its origins, and the evolving nature of outsourcing as it gains acceptance as a strategic direction for business. The paper does not dwell on the more mature elements of the procurement process, but draws on the experience of the author and raises issues that have arisen in the brief history of outsourcing – highlighting the success factors.

John Egan
AOS

Electronic Business Continuance

AOS provides consultancy services throughout Asia/Pacific for the implementation of Electronic Business Continuance (EBC) solutions. This paper outlines the approach taken by AOS in determining customer requirements, built up from implementing EMC, CNT, Cylink, InRange, IBM and other equipment into very large commercial data processing centres over the past two years.

Issues covered include:

Determining customer requirements
analysing workloads and specifying equipment
selecting the transmission medium
bandwidth and configurations issues

The issues raised in this paper are relevant to all Vendor platforms, and will provide a sound starting point for your EBC project.

Steve Samson
Candle Corporation

Real Storage Management in the 21st Century - Paging Still Matters

Managing the balance between real and auxiliary storage has been a source of many performance problems and a matter of concern since the earliest days of MVS. Adding expanded storage to the mix may have created more problems. Storage eventually became very inexpensive so nobody needed to have a paging problem--right?

Wrong!

We'll look back to origins and solutions, we'll look ahead to potentially staggering paging problems of the future, and we'll explore ways to avoid them.

Roland Persson
Alcatel

E-Commerce: Web Enabled Legacy Applications - A case study and technical infrastructure description

This project has demonstrated Alcatel's commitment to strengthening partnerships with its major customers, and developing innovative solutions to enhance business relationships.
The initial application allows customers to simply and securely query order status via the Internet. The new system has significantly reduced the time required for an order enquiry and increased the availability of our information to 24 hours a day - 7 days a week.
Following the implementation and roll-out during 1998, the scope is now extended to integrate electronic commerce with Alcatel's other customers and Distributors and business-to-business ordering .
Alcatel is now extending the E-Commerce system to a Lotus Notes centric and Web enabled environment.

Steven Howett
Australian Water Technologies

From Dinosaurs to UFO’s (User Friendly Online Systems)

This paper presents the approach that Australian Water Technologies has taken to implement an upgrade to their Problem and Change Management system. The paper depicts what ICS had, where we wanted to go to, how we got there and what lessons have been learnt along the way.
The upgrade was from a mainframe based system to a client server environment, with much more functionality built in which will provide vital service level management reporting, and will aid ICS in providing value for money services to its customers.
This paper will target Operations Managers, Project Managers, Problem/Change Managers

Raoul Blignaut
Nedcor Bank (South Africa)

Advanced RAID Performance - where to from now?

This presentation examines the current trends and directions in the area of RAID disk storage performance and asks the question, 'where to from now?'. The primary components that make up RAID performance are examined and compared in the light of the developments to these systems over the last few years from EMC, IBM and HDS. These developments are related back to ADABAS production performance tests that were conducted on various systems with different cache configurations. These and other experiences/benchmarks on the RVA II and HDS 7700E and are discussed in an attempt to understand the potential scope for improving RAID performance in the future.

Wayne Wyrobek
Federal Reserve Automation Services

Tales From the Crypto: Performance alerts for mainframe users of integrated cryptographic facilities

Cryptographic co-processors have been available on mainframes to encrypt data via hardware as opposed to less secure software encryption. Though not yet widely used, the advent of the mainframe as a server conducting secure financial transactions may increase demand for hardware encryption. This paper describes two unique performance problems impacting all LPARS on mainframes with crypto engines, the partnership with vendors to determine root cause, and the subsequent resolution. Anyone using or considering integrated crypto features on mainframes will benefit from these experiences

Bill Stewart
Consultant

A Web Window on Your Legacy Data.

Recent presentations, redbooks and textbooks have given a clearer idea of how to web-enable your legacy databases, in particular if they are DB2 running with CICS on a System 390. We review some of this literature.

Raoul Blignaut
Nedcor Bank (South Africa)

The evaluation of IT infrastructure capacity alternatives: a case study examining the formal and informal content

This case study examines the evaluation of information technology (IT) infrastructure capacity alternatives within a banking environment. Case study research method (Easterby-Smith, Thorpe and Lowe1991; Stake 1995; Leedy 1997; Miles and Huberman 1994) was used to identify the content, context and processes present in the evaluation exercise. During the course of the case study it was discovered that there were two, distinguishable and separate threads running through the content aspect of the evaluation. There was content which formed part of formal evaluation but also different content within the informal evaluation process. The objective of this paper is to examine how the evaluation took place and understand the linkages between and reasons for, formal and informal content differences (Hirschheim and Smithson 1988).

Jim Morris
EMC Corporation

Emerging Storage Opportunities with Fibre Channel

The last couple of years have brought a great deal of change to the mid range and Windows NT environments in the way users are connecting to and managing their information stores. The popularity of SCSI is declining and users are now looking towards other connection methods such as fibre channel as a more flexible method of connecting to the ever-increasing number of platforms and servers. This together with the consolidation of NT and UNIX storage into a single pool is allowing users to better manage the rapidly expanding amount of storage in a much more cost effective and timely manner. This papers glances backwards at some of the storage problems we have encountered and attempts to look forward and examine how the emerging storage technologies will assist users grapple with the management issues caused by the exploding rate of growth of the storage farm.

Philip Ord
Rufunsa Technology Services

The OS/390 Job Market

Organisational mergers, outsourcing and downsized platforms.. Is the end in sight for the MVS technical and management professional? Hardly! Indeed, the last 12 months has seen a mild overheating of the MVS job market as some organisations compete aggressively for skills in a diminishing pool of available and suitably qualified resources. This presentation will address the pressures affecting the current MVS job market, the options available to MVS professionals and how job hunters can best help themselves. It will also provide employer managers tips to attract fresh talent to their organisations. And on the way, the discussion will cover the role of recruitment intermediaries, the impact of outsourcing, the contract v permanent dilemma, and the most important question of all how much is an MVS professional worth today?!

Craig Linn
University of Western Sydney, Nepean

XML: more Babel on the Web, or a significant new technology?

For many eXtensible Markup Language (XML) is seen simply as the evolutionary descendant of HTML on the World Wide Web. However, it is really much more than this and represents a fundamental return to the far more powerful and flexible roots of SGML from which HTML originally sprang. XML provides a vehicle and technology that can improve data exchange and interoperability between diverse applications and systems, it is one of the enabling technologies for electronic commerce, and it is potentially an effective means to ensure the long term viability of data repositories. This paper looks briefly at what XML is, how it works, and then goes on to consider how it may assist in the management and communication of corporate data resources. Finally we examine the current debate of whether the benefits of XML might be outweighed by its very flexibility's potential to spawn a myriad of WEB dialects understandable only by their creators.

David Triggs
Hewlett Packard

The Next E.E-Services

The next chapter of the Internet is about to be written, introducing a world where people and businesses derive new value from the Internet by moving beyond Web-based access to a world where a rich array of nimble, modular electronic services, e-services, are accessible by virtually anyone and any device.