Administrative Services

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Administrative Information Management Systems

Software Configuration

Western Illinois University's administrative applications are executed on an IBM z9 2096-N02 zSeries mainframe running the z/OS operating system. The five members of the systems staff select, install, test, maintain, implement, and troubleshoot a wide variety of z/OS based products on test and production systems. Over eighty products from about twenty vendors make up this system. A separate z/OS system is maintained on the same machine for use by WIU students enrolled in programming classes.

Data

IBM's DB2, a relational database management system, provides the structure for most of the administrative data. DFSMS/HSM handles data placement, backup and archiving. CA1 manages the tape library. The RACF security package controls access to transactions and data.

System Access

On-line access to the z/OS system is managed through VTAM. Most users come into the system through personal computers attached to the campus LAN. QWS3270 Secure is used to provide SSL-enabled TCP/IP TN3270 access. Some student applications are available through the web as well.

User Sessions

A VTAM session manager, CL-Supersession, provides access to multiple concurrent sessions of TSO and CICS.

TSO is used for program development and job submission, and CICS for online application access.

Job Handling

Computer Associates, Inc.'s ESP scheduling product is used to automate the batch job submission process, and an in-house online documentation system assists in error recovery.

Reports

Routing and archiving of output reports are handled by $AVRS and TRMS. Output can also be routed to network printers through VPS and VPS/PC.

Applications

Administrative Information Management Systems provides programming services for the university. Several large applications handle such functions as student records, human resources and accounting. Most programs are written inhouse, primarily in COBOL. Some applications use purchased programming packages, which are then tailored to fit our system and the user's needs. Some applications run on separate smaller computers and interface with the z/OS system.

Several administrative offices develop and maintain their own jobs on the mainframe, and are responsible for application and data access for their respective areas. Many have become proficient at using Easytrieve Plus to generate reports as needed.

A number of other monitoring, job accounting, and application development tools are also present on the z/OS system.

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