The zSystems Academy is a six-week, in-house developed and supported training program designed for ‘new-to-mainframe’ public sector IT professionals or those looking to enhance their mainframe, or “Z”, expertise. Its purpose is to teach core mainframe topics and/or concepts by utilizing CDT IT professionals to deliver not only a focused course curriculum but also practical insights and experience to the subject matter.

The academy is open to CDT staff, CDT customer departments, non-CDT departments and other entities with a specific need to access the CDT mainframe (on a case-by-case basis). Individuals entering new positions that require a mainframe skillset carrying out their organization’s mission and vision, are encouraged to apply.

The program is offered at no cost to participants.

zSystems Academy participants will develop and enhance their budding mainframe skills through a combination of Interskill Learning computer-based modules, CDT-customized excerpts from IBM curriculum, CDT in-house developed modules and hands-on exercises and practice.

Throughout the curriculum, instructors incorporate best practices and strategies needed to more efficiently work in the mainframe environment.

Students are encouraged to participate in group discussions, raise questions, share their experiences, and collaborate to address real-life applications that could potentially arise in mainframe applications.

The zSystems Academy courses are presented using Microsoft Teams, except for the one day IBM Explorer class, which is an in-person course.

Participants will benefit from the vast experience of the CDT instructors, as well as get a glimpse of mainframe future attractions and modernization in the Emerging Technologies course.

The enrollment process is as follows:

1. For CDT employees: Your supervisor and/or manager must forward your contact information and course interest to the zSystems Academy administrator, currently Cedric Freeman, at cedric.freeman@state.ca.gov, to begin the process.
2. All other public sector IT professionals: Forward your contact information and course interest through your supervisor and/or manager to your department’s CDT Customer Engagement Services (CES) representative. CES will compile enrollment information and forward it to the zSystems Academy administrator.

Session curriculum will be forwarded to CDT managers and CES account representatives ahead of the enrollment period.

What is the cost for zSystems Academy?

The program is offered at no cost to participants.

When does the zSystems Academy start and end? What is the time commitment for the courses?

There are two sessions, spring and fall, that run six (6) weeks each. The spring session typically starts the first week of April, and the fall session typically starts the first week of September.

What are the core hours for the training courses?

Core class hours are 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., with one (1) hour for lunch.

Will the student earn a completion certificate at the end of the session?

At the end of the zSystems Academy session, students will receive a completion certificate that lists the courses they completed.

How will class sessions be conducted, and what are the technical requirements for attending?

zSystems Academy is primarily virtual. Microsoft Teams will be used to present the courses and deliver all remote sessions, except for the one-day IBM Explorer course.

Students must have access to a computer with a fully functioning camera and microphone to facilitate active class participation.

What topics are covered in the curriculum?

Below is a course listing for a typical session:

• Introduction to the Mainframe (3 days)
• TSO & ISPF with Exercises (6 days)
• JCL—Beginning (5 days)
• IBM Explorer (half day)
• Introduction to ESP (half day)
• Introduction to RACF (1 day)
• Mainframe Storage (half day)
• Mainframe Network (half day)
• JCL—Intermediate/Advanced (4 days)
• Emerging Technologies (half day)
• UNIX System Services (5 days)

Although most sessions will be conducted virtually, they will not be recorded. Students are therefore encouraged to attend all scheduled sessions.

What are the course descriptions for the classes offered?

Introduction to the Mainframe: This course covers the evolution, architecture, and components of the mainframe; fundamental z/OS concepts and terminology; datasets; and file handling.

TSO & ISPF with Exercises: This course covers the basics of the Time Sharing Option (TSO) facility of z/OS, commonly used commands, and basic dataset usage. It also covers the basic concepts of the IBM Interactive System Productivity Facility (ISPF) and methods for navigating and using common ISPF screens.

JCL—Beginning: This course covers the fundamentals of Job Control Language (JCL), including its syntax; major statements such as JOB, EXEC, and DD; and how to submit JCL and view the output of batch jobs. It also covers EJES, basic job scheduling, and related concepts.

IBM Explorer: This course covers key features of IBM Explorer, including its integration with products from IBM and other vendors. IBM Explorer provides developers with an alternative way to connect to the mainframe and perform essential application-development and system-programming tasks.

Introduction to ESP: This course covers the basics of Enterprise System Platform (ESP), a workload-automation tool designed to manage and schedule jobs. ESP provides a single point of control for defining, monitoring, and managing scheduled and event-based workloads on z/OS, improving the efficiency and reliability of job scheduling.

Introduction to RACF: This course covers the basics of IBM's Resource Access Control Facility (RACF), including security concepts, major commands, user-access management, and data protection.

Mainframe Storage: This course covers the organization of mainframe storage, how data is stored and accessed in z/OS, and the tools used to manage storage resources.

Mainframe Network: This course covers general networking concepts, TCP/IP fundamentals, Systems Network Architecture (SNA) fundamentals, and network security. It also discusses access and connectivity for user terminals, applications, servers, printing, and other services.

JCL—Intermediate/Advanced: This course covers advanced JCL concepts and techniques, including conditional processing, procedures, symbols, error handling, and debugging practices. Additional topics include managing complex job streams, using IBM utilities, manipulating data, and producing reports.

Emerging Technologies: This course covers new tools and technologies that are available or may become available on the z/OS platform. These tools support modernization, provide alternative methods of accessing the mainframe, and may improve productivity.

UNIX System Services: This course covers the history and components of UNIX System Services (USS) on z/OS, basic terminology, major USS functions, and the two interactive interfaces used to access USS.

What are some additional details regarding a session?

After enrollment and before the session begins, the zSystems Academy administrator will send a “next steps” email to all students. The email will provide detailed instructions regarding the required steps students must complete before the session begins.

What level of expertise and experience are required to enroll?

Because most of the courses are introductory, no prior experience is required for enrollment.

Some programming experience is recommended for students enrolling in the UNIX System Services course. Most other courses require students to complete the preceding course in the schedule or possess equivalent experience to successfully complete the course.

How are candidates selected?

See the “How to apply” section above for information about the enrollment process.