Today , 100 years

A century ago IBM built meat scales and tabulating machines.Today we're building a smarter planet, where everyone from business to governments can do anything from reduce crime and treat disease to save energy and cut traffic.Proof that thinking ahead can drive a century of progress. Something we believe will serve us well in the next 100 years.

On last 7th June, I replaced an Internal Battery Feature (IBF).

The IBF is an option for customer to have it . It is a part of the power components in mainframe as use for power shortage.It was designed to keep the server up long enough to properly shutdown or to ride through short power outages. IBF is connected to Bulk Power Regulator (BPR).
The BPR function is to convert AC voltage to 350 VDC as supply power to whole mainframe components.

To handle IBF it required at least 2 persons. The Pb battery weight was more than 40 KG (if im not mistaken).

The IBF is seat on the top frame of mainframe. Depend to the model it can be in both Z and A frame or only in a single frame.
To install, it required a lift tool in order to lift it down and up to the top frame. Procedure to install the lift tools can be view during the R&V procedure. In the 2nd picture as below , the IBF already take out and will be lift down.
In the 3rd picture, the IBF is being lift up by the lift tool.
The lift gear need to manually turn until it reach the IBF cage. After the IBF was installed to the original location, follow the R&V to connected the IBF cable, switch ON CB, and powering ON the IBF. Once the success message appear , the R&V complete.



This is the old and new IBF. New IBF was 'Made In Malaysia' and proudly that now many of the mainframe components are made locally .

Optica Converter

What it bus and tag channel ?

Definition of: bus and tag channel

A common name for the parallel channel between IBM mainframes and peripherals. One set of cables carries the data (the bus), and another set is for control information (the tag). IBM's OEM Information publication (OEMI) is another term for this

What is Optica Converter ?
To convert bus and tag channel to ESCON channel .

Why need it ?
Because mainframe does not support bus and tag channel card .

Now in market , we already have FICON converter - to convert ESCON to FICON. Soon mainframe will no
longer have ESCON card.

Countdown !!!!

COUNTDOWN

9 days to 100 years
14 days to 50 years ..


Yes..my company celebration Centennial and 50th Anniversary.

Today Watson quote
Watson on TAKING A STAND
If you stand up and are counted, from time to time you may get yourself knocked down. But remember this: A man flattened by an opponent can get up again. A man flattened by conformity stays down for good. .

A lot of charity activity was organized as a Celebration of Service . Our executive had pledged in the volunteering activities such as Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat , a visit to Komplek Penyanyang,youth association, orphanage and elder center.

I'm considering to pledge on Turtle Saving program at Terengganu / Melaka. But it took 5 days on weekday for this activities. That mean , I and my wife need to got 5 days annual leave.
My wife annual leave is reserve for Hari Raya puasa celebration. So we may not join this activity.

Career Grow ^^^

Lately, I thinking of career switch. From Field Engineer (CE) to another IT role such as architect, specialist, PM or Consultant. Now I'm still reviewing GTS Career Day slides to make decision . It not a minutes jump , maybe my decision is today but to be what I decide it may take several years. I read that certain basic skill and fundamental must be learn first.

I really hope an opinion and comment from you .

Mainframe Microcode

What is Microcode ?

Microcode is a layer of hardware-level instructions and/or data structures involved in the implementation of higher level machine code instructions in many computers and other processors; it resides in a special high-speed memory and translates machine instructions into sequences of detailed circuit-level operations. It helps separate the machine instructions from the underlying electronics so that instructions can be designed and altered more freely. [Taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microcode ] .

Some vendor use the term firmware or machine code. The latest machine use microcode instead of hard-wired CPU. Old machine like IBM3420 , storage using tape reel
have a hard-wired CPU . There have many wires that fill in the circuit board. The electronic components was huge. The capacitor was big.
I'm still remember when I dismantled the 3420 in one of the bank here. They start use it since 1980's and stop on last year. For servicing and operating 3420, I'm not familiar and normally we gave it to senior CE to handle.

Back to microde (MCL ) for mainframe . It is call LIC (licensed Internal Code ) . Its control all hardware components. Purpose of LIC as below :-

• Provides functionality
• Fixed (patch) for a component
• Allow us to change hardware functionality

LIC is installed in Hardware Management Console (HMC) and Support Element (SE) fixed disks.
HMC - LIC to control HMC application
SE - LIC to control SE application and CPC Code.

How to determine the HMC Code level ?

1. Log on as service ID
2. From the console action > View Console Information .

How to determinte the SE Code level ?

1. Select defined CPC (in HMC)
2. Select Views > Task List > Change Management .
3. Double click View System Information Task. (make sure Defined CPC is selected)
   
4. From the window pop out , you can see various microcode with EC number, Retrieved , Activate,Accepted level + description of EC .

Today, I'm doing Code Activation of Drv79 for machine z10 BC.
The code already downloaded via modem to the HMC. There are few ways to download the code.
First is thru modem connected to analog phone line. Second using predownloaded MCL into the SUL-DVD. All the code are download thru RETAIN support system . Therefore if the machine is not listed under Maintenance with IBM, code cannot be download and no latest patch will be install for the machine.


Few steps need to follow before Code Activation

1. Backup
2. Retrieved latest code
   
3. Accept current code
4. Activate code
   
5. Perform mirroring

After code activation completed , from the SE , under Change Management select Analyze Internal Code to view that all the MCL are successfully applied.

Duration of MCL activation depend the how many pending code need to activate . Please be reminded that MCL for HMC never disruptive to CPC but SE MCL may be disruptive to CPC.
Consult to your System Z IBM CE for the code activities first.

On next post- What is IBF (Internal Battery Feature) ?


all the material are copyright IBM Corp 2008

Shark Still Alive

Harini aku gi bedah Shark dekat kilang wafer Jepang di UK. Penyakit shark ni lama dah pending..tunggu organ dia sampai ordered dari Singapore. So bile organ dia dah sampai , me and ED pegi bedah dia.

Kesian dia ..dah sebulan idup dengan satu power ..satu lagi power line sakit . Remote Power Card 2 dia rosak,,,bile tukar yg tue ..dia mintak tukar Remote Power Swith card pulak . Dekat switch card ni ade switch local / Remote. So kalau tuan punya shark ni nak control power remotely dia akan connect ke kad ni lah .Lepas tukar power card tu ..ade lagi satu sakit ;..


NVS battery utk otak 1 dia expired. Barang dah ade so tukar skali. Lepas tukar NVS kena tunggu almost 2 jam tuk rebuild balik profile .

Start keje around 1:10 pm ..finish work at 5:30 pm . Lepas tu jupe tuan punya Shark tue ...ade la aku tanya , ade plan nak upgrade ke ..she said ..this CPU and Shark until utilization ,,our factory manufacturing also less...the Japan Tsunami effected the ordered and some more their wafer product dah tak ramai guna ..so maybe tak lama kot kilang tue ...hopefully RnD diorng dpt come out latest wafer and assemble there .