Possible way through which we can save cost for DASD, JOBS

rahuljha · New User Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 14 Location: INDIA

Hi

I need to know what are the best possible way through which we can save cost through which we can benifit the users,clients while running a job,pgm, while executing a job which has large number of records,TAPE FILES etc... which finally takes lots of DASD space and C.P.U time,which ultimately costs more..

expat · Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2007 4:41 pm

What suggestions have you thought of so far ?

Efficient coding of programs and optimum blocksizes.

dick scherrer · Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2007 7:35 pm

Hello,

You need some standard on which to measure - is there some reason to believe this particular job takes too long or uses too many system reasources?

If the job must read many, many tape volumes and it creates many millions of records on dasd, it will probably take a great deal of resources and be more expensive to run.

If there are multiple runs of this high volume to meet different needs, you might look at reading/writing the data for multiple requirements in a single pass.

If you describe more about your situation, we may be able to fofer suggestions. Don't skimp on details - the better you describe your concern, the better replies you will receive.

rahuljha · New User Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 14 Location: INDIA

Adding to the above quotes i would like to calrify that my need is to minimize the cost either through saving the C.P.U time which every jobs takes for execution.."HOW SHOULD WE CODE OUR JOB SO THAT IT TAKES MINIMUM OF C.P.U TIME", WETHER WE CAN USE SOME UTILITIES IN OUR JCL, CAN WE EXCLUDE IDCAMS AND USE SORT IN PLACE OF IDCAMS...

ALSO MY REQUIREMNT IS CONCERNED ON SAVING THE DASD SPACE EITHER FOR TAPE FILES OUR FFB FILES ".LIKE HOW WE CAN STORE THE FILES WHICH WILL OCCUPY LESS DASD VOLUME"

REQUIEMNT IS CONCERNED BASICALLY FOR BENIFITTING THE USERS AND SAVING THEIR COST ..

expat · Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2007 8:07 pm

There are methods of reducing CPU time such as buffering files, however, this usually increases the number of service units consumed - which is the basic billing measurement. So you may save resouce but increase the overall cost of the process. Beware of things like this.

DASD can be saved and performance improved by using optimum blocksizes. Same for tapes, use optimum blocksizes.

Compare utilities to see which is the best one for a task. But overall, unless there are some glaring errors, you have a hopeless task.

GOOD LUCK !!!

rahuljha · New User Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 14 Location: INDIA

HEY we can buffer the records too as this can be done by moving the records from address space to "TABLE -SPACE OR HIPER -SPACE" were we can just buffer the records but can u elaborate me in details to my querries as if we use the virtual stoarge for buffering the files and records will it effect the billing managment.." can any-one guide me what all possible measure we can find out for cost-effectivness..in details

dick scherrer · Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2007 8:23 pm

Hello,

rahuljha · New User Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 14 Location: INDIA

See the i am not writing about any individual..i am spaeking about "THE SYSTEM AS A WHOLE WERE WE HAVE LOTS OF OPERTAION GOIN ON " elaborating my querries i wnat to know about how a company of 4000 employee working on mainframe what all measure they can take and can do to have the cost effectivness...and help the bussiness with investing less revenue.."WHAT SHOULD BE THE CODING STRUCTURE..WHAT ALL ULTILITIES WE CAN USE .." WHAT WE CAN INSTALL IN THE MVS OPERATIING SYSTEM WHICH CAN HELP IN TRACING THE COST-EFFECTIVNESS..HOW TO MANAGE TAPE FILES AND HOW TO USE UTILITIES ..ETC..

rahuljha · New User Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 14 Location: INDIA

JUST GUIDE ME ANY-ONE IT WILL BE A GREAT FAVOUR...

expat · Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2007 9:37 pm

MXG or MICS are purpose written performance, capacity and billing products which both use SAS as the programming language.

None of the above products are cheap.

rahuljha · New User Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 14 Location: INDIA

HI

As stated by dick in his above comments "comparing the resources needed when using one utility or program versus another will help" ,what actually this means ..

Devzee · Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2007 11:05 am

To reduce storage space -
-- you can compress files
-- you can transfer files to the respective Business unit server folders, and delete the dataset on mainframe
-- after job completion delete all intermediate files, other than the file which is required for further downstream processing.

CPU time consuming jobs -
-- Long running jobs can be splitted and run in parallel

rahuljha - Just want to know whats your role in your project?
Is there any cost your project has to pay for mainframe utilization?
Curios to know what you are trying to do. When you send this details to your management, will it be considered and appreciated? salary hike? promotion?

rahuljha · New User Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 14 Location: INDIA

Hi devezee it nothing related to my performance and salary hike its all related towards the responsibilty of a individual for his comapny..Hope this must be fine with you..

I am a team lead and requistion has come to work on cost -effectivess measure so i am trying to get best possible guide for me.

IV.. can u just elaborate what u menas through this "you can transfer files to the respective Business unit server folders, and delete the dataset on mainframe "

Devzee · Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2007 11:24 am

rahuljha · New User Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 14 Location: INDIA

Hi
devzee dont you think that splitting the job and running it in parallel will also have the same cost...

if u just elaborate u ideas is that not we can use some utilities in our job or a sas job in or through calling IDCAMS utilities thriough cobol or by using sort in pal;ce of idcams..adding to this i want the perfect measures with which we can use such things which can help us in saving the cost..

dick scherrer · Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2007 11:57 am

Hello,

Devzee · Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2007 12:11 pm

rahuljha · New User Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 14 Location: INDIA

HEY ALL QUESTION IS TO SAVE COST NOT TO CUT DOWN COST IN MAINFRAME AND INCRAESE THE COST SOMEWHERE ELSE..

DICK AND DEVZEE WHAT U HAVE STATED IS OKAY BUT MY QUERRIES WERE REGARDING "WHAT SHOULD BE THE CODING STRUCTURE,USES OF ANY UTILITIES,CODING SUCH MACROS WHICH CAN SAVE COST AS WELLAS C.P.U TIME..ALSO THE DASD SPACE..

Devzee · Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2007 12:39 pm

Please go thru forum rules before typing CAPS.

dick scherrer · Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2007 12:42 pm

Hello,

It sounds like it is time for you to manage someone's disappointment. . .

Many organizations have considerable resources dedicated to performance and tuning. Sounds like yours does not.

Once an entire data center is up and running, no one can give a few simple suggestions that will dramatically change your operating costs.

If you want to conserve overall costs, you need to identify the most costly items and determine ways to use less resources for those items. There are no magic coding structures, utilities, or macros that will just by their use cause a significant cost reduction.

rahuljha · New User Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 14 Location: INDIA

okay taken into concern but please do replly to my querries above devzee..i hope u will help me..

rahuljha · New User Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 14 Location: INDIA

Dick i hope u must be aware of the scenario very well what iw anted to actaully know in this foroum from eligble people..i wnated some suggestions which would help me tune my performance along with my company too gets benifit..but i hope i will have to search some ther option ..thankx dick for yours supprort till now.

Devzee · Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2007 12:52 pm

expat · Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 6:54 pm

rahuljha

How do you plan to take measurements of used resource, what measurement units will you be looking at and what products and expertise do you already have in place to do this.

Which hardware is under utilised, can you do without it, or is it there for contingency.

Which software products are much more expensive than those from competitor suppliers. I Have just finished an analysis project of this nature - The result of changing certain software suppliers can yield immense savings, as can having multiple products from the same vendor result in much lower license costs for bulk agreements. The estimated savings to my client for that one project was over 5 million euro p.a.

As Dick, Devzee and myself have pointed out the one main area for cost recovery - efficient coding, and Dick has given a valid reason as to why this is not a consideration at many sites, initial costs to develop an application.

So how do you propose to audit every program, module, transaction etc. etc. to check its efficiency. How many programmers do you have with the years of experience that are needed to know the best ways of doing things. Are you willing to pay contract colsultant rates to get that expertise long term ?

You may have to spend 100's, although it will be more like 1,000's of man days to investigate and test solutions that will save you a mere fraction of that cost in a year, so the cost effectivenes of undertaking this task is also a prime consideration. Why spend more than you will save ?

Perhaps the best solution would be to implement more cost effective coding and practices from now on, and tackle existing code etc. etc. when it is time to change them naturally.

As Dick said