How to Learn IBM Mainframe at home?

[venky4u]

Hi All,

I am java developer and recently migrated to RPA(Robotic Process Automation). While learning RPA we have concept for Main Frames for that practice I need one sample mainframe application which I can install in my personal Laptop.
if anyone knows please guide me. I need one sample one.

[willy jensen]

Hercules is not worth anything on it's own, it just emulates the IBM hardware. You need a z/OS copy, which is rather expensive for a private person. And then you need to know how to setup a z/OS system. You could get in touch with the guys at FANDEZHI . They offer access to an older z/OS, but it will let you get to know TSO and ISPF, and develop programs. They are rather restrictive in what they allow you to do, however.

[prino]

Hercules is not worth anything on it's own, it just emulates the IBM hardware. You need a z/OS copy, which is rather expensive for a private person. And then you need to know how to setup a z/OS system. You could get in touch with the guys at somewhere. They offer access to an older z/OS, but it will let you get to know TSO and ISPF, and develop programs. They are rather restrictive in what they allow you to do, however.

We are not restrictive at all, we just kick off anyone who thinks that "Hello, World!" is a way to start programming, who cannot count to more than 10 when allocating an FB(80) dataset, who doesn't read, and more importantly, obey, the ad-nauseam displayed rules when they log on, who thinks that accessing datasets from others is perfectly acceptable, etc, etc, etc.

Don't send newbies to us, especially those who are of the type that reopen threads that are years old!

Note to moderators: please remove link to "that" system in previous post!

[willy jensen]

We are not restrictive at all

Sorry, should have been more specific. What I meant is that people are not allowed to play system programmer and test system options. Or as I understand it people are not even allowed to look at the system setup. I will be happy to be proven wrong.

[steve-myers]

...

We are not restrictive at all

Sorry, should have been more specific. What I meant is that people are not allowed to play system programmer and test system options. Or as I understand it people are not even allowed to look at the system setup. I will be happy to be proven wrong.

As Mr. Jensen says, Fandezhi users are not allowed to pretend to be system programmers. However, users can freely inspect the PARMLIBs and PROCLIBs and most DLIB and target type data sets, though the PARMLIB and PROCLIB setup is somewhat unusual and it takes someone with a system programmer background to figure it out. Attempts to fiddle with RACF commands tend to be treated rather harshly. Attempts to alter the master catalog are now regarded as just an ordinary RACF violation, and everyone has a little rope, as it were, before the admins revoke their userid since most RACF violations are innocent goofs rather than an attempt to do harm.