VSE
Encyclopedia
z/VSE is an operating system
for IBM mainframe
computers, the latest one in the DOS/360 lineage, which originated in 1965. It is less common than prominent z/OS
and is mostly used on smaller machines. Primary z/VSE development occurs in IBM's Böblingen
labs in Germany.
addressing. As the underlying hardware evolved, VSE/ESA acquired support for 31-bit
addressing. IBM released z/VSE Version 4 in 2007. z/VSE Version 4 requires 64-bit
z/Architecture
hardware and supports 64-bit real mode addressing. The latest shipping release (as of November 2010) is z/VSE 4.3.
IBM recommends that z/VSE customers run Linux on zSeries alongside, on the same physical system, to provide another 64-bit application environment that can access and extend z/VSE applications and data via Hipersockets using a wide variety of middleware
. CICS
, one of the most popular enterprise transaction processing
systems, is extremely popular among z/VSE users and now supports recent innovations such as Web services. DB2
is also available and popular.
Job Control Language (JCL) is z/VSE's batch processing
interface. There is also another, special interface for system console
operators. z/VSE, like z/OS systems, had traditionally supported 3270 terminal user interfaces. However, most z/VSE installations have at least begun to add Web browser
access to z/VSE applications. z/VSE's TCP/IP
is a separately priced option for historic reasons, and is available in two different versions from two vendors.
access to storage devices is supported, although only on IBM's Enterprise Storage Server (ESS) and its successors. z/VSE 3.1 is still compatible with 31-bit
mainframes, as opposed to z/VSE 4. This version was supported to 2009.
A previous generation, VSE/ESA 2.7, is no longer supported since February 28, 2007.
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
for IBM mainframe
IBM mainframe
IBM mainframes are large computer systems produced by IBM from 1952 to the present. During the 1960s and 1970s, the term mainframe computer was almost synonymous with IBM products due to their marketshare...
computers, the latest one in the DOS/360 lineage, which originated in 1965. It is less common than prominent z/OS
Z/OS
z/OS is a 64-bit operating system for mainframe computers, produced by IBM. It derives from and is the successor to OS/390, which in turn followed a string of MVS versions.Starting with earliest:*OS/VS2 Release 2 through Release 3.8...
and is mostly used on smaller machines. Primary z/VSE development occurs in IBM's Böblingen
Böblingen
Böblingen is a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, seat of Böblingen District. Physically Sindelfingen and Böblingen are continuous.-History:Böblingen was founded by Count Wilhelm von Tübingen-Böblingen in 1253. Württemberg acquired the town in 1357, and on 12 May 1525 one of the bloodiest battles...
labs in Germany.
Overview
DOS/360 originally supported 24-bit24-bit
Notable 24-bit machines include the ICT 1900 series and the Harris H series.The IBM System/360, announced in 1964, was a popular computer system with 24-bit addressing and 32-bit general registers and arithmetic...
addressing. As the underlying hardware evolved, VSE/ESA acquired support for 31-bit
31-bit
Perhaps the only computing architecture based on 31-bit addressing is one of computing's most famous and most profitable. In 1983, IBM introduced 31-bit addressing in the System/370-XA mainframe architecture as an upgrade to the 24-bit addressing of earlier models...
addressing. IBM released z/VSE Version 4 in 2007. z/VSE Version 4 requires 64-bit
64-bit
64-bit is a word size that defines certain classes of computer architecture, buses, memory and CPUs, and by extension the software that runs on them. 64-bit CPUs have existed in supercomputers since the 1970s and in RISC-based workstations and servers since the early 1990s...
z/Architecture
Z/Architecture
z/Architecture, initially and briefly called ESA Modal Extensions , refers to IBM's 64-bit computing architecture for IBM mainframe computers. IBM introduced its first z/Architecture-based system, the zSeries Model 900, in late 2000. Later z/Architecture systems include the IBM z800, z990, z890,...
hardware and supports 64-bit real mode addressing. The latest shipping release (as of November 2010) is z/VSE 4.3.
IBM recommends that z/VSE customers run Linux on zSeries alongside, on the same physical system, to provide another 64-bit application environment that can access and extend z/VSE applications and data via Hipersockets using a wide variety of middleware
Middleware
Middleware is computer software that connects software components or people and their applications. The software consists of a set of services that allows multiple processes running on one or more machines to interact...
. CICS
CICS
Customer Information Control System is a transaction server that runs primarily on IBM mainframe systems under z/OS and z/VSE.CICS is a transaction manager designed for rapid, high-volume online processing. This processing is mostly interactive , but background transactions are possible...
, one of the most popular enterprise transaction processing
Transaction processing
In computer science, transaction processing is information processing that is divided into individual, indivisible operations, called transactions. Each transaction must succeed or fail as a complete unit; it cannot remain in an intermediate state...
systems, is extremely popular among z/VSE users and now supports recent innovations such as Web services. DB2
IBM DB2
The IBM DB2 Enterprise Server Edition is a relational model database server developed by IBM. It primarily runs on Unix , Linux, IBM i , z/OS and Windows servers. DB2 also powers the different IBM InfoSphere Warehouse editions...
is also available and popular.
Job Control Language (JCL) is z/VSE's batch processing
Batch processing
Batch processing is execution of a series of programs on a computer without manual intervention.Batch jobs are set up so they can be run to completion without manual intervention, so all input data is preselected through scripts or command-line parameters...
interface. There is also another, special interface for system console
System console
The system console, root console or simply console is the text entry and display device for system administration messages, particularly those from the BIOS or boot loader, the kernel, from the init system and from the system logger...
operators. z/VSE, like z/OS systems, had traditionally supported 3270 terminal user interfaces. However, most z/VSE installations have at least begun to add Web browser
Web browser
A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. An information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier and may be a web page, image, video, or other piece of content...
access to z/VSE applications. z/VSE's TCP/IP
Internet protocol suite
The Internet protocol suite is the set of communications protocols used for the Internet and other similar networks. It is commonly known as TCP/IP from its most important protocols: Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol , which were the first networking protocols defined in this...
is a separately priced option for historic reasons, and is available in two different versions from two vendors.
Older z/VSE versions
Since z/VSE 3.1, Fibre ChannelFibre Channel
Fibre Channel, or FC, is a gigabit-speed network technology primarily used for storage networking. Fibre Channel is standardized in the T11 Technical Committee of the InterNational Committee for Information Technology Standards , an American National Standards Institute –accredited standards...
access to storage devices is supported, although only on IBM's Enterprise Storage Server (ESS) and its successors. z/VSE 3.1 is still compatible with 31-bit
31-bit
Perhaps the only computing architecture based on 31-bit addressing is one of computing's most famous and most profitable. In 1983, IBM introduced 31-bit addressing in the System/370-XA mainframe architecture as an upgrade to the 24-bit addressing of earlier models...
mainframes, as opposed to z/VSE 4. This version was supported to 2009.
A previous generation, VSE/ESA 2.7, is no longer supported since February 28, 2007.