IBM s/390 manual 3.2 OS/390 AD systems, Next steps

3.1.4 Next steps

We created mount point /s390 when we installed Linux. It is the large file system that occupies most of our hard disk. We intend to use a second hard disk (in the Ultrabay slot of the ThinkPad) and we can create a mount point for it now. (We will initialize and mount the second hard disk later.) Both mount points should be owned by userid flexes because they will be used to hold emulated S/390 volumes:

# mkdir /s391 (mount point for second hard disk)

#chown flexes:flexes /s390

#chown flexes:flexes /s391

The names s390 and s391 are arbitrary, of course, but they express the purpose of the file systems.

You next need to install your S/390 operating system. We used an AD system; this is described next. If you use another installation method, you need to work with it now. After the S/390 operating system is installed, you need to create matching FLEX-ES definitions and then test the system. This is described in Chapter 4, “FLEX-ES Operation” on page 27.

3.2 OS/390 AD systems

In principle, you can install OS/390 on your ThinkPad/EFS using any of the distribution media and logical packaging available from IBM.6 In practice, most of IBM’s S/390 Partners in Development (PID) members use a CD-ROM package that is available only to members of their group who obtained a system through the PID organization. At the time of writing, IBM does not provide a more general OS/390 or z/OS distribution packaged on CD-ROM.

3.2.1 AD systems

We chose an OS/390 AD CD-ROM system (OS/390 release 2.10) for the ITSO projects used to produce this redbook. Not all readers are familiar with these “AD” systems; we briefly explain them here.

An AD (Application Development) system is a prepackaged OS/390 (or z/OS), with a number of priced features and additional program products included.7 Considerable customization has already been done, making the system immediately usable for many functions. The AD systems are available only to members of IBM’s PartnerWorld for Developers (formerly known as Partners in Development, or PID) who obtain systems through the PID program. They are not available to general IBM customers.

Why did we use it for our EFS projects? We used it primarily because it provides a very easy way to install a useful OS/390 system. We could have built an OS/390 system starting with a ServerPac, in the same way most OS/390 customers build their systems. However, this requires considerably more time and effort and would have detracted from the time spent working with EFS elements. It would also require a S/390 with tape drives compatible with the ServerPac media, and the ThinkPad does not meet this requirement.

In general, an OS/390 AD system is a rather straightforward implementation of OS/390 and contains no magic components or “clever” setups. The experience and results of using it on ThinkPad/EFS should be about the same as using any other straightforward OS/390 implementation.

6This statement assumes you have a tape drive on your ThinkPad/EFS that is compatible with the IBM-provided media, of course.

7There are AD systems available for VM/ESA and VSE/ESA also. The discussion in this chapter is about OS/390, so we limit this discussion to the OS/390 AD systems.

Chapter 3. FLEX-ES and OS/390 installation 21