Mainframe, MVS and zOS Discussion

This question came as a surprise. I was asked, assume you are selected for teh position how would you know, which version of COBOL, DB2 and CICS
is in use?

I thought, you, your trainer should tell me . Why would I need to know my own... but how do we know this information unless some one tells us. For COBOL I cna understand that somewhere in the compile listing this info will be there but how about DB2 and CICS?

For CICS you can do an CEMT INQUIRY command to display the release number of CICS (in a coded value). COBOL displays the release information on the compile listing.

For DB2, there are couple of options:

1. Talk to your DBAs, they'll tell you.
2. If you have File-Aid for DB2 at your shop, y looging in there it'll usually put this information on the top.
3. Other alternative is your pre-compiler output that will tell you what version of DB2 you compiled with.
4. Use DB2 command -DIS GROUP DETAIL. This will retutn you LEVEL(101) MODE(NFM) when you are in Version 10 New Function Mode. Some sites restrict these command so to execute this command one needs to have the proper security permission.
5. Try

   Code: Select all

    SELECT GETVARIABLE(‘SYSIBM.VERSION’)
   FROM SYSIBM.SYSDUMMY1

   You'll get an output looking like this:
   

   PPP is the product string, set to : DSN.
   VV is a two-digit version identifier, such as : 11.
   RR is a two-digit release identifier, such as : 01.
   M is a one-digit maintenance-level identifier, such as 5.

Thanks a lot for the answer. This is by far the best answers I read on internet.

I was asked, assume you are selected for teh position how would you know, which version of COBOL, DB2 and CICS
is in use?

the proper answer ...
not my job to find out by myself(Yourself)
if I(You) have the need to know all the relevant documentation should be made available without asking

normally in any well managed organization all the major software changes are published
with a todo/NOTtodo list made available to all the interested parties
and with pointers to the documentation for the new software level

and the same info would be made available to new hires who have the need to know.

challenging a question is a way to show the overall skills

if I had asked the question
I would have put a big plus if the candidate had replied as I suggested

the interview is usually bidirectional ...
so any candidate should interview the interviewer
to find out about the not told things about the hiring organization,

when I was carrying on interview I usually put a negative note on candidates that did not ask questions

I ddi not know that this can be a kind of trick but as a technical candidate I tend to answer...

in IT there are two sides to consider ...

the technicalities that You can learn by applying Yourself

the attitude to stick to the standards and practices,
unfortunately that' something more difficult to change

and showing Your concern about them is definitely a plus

I prefer to give priority to the attitude