INFO - Information

Enhanced Definition

In the mainframe context, **Information** refers to structured and contextualized data that has been processed, stored, and managed by IBM z/OS systems and their associated applications. It represents the meaningful output or input for business processes, derived from raw data through programs written in languages like COBOL, PL/I, or Assembler, and stored in various mainframe data repositories.

Key Characteristics

- Mission-Critical Nature: Mainframe information often underpins core business operations (e.g., banking transactions, insurance policies, airline reservations) requiring extreme reliability and availability.
- High Volume and Throughput: z/OS systems are designed to handle vast quantities of information, processing millions of transactions or records per second, often in batch or high-volume online environments.
- Structured Storage: Information is typically stored in highly organized formats using mainframe data management systems like DB2 for z/OS, IMS DB, VSAM files, sequential datasets, or Partitioned Datasets (PDS/PDSE).
- Application-Centric Processing: Information is primarily created, updated, and retrieved by business applications developed in languages such as COBOL, PL/I, and Assembler, often orchestrated by JCL for batch or CICS/IMS TM for online processing.
- Security and Integrity: Robust security mechanisms (RACF, ACF2, Top Secret) and data integrity features are inherent to z/OS to protect sensitive information from unauthorized access or corruption.

Use Cases

- Financial Transactions: Processing and storing customer account balances, credit card transactions, loan details, and payment histories in banking and financial services.
- Customer Records Management: Maintaining comprehensive customer profiles, policy details, and claim information for insurance companies.
- Inventory and Supply Chain: Managing vast inventories, order processing, and logistics data for large retail or manufacturing enterprises.
- Batch Reporting and Analytics: Generating complex business reports, performing end-of-day processing, and supporting analytical workloads on historical and operational data.
- System and Performance Monitoring: Collecting and analyzing system logs, performance metrics, and audit trails to ensure system health, compliance, and optimization.

Related Concepts

Information is the ultimate output and input for mainframe applications and z/OS. It is managed by DFSMS for storage, secured by RACF (or equivalent ESMs), and made accessible through JCL for batch jobs or CICS/IMS TM for online transactions. DB2 and IMS DB are primary repositories for structured information, while VSAM and sequential datasets handle file -based information. The quality and availability of this information are paramount to the success of enterprise computing.

Best Practices:

Data Governance: Implement strict data governance policies to ensure the accuracy, consistency, and compliance of information across all mainframe systems and applications.
Robust Backup and Recovery: Establish comprehensive backup and recovery strategies, utilizing tools like DFSMShsm and GDGs, to protect critical information from loss and ensure business continuity.
Security by Design: Integrate security considerations from the initial design phase of applications and data structures, leveraging RACF profiles, dataset encryption, and access controls to safeguard sensitive information.
Performance Optimization: Regularly monitor and tune data access paths, DB2 queries, VSAM definitions, and JCL parameters to ensure efficient retrieval and processing of high-volume information.
Auditing and Compliance: Maintain detailed audit trails for all access and modifications to critical information, facilitating compliance with regulatory requirements and internal policies.