I'm not surprised that IBM India is at least hesitant. There's a rather vibrant network of z/OS training institutes in India from what I understand. I can imagine that IBM wants to encourage that sector to grow and to thrive, so it would steer prospective students to that network of institutes.
Just guessing: it might depend on how you ask the question. I could easily imagine someone answering the phone (or e-mail), looking at their list of z/OS software products, and saying, "No, we don't have 'Parallel Sysplex' listed. Sorry." You might have to be very precise in your question and point out that Parallel Sysplex is an integral feature of z/OS and of the zEnterprise systems. It's included at no additional charge. Now, it is possible the institutes might need or at least want to get an Internal Coupling Facility (ICF) engine to facilitate such a class. But that's not necessarily required either. It's perfectly OK to create a Coupling Facility Control Code (CFCC) LPAR on a general purpose engine. And that approach may make perfect sense in the context of a training institute that's running different classes -- the institute may not need a full time ICF. One thing you might try is to request to speak with the institute's chief z/OS instructor and discuss with him/her personally what you're looking for. It's possible the institute doesn't offer a standard class, but you might strike an arrangement where you can practice Parallel Sysplex procedures on their training system using the widely available documentation, redbooks, etc. Who knows -- maybe you'll get a job as a new instructor. :-) Upon further research, I've found a couple online options for Parallel Sysplex training. One is IBM's course code ES732 entitled "Parallel Sysplex Operations": http://www-304.ibm.com/jct03001c/services/learning/ites.wss/us/en?pageType=course_description&courseCode=ES732 Click on "View Schedule and Enroll." This course is scheduled for October, 2012, in New York. However, you can also "attend" over the Internet in the "Live Virtual Classroom." It's a three day class held from 9 to 5 p.m. New York time, so you might have to stay up a little late. You'll need a reasonable Internet connection to "attend." Here's another company's Parallel Sysplex course that claims to have a "virtual classroom" version as well: http://www.protechtraining.com/z-os-parallel-sysplex-concepts-for-system-programmers-pt3459 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Timothy Sipples Resident Enterprise Architect (Based in Singapore) E-Mail: [email protected] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
