Why we ran the biggest ICL shop in the Southern Hemisphere.
DaleState Bank Victoria (SBV) used to run IBM & ICL Mainframes. The IBM Mainframes were a 3084, 3090-600J, System 36 & 4341. The main processing was performed on the 3090. …
“No-Lone Zone” at State Bank Victoria
The first mainframe I ever IML’d was the IBM 4341. The 4341 was released in 1979. Our 4341 was superseded by the 3090-600J. IBM had released the 3090 family in…
“What’s this ZNET command script do then?”
One of the functions of the Network Operations Group had was managing the IBM Mainframe network. Let’s say 2,500 terminals in all. Now, back in those days, there was a…
Wrong guesses are COSTLY!
This is at least 20 years old, and is as valid now, as it was back then. Our training folks used to show it up on the overhead projector before…
Writing naughty words in 1990
The Wyse 286 PC (model WY-2108 for the curious) used to have an LCD display on the front panel. You could write messages to it using a MS-DOS based utility. …
Your computer security is just keeping honest people out.
... And just buying time you time with the dishonest ones. Which is the great truth. Security just buys you time. If a burglar really wants to get into your…
Going to miss you Securitel
Telstra has decided to shut down Securitel. Securitel is a high grade alarm transmission service. The Securitel network is a dedicated network aimed at providing a high grade reliable alarm…
Less than 52 minutes, or four 9’s performance.
I find the general assumption among us bloggers is these providers have to be up 99.9999% of the time. Major crisis when any of them has a crisis. Because supposedly…
Operating ROBBAS
ROBBAS was the Retail Online Branch Banking Alarm System which State Bank Victoria used. It supported approx. 550 bank branches in Victoria. It ran on an old Perkin-Elmer system. The…
Beardy types, in a training course.
I was at a Microsoft training course today, and all the beardy types were there too. You know, the "we want everything for free" types. They can be found working…