ZIP/390 FAQ

This section lists some commonly asked questions about ZIP/390 and related subjects. We hope you will find this information helpful.

Note: If you have a technical issue with a current production job, see the Open a Support Issue section.

  • What are the EOS (End of Support) / EOL (End of Life) dates for ZIP/390?

    There are two versions of ZIP/390, version 6.7 (and prior) and ZIP/390 MP version 6.9+. All new development is occurring in 6.9+ only. There is presently no EOS or EOL date for either version; however, to benefit from new features (eg. zEDC support) and ensure the best possible support outcomes, customers running older releases are advised to upgrade to 6.9+.

  • How do I know what version I am running?

    There are multiple ways to find the version of ZIP/390 you are running.
    1. When downloaded, the version number is the title of the zip390mp subfolder.
    Example: (C:\Data21\zip390mp\v6.9.9)
    2. Version is displayed on the console and in SYSPRINT output for all ZIP/390 jobs.
    3. Run ACTION=VERSION.

  • Is my version of ZIP/390 compatible with my Hardware and Operating System?

    ZOS:
    MP: There are no known compatibility issues with any version of the z/OS operating system or IBM hardware.

    R6.0-6.7: Customers may require Patches when running on z/OS 2.3 and later with certain IBM Patches. The SOC1 Abend occurs in our GETCPU CSECT and the Patches will correct the problem.

    Contact support@data21.com if you require these patches.

    Linux:
    This release was compiled and tested on SUSE Linux on System z, SUSE Linux x86, and Ubuntu 14.10 Little Endian Version. It should work on most if not all Linux distributions for these platforms. I.E. Red Hat and SUSE. If you require support for additional versions such as Linux on Power Big Endian, please contact us.

    AIX:
    This release was compiled and tested on AIX 7.1.

    Windows:
    This release was compiled and tested on Windows 10.

    macOS:
    This release was compiled and tested on macOS "El Capitan" and "Yosemite".

  • Is mainframe hardware encryption supported?

    Advanced Encryption Standard (AES):
    CP Assist Cryptographic (CPACF) hardware is used for AES encryption/decryption unless the default CONFIG parameter CRYPTOFACILITY=CPACF is changed to CRYPTOFACILITY=ZIP or a CRYPTOFACILITY=ZIP parameter is added to a job step; in which case it will run as a software only process.

    Basic ZIP v2.0 Encryption:
    This encryption is not supported by CPACF. It is software only encryption performed on a z Integrated Information Processor (zIIP), if zIIP=Y and a zIIP is available, or on a General Processor (GP) otherwise. ZIP/390’s Multi-Threading feature (THREADS=n) may be utilized to accelerate the software encryption process.



    Note: CRYPTOFACILITY=ZIP (software encryption) is forced in all other (non-mainframe) supported platforms.

  • Is ZIP/390 compatible with other programs?

    Yes, ZIP (.zip) and GZIP (.gz) are industry standards. Our product is compatible with all ZIP/GZIP utilities on all major platforms that support these standards. Our AES Strong encrypted .zip files also use an open standard supported by other zip utilities.

    ZIP/390's PGP encryption/decryption uses the widely supported GNUPG (Open PGP) standard.

  • Does ZIP/390 support VSAM files?

    Other than VSAM/SAM, ZIP/VSE does not directly support VSAM Files (ESDS/KSDS/RRDS). That is, we do not support VSAM as a native MOUNT like we do with SEQ, LIBR and FTP. We have found that most customers must flatten the VSAM Database files before they can be used on the PC Platform (with some exceptions). Flattening VSAM files for zipping, and unflattening for unzipping, is easily accomplished by adding an IDCAMS REPRO step to the job.

  • Does ZIP/390 support TAPE?

    Yes, for Tape applications you must use the SEQ (Sequential) File System and specify the Tape information in the DD statement.

  • Does ZIP/390 support Generation Data Groups (GDG)?

    Yes.

Didn't find the information you were looking for? Let us know.

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