Stream: Suzuka
Time: 15:15 - 16:00
Every organisation running IBM Z depends on Workload Manager (WLM), yet many early-career professionals struggle to understand what it does, why it exists, and how it influences system behaviour. This session provides a practical introduction to z/OS Workload Manager by focusing on the business and technical problems it was designed to solve. Rather than diving immediately into configuration details, attendees will first explore how competing workloads behave when system resources become constrained and why traditional priority-based approaches are insufficient in modern enterprise environments. Topics covered include the purpose of Workload Manager and the challenges it addresses, Service Level Agreements (SLAs), business objectives, and how they influence workload management decisions, as well as Service Classes, Report Classes, Importance Levels, and Performance Goals. The session will also explain Response Time and Velocity goals and when each should be used, how WLM dynamically manages CPU and system resources across competing workloads, and the role of discretionary work and lower-priority processing. In addition, it will address common misconceptions about priorities and workload importance, and use real-world examples to show how organisations align technical resource allocation with business outcomes. The session will include visual demonstrations and interactive examples based on educational content I developed earlier: https://zubs.github.io/mainframe-series/introduction-to-the-mainframe-workload-manager-wlm/. Using simplified scenarios and practical illustrations, attendees will see how WLM evaluates competing workloads and makes decisions designed to achieve business-defined objectives. Attendees will leave with a solid conceptual understanding of Workload Manager, the terminology used by system programmers and performance specialists, and the knowledge needed to continue exploring more advanced WLM topics. This session is designed for students, graduates, early-career professionals, developers, operators, and anyone who has heard about Workload Manager but wants a clearer understanding of how it works and why it remains one of the most important technologies within z/OS.
There is currently no attachment for Demystifying Workload Manager: How z/OS Decides What Matters Most
Zubair Idris Aweda is a results-driven software engineer with experience in full-stack web development. Zubair is skilled in a variety of programming languages and frameworks, including PHP, Laravel, MySQL, JavaScript, Node.js, and TypeScript. Zubair is committed to delivering high-quality, scalable solutions that meet the needs of users. He has a strong track record of collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver successful software products.
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