Stream: Woodcote
Time: 14:30 - 15:15
Many sites today emphasize real-time monitoring, AI, and automation to detect and respond to system issues. While effective for mitigation, these tactical solutions rarely address root causes—and can lead to a reactive, high-overhead environment. This session makes the case for a strategy-first approach to IBM Z operations. Learn how proactive performance management, SMF data analysis, and capacity planning can reduce incidents, lower monitoring costs, and enhance system reliability. We'll explore how repeated disruptions—even brief ones—erode business trust, and why prevention is both more scalable and sustainable than constant firefighting. IBM Z is designed to support deep diagnostics—are you using it to its full potential?
John Baker, Principal Consultant at IBM, has been working with mainframes for over 30 years, both as a customer and consultant. His primary focus has been on system and application performance. As a customer, John designed, implemented and maintained many critical projects such as WLM Goal Mode, GDPS/Data Mirroring, and merging datacenters. As a consultant, John has assisted many of the world's largest datacenters with their z/OS performance challenges. John is a frequent and much appreciated speaker at industry events like SHARE, CMG, GSE and IBM conferences. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Computer Measurement Group (CMG) and currently volunteers with the MVS Performance Project (MVSP) at SHARE. In his spare time, John enjoys pool, motorcycles, his dog, old port and a spirited political debate. He lives with his family near Toronto, Canada.
Liz Dore leads the IT Economics Specialist team for IBM Technology in EMEA with a focus on comparing IT solutions with attention to costs, efficiencies and business objectives, including sustainability. Prior to this, she has worked in a variety of mainframe management, sales and technical roles in IBM for 30+ years, working with clients in UK and Europe. Liz holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the London School of Economics.
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