Systems Engineer (mainframe monitoring)

Work with SSA personnel and other contractors to monitor the online applications and detect, notify and troubleshoot problems, which may adversely affect the performance of the online systems and delivery of service to SSA customers.

Monitor WebSphere MQ and WebSphere Application Server (WAS) applications utilizing various monitoring tools including Omegamon/Omegaview, Tivoli ITCAMS, CICSplex and ABEND Aid to identify/isolate problems.

Monitor more than 650 CICS regions in production, training and integration environments utilizing various monitoring tools including Omegamon/Omegaview, Tivoli ITCAMS, CICSplex and ABEND Aid to identify/isolate problems.

Monitor DB2 and IDMS database subsystems and coordinate with other branches and teams within the division to identify and resolve issues.

Respond to Hot Terminal, SSA Alerts and email messages identifying problems

Work independently and with other Monitor Room personnel to troubleshoot problems detected in the online applications including Short on Storage and Maxtask conditions.

Upon detection of a problem, begin level 1 troubleshooting activities such as reading system and application dumps and provide recommendations and perform basic resolution activities.

Investigate CICS storage violations and recommend dynamic changes to CICS region settings to correct or contain CICS problems – with approval from the Task Manager or his/her designee.

Identify and report Z/OS, JES3, and Top Secret, peripheral device and file contention problems and other underlying system software problems.

Take full system and snap dumps, start system traces, perform system IPLs and manipulate peripheral devices.

Recognize and resolve operational problems affecting batch job processing and make changes to system software source libraries, table libraries, JCL libraries, and load libraries on an emergency basis to correct operational problems.

Research problems to determine root cause and participate in data gathering for studies to determine the most effective configurations for matching system capacity to operational needs.

Update all troubleshooting databases as needed via SMAB’s internal reporting mechanism (the Greenbook) detailing event and actions taken, as well as opening and closing associated CAPRS tickets as requested, publicly documenting problem or resolution information.

Troubleshooting and Analysis

Analyze and debug WebSphere MQ series performance problems.

Analyze and debug WebSphere Application Server (WAS) problems.

Troubleshoot other WebSphere related issues.

Respond to Hot Terminal and pager messages identifying problems.

Identify and report Z/OS, JES3, Top Secret and other underlying system software problems.

Identify and troubleshoot CICS and database problems.

Download CICS system and application dumps.

Perform CICS system dump analysis and provide recommendations.

Troubleshoot DB2 and IDMS problems.

CICS programming using Common Business Oriented Language (COBOL), Java and assembly.

Debrief all SSA management and staffs on the problem and its resolution including how the problem was detected, resolution alternatives, reasoning for course of action chosen, results of resolution, and any fallout.

Update all troubleshooting databases as needed via SMAB’s internal reporting mechanism (the Greenbook) detailing event and actions taken, as well as opening and closing associated CAPRS tickets as requested, publicly documenting problem or resolution information.

Ten years WebSphere Application Server and WMQ applications to identify/isolate problems.

Ability to identify and notify the WebSphere Application Server performance problems using Introscope and Tivoli tools.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.