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An Introduction to IMS: Your Complete Guide to IBMs Information Management System - page 13

Preface

IBM Information Management System (IMS) is one of the world's premiere software products. Period. IMS is not in the news and is barely mentioned in today's computer science classes, but it has been and, for the foreseeable future, will continue to be, a major, crucial component of the world's software infrastructure.

From its beginnings with NASA, IMS has provided the foundation that enables government agencies and businesses to manage, access, manipulate, and exploit their vast stores of data. As the Information Age evolves and matures, so does IMS.

The purpose of this book is twofold.

To introduce IMS to those who have not yet heard about it and provide basic education about this cornerstone product.
To reintroduce IMS to the computer science field in general.

Prerequisite Knowledge

Before reading this book

You should be able to describe the fundamentals of data processing, including the function of operating systems, access methods , and job control language (JCL). Specifically, you should be familiar with the z/OS operating system or any of its predecessors. The authors of this book assume that most readers are data processing professionals.
You should also have access to the IMS Version 9 library because there are many references in this book to the IMS Version 9 manuals. These manuals are listed in the Bibliography. You can either read the IMS manuals online or download them from the Library page of the IMS Web site. Go to www.ibm.com/ims and click on the "Library" link in the navigation pane on the left side of the page.

How to Send Your Comments

Your feedback is important in helping us provide the most accurate and highest quality information. If you have any comments about this or any other IMS information, you can take one of the following actions.

Go to the IMS Library page at www.ibm.com/software/data/ims/library.html and click the Library Feedback link, where you can enter and submit comments.
Send your comments by e-mail to imspubs@us.ibm.com. Be sure to include the title, the part number of the title, the version of IMS, and, if applicable , the specific location of the text on which you are commenting.

Acknowledgments

This book would not be possible without the input and efforts of many people. Some of them are listed here. I give my wholehearted thanks to everyone for their participation in and support of this project.

Rick Long, Mark Harrington, Robert Hain, and Geoff Nicholls (IBM IMS Field Specialists) for the information in the IMS Primer that they developed and was the foundation for this book.
Kenneth R. Blackman (IBM IMS Field Specialist) for information from his Technical note "IMS Celebrates Thirty Years as an IBM Product."
Barbara Klein (IBM IMS Brand Manager) and Robert Gilliam (IMS Product Manager) for the use of information from their presentation, "After 36 Years IMS is Still Strategicfor our Customers and for IBM."
Rolf-Dieter Koch (Sparkassen Informatik System Programmer) and Hannelore Nestinger (IBM IMS IT Specialist) for their guidance and participation in the writing of this book.
Rich Lewis and Bill Stillwell (IBM Dallas Systems Center) for the use of information from their presentation, "IMS in a Parallel Sysplex."
Pete Sadler (IBM IMS IT Specialist) for his extensive review comments.
The IBM IMS Development and Service organizations for their input, review comments, and answers to questions during the development of this book.
The IBM Silicon Valley Lab User Technology Management (Tim Hogan, Janet Ikemiya, and Lori Fisher) for recognizing the need for this book and supporting its development.
The IMS User Technology Department for supporting me in this endeavor with encouraging words, review comments, editorial comments, material from other IMS books, and time, especially Moira M. Lanyi (Technical Editor for IMS) for her in-depth edit.
Robert Lee (Visual Designer for IMS User Technology) for the wonderful graphics in this book.
Vern Watts (IBM IMS Distinguished Engineer Emeritus and member of the original IMS Development Team) for his vision, his inspiration for this project, and his words in the Foreword.
Finally, my wife, Judy Meltz, who unselfishly encouraged and supported me (in spite of the many hours and weekends I worked) in my efforts to bring this book to completion.

IMS User Technology

Dean H. Meltz

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Meltz D., Long R., Harrington M.

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