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Feature Function Benefit Standard Enterprise
ZIP archives Reduces file size by as much as 95% Reduce costs through the conservation of network bandwidth, storage space, and backup tapes check check
Hardware- accelerated compression Compresses files using System z hardware Improve workload throughput by using less CPU overhead to perform file compression check check
Customize static dictionaries Enables better compression ratios by tailoring static dictionaries to your business data Experience greater storage savings and smaller files spanning your network no check
UNIX File System Support Provides direct access to read or write files on Windows® or UNIX® servers by the z/OS operating environment Reduce total elapsed processing time by decreasing the number of steps needed to create and extract archives check check
International code table support Supports standard IBM® code page translations and comes complete with recommended code pages for many popular languages including Danish, English (U.S. & U.K.), Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish; other code pages may be applied as well Empower cross-platform communications by translating characters & symbols into readable information when converting between EBCDIC and ASCII check check
Mainframe-centric file handlers Uses file handlers native to z/OS, including SEQ, PDS, PDS/E, VSAM, and magnetic tape data; allows ZIP archives to be stored as SEQ, VSAM, and magnetic tape datasets, as well as PDS or PDS/E members Reduce the complexity and cost of managing and storing data maintained in necessary mainframe formats

Improve productivity by reducing the steps required to manage files in their native formats 		check check
Simulation mode Performs test scenarios to predict compression outcomes without using the CPU cycles required to perform the entire operation Simplify file selection by identifying the files most efficiently reduced in size check check
SafetyX control Protects critical files from being overwritten Preserves system integrity and prevents the inadvertent destruction of data check check
Multiple integration interfaces Includes batch processing through JCL and Command Line Interface (CLI) through the command processor

Supports calling from a REXX EXEC, a COBOL routine, or ASSEMBLER 		Reduce the complexity and cost of natively adding ZIP compression processing in-line to existing or new applications

Issue commands and exploit product capabilities using an interface of choice 		check check
ISPF panel integration Allows operators and systems programmers to initiate actions ad hoc, using 3270 screen menus and displays, through integration with IBM’s Interactive System Productivity Facility (ISPF) Simplify product configuration updates through an interface most commonly used by systems programmers and operators check check
Data integrity checking Ensures 100 percent data integrity for data compressed and sent from one system to another using 32-bit Cyclic Redundancy Check (32-bit CRC) Preserve data integrity and prevent the inadvertent destruction of data check check
Self-extracting files for other operating systems Formats ZIP archives as self-extracting files for Windows end-users or for UNIX/Linux and Linux on System z operating systems so compressed data can be easily unzipped in one easy step Improve user productivity by eliminating manual steps required to access files check check
Very large archive support Over 2 billion files can be included in a ZIP archive Enables customers to simplify the management of file archives; meet IT business requirements check check
Decrypt SecureZIP passphrase-encrypted archives Decrypts and extracts files that are passphrase-encrypted by SecureZIP products Maintain control of data by decrypting files using an organization-elected methods of encryption (including files protected with public and private keys) check check
Enhanced tape processing Reduces the time needed to write files to, and extract files from, tape media; files are written directly to tape media, bypassing the need to stage them to disk first

Finds files quickly in larger ZIP archives held on tape 		Improve user and staff productivity by reducing the number of steps and amount of time required to access data check check
zIIP Support Offload processing to IBM z Integrated Information Processors (zIIP). Free up general computing capacity and lower overall total cost of computing for select workloads. check check

PKZIP for z/OS

Mainframe ZIP Software

Evaluate PKZIP Ask a Question PDF Data Sheet

PKZIP® mainframe ZIP software provides a dynamic, cross-platform data compression solution that can zip and unzip SEQ flat files, PDSs, PDS/Es, and VSAM data sets. Developed specifically for IBM® z/OS, PKZIP is written with cycle-saving assembler code that reduces file size by as much as 95 percent, decreasing DASD costs, conserving transmission bandwidth, and minimizing processing time to meet constrained operational windows. PKZIP for z/OS also includes enhanced file handling features to accelerate critical business processes in the data center.

Features and Benefits
 

  • Fast, efficient data and file compression - reduce file size by as much as 95%
  • Format ZIP archives as self-extracting files (for internal use only)
  • Automatically translate files from EBCDIC to ASCII and ASCII to EBCDIC
  • Defer expensive DASD upgrades
  • Versatile, user-friendly interfaces
  • Reduce time required to write files to, and extract files from, tape media *
  • Operates on all major computing platforms , allowing seamless data transfer between operating systems, including z/OS®, IBM i, UNIX®/Linux® server, and Windows® server and desktop
  • zIIP Support offloads processing to IBM z Integrated Information Processors (zIIP) to free up general computing capacity and lower overall total cost of computing for select workloads.

* Feature available in PKZIP for z/OS Enterprise Edition

 

Enhanced Tape Processing: Using enhanced tape processing, available with PKZIP for z/OS Enterprise Edition , there are significant reductions in elapsed time and I/O required to write files to, and extract files from, tape media. Enhanced tape processing integrates with IBM’s Large Block Interface (LBI) to ensure maximum efficiency when using contemporary tape drives.

Additional benefits of enhanced tape processing include:

  • Reduced seek times to locate files written to tape
  • Improved operational efficiency, reducing labor expense
  • Faster display of tape archive contents
  • Significantly faster retrieval and fewer requests for multiple volume tapes

Versatile and user-friendly interfaces: Designed specifically for IBM z/OS, PKZIP mainframe ZIP software can be invoked in many ways, including batch processing through JCL, an intuitive ISPF interface, and CLI (Command Line Interface) through the command processor. Calling PKZIP for z/OS from an external program such as REXX, COBOL, or ASSEMBLER is also supported.

EBCDIC/ASCII translation: Data files intended for other operating systems can be automatically translated from EBCDIC to ASCII language sets, making data transfer much faster and easier. ZIP files created on ASCII platforms can be easily read on z/OS. EBCDIC/ASCII code pages that are distributed with PKZIP for z/OS include Danish, English (US and UK), Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish. All code pages also include support for the Euro and a code page conversion utility is provided to meet unique language interchange requirements.

Support for multiple file handlers: PKZIP for z/OS allows sequential, PDS, PDS/E, VSAM, and magnetic tape data sets to be easily compressed and decompressed. It also allows ZIP archives to be stored as a SEQ, VSAM, and magnetic tape data sets, as well as PDS or PDS/E members. Additionally, file attribute retention provides for automatic allocation of supported dataset types in their original format and size.

Also, zIIP Support offloads processing to IBM z Integrated Information Processors (zIIP) to free up general computing capacity and lower overall total cost of computing for select workloads.

Support for multiple file handlers: PKZIP for mainframe ZIP software allows SEQ, PDS, PDS/E, VSAM, and magnetic tape data sets to be easily compressed and decompressed. It also allows ZIP archives to be stored as a SEQ, VSAM, and magnetic tape data sets, as well as PDS or PDS/E members. Additionally, file attribute retention provides for automatic allocation of supported dataset types in their original format and size.

Exchange data between operating systems: PKZIP files are cross-platform compatible, enabling efficient data exchange with other major enterprise computing platforms. Zipped files can be transferred to Windows® desktop, Windows and UNIX®/Linux® servers, and IBM i environments, where they can be unzipped by PKZIP, SecureZIP®, ZIP Reader, or other ZIP-compatible products.

Reduce number of steps required to create & extract archives: Moving data between disparate computing systems often requires multiple steps and could require additional data translation products and converters. However, System Integration allows PKZIP for z/OS to write directly to, and read directly from, UNIX, Linux, and Windows file systems; this eliminates extra steps when moving files across systems. System Integration also allows PKZIP for z/OS to:

  • Facilitate the exchange of data between different types of systems
  • Automatically convert data to the appropriate format for the system
  • Enhance PKWARE's extensive cross-platform capabilities; PKWARE is the only vendor to provide seamless data exchange across z/OS for the mainframe, IBM i for the IBM Power midrange systems, UNIX/Linux/Windows servers, and Windows desktops.
     
About PKWARE

PKWARE, Inc., the creator and continuing innovator of the ZIP standard, is a global market and technology leader providing data-centric, cross-platform data security and compression software. The SecureZIP & PKZIP product families are used by over 30,000 corporate entities and over 200 government agencies to ensure data security, portability, and cross-platform computing exchange - both internally and externally with partners. Organizations in financial services, banking, retail, healthcare, government, and manufacturing use PKWARE products daily for their unmatched scalability, ease of use, and rapid deployment. PKWARE, a privately held company, is based in Milwaukee, WI with additional offices in New York and the United Kingdom.

 

System Requirements
  • Operating System: z/OS 1.11 - 1.13
  • Hardware: 2064 or newer
 
>> back to z/OS product page

PKZIP® for z/OS® - Feature Benefits
ZIP archives reduce file size by as much as 95%
Get bottom-line cost reductions through conservation of bandwidth, storage space, and backup tapes. PKWARE® uses industry-leading algorithms that compress files more efficiently than free compression libraries such as ZLIB.

System Integration
Provides direct access to read or write files on Windows® or UNIX® servers by the z/OS® operating environment. It reduces the number of steps needed to create and extract archives, reducing the total elapsed processing time significantly.

 

International code table support
PKZIP supports standard IBM® code page translations, and comes complete with recommended code pages for many popular languages, including Danish, English (U.S. & U.K..), Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish. Other code pages may be applied as well.

Mainframe-centric file handlers
PKZIP for z/OS was designed specifically for IBM mainframe operating systems. File handlers include SEQ, PDS, PDS/E, VSAM, and magnetic tape data. PKZIP also allows ZIP archives to be stored as SEQ, VSAM, and magnetic tape datasets, as well as PDS or PDS/E members.

Cataloged tape dataset processing
Administrators can request a tape dataset to be compressed without providing all the DCB attributes — making archive or backup compression quicker and easier.

Simulation mode
Administrators can test scenarios to predict compression outcomes, without using the CPU cycles required to perform the entire operation, so they can make informed decisions on processes before committing precious resources.

SafetyX Control
Critical system files cannot be accidentally overwritten.

Multiple integration interfaces
PKZIP includes batch processing through JCL, and CLI (Command Line Interface) through the command processor, all of which are also ways to invoke PKZIP. Calling PKZIP from a REXX EXEC, a COBOL routine, or ASSEMBLER is also supported, so administrators are free to select the type of integration that is most appropriate.

Data integrity checking
32-bit Cyclic Redundancy Check (32-bit CRC) guarantees 100 percent data integrity for data compressed and sent from one system to another.

Self-extracting files for other operating systems
ZIP archives can be formatted as self-extracting files for Windows end users or for UNIX®/Linux® operating systems, so that compressed data can be easily unzipped in one easy step.

Large file size support
PKZIP can compress files of over 9 exabytes in size.

Very large archive support
Over 2 billion files can be included in a ZIP archive.

Decrypt SecureZIP passphrase-encrypted archives
PKZIP Enterprise Edition can decrypt and extract files from SecureZIP® archives.

ISPF panel integration
Integration with IBM’s Interactive System Productivity Facility (ISPF) allows system operators to initiate PKZIP actions ad hoc, using 3270 screen menus and displays.

Enhanced tape processing
Significantly reduce the time needed to write files to and extract files from tape media. Files are written directly to tape media, bypassing the need to stage them to disk first.