TECH_170: Understanding DFSMS - Intelligent - But Not Artificial

Project and Program: Storage Management

Tags: Proceedings, SHARE Orlando 2026, 2026

We often think of AI as something new and cutting-edge. But the idea of an 'intelligent' system - one that can manage itself, has been part of the IBM mainframe environment for more than 35 years. When device storage capacities began to explode in the 1990s, it became impossible for individuals to control the vast new storage landscape. 'System-managed' storage, implemented via DFSMS, provides 'intelligent' policies and automated management of all the storage resources - disk, tape, and more - in z/OS environments. In this session, attendees will gain an understanding of DFSMS - its history, purpose, role in the data center, and the critical SMS constructs and Automatic Class Selection routines that allow z/OS systems to intelligently and efficiently manage large-scale mainframe storage.

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