By: James Hunter
Organizations want to increase productivity, without compromising on quality. This is where IBM DevOps Loop comes into play. Designed to streamline the software delivery lifecycle, IBM DevOps Loop is particularly powerful when used to develop and maintain applications that run on IBM Z, the industry-leading mainframe platform known for its high performance, security, and reliability.
How Does IBM DevOps Loop Bring Business Value for IBM Z Applications?
Accelerating Software Delivery
IBM DevOps Loop is designed to streamline the software delivery lifecycle by providing a single, adaptable, AI-driven platform. This platform integrates planning, development, testing, deployment, and release orchestration, enabling teams to deliver solutions faster. When used for applications running on IBM Z, organizations can ensure that their mission-critical applications are not only delivered quickly but also run efficiently and securely on the powerful mainframe.
Enhancing Security and Compliance
IBM Z is renowned for its robust security features, including pervasive encryption and secure cryptographic processors. By integrating IBM DevOps Loop with IBM Z, teams can leverage these security capabilities throughout the entire software delivery lifecycle. This ensures that applications are secure from the moment they are conceived until they are deployed and maintained, reducing the risk of security breaches and compliance issues.
Improving Productivity and Efficiency
IBM DevOps Loop offers extensive automation capabilities, including automated testing, CI/CD, builds, and deployments. This automation reduces manual steps and human error, accelerating time-to-market and improving overall productivity. When combined with IBM Z's high availability and disaster recovery features, teams can ensure that their applications are not only delivered quickly but also remain operational under all circumstances.
IBM DevOps Loop + IBM Z
Seamless Integration and Virtualization
IBM DevOps Loop allows users to virtualize parts of their mainframe environment for testing purposes. This virtualization removes dependencies on real systems, leading to faster, more efficient, and more cost-effective testing. Virtualized services and environments mimic the behavior of z/OS and its associated middleware components like CICS, IMS, and DB2, allowing developers and testers to work independently and in parallel.
Consistent and Repeatable Deployments
IBM DevOps Loop automates the deployment of applications natively to z/OS systems and orchestrates any dependencies, including the deployment to non-Z environments. This means a single platform can support the entire delivery process, ensuring consistent, repeatable, and auditable deployments of Z applications. This reduces deployment time and complexity, including managing database schema changes in Db2 for z/OS applications and applications deployed in containers on z/OS and LinuxONE platforms.
A single platform with integrated AI and Automation
IBM DevOps Loop incorporates AI and automation at every stage of the delivery lifecycle, from turning ideas into actions to providing AI guidance on deployment risks and issues. By supporting IBM Z as well as other deployment targets, teams and improve their productivity without compromising on quality.
What Pain Points Does IBM DevOps Loop Address for IBM Z Applications
Toolchain Sprawl and Complexity
Before adopting IBM DevOps Loop, teams often struggle with toolchain sprawl and complexity, which hinder efficiency, metrics, and reporting. IBM DevOps Loop provides a single, open platform that allows teams to get control of disparate tools and data from across multiple projects, automate and govern the delivery of code, and align business goals to delivery activities.
Security and Compliance Risks
Teams fear security breaches, compliance risks, and downtime. IBM DevOps Loop's Governance, Risk, and Compliance capabilities, combined with IBM Z's robust security features, enable teams to define, track, and actively manage the governance of software development pipelines, ensuring that applications are secure and compliant.
Manual Steps and Disjointed Data Tools
Manual steps and disjointed data tools cause miscommunication, longer release cycles, and quality issues. IBM DevOps Loop's extensive automation capabilities, combined with IBM Z's high availability and disaster recovery features, ensure that applications are delivered quickly, efficiently, and with minimal human error.
Best Practices: Tips for Implementing and Using IBM DevOps Loop for IBM Z Applications
Standardize Tools and Processes
Standardize your tools and processes to simplify and accelerate software innovation. Use IBM DevOps Loop as a single development and delivery platform for all distributed and Z projects to ensure consistency and productivity.
Leverage Virtualization
Leverage IBM DevOps Loop's virtualization capabilities to virtualize parts of your mainframe environment for testing purposes. This will allow for earlier and more frequent testing during the development lifecycle, leading to faster feedback loops and quicker defect detection and resolution.
Automate Deployments
Automate the deployment of applications natively to z/OS systems using IBM DevOps Loop. This will ensure consistent, repeatable, and auditable deployments, reducing deployment time and complexity.
Additional Information: Trends and Insights
The Rise of AI in DevOps
AI is becoming increasingly important in DevOps, enabling teams to automate tasks, improve efficiency, and enhance the user experience. IBM DevOps Loop's AI-driven approach, combined with IBM Z's advanced AI capabilities, positions organizations to take full advantage of this trend.
The Importance of Security in DevOps
Security is a top concern for organizations adopting DevOps practices. IBM DevOps Loop's Governance, Risk, and Compliance capabilities, combined with IBM Z's robust security features, enable teams to ensure that their applications are secure and compliant throughout the entire software delivery lifecycle.
In conclusion, IBM DevOps Loop is a powerful tool for developing and maintaining applications that run on IBM Z. By leveraging IBM DevOps Loop, organizations can accelerate software delivery, enhance security and compliance, and improve productivity and efficiency. The combination of IBM DevOps Loop's AI-driven automation and IBM Z's high performance and security ensures that mission-critical applications are delivered quickly, efficiently, and securely.
Schedule a live demo to discover how IBM DevOps Loop can accelerate your IBM Z application development while improving quality and reducing risk.