What's new for Test Accelerator for Z 2.7.0: https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/test-accelerator-for-z/2.x?topic=whats-new-in-test-accelerator-z
Blog Summary / Quick Links:
Do more with Test Accelerator for Z 2.7.0 On-Demand Environments (Parallel Sysplex news!)
First, as you would expect, we have updated the IBM z/OS Dev & Test stock images in this Test Accelerator for Z (TAZ) 2.7.0 On-Demand Environments (ODE) release.
The big news now in On-Demand Environments in Test Accelerator for Z 2.7.0, there is a new capability to provision Parallel Sysplex instances on Linux x86-64 platforms.
A parallel sysplex instance runs z/VM with multiple z/OS guests with a coupling facility enabled.
Now you can provision a Parallel Sysplex enabled image into a newly created target environment.
You can also now define a Parallel Sysplex image that includes IBM z/VM and a set of system resident volume components, where each component represents a z/OS guest that runs on z/VM and originates from existing environments.
This, of course, includes the API support, in addition to the nice Graphical User Interfaces, to provision the Parallel Sysplex z/OS instances from a custom image into the Linux x86-64 environments.
There is now also API support to define target environments which skip the automation for system preparation during the instance provisioning, allowing the target environments to run without requiring elevated permissions for the tooling.
On Demand Environments has now also introduced a new target environment experience for supported iptables and MacVTap networking solutions to support a single instance that contains multiple systems, including one z/VM system and multiple z/OS guests.
When using iptables, all ports are no longer automatically mapped from the Linux network interface to the z/OS network interface.
In fact, none are mapped!
If you want to create a networking in-bound rule you will need to use the Instance Controller to create that port mapping.
Here is the grand tour of our new target environment definition pages:
Extra Note: On-Demand Environments are a great place to practice those host installs and various configurations from my last post Test Accelerator for Z 2.6.0 and Host Configuration Assistant for Z Development 3.8.
Get Test Accelerator for Z Early Development Testing for VS Code 2.7.0 (More places!)
Right to your doorstep! Test Accelerator for Z (TAZ) 2.7.0 Early Development Testing for VS Code is now even more available!
(My inner voice: Wait! What does “even more available” even mean? reads like nonsense.)
IBM TAZ Early Development Testing for Microsoft Visual Studio Code extension is, for the first time ever, now available directly in VS Code Extension Marketplace!
Look for the IBM.taz-edt-extension in the browser …
IBM TAZ Early Development Testing - Visual Studio Marketplace
Extension for Visual Studio Code - Create early development tests for z/OS applications
https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=IBM.taz-edt-extension
… or directly in the Microsoft Visual Studio Code Extensions Marketplace!
But that isn’t all.
If you were always looking , but never found Test Accelerator for Z in the premier place for getting your IBM provided Z tools at the Mainframe Downloads, then just take a look now!
It is in the section for IBM Z VS Code Components.
IBM Z VS Code Components Downloads - Mainframe Dev
DevOps for Enterprise mainframe downloads for software tools including z/OS Explorer, CICS Explorer, IBM Developer for z Systems, and more.
https://ibm.github.io/mainframe-downloads/downloads.html#wazi
Just accept the License Agreement…
… and download the zip …
… expand the zip file …
… and of course read the README, notices, licenses, changelog, and check the file signature …
… then install the vsix file from the VS Code Extensions Marketplace by clicking the more options menu (also known as the three dot, meatballs, or ellipsis menu) and selecting “Install from VSIX…”
… and then selecting the vsix file and clicking install.
That’s it! We are done and IBM TAZ Early Development Testing for VS Code extension is now installed!
Hmmm. You were looking somewhere else…. maybe the Open VSX Registry? Well, no worries there because IBM Test Accelerator for Z Early Development Testing is also available there too!
IBM TAZ Early Development Testing - Open VSX Registry
Extension for Visual Studio Code - Create early development tests for z/OS applications
https://open-vsx.org/extension/IBM/taz-edt-extension
Finally, we expanded but never moved'; if you liked IBM Passport Advantage Online to get your Test Accelerator for Z Early Development Testing for VS Code extension it is also still available in Passport Advantage.
What was once one place is now four options all for you convenience.
With this big change in availability, the IBM TAZ Early Development Testing extension version numbering was adjusted forward to align with TAZ release versions for consistency.
(My inner voice: Oh. That makes sense, and about time!)
Welcome to the pipeline, Early Development Testing for VS Code unit tests! (New tooling on z/OS!)
Big news for TAZ EDT and DevOps!
TAZ 2.7 EDT VS Code has a host side component in the the form of a nifty new Command Line interface (CLI).
The EDT VS Code host CLI enables the unit tests created on VS Code to integrate with a Continuous Integration Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) pipeline.
The CLI is the new one stop shop for running the unit tests created with EDT VS Code via Unix System Services on the host, enabling unit testing to be engaged directly on the z/OS for running in a pipeline.
Running the CLI allows direct console results…
… and has output options for JSON as well as the jUnit XML format compatible with CI/CD pipeline tools such as Jenkins, GitLab CI, and SonarQube.
Read more on the new CLI and all of its new features in the test Accelerator for Z EDT documentation at https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/test-accelerator-for-z/2.x?topic=code-running-test-accelerator-z-unit-test-cli which includes examples of the Jenkins integrations and references for the commands and options.
Other enhancements in Test Accelerator for Z 2.7.0 Early Development Testing for VS Code (More… more!)
As you may remember, just last release https://community.ibm.com/community/user/blogs/gerald-mitchell/2026/03/06/taz260-hca380
TAZ 2.6.0 EDT extension on VS Code now provides ability to run unit tests with IBM Compiled Code Coverage collection as well as a lot of other cool expansion on capabilities and support.
TAZ 2.7.0 EDT focused on some user experience and serviceability items to make life easier in addition to all of the big ticket items.
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There is now an added Zowe Z Open Debug profile selection when running tests with improved messages to distinguish between the Zowe connection RSE API profiles, the Zowe connection z/OSMF profiles, and the Zowe Z Open Debug profiles.
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The Zowe profile selection now clearly shows the default profile first, followed by remaining profiles.
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The Zowe profile selection options are now also sorted alphabetically.
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A warning message is displayed when the hosts of the selected Zowe connection profile and the selected Z Open Debug profile differ.
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There are also now startup logging and validation for custom z/OS Unix System Services settings to provide clear warnings for invalid configuration paths so that modified settings are clearly visible in the logs.
Learn more about the entire IBM Z Tools ecosystem (New and More learning!)
New Course for IBM Developer for z/OS on VS Code
IBM Developer for z/OS on VS Code has a whole new course with an opportunity to earn a Credly Badge!
This course is designed to help users get started with mainframe software development on a VS Code based editor, with primary focus on the IBM Developer for z/OS (IDz) on VS Code and contains hours of great material including educational reading, video learning, in-module quizzes, and a full hands-on step-by-step Z Trial lab.
New Blog post for IBM Developer for z/OS on VS Code
Neat trick! Menu Manager analog capability point in IDz on VS Code. Learning every day.
New Learning for Z Open Debug on VS Code
On the IBM Debug side, there is a new IBM Z Open Debug Quick Start Guide which is an excellent read. Highly Recommended.
Host Configuration Assistant for Z Development page
Test Accelerator for Z page
Release notes
Documentation
Downloads