Modernization with IBM Z and Cloud

Modernization with IBM Z and Cloud

Modernization with IBM Z and Cloud

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Happy Birthday to watsonx Code Assistant for Z!

By Rich Larin posted Sat October 26, 2024 08:43 PM

  

IBM watsonx Code Assistant for Z Turns One!

Authored by Rich Larin and Husein Shamshudin

One year ago, on October 26th 2023, IBM launched watsonx Code Assistant for Z. This ushered in a new movement of leveraging generative AI to accelerate mainframe application modernization, building on the years of investment IBM has made into AI and modernization technology. Through collaboration across IBM Research, IBM Software, and IBM Infrastructure, watsonx Code Assistant for Z brought together years of large language model research and cutting edge automation technology into a robust product with a broad set of capabilities designed to help our clients move faster in their modernization journey, and take advantage of the myriad benefits of the IBM Z platform.  Throughout this past year, we have worked with a remarkable number of clients who are seeing the massive potential of this technology to unlock the power of the modern mainframe and differentiate their core business as they modernize. Following the initial release, the pace of innovation has only accelerated as continuous enhancements and capabilities are delivered to meet client needs and market trends.

Let’s take a look at what has been delivered and what is coming to watsonx Code Assistant for Z.

Rapid Innovation & Delivery

IBM watsonx Code assistant for Z's capabilities have doubled over the past 12 months. The first release in 2023 allowed our clients to accelerate their modernization with three phases:

  • Understand: Conduct deep application analysis to discover dependencies and chart the course of your modernization strategy
  • Refactor: Tooling to decompose a monolithic application into modular business service
  • Transform: Leverage the power of Generative AI to transform a COBOL business service into object oriented Java

Now in 2024, the product has expanded to add additional core capabilities with three additional phases:

  • Optimize: provide insights into COBOL code to identify performance issues and recommend improvements
  • Validate: Autogenerate Junit tests to ensure that transformed Java is semantically equivalent to the COBOL it was Transformed from
  • Explain: Utilize generative AI to explain COBOL or JCL code in natural language

All of these capabilities come together to enable an application modernization lifecycle that our clients can leverage as they see fit for their unique modernization journeys.

All of this progress has been made possible by the amazingly skilled team of mainframe software engineers, architects, researchers, designers, and product managers who have been delivering innovation after innovation in this breakthrough technology space. Some of the remarkable technology achievements include:

  • Developing a specialized, fine tuned large language model with deep domain expertise in mainframe languages and IBM Z subsystems, built on top of IBM’s state of the art Granite code models
  • Building the platform technologies to allow our customers to deploy the LLM in their own environment on prem, or as a SaaS solution in IBM Cloud
  • New methodologies for in-depth analysis of COBOL modules through static and dynamic techniques to uncover performance insights
  • Automated mocking capabilities to allow unit tests to run on z/OS in isolation without middleware
  • … and countless other cutting edge features!

Key Learnings

This past year has also encompassed a tremendous amount of learning - in terms of our clients' challenges, the potential of these new technologies, and the way to deliver real business value. 

Many enterprises modernizing their mainframe applications are in need of a tool that can help them understand and explain their existing applications, many of which may have been written decades ago. Furthermore, there is a need to bring modern tools and ways of working to the mainframe as the workforce transitions to new-to-mainframe developers working on building and supporting these mission-critical applications. As such, we’ve delivered and continue to enhance the watsonx Code Assistant for Z capabilities that enable clients to do so. From where we started one year ago to where we are now, our mission stands firm: to help developers accelerate their mainframe application modernization through a de-risked approach, with technology that helps clients grow their mainframe talent pool, while moving with greater business agility.

IBM watsonx Code Assistant for Z’s Future

While the product has come a long way since the GA one year ago, there is still so much to do. IBM is committed to continuously enhancing the offering with capabilities including but not limited to:

  • Support for additional mainframe languages, such as PL/I , REXX, and Assembler
  • Additional investments in COBOL modernization capabilities, such COBOL Code Generation
  • Incorporation of new technologies such as generative AI enabled Agents
  • …and so much more!

Ready to accelerate mainframe application modernization, powered by Generative AI? Visit our webpage to learn more and book a live demo today!

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