Ansible for IBM Z User Spotlight Series
In this series we shine a light on the people who make the Ansible community thrive. We share the inspiring stories of users who combine experience, skill, and curiosity to shape strategies, influence organizations, and take our tools to new heights.
Getting to know Ipek Dedekoy
Ipek currently works as a z/OS middleware system programmer at Rabobank and is a member of their newly formed Ansible-focused Automation Squad. After completing her bachelor’s degree in computer engineering, Ipek started her mainframe career journey as a CICS/MQ system programmer. She has experienced various mainframe systems by working at several financial institutions across Türkiye, Poland, and The Netherlands.
As a young mainframer interested in modernization, Ipek is enthusiastic about adopting and implementing new technologies into traditional processes.
Q: What makes Ansible a great user experience?First and foremost, the documentation is very well put together and easy to read. Second, Ansible is very easy to learn. Third, I would say the community; although it is not very big, it is very accessible.
“Sharing the importance of automation is an obligation. Running tasks manually is too risky - one single mistake can be disastrous.”
Q: What benefits do you see in having a full platform focused on automation?I like that you can see tasks running. For example, you can initiate a playbook while another playbook is already running, and you can see the real-time results of both. Also, you can quickly see the logs in a single platform without having to navigate anywhere else. I think this encompasses the definition of the hybrid cloud and how it works seamlessly. It is a very modern concept where you can—with one click—accomplish so much. It feels like I’m doing DevOps, cloud, and automation all in one place because I’m using the right tools.
Q: What do you think it would take for everyone in your team to get behind the idea of using Ansible?I think it takes encouragement. Pushing them to try it and use it is the only way that they will know what it’s like. It’s not enough to tell people about the benefits of Ansible. If they never use it themselves, they will never know.
Q: How has Ansible given you a competitive advantage?Ansible has given me the ability to collaborate on automation technology with other teams in different parts of the business. With just five years of experience in this field, I’ve been able to get opportunities that not everyone comes across, thanks mainly to the technology of the product. Anyone can learn Ansible, anyone can do what I do. People who come to me for help getting started take that knowledge and progress on their own. When you learn something well, it’s important to talk about it and share that knowledge with others. Sharing the importance of automation is an obligation. Running tasks manually is too risky; one single mistake can be disastrous.
Q: How has your leadership team realized the value of the work you are doing with Ansible?We currently hold Ansible demos and presentations for stakeholders, which include system programmers, clients, application teams, and developers. They often recognize the word ‘Ansible’, but they usually don’t know how they can use it within our company. As we present, you can see them realize that we’re not talking about system automation, and they start to become aware of this different layer that they have access to.
“Anyone can learn this, anyone can do what I do.”
Q: What are the plans for 2023?We will continue working on Certificate automation, but there is also a lot of interest around automating everyday tasks from individuals and teams not directly related to the mainframe. I have been working with some of them to get them started as soon as possible. That way, they can use their Ansible knowledge to automate other tasks. A lot of ideas and brainstorming sessions are taking place about what’s coming in 2023, and I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next.
Q: How do you envision the future of the mainframe?I think it will continue to develop further. Even now we can see the progress, but it is up to the people who develop it to use automation in real mainframe areas. If people stop using and advancing mainframe automation, it will not evolve. With the new generation coming, it is more likely that change will continue, and automation will be able to accomplish great things.
Q: What would you say to someone who is in university now and is thinking about a career in the mainframe space?I would tell them that they should always be open to new things. Don’t just learn from people on the job. You need to think about how to make improvements and make those changes. If you are interested in doing the same thing every day, the mainframe is not for you. This space allows you to do new things and to apply your innovative ideas if you have the initiative to do so. Automation might sound a little scary for some who think that it will take their jobs, but in reality, it is a great space for opportunity in the mainframe.
Stay up to date with the Ansible User Spotlight Series and Ansible for IBM Z community
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Check out the last User Spotlight Series article here!
Here are some additional resources if you are interested in getting started automating with Ansible for z/OS: