Application Modernization on the IBM Z Mainframe and AWS
According to the IBM Institute for Business Value, modernizing mainframe-based applications is critical for successful hybrid cloud strategies, holistic digital transformation, and realizing innovation. IBM offers a cost-effective approach to application modernization, leveraging enterprise DevOps and existing assets on the IBM zSystems platform, to improve ROI with less risk. By blending the power of mainframes into the cloud landscape, companies can achieve maximum agility and return on investment and use a best-fit approach for applications based on efficiencies, cost optimization, developer skills, and speed of delivery.
IBM and AWS have brought the IBM Z and Cloud Modernization Stack to the AWS Marketplace to help IBM zSystems clients radically simplify the development, deployment, and configuration experience through common, open-source tooling that is familiar to modern developers. This strategy enables businesses across industries, such as banking, automotive, aviation, insurance, stock trading, and energy and utilities, to digitally transform and build new customer experiences. For instance, a banking customer securely connected existing mainframe applications and data with digital solutions like mobile and web apps using modern, open languages and standardized REST APIs. A vehicle manufacturer quickly created reproducible z/OS development and test environments for new application development, and a financial technology company increased developer productivity by up to 25%.
A high-level view of the day-to-day life of a mainframe application developer, leveraging current technology, may include the following:
- Use Wazi Analyze to visualize and understand how your proposed code changes might affect applications written in COBOL, PL/I, Assembler, and Java.
- Edit, debug, and build z/OS applications in the same modern Wazi Code IDE as other popular languages and then integrate your creations through standard, enterprise-wide CI/CD pipelines.
- Enhance applications on z/OS with open enterprise languages such as Python, Go, Node.js, and Java.
- Build new capabilities with z/OS Connect by making existing z/OS applications and data available for digital consumption through standardized, easily consumable REST API interfaces without changing the existing z/OS assets.
- Get self-service z/OS sandbox environments through Wazi Sandbox to shift left early development and test work off-platform, experiment with cloud-native tools, new solutions, and promising projects without worrying about affecting on-premises environments.
- Standardize IT automation with Red Hat Ansible and z/OS Cloud Broker for self-service management of z/OS middleware environments and z/OS Package Manager for z/OS software installations.
To learn more, visit the IBM Developer AWS hub and check out the AWS Marketplace to review our mainframe application modernization offerings.
- Review the associated IBM Developer article "Enable modern applications to communicate with IBM Z systems using AWS services," which explores the capabilities of IBM Z and Cloud Modernization Stack that can help you accelerate your application modernization journey on AWS.
- View the IBM Z and Cloud Modernization Stack AWS Marketplace listing and deployment template.