Automated IBM z/OS development process from Development, through Test and QA to Production

Modernize your IBM z/OS development process with DevOps and Toolchain Orchestration

Get insight and control over your legacy development -and deployment processes with CloudBees/Jenkins

How to use Cloudbees/Jenkins as a CI/CD solution for IBM z/OS

Solution components

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Cloudbees/Jenkins

CloudBees/Jenkins is the automation server responsible for orchestrating the entire CI/CD flow. All steps in the pipelines are executed by delegating the IKAN plugins for IBM z/OS.

IKAN zOS plugins for CloudBees

IKAN Plugins for IBM z/OS

The plugins for IBM z/OS are Model-driven. This means that the actions which handle compilation, DB2 Binds, CICS updates, debugging (and more...), are driven by customizable JCL models and related parameter files. This approach makes the steps in your pipeline versatile and easily customizable.

Start Jenkins, import the plugins for IBM z/OS and you’re done!

Considering you have a working Cloudbees/Jenkins instance set up, it doesn’t take much effort to start using modern CI/CD practices on your IBM z/OS mainframe. Once the IKAN plugins for IBM z/OS are installed and configured to meet your requirements, you’re ready.

IBM z/OS development lifecycle automation and devops toolchain orchestration

Modernization for IBM z/OS mainframes

Mainframes are a vital part of today's software ecosystem, alongside mobile -and web applications. The digital world expects agility, Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment. CloudBees + IKAN Plugins for IBM z/OS brings the same agility to the mainframe while leaving the vital IBM z/OS compile and promote processes intact.

  • Contemporary versioning with Git or Subversion, safeguards your code and makes parallel development and the use of modern IDE's possible
  • Automated Compile JCL's are generated. We run the job, collect the compile listing and load modules in an archive.
  • Automated Promote (Deploy) JCL's are generated. JCL steps are available for DB2 binds, running test software, CICS updates,...
  • Optional approvals can be added Promote (Deploy) jobs.
  • Languages support:
    Assembler, COBOL, PL/1, 4GL’s, IDMS ADSO.
  • Databases support:
    vsam, ims, db2, Datacom, IDMS,...
  • Tools support:
    BMC, Compuware, IBM, ASG,...
 
IBM z/OS development lifecycle automation and devops toolchain orchestration

Orchestrate your IBM z/OS toolchain

CloudBees + IKAN Plugins for IBM z/OS uses standardized JCL to automate your existing tools, there's no need to change anything. The only difference is that you will be using a web-based interface to launch Compile and Promote (Deploy) actions.

Every (JCL) step is logged, including Compile (sources, listing, load modules,..) and Promote, to be consulted at any time.

Impact Analysis and an Audit module to detect out-of-sync situations, are also included.

All you need to do is enter the related ticket (identifier) from your favorite requirements or issue tracking tool when commiting code.

CloudBees + IKAN Plugins for IBM z/OS will commence the process flow, update the ticket in your requirement or issue tracking tool, and inform you about which builds and deploys the ticket is part of.

Source code can be written in a 3270 terminal, Eclipse or any IDE for IBM z/OS. The sources are stored in a VCR (Git or Subversion) and then get scanned to generate a JCL, following your standards and naming conventions.

The generated JCL is submitted to IBM z/OS for compilation. When finished, the results are retrieved by CloudBees + IKAN Plugins for IBM z/OSand collected in an archive. Every step of this process is logged.

As part of the process you can promote code to test libraries or you can generate a JCL step to run tools like Compuware Xpeditor, Smartest,...

Based on the load modules in the archive (created in the "Create" step), CloudBees + IKAN Plugins for IBM z/OS adds the necessary JCL steps. These steps include having the correct library names and doing the necessary DB2 binds or CICS updates.

The generated JCL is submitted to IBM z/OS for Promotion (Deploy). This entire process is logged.

As part of your release process you can use provisioning. It is just a question of having the correct IKAN Plugin for IBM z/OS.

Leading you from idea to implementation in 3 simple steps

Discovery

Together we analyze your current development and release process and define the optimal IBM z/OS DevOps solution for your company. We clearly draw the roadmap on how to get there.

Pilot (POC)

Next we proof that the proposed solution works, by example. It takes only one week to deliver our proof-of-concept!

Go!

After the POC is finished we have your business case ready, give you a commercial proposal and begin implementing the solution.

IBM z/OS development, modernized and rejuvenated

IBM z/OS development using the Eclipse IDE

Mainframe developers can use a 3270 terminal or an Eclipse-based workstation to edit and version (Git or Subversion) their code.

You can also use the external tool configurator feature from Eclipse to launch compile and promote jobs through CloudBees + IKAN Plugins for IBM z/OS.

IBM z/OS mainframe compile job results on Jenkins

The result of an CloudBees + IKAN Plugins for IBM z/OS compile job is an archive, including sources, load modules, compile listing and all related info.

 
IBM z/OS debugger configuration plugin Jenkins

A plugin model for IBM z/OS to configure a debugger: Abendaid, Smartest, Xpeditor...

CloudBees + IKAN Plugins for IBM z/OS will then generate the necesssary JCL steps, according to your conventions (company name,...).

 
IBM z/OS compile steps log in Jenkins

Every single action is logged. In this example we see the details for every step in the archive process.

 

How can we help you?

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Get a free live demo of our solution. Discover how we can help you solve your specific modernization and CI/CD issues.

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Since 2004 we have been helping enterprises to automate and control their complex development processes.

More details are available in our White Papers and video

Agile zOS development using Jenkins CloudBees preview

Agile IBM z/OS with CI/CD using Cloudbees/Jenkins

How to use contemporary PC-based tooling for the mainframe and how can CloudBees be used as a single point of control to protect your mainframe investments.
Read this document

Agile zOS development using Jenkins CloudBees preview

Integrating Cloudbees/Jenkins with IBM z/OS

Detailed information aimed at explaining how, by using the IKAN Plugin, you can manage your application lifecycle, and how you can easily deploy the developed applications on the mainframe.
Get the details

DevOps for IBM z/OS using CloudBees

This video explains how CloudBees and IKAN Plugins for IBM z/OS work together, to create an end-to-end CI/CD solution for IBM z/OS mainframe environments.

Watch this video

Agile practices for IBM z/OS mainframes

This is a recorded webinar (May 6, 2020) on modernization and DevOps for the mainframe, combining CloudBees, Micro Focus and IKAN products as one unified solution.

Watch this video

What our customers are saying

  • RMA client picture

    Antonio Motta - ICT infrastructure manager, RMA (Italy)

    "Our goal was to have one product, that managed the whole build and deploy process for all the platforms we used to deliver our IT services. We saved more than 2/3 on the software maintenance cost."

  • Constellation Brands client picture

    Jim McGrath - Data Warehouse Manager, Constellation Brands (USA)

    "My internal team was excited about the possibilities your software offers and is anxious to hear next steps. Additionally, you should know that I have ensured my team knows the level of effort and support your team has provided.

    It is hands down the best support I have seen from any vendor I’ve worked with."

  • Vivium client picture

    Willy Mutsaerts - Technology Architect and Software asset management, P&V (Belgium)

    "IKAN allowed us to modernize our mainframe development as we wanted to use an eclipse based development environment and needed to have a compatible life cycle management solution to replace our current mainframe only version control software.

    And IKAN allowed us to interface with the mainframe and has extensive customization possibilities."

    Watch Mr. Mutsaerts talk about IKAN:

    Benefits of IKAN ALM Business Case What makes IKAN ALM unique
  • GMF client picture

    Jerome Rouil - IT Team Manager, GMF COVEA group (France)

    "We did a POC to verify if IKAN could support our different ways of deploying (on different types of platforms), our current way of doing development and the build and deploy scripts we were currently using.

    IKAN allows us to work from everywhere, and to reuse existing scripts. We could use our existing security system (LDAP), SMTP for messaging and notifications.

    We use IKAN for all our JAVA applications and SAS reporting that are deployed to 30 different locations"

People are choosing DevOps because they want

Higher quality

As developers will version their code and as parallel development is supported you will have a more sound code base. Managing the many different releases and hot fixes becomes fast, transparent and reliable.

More frequent deploys

A complete and automated process (build, deploy, approval and notification) is triggered once a developer commits his code to the version control repository. This process is reliable, repeatable and auditable so you can you can deploy more frequently.

Lower development costs

More frequent and qualitative deploys means happy business people since they'll have their desired functionality available faster. The automated process eliminates human mistakes and allows people to do more interesting work. A true win/win.

These companies already use our solutions

A list of our clients: Vivium, Reale Mutua, GMF and Constellation Brands