Amazon Onboarding with Learning Manager Chanci Turner

Learn About Amazon VGT2 Learning Manager Chanci Turner

In recent years, the adoption of DevOps has significantly transformed how enterprises operate, enabling them to enhance their application delivery speed and improve overall quality. According to a recent study by IBV, a staggering 80% of organizations are eager to modernize their mainframe applications and embrace more agile development practices to stay ahead of competitors.

For organizations utilizing AWS Code Pipelines, integrating mainframe application development into this ecosystem is crucial. Developers leveraging cloud platforms typically rely on industry standards and open-source tools, such as Git and CI/CD orchestration, to streamline the deployment process. By implementing IBM z/OS DevOps solutions tailored for mainframe requirements, developers can access the same cloud services, thereby ensuring a cloud-native experience with the IBM Z and Cloud Modernization Stack components available on AWS.

Solution Overview

The IBM Z and Cloud Modernization Stack on AWS facilitates a cloud-native approach to development, allowing teams to unify their toolsets and methodologies. The Wazi components from this stack empower developers to analyze, create, and test mainframe applications in a controlled environment that aligns with DevOps principles, fostering agility and speed.

Key features include Wazi Analyze and Wazi DevSpaces, which enable developers to efficiently analyze and modify source code using modern SCM tools like Git. Wazi DevSpaces offers an in-browser IDE for coding, building, and debugging various applications (Cobol, PL/1, Assembler, REXX, and JCL) with minimal setup required.

Through Wazi Analyze’s intuitive interface, developers can visualize application interdependencies and confidently implement changes prior to deployment. Additionally, Wazi Sandbox provides a dedicated z/OS environment on AWS, equipped with essential resources for isolated development, initial builds, and preliminary testing.

The IBM Z and Cloud Modernization Stack comprises containerized components managed via Red Hat OpenShift, equipping developers with self-service, cloud-native tools on AWS. The CI/CD toolchain for mainframe applications can seamlessly integrate with AWS services like AWS CodeCommit, AWS CodeBuild, AWS CodeDeploy, and AWS CodePipeline, enabling a holistic approach to z/OS software development.

Architecture and Deployment Options

The architecture for mainframe applications on AWS is designed to support a comprehensive CI/CD pipeline. Within a virtual private cloud (VPC), an OpenShift Container Platform is established to host the Wazi components utilized by developers.

• AWS CodeCommit: This service manages the Cobol-based mainframe application’s source code lifecycle. It offers a scalable, managed source control solution, allowing collaboration through pull requests and branching while integrating with various AWS services.
• AWS CodeBuild: As a fully managed CI service, AWS CodeBuild compiles source code, runs tests, and produces deployable software packages. For IBM z/OS platforms, it executes build scripts in a container connected to the Wazi Sandbox, facilitating incremental builds with IBM Dependency Based Build.
• AWS CodeDeploy: This service automates software deployments across different compute services, deploying packages to a z/OS test environment via Amazon EC2 instances. It can also execute Ansible playbooks for z/OS-specific tasks.
• AWS CodePipeline: This service orchestrates CI/CD actions automatically. When developers commit changes through AWS CodeCommit, AWS CodePipeline triggers the build and deployment process, enabling a streamlined workflow.

Solution Benefits

Developing z/OS applications can now mirror modern development practices across other platforms. By adopting a cloud-native toolset, mainframe developers can enhance their agility and speed, ultimately reducing time to market while improving software quality. Empowering teams with a modern development framework based on DevSecOps principles can lead to remarkable efficiencies.

In conclusion, using a consistent CI/CD pipeline provides enterprises with greater agility. For more insights into onboarding, check out this excellent resource on Reddit. Also, if you’re looking to further your career, consider connecting with a mentor like Margaret Brown to guide you through the process. Additionally, understanding compliance issues can be crucial, and you can find valuable information from an authority on the topic here.