Compuware’s campaign for Mainstreaming
the Mainframe continues with another partnership and innovative product
improvements that provide Agility without Compromise. Earlier
this year, we discussed Compuware’s commitment to make DevOps pervasive across
an integrated enterprise (mainframe and distributed) computing environment. We described
their design for a blended ecosystem in which both development and operations
staff intimately function in a completely integrated and complementary manner.
Figure 1 (below) is a simplified,
graphical view of Compuware’s vision.
Figure 1 Enabling DevOps across the
Enterprise
Last quarter in two articles[1], we discussed
Compuware’s acquisition of ISPW as well as its
partnerships, which include technology integrations with Atlassian Jira, SonarSource, Splunk and AppDynamics. This quarter we focus on another
partnership with CorreLog and extensions to Topaz and ISPW which address the
challenges associated with one of the more frustrating of software developers’
tasks, i.e. managing application source code.
The
Issue:
Whatever the platform, the task of
keeping applications up-to-date is a fact-of-life. For mainframe source code, often
decades old and lacking reliable records of maintenance, changes, or code
updates, it can be a nightmare. Release management is critical. Even experienced
staff can find it extremely difficult.
Existing mainframe code management
tools were designed for a different era and model of coding. They are
hopelessly outdated and inadequate for today’s world of agile development and
rapid programming styles. Code management needs to be made easier and streamlined.
Much needed functionality that makes management quicker and easier currently
exists in distributed environment tools that collect and present data.
As Compuware
was optimizing their own development and operations processes, they were identifying
the best possible ones for their own use with an eye to also supplying them to their
customers. ISPW was just what they were looking for. They purchased the company
and began integrating it into Topaz.
Combining
Topaz with ISPW = Simplicity + Elegance
Compuware’s goal is to meet an
identified demand for a contemporary DevOps development environment on the
mainframe architecture. Their “Mainstreaming the Mainframe” strategy focuses on
creating a blended ecosystem with tools attractive to both mainframers and
experienced distributed systems developers who are not mainframe literate.
Combining the latest in source-code
management technologies from the distributed world with Topaz, they are
building a common culture to the benefit of both environments. Experienced
mainframers get easier access to the latest in DevOps technology and exposed to
new features that improve productivity. Especially interesting to Compuware is
the opportunity to expose mainframers to the data aggregation and display
capabilities that will make “it easy to go fast” in application code
development, debugging and change management. Here are more examples of how the
combination works together:
o
ISPW integration
with Topaz provides a common look and feel while leveraging its automated
capabilities and visualization strengths. Single-click access allows developers
to leverage the automated capabilities and strengths of Topaz for Program
Analysis. A direct link to Topaz Workbench when compiling quickens analysis of
compile errors.
o
Code management
is significantly easier, faster and less error-prone by using automation and
visualization techniques for working on existing programs, code, copybooks,
etc. to do error analysis, debugging and updating. Automatic display (with the
ability to edit) of offending or suspect code along with associated error codes
on a single screen means no longer having to manually search through multiple screens
or pages of printouts. The result is much reduced time spent on error analysis
and correction.
o
Topaz and ISPW
work together to supply data useful in managing and performing source code updates
and changes. Visual displays of the complete lifecycle of a project makes it
easy to manage the process by maintaining a dynamic, visual record of who is
working on what code, code status (edit, changes, testing, approved), etc.
o
The Impact
Analysis feature within ISPW generates views of copybook, job and code
dependencies, links and interactions speed understanding of program flows while
reducing the risks of conflicts or disruptive changes. The depth (number of
hops) of interactions that are included in the graphic display is adjustable by
the developer.
o
Developers can
work independently while keeping track of who and what others working on the
code are doing. Automatically generated side-by-side visual displays of edited
codes makes comparisons easy for error-correction, edits, merges and updates.
o
A mobile interface
makes it easier to get change approval for emergency code fixes.
There is more
to the announcement including enhancements in log analysis and collection due
to CorreLog SIEM Agent integration. This significantly strengthens log analysis
and reporting using a standardized interface to get application-level data from
mainframe application auditing solutions. In addition to its own analysis,
messaging and altering, CorreLog can feed the 3270 log codes to all major SIEM
solutions. This allows creation of a single view of risk and security,
incidents and events across platforms.
The
Final Word
The overall takeaway is that Compuware
continues to impress with their focus and progress. For six consecutive
quarters they have delivered significant advances and improvements in products
and solutions aimed at Mainstreaming the Mainframe.
They have identified an obviously interested market segment who see opportunities and advantages in the mainframe, but want to provide programming tools with familiar interfaces to their next generation of developers. Also interested are those enterprises looking to integrate data centers with standardized management and operations solutions across platforms. Finally, they can serve data center managers and mainframers looking to modernize mainframe operations who are moving beyond Linux-Java to power agile development with DevOps solutions.
Compuware has accurately identified its
market. In working closely with these customers, they are also uncovering
unexpected opportunities to resolve weaknesses and customer discontent with other
infrastructure tools. So far, Compuware has successfully been able to
capitalize on such opportunities. We bet that they’ll continue to do so over coming
quarters.
[1]
See “Mainstreaming the Mainframe..” and “On implementing Compuware’s pioneering mainframe strategy” at: http://www.ptakassociates.com/content/
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