Tools
The modernization of an IT solution is not just about people changing architecture and performing various bits of maintenance. It is also very much about efficient tools. Many vendors currently supply good and effective tools for the mainframe. The market leading toolkit, and the one we prefer, is the IBM Rational product portfolio. When we perform any IT modernization project, we utilize the best modernization tools to perform the necessary tasks.

This is the list of the strongest modernization tools for the mainframe platform that we recommend:

• Rational Developer for Enterprise – IBM® Rational® Developer for the Enterprise provides a comprehensive development environment for heterogeneous enterprise application development with workloads spanning enterprise architectures and languages including z/OS®, Linux for System z®, x86, and Power®; languages including Java, COBOL, PL/I, Assembler, EGL, C/C++, and JCL; and runtimes such as AIX®, Linux for System z, Linux on Power, x86 Linux, CICS®, IMS™, DB2®, and Batch, as well as, WebSphere® Application Server environments on many architectures. The development environment includes tools for creating and maintaining traditional System z applications and transactional processing, cross platform web services, Web 2.0 applications, lightweight Web 2.0 applications using EGL, as well as Java Enterprise Edition applications that run in WebSphere Application Server. Rational Developer for the Enterprise helps to increase developer productivity by delivering integrated, high-quality code while working within the organizations development processes, tools, and philosophy.
• Rational Developer for z – IBM® Rational® Developer for System z® provides an enhanced toolset for creating and maintaining z/OS® applications quickly and efficiently. This rich set of COBOL, PL/I, C++, assembler and Java development tools designed for batch, IBM CICS®, IBM IMS™ and IBM DB2® environments are optimized for the workstation-based Eclipse platform. Developers can take advantage of a modern, interactive and integrated environment for enhanced productivity when creating high quality mainframe applications.
• Rational Developer for i – IBM® Rational® Developer for i is an integrated development environment (IDE) built on the Eclipse platform. Designed for creating and maintaining applications on IBM i systems, it resides on the developer’s desktop, supporting development in both host-connected and disconnected modes.
• Rational Developer for p – Many businesses running IBM i (formerly i5/OS and OS/400) have an existing inventory of applications, data and business processes that are rooted in RPG or COBOL language-based, green-screen applications. Businesses trying to enhance or extend these applications to the Web, or integrate with partners and suppliers, often face technical challenges or skills shortages. Rational software can help businesses overcome these challenges by providing tools, processes and best practices to enable existing and new IT staff to build and deploy modern Web 2.0 or SOA-based applications for IBM i without rewriting the proven code that works – thus lowering the risk and total cost of deploying new innovative business solutions.
• Rational Application Developer for Websphere – IBM® Rational® Application Developer for WebSphere® Software accelerates the development and deployment of Java, Java EE, Web 2.0, mobile, OSGi, portal and service-oriented architecture (SOA) applications. Both expert and novice developers can increase productivity and efficiency by using its many integrated capabilities for easier development, testing, analysis and delivery of applications.
• Rational Business Developer – IBM® Rational® Business Developer is designed to meet the needs of business developers, providing a simplified, highly productive, and comprehensive development environment for the EGL language. It includes tools to develop, test, and debug EGL applications and services that can be generated as Java™ or COBOL and deployed to various application servers, such as WebSphere Application Server, and enterprise environments on System z and Power Systems. EGL also simplifies development of open standards-based Web 2.0 style applications, thus providing a common language across both client and server.
• Rational Asset Analyzer – IBM® Rational® Asset Analyzer helps you gather and work with knowledge about application structure, embedded business rules, relationships, control flows, and interdependencies with databases, transactions and batch jobs. You gain a better understanding of the impact and risks of change. This software executes in the Microsoft® Windows® environment.
• Rational Development and Test Environment for System z – Off-host mainframe application development and testing. IBM® Rational® Development and Test Environment for System z® provides an environment for mainframe application development and testing where the operating systems, middleware, and software can run on Intel and Intel-compatible platforms without the need for System z mainframe hardware. Integral to the IBM Integrated Solution for System z Development and the IBM Continuous Integration Solution for System z, this software is based on the IBM System z Personal Development Tool (zPDT), providing an emulated System z architecture with virtual I/O and devices.
• Rational Host Access Transformation Services – Reuse and transform your existing applications. IBM® Rational® Host Access Transformation Services (HATS) transforms traditional text-based interfaces—such as 3270 and 5250 green-screen applications—into web, portlet, rich client or mobile device user interfaces. It also extends 3270, 5250 and virtual terminal (VT) applications as standard web services. With Rational HATS, you can easily convert traditional text-based host application screens to user-friendly GUIs. Rational HATS is available in the following packages: Rational HATS for Multiplatforms and HATS for Linux® on zSeries®, Rational HATS for 5250 Applications on Multiplatforms, and Rational HATS for 5250 Applications on i5/OS®.
• Rational Test Workbench – IBM® Rational® Test Workbench provides a comprehensive test automation solution for mobile applications, regression testing, integration technologies and performance and scalability testing. It helps you build intelligent and interconnected enterprise applications that can be deployed on traditional and cloud infrastructures.
• z/OS Problem Determination Tools – IBM Problem Determination Tools for z/OS® have powerful functions and features to help you to modernize your existing System z applications and transform your System z environment into a service-oriented architecture (SOA) infrastructure.
• IBM Worklight Foundation – IBM® Worklight® Foundation helps you extend your business to mobile devices. It is designed to provide an open, comprehensive platform to build, test, run and manage native, hybrid and mobile web apps. IBM Worklight Foundation can help reduce both app development and maintenance costs, improve time-to-market and enhance mobile app governance and security.
• WebSphere Cast Iron Cloud integration – IBM® WebSphere® Cast Iron® Cloud integration products enable you to integrate cloud and on-premise applications in days, reduce integration costs and optimize resources and productivity in software as a service (SaaS) and cloud models. They provide a graphical configuration approach—rather than custom coding, on-demand tooling or traditional middleware—to help you integrate applications quickly and simply. They use pre-configured templates based on common integration scenarios to accelerate integration. WebSphere Cast Iron Cloud integration products provide several capabilities for near real time integration: data cleansing and migration, data synchronization and connectivity, workflow and transformation that enable you to orchestrate integration processes across multiple applications. Mash up capabilities enable you to integrate information from disparate sources and to display it using the native user interface of a cloud application. WebSphere Cast Iron Cloud integration products also support mobile applications by harnessing data and processes from other parts of the enterprise.