Mainframe often termed old world juggernaut of software industry, but still holds large trillions of data in Banking, Insurance, Travel, Hospitality industry, has an impeccable track record of robust processing and security. But often the fast changing Digital world and Mobile eco system, manifests a challenge to Mainframe systems, in terms seamless compatibility. So that organizations can leverage competitive edge to have mobile eco system as part of their IT solution to gain the dynamic edge yet leverage Mainframe as their system of records to leverage stability. In this talk will share a generic case study of major bank how they leveraged in making their Mainframe eco system nimble and compatible with Mobile eco system using Agile, Devops and Micro services in tandem to leverage competitive advantage and cost savings.

1. OPENING THE MAINFRAME WORLD
TO MOBILE ECOSYSTEM IN A
SEAMLESS AND BENEFICIAL WAY.
Vishal Venkatesan
1st – 3rd December, 2017 | Westin, Hyderabad, INDIA

2. INTRODUCTION
• Vishal Venkatesan
• Principal Agile Consultant with the Global Agile CoE, Mindtree
• Education: BE (E&C)
• Certifications:
• CSM, SAFe Agilist, ITIL Certified, Devops Certified – (Devops Institute)
• SCRUMStudy Certified Agile Trainer (SDC, SMC, SPOC)
• Domains:
• BFSI (Banking Financial Services And Insurance),
• Telecommunications,
• RCM (Retail, Consumer Processing Goods, Manufacturing)
• Experience:
• 15 years Software Delivery, 10 years Agile Coaching, Agile Business Analysis, Agile Process Consulting, Agile Training.
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vishal-venkatesan-1bb29b45
• Author:
• Book - ‘Enterprise Scaling And Sustaining Of Agile’

3. Opening the Mainframe World to Mobile Ecosystem in a seamless and beneficial way.
• System z and z/OS have a long history of providing support to critical business. These
systems, often backed by DB2, are repositories for vast amounts of business transactions
and data
• World's top 25 banks run IBM z Systems, as do the 10 largest insurance companies and
18 of the top 25 retailers.
• But there is little question that mobile computing is playing a significant role in today's
I/T landscape.
• From banking applications to airline flight status apps to insurance claim apps, mobile
devices are in wide-spread use.
• In fact, it is often seen as a competitive advantage to have mobile functionality as part of
your I/T solution
• This leaves us with a QUESTION can the robust Mainframe World and new age Mobile
World co exist or organization need to embark huge cost centric transformation
programs to move away from Mainframe World to be part of new era competitively

4. Opening the Mainframe World to Mobile Ecosystem in a seamless and beneficial way.
The Challenge
• Mobile devices tend to make use of standard protocols and standard data format
packaging, while some z/OS systems do not accept those formats
• This often leads data being configured or massaged to support transmission
between Mobile frontend and Mainframe backend
• In many an organization there are separate teams often christened as ‘Integration
Teams’ with sole purpose of making data compatible between SoE (System Of
Engagement like Mobile front end or new age front ends) and SoR (System Of
Records which can be Zos Mainframes)
• In many other organization there are huge transformation programs to move SoR
to new age platforms and technologies

5. Opening the Mainframe World to Mobile Ecosystem in a seamless and beneficial way.
Let’s Examine The Challenge
• Separate ‘Integration Teams’ with sole purpose of making data compatible between SoE and SoR can
become an overhead technology teams giving intermittent but crucial technology value but no
Business Value
• Huge transformation programs to move SoR to new age platforms and technologies can be risky
(given trillions of data in SoR) even if there is budget to fund
• But wait should we change a performing system
• Mainframe performance
• Can well handle over 100,000 transactions per second. That kind of performance is important, given that
analysts predict anywhere from 20 billion to over 50 billion connected devices by 2020 in crucial
• IBM z13 is the most modern mainframe server hardware available today it uses less power than a clothes
dryer, but has more processing power in one small footprint than a room full of servers.

6. Opening the Mainframe World to Mobile Ecosystem in a seamless and beneficial way.
Let’s Explore The Solution To The Challenge
• At the onset Mobile Ecosystem as new age SoE and Mainframe Zos as robust SoR
make ample business and technical sense to co exist
• But can they co exist
• Options (1)
• Zos Connect
• What is Zos Connect
z/OS Connect is software function written to run inside Liberty Profile for
z/OS and serves as an enabler of connectivity between the mobile
environment and backend z/OS systems:

7. Opening the Mainframe World to Mobile Ecosystem in a seamless and beneficial way.
• Technical Solution To The Challenge
• Let’s explore the “Technical Solution To The Challenge”
• z/OS Connect is designed to accept REST URIs and JSON data making it compatible with
a wide variety of devices and systems.
• SoE (Mobile Application Developers) need only to understand RESTful APIs and the
JSON data requirements for the service exposed by z/OS Connect and need not worry of
details of SoR (Mainframes/ System Z).
• The owners of data i.e. SoR becomes exposures of data eliminating extra layers or teams
which is cost effective as well.
• Also who can better map Mainframe Data Structures to JASON Data Structures than
owners of those transaction i.e. SoR (Mainframes/ System Z).
• There various protocols to map nimbly basically in form of bind file which describes the
relationship between JASON data structure front end and Mainframe copybooks back
end.

8. Opening the Mainframe World to Mobile Ecosystem in a seamless and beneficial way.
• Technical Solution To The Challenge
• Let’s explore the “Technical Solution To The Challenge”
• We seem to have banished the technical bottleneck to enable a seamless co existence of Mobile Eco
System and Mainframe world each leveraging its advantages and reach
• But does this “Technical Solution” suffice holistically
• Also Zos Connect is only one option to solve this challenge in the market there could a plethora of API
connects
• Not getting deeper into Technical Options to the solution which each comes with its own advantages and
cost
• Lets explore the
“Holistic Solution To The Challenge”
also
“Technical Solution To The Challenge” we just discussed forms an important preamble and precursor

9. Opening the Mainframe World to Mobile Ecosystem in a seamless and beneficial way.
Holistic Solution To The Challenge
Let’s explore the “Holistic Solution To The Challenge”
Technical seamlessness Zos connect or any such peer/ competitor API connects
gives is an important preamble
But it is far from being holistic
Lets Sample few reasons

10. Opening the Mainframe World to Mobile Ecosystem in a seamless and beneficial way.
Most SoR (System Of Record – Mainframe Zos Team) follow
Robust but elegant Software Development Life Cycle
New age Continuous Integration, Continuous Testing and Continuous Deployment tools don’t
quite fit in or not explored enough
Robust but elegant Enterprise Release Cycle for Deployment, Deployment of code is an
achievement not a routine
Most SoE (System Of Engagement – Mobile App etc Front End Development Team) follow
Nimble, Software Development Life Cycle
New age Continuous Integration, Continuous Testing and Continuous Deployment tools fit in
rather their technology enables this
Nimble Deployment Cycle, Deployment of code is a routine not an achievement
SoE and SoR cannot have handoffs but need a collaborative handshake else cycle time and
lead time shoot up

11. Opening the Mainframe World to Mobile Ecosystem in a seamless and beneficial way.
Are we getting into a situation ‘Hare Communicating With A Tortoise’ Though there is an old
analogy who can “Win The Race
Let’s explore can we make System Of Records (SoR) – Mainframe System Z nimble
Firstly SoR teams need to be groomed to be able to ‘Deliver Value In A Time box’
Ability of teams to ‘‘Deliver Value In A Time box And Every Time boxed Sprint’ is what in a nutshell Agile is!?
LEARNING AGILE
How can SoR team be Agile Enabled if that is the right word
Firstly SoR team associates need to made cognizant of Agile make them Cognizant of if not Brilliant at
Basics Of Agile (Agile Manifesto and Agile Principles)
Slowly get them into a growth mindset from fixed mindset or even an hybrid mindset
DOING AGILE
Get the SoR team into a Agile Cadence, make them used to work in sprints
i.e. Participate ably in Agile Ceremonies Stand Ups, Retrospective, Showcases, Sprint Panning
i.e. Understand use of Agile Artefacts Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, Burn down Charts etc
i.e. Blend Agile Roles in SoR - Scrum Master, Product Owner and Cross Functional Team either
organically or inorganically

12. Opening the Mainframe World to Mobile Ecosystem in a seamless and beneficial way.
Thus in a nutshell the SoR Mainframe System Z is traversed through an exciting journey of
Learning Agile - Tangible Gain Staff level uplift in Agile – Growth Mindset
Doing Agile - Tangible Gain Team level uplift is gaining from Agile Cadence
The important next step is to enable the SoR Mainframe System Z to Being Agile
What is Being Agile
Teams have embedded Agile Growth Mindset with ability to Deliver from Concept to Cash
potential but business usable increments
Thus delivering faster Business Value with out compromising the stability of the system
Speed to Potential Customer Value
Reliable Stability
Nimble Architecture

13. Opening the Mainframe World to Mobile Ecosystem in a seamless and beneficial way.
How can we enable SoR Mainframe System Z Being Agile

14. Opening the Mainframe World to Mobile Ecosystem in a seamless and beneficial way.
An Agile Team cutting through technologies i.e. SoE, SoR if possible SoI focusing on nimble
potential business value increments is a precursor
The teams focus on nimble end-user value rather than intermediate technology value which is
crucial but no end-use quotient
They use technologies like Zos connect to enable way of working as handshakes not has handoffs
Slowly these teams graduate to becoming more T shaped skilled
Core
Skill
Areas
Ability to work out side core
area
Agile Stories Cut Through
Technologies To Derive
Nimble Business Value

15. Opening the Mainframe World to Mobile Ecosystem in a seamless and beneficial way.
Mainframe User Stories

16. Opening the Mainframe World to Mobile Ecosystem in a seamless and beneficial way.

17. Opening the Mainframe World to Mobile Ecosystem in a seamless and beneficial way.
Microservices
Devops
Containers
Agile Growth Mindset
Being Agile

18. Vishal Venkatesan
Principal Agile Coach – Mindtree Global Agile Centre Of Excellence
+91 9886799646
vishal.venkatesan@mindtree.com
www.Mindtree.com
Thank You