The News: BMC announced two tools—BMC AMI DevX Code Insights and AMI zAdviser Enterprise—to simplify and speed mainframe program development. Read the full announcement on the BMC website.

BMC Shifts Left on Mainframe Development

Analyst Take: BMC AMI DevX Code Insights is designed to help developers understand and break apart monolithic mainframe programs to make faster changes to complex code. Its runtime visualization shows developers how the application works in real time, which can be a great help for those unfamiliar with mainframe programming. The BMC AMI DevX Code Insights solution lets developers break apart monolithic programs into smaller, more manageable subprograms, quickly remove dead code, analyze data flow, and debug code.

The BMC AMI zAdviser Enterprise solution uses AI/machine learning (ML) to speed mainframe DevOps transformation. It provides insights into the adoption of DevOps tools. It continuously improves debugging and testing, monitors critical metrics such as lead time for change, change failure rate, deployment frequency , and mean time to restore service. Developers can use AMI zAdviser Enterprise to uphold code quality by detecting abnormal levels of regressions in application code.

BMC AMI zAdviser Enterprise’s ML dashboards are pivotal in refining the software development lifecycle. By leveraging ML, these dashboards identify trends and patterns that may impede progress, offering a unique perspective on areas needing enhancement. This technology enables a deep dive into development workflows, subtly influencing developer behaviors toward more efficient practices. This approach results in tangible outcomes such as improved code quality and increased deployment frequency. Additionally, it provides a detailed view of DevOps tool utilization and product engagement, aiding in evaluating ROI.

The dashboards also play a critical role in optimizing resource distribution, ensuring that continuous improvement initiatives are effectively supported. They track vital KPIs, including DORA Metrics, which encompass deployment frequency, lead time, MTTR, and change failure rate, offering a comprehensive overview of development efficiency. Moreover, by providing timely insights into batch and CICS abends, the system helps maintain code quality and balance between innovation and bug fixing, thus safeguarding mainframe operations. This holistic approach not only enhances MTTR but also ensures optimal resource allocation, driving continuous improvement in software development.

Current Challenges

In today’s dynamic development landscape, mainframe development is often unfairly labeled as cumbersome and intricate, a perception that can intimidate contemporary developers. However, with the right tools and approaches, this experience can be transformed to be efficient and frictionless. For instance, advanced solutions such as BMC’s DevX software enable developers to effortlessly navigate and modify large monolithic programs, mitigating potential conflicts when multiple developers collaborate. Furthermore, these tools streamline testing processes, allowing for targeted checks rather than exhaustive program testing. In case of production issues, they facilitate precise root cause analysis, ensuring that fixes are pinpointed and implemented efficiently without the need for extensive rollbacks. This modern approach to mainframe development not only accelerates the development cycle but also makes it a more welcoming and agile environment for developers of all backgrounds.

Looking Ahead

The mainframe developer experience is undergoing a significant transformation driven by the need to integrate traditional systems with modern development practices and technologies. This evolution is marked by a greater emphasis on agility, DevOps integration, and a seamless experience between mainframe and distributed computing environments. BMC, with its DevX software portfolio, plays a crucial role in this landscape by providing tools that enhance productivity, facilitate better integration with contemporary CI/CD pipelines, and offer advanced analytics capabilities, thereby bridging the gap between old and new paradigms in mainframe development.

BMC’s new tools address these critical challenges for mainframe developers. BMC is trying to make developing on the mainframe similar to what today’s developers are used to. BMC AMI DevX Code Insights’ runtime visualizer allows developers to visualize execution, including the ability to save and replay the execution trace. This real-time analysis provides insight into how applications work and deep visibility into program calls, I/O types, and program behavior. This functionality can help mainframe development keep pace with business requirements with more speed and agility—perhaps a form of Shift Lift for mainframes.

Disclosure: The Futurum Group is a research and advisory firm that engages or has engaged in research, analysis, and advisory services with many technology companies, including those mentioned in this article. The author does not hold any equity positions with any company mentioned in this article.

Analysis and opinions expressed herein are specific to the analyst individually and data and other information that might have been provided for validation, not those of The Futurum Group as a whole.