For decades, mainframe development followed a siloed approach. Developers focused on building code, while operations managed deployments and infrastructure. This separation often led to communication breakdowns, slow release cycles, and finger-pointing when issues arose.

However, the winds of change are blowing. Modern businesses demand faster delivery, increased agility, and a focus on continuous improvement. Enter DevOps – a cultural shift that bridges the gap between development and operations, fostering collaboration and shared ownership.

This article explores how to build a DevOps culture for your mainframe environment, breaking down communication barriers and empowering your teams.

Why DevOps for Mainframe?

Mainframes remain the backbone of many mission-critical applications. But traditional practices can hinder innovation. DevOps offers several benefits for mainframe development:

• Faster Releases: DevOps promotes automation, streamlining deployments and reducing manual steps. This allows for quicker delivery of new features and fixes.
• Improved Quality: Collaboration between development and operations leads to earlier identification and resolution of bugs. Shared ownership fosters a focus on quality throughout the lifecycle.
• Reduced Risk: Automation and continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) practices minimize the risk of errors during deployments.
• Increased Innovation: By eliminating bottlenecks and fostering collaboration, DevOps frees developers to focus on innovation and new features.

Breaking Down Communication Barriers

Building a DevOps culture starts with breaking down the walls between development and operations. Here’s how:

• Shared Language: Encourage both teams to learn each other’s terminology and processes. Developers can gain a better understanding of operational constraints, while operations can appreciate development challenges.
• Cross-Training: Invest in cross-training initiatives. Developers can learn basic system administration tasks, while operations teams can gain exposure to development tools and processes.
• Joint Ownership: Foster a sense of shared ownership for the entire application lifecycle. This encourages both teams to take responsibility for the success (or failure) of a deployment.

Team Building Activities

Building trust and communication requires more than just words. Consider these team-building activities:

• DevOps Days or Workshops: Organize events focused on DevOps principles and tools. These can be internal or involve external experts, providing opportunities for both teams to learn and collaborate.
• Hackathons: Host hackathons focused on automating specific mainframe tasks or integrating development and operational tools. This fosters creativity and problem-solving in a collaborative environment.
• Social Activities: Encourage informal gatherings outside of work. Team lunches, game nights, or volunteering opportunities create a more relaxed atmosphere for building relationships.

Building a DevOps Culture: Key Practices

Once you’ve laid the groundwork for collaboration, implement these key DevOps practices for mainframe:

• Automation: Automate repetitive tasks like deployments, build processes, and testing. This frees up time for higher-value activities and reduces human error.
• Version Control: Implement a robust version control system to track code changes and enable rollbacks if necessary. This ensures traceability and facilitates collaboration among developers.
• Configuration Management: Use configuration management tools to automate infrastructure provisioning and configuration. This ensures consistency and reduces the risk of errors.
• CI/CD Pipeline: Establish a continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipeline. This automates the process of building, testing, and deploying code, enabling faster releases and improved quality.
• Monitoring and Feedback: Implement continuous monitoring tools to track application performance and identify potential issues. Regularly review metrics and gather feedback from operations to improve the development process.

Shared Ownership: The Cornerstone of DevOps Success

Shared ownership is the cornerstone of a successful DevOps culture. It means that both development and operations teams feel equally responsible for the success of the application. This can be achieved by:

• Shared Metrics: Define key performance indicators (KPIs) that reflect both development and operational goals. This creates a shared focus on delivering value to the business.
• Blameless Postmortems: When issues arise, conduct blameless post-mortems to analyze the root cause and identify areas for improvement. This fosters a learning culture instead of finger-pointing.
• Rewarding Collaboration: Recognize and reward successes achieved through collaborative efforts. This reinforces the importance of working together.

Addressing Mainframe Challenges

Transitioning to a DevOps culture on the mainframe presents unique challenges:

• Legacy Systems: Many mainframe environments deal with complex legacy codebases and outdated tools. Modernization efforts may be necessary to facilitate automation and integration.
• Security Concerns: Security is paramount on the mainframe. Ensure your DevOps practices comply with strict security policies and access controls.
• Mainframe Skills Gap: Finding skilled individuals with expertise in both mainframe technology and DevOps principles might be challenging. Training and up-skilling initiatives become crucial.