The Open Mainframe Project has updated its open source Zowe project to add support for IntelliJ, an integrated development environment (IDE) widely used to build Java applications, while at the same time making software development kits (SDKs) for Java and Kotlin programming languages generally available.
In addition, it is now simpler to actively monitor dependencies and proactively upgrade them to reduce risks when running the Long Term Support (LTS) V3 Release of Zowe.
At the same time, The IMS service and associated command line interface (CLI) extensions are archived. IBM is working on replacements.
John Mertic, executive director of the Open Mainframe Project, said Zowe Explorer for IntelliJ expands the number of client tools that can be used to build applications for mainframes running z/OS using a framework that is specifically designed to make it simpler to build applications for the venerable IBM platform using the same tools that many DevOps teams rely on to build and deploy software on other platforms.
The overall goal is to help make mainframes running z/OS more accessible to the broader IT community, he added.
Developed by IBA Group, the Zowe Explorer plugin for IntelliJ IDEA makes it possible to use that IDE to invoke the application programming interfaces (APIs) that have been developed for the Open Mainframe Project.
Since its initial launch in 2019, Zowe continues to gain momentum, said Mertic. There are now more than 77 extensions that have been made to 77 products to provide integration with Zowe, he noted.
In general, the pace at which Java applications are being built and deployed on mainframes has been steadily increasing, which should be further accelerated by providing software engineering teams with the option to also use IntelliJ IDEA, said Mertic.
Most of the Java applications being developed for the mainframe are for new use cases, but with the rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI) the number of organizations that might take advantage of the capabilities enabled by large language models to convert, for example, an application written in COBOL into Java code that might be easier for them to maintain is expected to increase. Most organizations are finding it simpler to find and retain Java developers at a time when many of the developers of COBOL applications have either already retired or are about to exit the workforce.
Regardless of how applications are constructed, the mainframe itself remains as relevant as ever. IBM claims that mainframes handle 70% of transaction workloads, while still only accounting for 8% of total spend on IT, which is less than one-tenth of all other technologies and platforms combined. As such, the case for modernizing mainframe applications rather than replacing or migrating them remains compelling.
It’s not clear how many organizations running mainframes have embraced Zowe, but support for the platform is provided by IBM along with Broadcom, Phoenix Software, Rocket Software and Vicom Infinity. One way another, however, mainframes running z/OS are still a crucial platform for many organizations that over time are becoming more integrated into DevOps workflows.