Mainframe innovation to streamline processes is a journey of continuous improvement. In the first of our series on the topic, learn how PopUp Mainframe team is harnessing RedHat Ansible to further automate mainframe delivery activities.
In our quest towards greater operational agility, in the Popup Mainframe lab we are constantly striving to improve working practices, increase productivity, streamline processes, and improve both the product and how we build it. Recently we have been focusing on increasing flexibility and scalability of the PopUp platform through automation, to support workforce enablement, and facilitate more innovation.
Here, we describe our transformational journey we have taken in building the next level of automation. To achieve this, we have embraced the powerful potential of RedHat Ansible and built a range of playbooks which help to streamline z/OS operational and environment management tasks. These are now shipped as part of the PopUp Mainframe product, enabling customers to spend more time on development, testing, training, and R&D, and less time on administrative tasks.
They also help us to maintain our own PopUp Mainframe products (which we call PopUps) in our lab too!
With market survey data showing high demand for improved flexibility and speed of delivery, by reducing manual effort, minimizing errors, and accelerating deployment cycles, our transformation aligns mainframe capabilities with the demands of today’s fast-paced IT landscape.
Laying the Foundation: A Traditional Mainframe
This year, we have made a big leap forward in how we execute z/OS tasks and manage our lab. While we already had automation in our lab (e.g. GitHub Actions pipelines and plenty of Linux automation), we had not explored the power of Ansible or ZOAU too much. Upon further investigation, we saw the huge potential of being able to execute z/OS commands off host, integrate them into wider automation patterns, and manage our environments with config-as-code.
We saw the opportunity to enhance our lab and assist our customers in doing the same in their environments. This set the stage for our transformation journey.
The Shift: Why Ansible for z/OS?
To get to the next level, we prioritized adopting automation at scale and codifying more of the activities we perform on a PopUp. Our objective was to integrate modern automation practices that deliver greater efficiency, scalability, and ongoing relevance to our mainframe environment.
We were inspired by the growing role of automation in enterprise IT, especially through tools like Red Hat Ansible.
Ansible Certified Content for IBM Z gave us a direct route to:
- Accelerate routine z/OS tasks
- Enhance security and compliance through automation
- Reduce time-to-value for new initiatives
- Empower teams with repeatable, reliable workflows
It was a significant opportunity to bring the speed, consistency, and collaborative power of Ansible to a platform historically reliant on manual processes and platform-specific expertise.
Starting Small: Automating Critical Tasks
Our transformation began with the targeted automation of repeatable mainframe tasks. By translating these processes into reusable Ansible playbooks, we reduced dependency on manual execution, lowered operational risk, and significantly improved task velocity—delivering immediate business value.
These tasks, previously dependent on precise manual execution through ISPF panels or TSO commands, were transformed into reusable Ansible playbooks. For example, we started with building playbooks to check the health of a PopUp and manage users in our environment.
Transforming Popup Mainframe: Strategic automation
As we automated more tasks and refined our playbooks, the Popup Mainframe lab became an even more interactive and automated lab environment. It now serves as:
- A platform for training and upskilling mainframe professionals. We have automated nearly all tasks required to spin up new PopUps, so we create and shutdown PopUps regularly, providing sandboxes for the team to do R&D completely risk-free and independently.
- A sandbox for testing Ansible-based automation strategies. We have in-depth knowledge of the z/OS modules provided by IBM and are utilising them throughout our playbooks.
- A bridge between traditional z/OS systems and modern DevOps practices
- A place to validate and demonstrate hybrid infrastructure capabilities
This transformation didn’t happen overnight. It required continuous learning, collaboration, and experimentation. But each success reinforced our belief that automation is not only possible on the mainframe, but it’s essential.
Looking Ahead: A Proving Ground for Modern Mainframe Practices
How we use and manage PopUps in our lab is a foundation of our modernization strategy. By continuously improving how we work, we can pass on that benefit to our customers, too. Now more than ever, PopUp Mainframe is a business enabler, not just a technical environment – it’s a proving ground for the future of mainframe operations.
As we have discovered ourselves, the benefits are clear:
- Reduced time-to-market
- Greater alignment with enterprise automation standards
- Reduced operational cost through efficiency and repeatability
- Enhanced workforce agility and cross-functional collaboration
As we continue to explore new Ansible use cases and expand our playbook library, our goal remains the same – to modernize responsibly, automate effectively, and enable mainframe systems to thrive in a rapidly changing IT landscape.
Mainframe Modernization as a Competitive Advantage
Modernizing mainframe environments isn’t about replacing what works; it’s about evolving them sensibly to support business need. Through Ansible, and a focused modernization roadmap, we are providing further illustration that even traditional systems can be transformed into agile, scalable and automation-ready platforms.
Popup Mainframe is a great working example of what’s possible when established systems are treated as innovation platforms.
Popup Mainframe is our contribution to the growing movement toward automated, DevOps-ready mainframes and a strong signal that modernization is not only viable, but essential for sustainable enterprise growth.
Learn More
To learn more about how we setup Ansible in our lab, and how we use it, stay tuned for the next blog!
