IDz Tools: How to Accelerate Mainframe Modernization with DevOps Practices

In the current context, where digital transformation and application modernization are crucial to maintaining business competitiveness, IDz tools bring significant value to organizations.

Especially in those that operate with mainframe systems and need to integrate these infrastructures with modern practices such as DevOps and agile development.

IDz tools allow developers to work more efficiently and collaboratively in the z/OS environment, bringing better quality and speed to mainframe application development. 

In addition, they facilitate integration with distributed systems and the adoption of new technologies, which allows for optimizing resources and reducing the delivery time of new functionalities to the market.

This approach is not isolated: it is part of a broader strategy to core modernization, where tooling, processes and culture converge.

In this article we explore how IDz enables DevOps practices and why it allows for modernizing development within a mainframe. 

We also analyzed the impact of IDz tools on the IT market, and shared a 5-step adoption plan and a preparation checklist to ensure effective implementation.

What is IDz and what changes in the team's day-to-day work?

IBM Developer for z/OS® (IDz) It is an Eclipse-based environment that introduces a modern, visual, and collaborative way of working on mainframes.

It is a modern and robust set of tools for developing and maintaining applications. IBM z/OS, which provides COBOL, PL/I, High Level Assembler, REXX, C/C++, JCL and Java development tools, on an Eclipse base.

At the same time, it possesses features that allow you to work with a more intuitive approach offering:

• Automatic error detection.
• Advanced code editing.
• Interactive application debugging.
• Integration with version control systems.
• Static and dynamic code analysis capabilities.

Similarly, it provides collaboration and connectivity tools with other development platforms, improving integration in agile and DevOps development environments.

In practice, this changes the team's daily routine because it reduces reliance on traditional interfaces, improves understanding of legacy code, and allows them to work under standards closer to modern environments. It not only impacts productivity but also the ability to incorporate new technical profiles and reduce dependence on concentrated knowledge.

Learning curve, quality, debugging, and collaboration

One of the main challenges of the mainframe ecosystem lies not only in the technology, but also in the sustainability of the development model. 

The reliance on highly specialized profiles, prolonged onboarding times, and the difficulty of working under modern standards create friction in the evolution of the core.

In this context, IDz tools act as a key enabler by reducing that friction in critical day-to-day tasks.

Let's look at the factors that directly impact productivity, error reduction, and delivery speed. But above all, let's focus on the ability to sustain core system evolution without creating new bottlenecks.

Learning curve

The modern, standards-aligned interface lowers the barrier to entry for new developers, especially those who do not come from the mainframe world.

It allows for faster onboarding, reduces dependence on expert profiles, and facilitates operational continuity in a context where specialized talent is scarce.

Code quality

Static analysis capabilities, metrics, and automated testing allow errors to be detected before reaching production, raising the quality standard.

It shifts control to earlier stages of the cycle, reducing rework, production errors, and operational risks.

Debugging

Advanced debugging tools simplify the identification and resolution of errors, reducing diagnostic times.

In core environments, where every incident has a business impact, improving debugging directly translates into improved response times and operational efficiency.

Collaboration

Integration with Git and lifecycle management tools enables parallel work, code reviews, and more efficient collaborative workflows.

It allows breaking down traditional mainframe silos and bringing core development closer to modern engineering standards.

How IDz enables DevOps practices on mainframes

One of IDz's greatest contributions is its ability to bridge the gap between traditional mainframe development and DevOps models.

In many organizations, the challenge isn't infrastructure, but rather the ability to improve cycle times, quality, and traceability. Within this framework, IDz functions as a a concrete enabler to incorporate modern practices without compromising core stability.

An objective that is achieved through:

• Integration with version control (Git). It allows versioning, branching, and collaboration under modern standards, which streamlines workflow, improves traceability, and facilitates integration with other teams.
• Build automation (Dependency Based Build). Standardize processes and reduce manual dependencies to improve operational predictability and decrease errors associated with manual processes.
• Automated testing (ZUnit). It facilitates the adoption of unit tests and code coverage. This allows for controlled modernization, reducing regressions and increasing confidence in the code.
• Integration with CI/CD pipelines. Compatible with tools like Jenkins for automating integration and deployment. This allows the mainframe to be integrated into a broader continuous delivery logic.
• Standardization of processes. It reduces variability and improves development governance. This is key to scaling teams and sustaining consistent practices.

In short, IDz not only improves the developer experience, but also enables an operating model more aligned with DevOps, allowing for better delivery, higher quality, and less dependence on manual processes.

Why does IDz enable modern development within a mainframe?

In the IT industry it is often said that IDz is a frontend framework, which allows modernizing development within a mainframe.

While IDz is not a frontend framework in the traditional sense that is associated with web development (like Angular, React, or Vue.js), it does provide an interface and tools that modernize development in the context of mainframes. 

Some of the reasons why we claim that IDz enables modern development within a mainframe are as follows:

1. Graphical User Interface (GUI). IDz provides a modern, intuitive graphical interface that makes it easy to develop and maintain applications on the mainframe. This is in contrast to traditional command-line interfaces (CLIs), which can be less accessible and efficient. 

Additionally, the GUI includes advanced code editors, visual debugging tools, and wizards for project configuration and management, thereby improving developer productivity and experience.

2. Advanced Development ToolsIt has an advanced code editor, with support for syntax highlighting, autocompletion, refactoring, and code analysis. 

It also features advanced debugging tools that enable developers to identify and fix bugs more efficiently, and provides unit and integration testing capabilities.

3. Facilitating collaboration and version controlIt is compatible with version control tools such as Git, allowing effective management of source code and facilitating collaboration between development teams. 

It also provides modern workflows, with support for agile methodologies and DevOps practices, that promote continuous delivery and effective collaboration.

4. Task automation. IDz enables the automation of routine tasks and workflows, reducing manual burden and increasing efficiency.

5. Standardization of processes. Provides tools to standardize development and deployment processes, ensuring consistency and quality in the software produced.

6. Modernizing and refactoring code. It has tools that facilitate the modernization of legacy code, making it more maintainable and efficient.

7. Integration with modern technologies. Provides support for integration with new technologies and architectures, such as cloud services and microservices, enabling more comprehensive modernization of mainframe applications.

Impact of IDz tools on the IT market

The level of penetration of IBM Developer for z Systems (IDz) in the IT market can be analyzed from several perspectives, to compensate for the lack of exact figures that allow it to be quantified precisely.

However, if we take as a reference that the mainframe world is made up of the 90 % of the Fortune 500 companies, With 92% of major banks, 90% of major insurance companies, and 70% of major retailers, we can quickly deduce an estimated incidence level.

In fact, IDz is very popular in sectors that rely heavily on mainframe systems, such as the financial and banking sector, government organizations and insurance companies.

For example, the report Mainframe 2020: A catalyst for transformation MIT Technology Review Insights shows that 88% of the banks in the World's Top 50 Banks ranking and 67% of the Fortune Top 100 Companies use these technological infrastructures.

Even, Mainframes now handle nearly 70% of IT workloads of world production. 

Another parameter to consider is the IBM customer base that owns z Systems (mainframes), and that adopted IDz as part of their development toolset. 

It should also be noted that competition is limited. While there are other development tools for mainframes, IDz has a significant advantage in that it is an IBM product, perfectly integrated with the z Systems ecosystem.

On the other hand, there is the need for organizations with legacy systems on mainframes that are looking Modernize your applications to increase efficiency and reduce costs. IDz offers solutions that facilitate this modernization, driving its adoption. 

In parallel, as the adoption of DevOps practices in software development increases, tools like IDz, which support these practices, experience an increase in their use.

Regarding innovations for the immediate future, IDz enables the incorporation of DevOps with significant savings in the programming, debugging, testing, and production deployment processes.

5-step adoption plan (scale assessment)

The adoption of IDz should be approached as a structured initiative, not just as a tooling implementation. Its real impact will depend on how it integrates with business processes, teams, and objectives.

We share five stages of the IDz adoption plan:

1. Assessment of the current environment. It involves identifying gaps in processes, tooling, and team capabilities to understand where the main bottlenecks are and avoid superficial adoption.

2. Definition of modernization objectives. Seeks Align adoption with business metrics (delivery time, quality, costs). This connects the initiative to concrete results and facilitates decision-making.

3. Gradual implementation. The key lies in starting with controlled pilots before scaling up, to validate the approach, adjust practices, and generate evidence of value.

4. Integration with DevOps pipeline. It aims to connect IDz with CI/CD and version control tools. This prevents the tool from becoming isolated and allows its strategic value to be captured.

5. Measurement and scalability. Its objective is to define KPIs and gradually expand to other teams. Ensure that adoption is sustainable and results-based.

Adopting IDz tools is not just a technological decision, but an operational decision that impacts how the organization develops, validates, and delivers software on its core.

When adoption is structured in stages—with diagnosis, clear objectives, controlled pilots, integration, and measurement—the result is not only an improvement in the developer experience, but a progressive transformation of the delivery model.

In this sense, the true value of IDz lies not in the tool itself, but in its ability to enable a sustainable evolution of mainframe development, aligned with modern practices and business needs.

Preparation checklist: equipment, processes, tooling

Before adopting IDz, it is key to validate certain minimum conditions to ensure an effective implementation. 

This step should not be understood as a simple “technical pre-check”, but as an instance of alignment between three dimensions that determine the success of adoption: team, processes and tooling.

When these dimensions are not aligned, the tool tends to be underutilized or generate isolated improvements. However, when there is a minimum foundation in each dimension, IDz can act as a true DevOps practices accelerator on the mainframe.

The following are the dimensions and implications of each in concrete terms.

Team: capabilities, experience and working style

The team dimension refers to the level of preparation of the people who will use the tool and their way of working together.

When we talk about the maturity level of the team in agile/DevOps practices, we are referring to how familiar the teams are with concepts such as iterative work, continuous integration, version control with Git, automated testing, or collaboration in shared repositories.

It does not imply that the team already operates under a complete DevOps model, but it does imply that there is a basic understanding of these practices. 

If this knowledge is low, the adoption of IDz may require more support, since the tool introduces dynamics (such as branching, integration or testing) that need to be understood in order to be used effectively.

In practical terms, this assessment allows us to define:

• Required training level
• Possible adoption rate
• Level of support required in the early stages

Processes: how the software is developed, tested, and released

The process dimension refers to the way in which the organization structures the development cycle: from coding to production deployment.

In particular, the definition of development and testing processes refers to whether there are clear flows for developing, validating, and promoting changes in the code. 

It considers how changes are managed, how applications are tested, when and how developments are validated, and what criteria are used to consider a change.

It's not necessary to have fully formalized processes, but a shared logic is essential. When these processes aren't defined, the tool fails to organize the work; instead, it replicates the existing disorganization in a more modern environment.

IDz enhances existing processes, but doesn't replace them. Therefore, having a minimum foundation allows for standardizing practices, reducing ambiguity, and facilitating future automation.

Tooling: technological environment and integration capacity

The dimension tooling It refers to the tools and infrastructure that support development, especially in relation to automation and integration.

CI/CD integration compatible infrastructure refers to whether the organization has - or at least has identified - an environment where it can integrate practices such as versioning, automated builds, and continuous integration and delivery pipelines.

It includes elements such as:

• Code repositories (e.g., Git)
• Continuous integration tools (e.g., Jenkins)
• Build and deployment mechanisms
• Testing environments

It's not necessary for everything to be implemented from the start, but there needs to be a clear vision of where to evolve. Without this foundation, IDz may be limited to improving the development experience without impacting the overall delivery flow.

Culture: openness to change and continuous improvement

Culture An organizational approach focused on continuous improvement is linked to the company's ability to review its practices, incorporate changes, and sustain evolutionary processes over time.

It involves openness to modifying ways of working, a willingness to incorporate standards, the ability to measure and adjust processes, and the sponsorship of leaders to promote the adoption of IDz within the organization.

Without this cultural foundation, even the best tools tend to be used only partially or relegated in favor of established habits.

Strategic checklist for the maturity of the DevOps toolchain on mainframes

This checklist serves as a practical tool to quickly validate whether the organization has the minimum conditions to move forward with the adoption of IDz.

Rather than a rigid requirement, it should be seen as a guide for identifying gaps and prioritizing actions. The higher the level of compliance, the greater the likelihood of capturing value from the earliest stages of implementation.

– Repository and branching strategy defined. It allows for streamlined collaboration and parallel work. Furthermore, it facilitates change tracking, version management, and the implementation of more predictable workflows.

– Agreed code standards and quality rules. It ensures software consistency and maintainability. It also allows for automated validations and alignment of criteria across teams, reducing reliance on manual reviews.

– Pipeline CI/CD (even if minimal) identified. It offers the possibility of integrating IDz into a broader delivery pipeline. Even a basic initial version enables progressive automation and improves visibility into the development lifecycle.

– Prioritized automatable testing (unit/regression). It provides an opportunity to improve quality and reduce risks. Defining where to start allows for early results and builds a more robust validation base for future changes.

– Training planned by role (dev/ops/QA). It ensures consistent and aligned IDz adoption across teams. Furthermore, it improves coordination between departments and prevents the tool from being used in a piecemeal or disjointed way.

Having these conditions in place not only facilitates the adoption of IDz, but also lays the foundation for a broader evolution of mainframe development.

Ultimately, the better prepared the organization is before implementation, the faster it can translate that adoption into concrete improvements in productivity, quality, and delivery speed.

Modernize without replacing the core

Mainframe modernization is not about replacing it, but about evolving the way development is done on it.

Along this path, IDz tools play a key role: they allow the incorporation of modern practices, improve productivity, and reduce operational complexity without compromising core stability.

From our Mainframe Center of Excellence, we support this process by combining tools, processes, and strategy to accelerate concrete business results and transform the core into a strategic asset.

Schedule an assessment meeting to analyze a modernization path; Click here.