What are the benefits of storing IBM Z system outputs—JCLs, job logs, SYSOUTs, and SYSLOGs—outside the mainframe environment? The most common reasons for moving Z system output to a distributed environment (off-mainframe) include:
- Enabling universal access to system outputs (Web browsing)
- Providing continued access to output archives after mainframe hosts have been decommissioned
- Retaining system outputs to meet retention, compliance, and auditing needs
- Reducing storage costs by migrating infrequently used output archives off-mainframe
- Storing Z output data on cloud computing platforms for use in enterprise applications
- Using generative AI to extract new insights from system output data
There are two basic techniques for moving Z system outputs to a distributed environment: migration to an enterprise server and data extraction to cloud computing platforms.
Migrating IBM Z System Outputs to an Enterprise Server
Using an IBM Z off-mainframe hosting package such as SEA’s SAVRS View, Z system outputs can be migrated to a distributed server such as a Windows or Linux box. Off-mainframe migration provides these benefits.
1. Users can use the same interface to access off-mainframe system outputs that they used on their original IBM Z system.
2. Frees up storage space and capacity on existing IBM Z systems.
3. Archived Z JCLs, job logs, SYSOUTs, and SYSLOGs are retained as historical records for as many years as needed, ensuring compliance to auditing, regulatory, and retention requirements.
4. Archived data remains available even after its original IBM Z server has been decommissioned.
5. Host security capabilities such as Windows Active Directory (AD) security can be employed for user authentication.
6. Different security levels can be set for different end group users.
7. Archived system outputs can be cataloged, segmented, and indexed for filtering and rapid access.
8. Flexible Web UI interfaces can sort, find, and review JCL and job logs, SYSOUTs, and SYSLOGs.
9. JavaScript APIs enable enterprise programmers to access Z system outputs.
Further Reading: Making the Business Case to Replace & Modernize Mainframe Output Management
Extracting IBM Z System Output Data to Cloud Computing Platforms
IBM Z system output data can also be extracted to and stored in an Amazon Web Services (AWS) S3 bucket or in AWS Glacier storage. Extracted data can be accessed inside a container or in other applications and services using AWS storage. Data can also be extracted and used in Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and Microsoft Azure.
Extraction is useful for organizations adopting cloud technologies for IBM Z output access. Z output extraction capabilities are available in vendor solutions such as SAVRS View.
Using Object Storage Versioning
Consider activating object storage versioning—including bucket versioning, S3 versioning, shadow copy, or another versioning variant–for archived Z system output residing off the mainframe. Versioning creates an updated version of an object every time the object is uploaded, overwritten, or deleted. This allows your organization to track different versions of Z report archives (if any), when they were migrated or extracted, and to recover specific versions of an archive if it is deleted or changed.
Interfacing Z System Output Data with Generative AI
When IBM Z system output archives are migrated or extracted to a distributed server or cloud storage, they can be integrated with off-mainframe AI functions such as Amazon Textract, Microsoft Azure AI Document Intelligence, or other generative AI offerings. Moving output to a distributed environment provides an opportunity to combine IBM Z system output data with enterprise AI tools to extract new insights from archived outputs.
Further Reading: IBM z16 System Hardware for z/OS AI Processing
Don’t forget about storing IBM Z reports in a distributed environment
IBM Z reports can also be migrated to distributed servers or to cloud object storage using third-party solutions such as SEA’s TRMS View. There is real business value in migrating all IBM Z outputs (reports and system output) off the mainframe for enterprise integration, AI-enabled analysis, big data processing, and more.
Further Reading: 8 Opportunities & Considerations for Migrating Archived IBM Z Reports to Another Platform
Please Contact SEA for more information on the opportunities and technologies available for IBM Z output migration and extraction.
