Mainframes Meet AWS: Bridging the Gap to Accelerate Innovation

Mainframes remain a core part of many organizations’ critical operations. If you’ve recently requested an insurance quote from your broker, queried your balance at an ATM, swiped your credit card at a store, booked a flight, or submitted a tax return, it’s highly likely that your transaction either accessed or was processed on a mainframe.

For the organizations behind these transactions, the security and reliability mainframes provide is crucial. They also take customer experience seriously, which is why many are building innovative new experiences in AWS using cloud-native technologies like containerized applications and microservices to improve digital experiences for their customers and employees.

This creates a unique challenge: how to connect cloud applications to mainframe systems and data without sacrificing transaction speed. Take, for example, a retail store app whose front end is hosted in the cloud but needs to query inventory stored on a mainframe. If the AWS data center where the app lives is 30 milliseconds away from the mainframe, the query could take longer than expected, especially if the transaction involves several tightly coupled apps on the mainframe. To mitigate this, organizations often run their front-end apps on virtual machines that are either next to or integrated with the mainframe. Unfortunately, this can limit their ability to leverage the full capabilities of AWS.

So, what if you didn’t have to choose between performance and innovation?

How to Bridge the Gap Between Mainframes and AWS

Successfully integrating mainframe systems with AWS for optimal performance and innovation requires a solution that enables seamless communication between both environments. Achieving this hybrid experience is crucial for organizations looking to innovate while still relying on their mainframe systems.

This connection is made possible through advanced tooling and services that ensure minimal latency and a smooth flow of data between the mainframe and cloud environments. Here are some of the ways that organizations can benefit from such integration:

• Data Movement and Analytics: Data that’s traditionally stored in mainframe environments can be migrated to AWS S3 for storage, with additional options for disaster recovery and ransomware protection. Cloud-friendly conversion formats, such as JSON, can be used to make mainframe data compatible with modern AWS analytics and AI tools, allowing businesses to leverage powerful AWS services like Bedrock.
• Cloud-Native Workloads: Mainframe workloads can be migrated to AWS IaaS or PaaS services. This enables businesses to reduce their data center footprint while taking advantage of the flexibility and scalability offered by the cloud.
• Mainframe Modernization: For organizations looking to refactor and modernize their mainframe applications, the cloud offers the perfect environment for such efforts, allowing for greater scalability and faster performance. Our Modern, Cloud-Connected Mainframe approach can help you drive business transformation by seamlessly integrating your mainframe with modern cloud services.

Getting Started: Assessing Mainframe Application Latency Risk

As you begin exploring the integration of AWS with your mainframe environment, it’s important to assess potential latency risks. A Mainframe Latency Risk Assessment is a crucial first step in understanding how your mainframe interacts with other systems across your estate. This assessment helps to identify which applications and servers can be moved safely to the cloud with minimal disruption.

By conducting this assessment, you can prioritize applications that can transition to the cloud, ensuring a smooth, low-risk migration process. For those seeking to take full advantage of AWS while maintaining mainframe integrity, consider exploring our Cloud-Connected Mainframe for AWS offering. This solution bridges the gap between your mainframe and AWS, ensuring optimal performance and cloud innovation.

To get started, consider reaching out to your trusted cloud and mainframe experts to help guide you through this process and assess your needs.