Exposing ISPF-Edited Assets to Git & CI/CD: Patterns & Approaches
Integrating ISPF-edited assets with Git and CI/CD pipelines modernizes mainframe development while preserving ISPF workflows. This tutorial covers patterns and approaches for exposing mainframe datasets to version control, automating synchronization, and integrating with CI/CD pipelines. Understanding these patterns helps you choose the right approach for your organization and implement effective Git and CI/CD integration.
Modern software development relies on version control and automated pipelines, and mainframe development can benefit from these practices too. Exposing ISPF-edited assets to Git and CI/CD enables code reviews, automated testing, consistent deployments, and collaboration through modern tooling while maintaining the ability to work directly in ISPF when needed.
Understanding the Integration Challenge
Integrating ISPF assets with Git and CI/CD presents unique challenges due to differences between mainframe and modern development environments. Understanding these challenges helps design effective integration patterns.
Mainframe vs. Modern Development Differences
Key differences include:
Dataset Names vs. File Names: Mainframe datasets use hierarchical naming (USERID.SOURCE.COBOL) while file systems use path-based naming (/path/to/file.ext)
PDS Members: Partitioned datasets contain multiple members, each needing to be a separate file in Git
Character Encoding: Mainframes typically use EBCDIC while modern systems use ASCII/UTF-8
Record Formats: Mainframe datasets have record formats (FB, VB, etc.) that don't directly map to file systems
Binary Data: Some datasets contain binary data not suitable for Git
Large Datasets: Very large datasets may need special handling
These differences require mapping and conversion strategies to effectively integrate ISPF assets with Git and CI/CD.
Integration Goals
Integration goals typically include:
Version Control: Track changes to mainframe code in Git
Code Reviews: Enable code reviews through Git pull requests
Automated Testing: Automate testing through CI/CD pipelines
Automated Deployment: Automate deployment of mainframe applications
Collaboration: Enable collaboration through modern tooling
Audit Trail: Maintain audit trail of changes and deployments
Clear goals help choose appropriate patterns and approaches.
Integration Patterns
Several patterns exist for integrating ISPF assets with Git and CI/CD. Understanding these patterns helps you choose the right approach for your needs.
Pattern 1: Download-Sync Pattern
The download-sync pattern downloads datasets from mainframe to Git:
Process: Periodically or on-demand, download datasets from mainframe to local files, commit to Git
Direction: Mainframe → Git (one-way, mainframe to Git)
Use Cases: Capturing mainframe changes in Git, creating version history, enabling code reviews of mainframe code
This structure maintains organization while making PDS members accessible as individual files in Git.
CI/CD Pipeline Examples
CI/CD pipelines can automate sync and deployment. Here are example approaches:
Example: Git to Mainframe Deployment
Pipeline that deploys from Git to mainframe:
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# Example CI/CD pipeline (pseudo-code)
pipeline:
trigger: on commit to main branch
steps:
- checkout Git repository
- for each changed file:
- convert file name to dataset name
- upload to mainframe using Zowe CLI
- submit compilation job
- run tests
- if tests pass:
- deploy to target environment
- notify team of deployment status
This pipeline automates deployment from Git to mainframe with testing and validation.
Example: Mainframe to Git Sync
Pipeline that syncs from mainframe to Git:
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# Example sync pipeline (pseudo-code)
pipeline:
trigger: scheduled (e.g., hourly)
steps:
- for each dataset to sync:
- download from mainframe using Zowe CLI
- compare with Git version
- if changed:
- commit to Git
- push to repository
- create summary of changes
- notify team of updates
This pipeline automatically captures mainframe changes in Git.
Best Practices
Following best practices helps ensure successful integration:
Start Simple: Begin with simple patterns and expand gradually
Document Mapping: Document how datasets map to Git structure
Handle Encoding: Ensure proper EBCDIC to ASCII conversion
Exclude Binary: Exclude binary datasets from Git (use Git LFS or alternatives)
Automate Gradually: Start with manual sync, then script, then full CI/CD
Test Thoroughly: Test sync and deployment processes thoroughly
Monitor Sync: Monitor sync processes for errors and issues
Version Control Scripts: Version control sync scripts and pipeline definitions
Clear Policies: Establish clear policies about where changes originate
Team Training: Train team on Git and CI/CD workflows
Explain Like I'm 5: ISPF, Git, and CI/CD
Think of ISPF, Git, and CI/CD like different ways to manage your drawings:
ISPF is like drawing on paper at your desk. You can draw, erase, and change your drawings directly. It's great for working, but if you lose the paper or want to share it, you have problems!
Git is like having a magic photo album that remembers every version of your drawing. You can see how it looked before, go back to old versions, and share photos with friends. Everyone can see your drawings and suggest changes!
CI/CD is like having a robot assistant. When you finish a drawing and put it in the photo album, the robot automatically tests it, makes sure it's good, and puts it in the right place. You don't have to do all those steps yourself!
Zowe CLI is like a magic camera that can take photos of your paper drawings and put them in the photo album, or print photos from the album back onto paper. It connects your desk drawings with the photo album!
Integration is like having the robot watch your desk. When you finish a drawing, the robot takes a photo, puts it in the album, tests it, and shares it - all automatically!
So exposing ISPF assets to Git and CI/CD is like connecting your desk drawings (ISPF) with a magic photo album (Git) and a robot assistant (CI/CD) that helps you manage, share, and deploy your work automatically!
Practice Exercises
Practice integrating ISPF assets with Git and CI/CD:
Exercise 1: Manual Git Integration
Objective: Manually sync a dataset to Git.
Steps:
Download a dataset using Zowe CLI
Initialize a Git repository (if needed)
Add the file to Git
Commit the file
Make a change to the file
Commit the change
View Git history
Exercise 2: Simple Sync Script
Objective: Create a simple sync script.
Steps:
Create a script that downloads a dataset
Compares with Git version
Commits if changed
Test the script
Document the script
Exercise 3: Basic CI/CD Pipeline
Objective: Create a basic CI/CD pipeline.
Steps:
Set up a CI/CD tool (Jenkins, GitLab CI, etc.)
Create a pipeline that monitors Git for changes
Configure pipeline to upload to mainframe using Zowe CLI
Test the pipeline
Document the pipeline
Test Your Knowledge
1. What is a key tool for exposing ISPF assets to Git?