In a strategic collaboration, MooodyCow has teamed up with PopUp Mainframe, a company dedicated to transforming how mainframe businesses operate. PopUp’s goal is simple: to empower companies with quicker, cost-effective, and superior changes in their z/OS software development and testing processes.

PopUp Mainframe’s Core Capabilities

PopUp achieves this by removing traditional test environment barriers, speeding up delivery timelines, and significantly reducing costs through the use of commoditised x86 hardware. The platform seamlessly integrates with standard DevOps toolchains and pipelines, enabling the efficient management of z/OS test environments either on-premises or in the cloud. PopUp is unique as it provides Z server hardware emulation, which ensures that it can run ANY z/OS subsystem or bespoke application.

How PopUp Works

PopUp Mainframe is essentially a z/OS virtual instance running genuine z/OS code for development and testing purposes. This virtual instance, packaged as a fully optimised virtual machine image, is designed to run on any enterprise x86 hardware, whether on-premises or in the cloud. PopUp supports all z/OS software, providing a turnkey solution for rapid and elastic deployment of z/OS capabilities in various non-production use cases.

Flavours of PopUp

PopUp offers different flavours to cater to diverse needs.

1. The foundational Vanilla PopUp comes equipped with additional tools and utilities to expedite the adoption of virtual z/OS in development and testing.
2. PopUp collaborates with Delphix to deliver industry-leading solutions for z/OS Data Masking and Data Virtualization, enhancing data privacy and compliance agility.
3. PopUp on Azure extends its capabilities to the cloud, enabling the creation and configuration of on-demand z/OS test environments.
4. Moreover, the partnership with BMC results in PopUp & BMC, offering pre-configured and pre-integrated DevOps tooling for streamlined development processes.
5. Custom PopUps ship with any software preinstalled and configured, tailored to individual requirements.

Empowering Mainframe Businesses with PopUp

The benefits of integrating PopUp into MooodyCow’s mainframe strategy are manifold. Organisations can run fully provisioned virtual z/OS environments anywhere, seamlessly integrating PopUp with their existing IT infrastructure. This facilitates the modernisation of organisational strategies by leveraging z/OS in the cloud with minimal maintenance overheads. PopUp’s ability to run z/OS test environments on commodity hardware leads to substantial savings in hardware and storage costs.

Key Advantages of PopUp Integration

PopUp’s API-driven approach allows organisations to provision and scale z/OS “Gold Copy” environments instantly in development and testing. This on-demand creation of z/OS environments accelerates projects dependent on z/OS, contributing to the agility of mainframe projects. The platform also addresses compliance concerns by providing robust data masking in development and testing, ensuring data privacy and regulatory compliance.

Environmental and Cost Impact

With PopUp, organisations can create isolated environments for development, testing, training, and more, reducing energy usage and total cost of ownership. The ability to turn off z/OS test environments when not needed contributes to a lower environmental impact and reduced energy consumption. Furthermore, the flexibility to create slim z/OS environment “slices” tailored to specific needs further minimises resource consumption.

To conclude, by leveraging PopUp’s capabilities, organisations can enhance the efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and agility of their z/OS software development life cycles, positioning themselves at the forefront of innovation in the mainframe arena. Please contact the MooodyCow team today to learn more or visit https://www.popup-mainframe.com/ .