Which plugin should I use to get started with Jenkins to manage mainframe components in PDS format?

Question

Assume somebody familiar with DevOps and mainframes, but new to Jenkins, wants to get started with Jenkins, e.g. to:

• investigate the feasibility of managing data stored in personal files (PDSes, i.e. partitioned data sets) on the mainframe (so not, yet, managed by any of the typical SCM solutions exist for managing mainframe software).
• to run Jenkins in some type of personal development environment, e.g. in a Linux environment in Virtual Box (if that would make sense).

After some kind of (minimal) Jenkins installation and configuration got completed, the actual question becomes "Which of the typical Jenkins plugins, if any, would be needed?". From the various Jenkins plugins that appear to make sense in my case, it seems that these are possible candidates (quotes are from the linked pages):

• IBM zOS Connector.

  ... provides its functions via FTP connection to IBM z/OS LPAR. You can configure your SCLM project on z/OS and then check for the changes via Jenkins.

  Features include:

  • Submission of user JCL job (with optional log collected upon finish).
  • Introduction of SCLM as SCM for your projects allowing to checkout SCLM changes.
  • The ability to build SCLM projects currently can be performed only via 'Submit zOS Job' build action.

• Compuware Source Code Download for Endevor, PDS, and ISPW Plugin.

  ... allows Jenkins users to download Endevor, PDS, or ISPW members from the mainframe to the PC. Source can then be accessed on the PC, for example, for SonarQube analysis and reporting.

Since the 1st plugin is about SCLM (which is all about PDSes), and the 2nd plugin explicitly states support for PDSes (in its name), I trust both are possible candidates.

So assuming my shortlist is complete (is it?), what are the pros and cons of either one that should help me decide which one is best for my case?

Ps: Something like a "Jenkins Kickstart" package doesn't seem to exist (at least I've not found it yet).

Answer 1

I set up jenkins to manage mainframe tables. Essentially utilizing groovy script plugin. I wrote code that handles movement of files on the mainframe and call them though the plugin. Essentially leveraging the mainframes API to connect and the vsc's commands to move the files.

Answer 2

Jenkins slave runs in unix system services of z/OS and can run any script or function from there. We use the Git plugin to pull the source code onto z/OS then you have different choices of how to work with it. You can use IBM Dependency Based Build which is Groovy ported to z/OS plus some extensions to specifically work with native z/OS functions such as copy to PDS (or PDSE) or copy back to zFS, as well as the ability to run MVS, TSO, ISPF commands and submit JCL.

Also with the new Zowe announcement Zowe.org for a new open source project on z/OS you also have access to a number of REST based APIs work with files and perform other tasks on z/OS such as calling zOSMF.

Answer 3

In general, there are two ways to automate actions from Jenkins:

1. Install a plugin for Jenkins and use it in steps to automate tasks.
2. Write a script (shell, python, other) and call it from a step to automate tasks.

There are drawbacks / benefits to both approaches. While #1 - the plugin approach - gives you out of the box functionality and does not require you to script, it may be rigid and limited in its abilities. #2 - the scripting approach - requires you to write scripts, as well as maintain them, but may provide much more flexibiity and freedom in automating things.

The scripting approach generally uses a lot of CLIs - aws cli, docker cli, etc.

If #2 - the scripting approach - is viable and you're comfortable with writing shell scripts or other scripts like python to interact with the mainframe, then Brightside can help.

Here's an example of using Brightside (free CLI) to interact with PDS on z/OS from a shell script:

    #!/bin/sh
    echo 'bright files create classic "USER.PUBLIC.SAMPLE.PDS"'
    bright files create classic "USER.PUBLIC.SAMPLE.PDS"
    echo ''

    echo 'bright files download all-members "USER.LIB.SAMP" -d MyPDS'
    bright files download all-members "USER.LIB.SAMP" -d MyPDS
    echo ''

    echo 'bright files upload dir-to-pds MyPDS "USER.PUBLIC.SAMPLE.PDS"'
    bright files upload dir-to-pds MyPDS "USER.PUBLIC.SAMPLE.PDS"
    echo ''

    echo 'bright files list all-members "USER.PUBLIC.SAMPLE.PDS"'
    bright files list all-members "USER.PUBLIC.SAMPLE.PDS"
    echo ''

    echo 'bright files delete data-set "USER.PUBLIC.SAMPLE.PDS(ALLOCLIB)" -f'
    bright files delete data-set "USER.PUBLIC.SAMPLE.PDS(ALLOCLIB)" -f
    echo ''

    echo 'bright files list all-members "USER.PUBLIC.SAMPLE.PDS"'
    bright files list all-members "USER.PUBLIC.SAMPLE.PDS"
    echo ''

    echo 'bright files delete data-set "USER.PUBLIC.SAMPLE.PDS" -f'
    bright files delete data-set "USER.PUBLIC.SAMPLE.PDS" -f
    echo ''

Here's the output from that script:

Easy enough to call these scripts from Jenkins and parse the output for whatever purpose.

Full disclosure: I work for CA who created Brightside but we do use this CLI internally for the exact purpose of integrating our mainframe application testing with Jenkins.

Answer 4

@Pierre.Vriens, wrt your ask about “investigate the feasibility of managing data stored in personal files (PDSes, i.e. partitioned data sets) on the mainframe.”, you can use zOS Management Facility (zOSMF) which comes with the z/OS operating system to access APIs for that. In Sujay's reply, he suggests using Brightside and that tool taps into the zOSMF APIs to simplify that task. So then if you want to tie Jenkins to the Mainframe to manage Partitioned Data Sets (PDS) and Data Sets (PS), you can use these zOSMF APIs or you could use Brightside.

In the spirit of disclosure, I work as a UX Designer for CA Technologies who builds Brightside.