Mainframe Managed Services
Key building blocks of mainframe managed services.
Partnering for Mainframe Excellence
Empowering Your Mainframe Team
In the Mainframe Managed Services model, CROZ experts usually take responsibility for certain parts or the whole mainframe infrastructure.
Most often, the customer team remains in place, while CROZ specialists handle part of the activities, acting as a part of the customer team. The managed services model generally fills the skill gaps, reduces costs, improves service quality, and frees internal teams to shift their focus from daily operations to more strategic goals.
In this model, the user typically retains ownership and management of the mainframe infrastructure, meaning the user remains the owner of the hardware and the equipment remains in the user’s system room. Similarly, the user continues to be the contract holder for the use of software licenses, maintaining a direct relationship with the vendor from whom the software was acquired.
Employing a “CROZ Mainframe Managed Services” provides a true partnership, rather than mere outsourcing of certain activities.
Operations support is a cornerstone of mainframe managed services
What Does Operations Support Entail?
Operations support is a cornerstone of mainframe managed services
Operations support isn’t just about the nitty-gritty of day-to-day operations. It goes beyond mere incident management. It’s a comprehensive offering tailored to bridge skills gaps or availability challenges an in-house team might face, ensuring robust support for the entire production environment, and even extending to development and testing environments. At its heart is the concept of “Run the Bank” daily operations, which encompasses a gamut of activities.
How it goes?
Onboarding process
Onboarding services essentially include an analysis of the current state of z/OS, z/VSE, z/VM, Linux on IBM Z systems and associated subsystems or software products such as DB2 for z/OS, CICS, MQ for z/OS, IMS products and their high-availability functionalities e.g. Parallel Sysplex, DB2 Data Sharing, CICSPlex, MQ Queue Sharing, GDPS for which managed service services are desired.
This is done to view settings, management processes, utilization, used functionality, and to get acquainted with user teams in any way connected to the subject infrastructure. The result of the onboarding service is well documented analysis results, which are a good starting point for further work with the system, whether it’s classic incident or operations support or any other activities that would be covered by additional service requests. Similarly, along with the analysis results, the user is presented with suggestions for improving system management and operation.
Operations support encompasses a broad range of technical activities
Expert System Administration and Support
Operations support encompasses a broad range of technical activities
Our operations support team is responsible for a wide array of technical tasks, including infrastructure monitoring, task management, system administration, and client communication. Through proactive monitoring of CPU, memory, and disk usage, we can identify and address potential issues before they impact system performance. Additionally, our team is responsible for planning and executing system upgrades and patching, as well as maintaining comprehensive documentation.
Monitoring, Maintenance, and Security
Operations support
Operations support is a cornerstone of mainframe managed services, as it depends on operations support to ensure smooth operation.
Monitoring, Maintenance & Data Management
This starts with a standard review of logs, and then delves deeper into monitoring the system’s current state. Tools like the RMF subsystem and OMEGAMON are invaluable here. Regular system upgrades with PTFs ensure that everything remains up-to-date, minimizing operational hitches.
When it comes to data management, activities range from creating backup copies with tools like HSM, RMM, and OAM, to regular database upkeep with IBM DB2 and IMS DB.
At its heart is the concept of “Run the Bank” daily operations, which encompasses a gamut of activities.
Development, Deployment & Security
The mainframe world is not static. Whether it’s old-school legacy methods or modern zDevOPS approaches, development, testing, and deployment processes remain central. This includes harnessing the power of the CI/CD pipeline, orchestrated by popular DevOpS tools such as GitLab, GitHub, and Jenkins.
Ensuring the safety and security of mainframe operations is pivotal. This is achieved by working with security subsystems like IBM RACF and CA Top Secret.
Make a full use of managed services
Enhancement Request
We always allocate part of the contractual budget for additional services that go beyond operations/incident support. It may include consultancy, customization of specific infrastructure components, performance optimization, integration with other parts of the information system or even software development. Additionally, it may include the installation and implementation of new system components or the
upgrade/migration of existing components. Consultancy services typically consist of architecture review, advising on best practices, helping in new system design, or integration with existing systems. Enhancement Service Request hours can be contracted monthly and accrued within the current support year.
In summary, our focus is on optimizing and refining your mainframe environment to ensure it aligns with your business’s evolving needs and objectives.
crucial process for any organization
Incident support
Incident Management aims to minimize disruption to the business by restoring service operations to agreed levels as quickly as possible.
The focus of Incident Support is to provide triage of all reported incidents and apply the necessary remedies. The CROZ experts collaborate closely with the client’s team and any 3rd party which may be involved (for example, networking, security, vendors…). Note that in an Incident-only support model, the client retains responsibility for production operations of the environment under support, and maintains their own front-line/customer (or employee) facing help desk.
A 24×7 helpdesk along with the necessary Support Request Management and ticketing processes are made available, and this includes the CROZ Case Management System and incident support team. During the onboarding phase, we also discuss requirements for a Service Level Agreement(SLA). Together with the client, we decide on the required level of SLA (24×7 service availability or 8×5, etc.).
While operations support is typically provided during a client’s core business hours, Service Level Agreements (SLAs) can be tailored based on individual business requirements, ensuring every client gets precisely what they need. Additionally, we define items such as Target Time to Action, Target Resolution time, Incident Severity Levels, etc.
Why choose CROZ Mainframe Managed Services?
- Empowering Mainframe Team – Our collaborative approach ensures your organization maintains control over its mainframe environment while leveraging our expertise for enhanced efficiency and a competitive edge.
- Transparent Terms – Our proactive approach ensures your mainframe platform remains efficient, valuable, and cost-effective through continuous monitoring and strategic upgrades.
- Contract Structure – Our Managed Services contracts offer flexible pricing based on SLA requirements, support hours, and specific needs, including specialized services.
- Transparency in Agreement – Our transparent contracts outline all terms explicitly, ensuring predictable budgeting and streamlined additional requests.