IBM Z Tech Bytes – November 2024

Ansible Automation Platform for z/OS

Jacob Emery
Empowerment Promise
by the end of this session you will…

1) know what Ansible is

2) understand what Ansible can

automate for IBM Z

3) see how Ansible Automation

Platform can help
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What is ?

• Automation tool
• Open source
• Standardized
vs. Ansible Automation Platform?
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Ansible for IBM Z / LinuxONE IBM Technology
Expert Labs
OS Management Options
LPARs: Guests:
z/OS
zCX

Linux on Z
Distributed
Linux on Z
OCP on LoZ
OCP on zCX
KVM
Linux on Z

z/VM
z/OS

Linux on Z

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Red Hat Ansible Certified Content for IBM Z: Collections
Available on Ansible Galaxy here and on Automation Hub

IBM z/OS® Core 244,000 Downloads

IBM z/OS® CICS® 16,000 Downloads

Collectively
IBM z/OS IMS™ 48,000 Downloads
• 77 Modules
IBM z/OSMF • 15 Roles
5,000 Downloads

IBM Z® Hardware
Management 92,000 Downloads
Console

IBM zSystem
3,500 Downloads
Automation 7
Automate and
standardize IT

Standardized
approach

Lowers the
skills barrier to
entry

Complements
existing
automation
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What does automation on z/OS look like?
//CREATPDS JOB (123),CLASS=C,MSGCLASS=S,MSGLEVEL=(1,1),
// NOTIFY=&SYSUID
//*
//STEP001 EXEC PGM=IEFBR14
//SYSPRINT DD SYSOUT=*
//SYSOUT DD SYSOUT=*
//SYSDUMP DD SYSOUT=*
//DD01 DD DSN=userid.TEST.PDS,
// DISP=(NEW,CATLG,DELETE),
// SPACE=(TRK,(12,33),RLSE),UNIT=SYSDA,
// DCB=(DSORG=PDS,RECFM=FB,LRECL=80,BLKSIZE=800)
//*
//STEP002 EXEC PGM=IEBCOPY
//SYSPRINT DD SYSOUT=A
//OUT1 DD DSNAME=DATASET1,UNIT=disk,VOL=SER=111112,
// DISP=(OLD,KEEP)
//IN6 DD DSNAME=DATASET6,UNIT=disk,VOL=SER=111115,
// DISP=OLD
//SYSUT3 DD UNIT=SYSDA,SPACE=(TRK,(1))
//SYSUT4 DD UNIT=SYSDA,SPACE=(TRK,(1))
//SYSIN DD *
COPYOPER COPY OUTDD=OUT1
INDD=IN6
SELECT MEMBER=(B,A)

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How does Ansible simplify
automation on z/OS?

- name: Copy a PDS to a new customized PDS.

ibm.ibm_zos_core.zos_copy:
src: "SOME.PDS.SRC({{ item }})"
dest: "SOME.PDS.DEST({{ item }})"
remote_src: true
loop:
- A
- B

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Ansible for Z:
sample playbooks
repository
Pre-written playbooks
spanning multiple use-cases
and technologies from real
client use-cases

Start here!

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 Key Client Use Cases

– Build and provision middleware – Integrate infrastructure provisioning and IBM Z

– Roll out fix packs to thousand of servers application deployment into
Provisioning, – Self-service provisioning portals CI/CD and CI/CD pipelines
Maintenance & – Middleware configuration Application – Bring together populate tools in your pipelines
Configuration – Network and security configuration Deployment such as Jenkins, ServiceNow, GitHub

– Orchestrate and replace existing siloed

in-house automation
– Disaster recovery information collection
– Integrate existing automation into overall
Migration and – Moving data and application across systems Orchestration workflow
Recovery
– Job verification programs

– Install verification programs

– SSL certification renewal process
– Collect audit and security configuration
Security – Password resets, create new users Mainframe Fact
details, system status and health checks
Automation Collection

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 Automation Maturity Curve Federated Self-Service Automation
Event driven automation
Self-healing infrastructure
Effort per change

Team autonomy
Testing framework(s)
Expanded external integrations
Governance driven RBAC

Cross team workflows

End-to-end automation provisioning
Automation first across silos
Standard onboarding
Reliable release process

Speed Scale
Reliability

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5

Aware Standardized Proactive Institutionalized Optimized

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 Common Language of Automation

Provisioning

MANAGEMENT APPLICATION LIFE

CYCLE
AUTOMATION
Configuration
Management

DEV/TEST
ANSIBLE
PLAYBOOKS
Application
MIDDLEWARE Deployment
PLATFORM
Q/A AUTOMATION
Automation Language Automation
Platform Continuous
Delivery

OPERATIONS
INFRASTRUCTURE Security &
AUTOMATION Compliance

OUTSOURCERS

Orchestration
 The capabilities you need across your landscape.

Applications Network Cloud Security Infrastructure Edge

▸ DevOps ▸ Configuration ▸ Provisioning ▸ Investigation ▸ Deployment ▸ Extend security

management enrichment
▸ CI/CD ▸ Configuration ▸ Provisioning ▸ Scalability
▸ Infrastructure ▸ Threat hunting
▸ GitOps ▸ Compliance ▸ Management ▸ Interoperability
16 awareness
▸ Incident response
▸ RHEL, Windows, IBM,
▸ Network validation
and more
 One Subscription. One integrated platform.

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 Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform (AAP)
Deployment options on IBM Z / IBM LinuxONE

• Linux (native LPAR, z/VM, KVM, and/or ICIC)

• Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform
• IBM zCX Foundation for Red Hat OpenShift
* EE only - IBM z/OS Container Extensions (zCX)

© 2024 IBM Corporation

Automation Controller

Persistent Web-based GUI Role-Based Access Controls

Automation Controller
Automation Controller
Automation Controller
Automation Controller
DEMO
Environment
Automation
Controller Managed Node

Python ZOAU
Playbooks DB2 CICS
Repositories IMS MQ
USS SSH

Wazi as a Service

Workstation z/VM z/VM

Virtual Private Cloud (VPC)

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Major US Bank Manage and automate z/OS
certificates with Ansible

–Currently managing 3000

certificates a year
–Current process takes 1 hour
per refresh.
–Ansible managed process
estimated to reduce to minutes
resulting in a savings of 2700+
hours per year.
–Watch the demo video
–Watch Rabobank talk about
their Certificate Management
solution

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 Renew z/OS certificates with Ansible

YES
Backup current cert

DEMO
Run
RACF_CERTIFICATE_EXPIRA
TION

Rekey and Generate CSR

Certificate
Run HZSPRNT utility to get
report
expiring?

Delete current cert

Playbook Flow
NO

Stop

NO Externally YES Download Cert from external

signed?
CA

Generate cert using CSR Install Cert using RACDERT

Sign with local CA or self-signed ADD

Connect new cert to keyring

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• Experience hands on how Ansible can manage IBM z/OS
Systems
• Washington Systems Center workshop for up to 25
participants
Ansible for
• Ansible 101
• Lab: Writing your first playbook IBM Z / LinuxONE
• Ansible for IBM Z (including z/OS)
• Lab: Ansible Z Trial (optional)
• Lab: Ansible IMS Z Trial (optional)
Wildfire Workshop
• Ansible Automation Platform (AAP) Overview
• IBM watsonx Code Assistant for Ansible Lightspeed
• Event-Driven Ansible
• Lab: AAP for IBM z/OS

To schedule a workshop, contact: [email protected]

Try the Ansible® IBM Z Trial

Free guided virtual demo

environment, providing users with
the ability to run and review
Ansible playbooks automating
tasks on z/OS
Register here

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Ansible® IBM Z Trial for IMS
(New)
An IMS client can use a preconfigured IMS environment to try
guided scenarios that demonstrate real-world use cases. These
virtual trials are offered at no cost. Some of the scenarios
available now include:

- IMS Enterprise Suite Explorer for Development - access

IMS data by issuing SQL statements and using IMS catalog.

- IBM z/OS IMS Ansible collection - try the automation

capabilities of Ansible by issuing IMS commands.

- Ansible sample playbooks - automate the configuration of

IMS managed ACBs and catalog by using Ansible.

Visit https://ibm.biz/IMS_IBMZ_Trial or
scan the QR code to learn more and register
Request the Ansible® Try the Ansible® Automation
Automation Platform free trial Platform self paced labs

Register here Start here

Hybrid Cloud Foundation / Client Presentation / July 1, 2022 / © 2022 IBM Corporation
Join the community

• Facilitate Ansible for IBM Z: IBM Z

communication & LinuxONE Community
amongst Guild
members

• Host past
recordings and
presentations of
Guild meetings

• Post blogs & videos

for the IBM Z
community Register for the guild here

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New content available in the Community

• Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform is now natively available on IBM Power, and on IBM Z and IBM
LinuxONE
• Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform on IBM Z and IBM LinuxONE is generally available now!
• Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform capabilities on IBM Z and IBM LinuxONE
• BLOG: Implementing Ansible Execution Nodes on Linux on IBM Z Mainframes
• What's new in Ansible Automation Platform 2.4
• Security Considerations when setting up your Ansible environment for z/OS
• Demo Video: Certificate management automation with Ansible for z/OS
• The business value of Red Hat Ansible Automation
• IBM Z Trial: Ansible for IBM Z
• Ansible for IBM Z collections
• Sample Playbook Repository
• Ansible for IBM Z community
• Ansible for IBM Z videos on IBM Media Center
• Triton Ansible blog series 32
Empowerment Promise
you now…

1) understand what Ansible is and

used for

2) understand how Ansible can

automate IBM Z

3) saw how Ansible Automation

Platform can help
33
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© Copyright 2024 IBM Corporation

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© Copyright 2024 IBM Corporation