Mainframe Workbench

The Compuware Mainframe Workbench is AVAILABLE NOW

The Compuware Mainframe Workbench is a modernized open development environment that introduces a new graphical user interface for managing mainframe application development activities currently performed in the character-based TSO/ISPF environment. It provides a common framework and single launch-point from which to initiate Compuware’s mainframe products, along with being open and extensible to support other development tooling as well. The look-and-feel of the Workbench is familiar to users accustomed to developing in a graphical user interface, and enables users to interact with the most powerful business computer available in an intuitive, standardized and familiar environment. The Compuware Mainframe Workbench supports the transitioning workforce: those coming on board to support business-critical mainframe applications. From the comfort of a familiar interface, they can quickly learn new languages, environments and business applications, reducing the time needed to become productive.

World-class mainframe application toolset, world-standard IDE

Leveraging Eclipse, the innovative Workbench provides the graphical interface and functionality organizations need to increase productivity and optimize their workforces.

This approach is evolutionary, not revolutionary. Compuware’s comprehensive yet pragmatic approach to modernization minimizes the expenditure, risk, complexity, training and deployment requirements relative to competitive alternatives.

This initial release consists of a framework (Compuware Workbench 3.0) and modernized user interfaces for Compuware’s Abend-AID, Xpediter and File-AID. Thus, it delivers the full range of classic Compuware mainframe programmer application tooling:

mainframe fault diagnosis
application data browse and edit: sequential, indexed, VSAM, DB2 and IMS (Note: These will be phased in during 2010)
mainframe-hosted COBOL, PL/1, C Language and HLASM debugging

iStrobe and Fault Manager can also be launched from the Compuware Mainframe Workbench.

Additionally, the Compuware MainframeWorkbench reaches beyond the traditional Compuware mainframe development functionality listed above and provides a framework that delivers additional ISPF-like functionality, including:

source code edit (powered by SlickEdit)
invocation of mainframe compiler
JES functions: job submission, review, print, purge
dataset management—i.e., allocation, compression, deletion.

This means that much of what happens in a “day in the life of a mainframe programmer” can be done entirely within the Compuware Workbench.

The Compuware Mainframe Workbench is just the beginning of a new level of product integration not only for Compuware mainframe tooling, but also for Compuware distributed tooling and non-Compuware tooling. That’s another benefit of choosing an open, extensible, development platform.

This is the future of your mainframe.