GC Mainframe Strategy 2.0

GC Mainframe Strategy 2.0 For many, the word 'mainframe' conjures images of antiquated technology employing large spools of magnetic tape for data storage and punch cards to execute commands in COBOL, the same programming language your uncle used. While this is no longer the mainframe's reality, given its reputation, it would surprise some to find out that many of the GC's critical business applications supporting security and financial transactions are all mainframe-based. The GC is not unique in this regard. The banking and insurance sectors still rely heavily on mainframes to help day-to-day banking, shopping, and credit card transactions. Despite their dependable service history, the mainframe suffers from a growing risk; a shrinking pool of skilled IT professionals supporting this technology and a small market of companies still supporting and innovating on mainframe platforms. For that reason, with the fullness of time, it is not a question of if the GC will stop using mainframes, but a question of when. That may come in a few years for some organizations, but it may be decades for others. Technological advancement has also made it possible to process mainframe workloads with the same or more significant computing power through modern and alternative technology. Further research is required regarding the security of those platforms and the subsequent cost effectiveness. The first version of the GC mainframe strategy provided an overview of the mainframe's status as technology across other industry sectors and then looked at their usage within the GC. It presented the risks associated with operating mainframes that the GC would need to manage continuously. The most pernicious of those was a workforce with mainframe skills. The second version of the strategy provides a migration approaches path for GC departments and makes recommendations to SSC and departments to incrementally approach migration, from discovery to architecture planning. The strategy will outline questions each department should be asking themselves as they consider their mainframe applications' future. The key to this is the question of fit for purpose. Given the strategic direction of your organization, do your mainframe applications continue to support that course? If not, what migration options exist? Finally, the strategy provides recommendations to improve the stewardship of mainframes and the applications they host. 2024-11-20 Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat open-ouvert@tbs-sct.gc.ca Information and CommunicationsProcessesScience and Technologymainframe strategy 2.0 GC Mainframe Strategy 2.0PDF https://open.canada.ca/data/dataset/7f5e27ba-80f6-4aca-bfab-9ce88801ef74/resource/7f47ff66-ac27-430a-be28-fd9cbeb46418/download/final_gc-mainframe-strategy-2.0_acc.pdf GC Mainframe Strategy 2.0PDF https://open.canada.ca/data/dataset/7f5e27ba-80f6-4aca-bfab-9ce88801ef74/resource/cc59676d-4315-4e4b-96e7-d493cc605dcc/download/final_gc-mainframe-strategy-2.0-fr_acc.pdf

For many, the word 'mainframe' conjures images of antiquated technology employing large spools of magnetic tape for data storage and punch cards to execute commands in COBOL, the same programming language your uncle used. While this is no longer the mainframe's reality, given its reputation, it would surprise some to find out that many of the GC's critical business applications supporting security and financial transactions are all mainframe-based. The GC is not unique in this regard. The banking and insurance sectors still rely heavily on mainframes to help day-to-day banking, shopping, and credit card transactions. Despite their dependable service history, the mainframe suffers from a growing risk; a shrinking pool of skilled IT professionals supporting this technology and a small market of companies still supporting and innovating on mainframe platforms. For that reason, with the fullness of time, it is not a question of if the GC will stop using mainframes, but a question of when. That may come in a few years for some organizations, but it may be decades for others. Technological advancement has also made it possible to process mainframe workloads with the same or more significant computing power through modern and alternative technology. Further research is required regarding the security of those platforms and the subsequent cost effectiveness. The first version of the GC mainframe strategy provided an overview of the mainframe's status as technology across other industry sectors and then looked at their usage within the GC. It presented the risks associated with operating mainframes that the GC would need to manage continuously. The most pernicious of those was a workforce with mainframe skills. The second version of the strategy provides a migration approaches path for GC departments and makes recommendations to SSC and departments to incrementally approach migration, from discovery to architecture planning. The strategy will outline questions each department should be asking themselves as they consider their mainframe applications' future. The key to this is the question of fit for purpose. Given the strategic direction of your organization, do your mainframe applications continue to support that course? If not, what migration options exist? Finally, the strategy provides recommendations to improve the stewardship of mainframes and the applications they host.

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