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z-flex.store

z-flex.store

New back up system for z/OS: z-flex.store

z-flex.store is a new approach to mainframe platform data management, allowing for convenient protection of all user data (including MVS libraries, UnixSystem Services file systems, data archived on VTS/VTL devices and other backup systems). It also enables remote access to data via the network from any device.

What are the benefits of having the ability to store data outside of ECKD drives?

Storing data in mass storage systems dedicated to mainframe environments usually involves limiting access to them for reasons of keeping the security requirements and reducing the costs of infrastructure maintenance with the highest level of service availability. An alternative is to use cloud services in the public or private cloud version, which use internal resources with a lower cost of data storage. Having this ability to secure and transfer between mainframe systems and object data stores reduces the risk of data loss. At the same time, it allows you to use data through remote access from many systems, while maintaining full management control.

z-flex.store main features:

central backup management: managing transfer, access to secured data and triggering backup and restore operations as well as attaching and detaching z/OS hosts directly from the graphical user console;

support for multiple cloud service providers: the solution is adapted to work in environments based on various object storage protocols (including S3 and Google Cloud Storage) and offers the possibility of performing operations on secured data between the resources of various cloud service providers and a private cloud;

automatic backup: ability to create backups and automatically synchronize data from z/OS environments. For added convenience, there is also a function of regular, automatic backups of selected libraries and file systems;

huge storage without fixed fees: the ability to use your own object storage infrastructure to reduce operational costs of data storage;

sharing: creating private links to share secured data.

The z-flex.store architecture includes 2 basic components:

agent software installed in the z/OS system,
a graphical user console moved outside the host system.

The functional separation of these two layers allows for the flexible work with many z/OS systems through one central console, accessible via URL from anywhere and offering an interactive user interface. The set of secured objects can be configured both on the client side and on the graphical console, which is an innovative option in this class of solutions, allowing convenient and intuitive protection of z/OS file systems – both in the MVS and USS parts, without the need to log in to the TSO shell using a TN3270 session. Moreover, the graphical console also provides object recovery functions for other z/OS systems than the source one. Authentication of actions performed from the console and agent level is integrated with the functions of the RACF access control system, which determines the context of user authorizations.

The z-flex.store system can be run both in the public cloud and in the client’s separate virtual infrastructure. On the z/OS side, the solution makes efficient use of zIIP processors. Due to the flexibility of the installation model, before performing the Proof of Concept stage, the target architecture should be determined by selecting the management component installation model and the pool of resources used as the service infrastructure and object memory sharing. All elements required for PoC implementation can be delivered as time-limited licenses for testing purposes along with the environment configuration service.