Why Use Open-Source Technology? John Mertic Weighs In

John Mertic, director of the Open Mainframe Project and director of program management for The Linux Foundation, explores the impact of open-source technology on the mainframe ecosystem

Coltrane Brennan October 14, 2024

The IBM mainframe has been around for more than 60 years. Over the past six decades, it has absorbed new changes and systems to keep up with the ever-evolving technological landscape. Among the advances: open-source technology. With open-source technology, creating programs or systems is not a secretive process; source code is freely available for anyone to access, distribute or modify.

As the open-source software market grows, the number of use cases on the mainframe is growing, too—and the technology is revolutionizing the IBM Z landscape. To dive deeper into the impact of open-source technologies in mainframes, TechChannel recently interviewed John Mertic, executive director of the Open Mainframe Project and director of program management for The Linux Foundation. He discussed:

How does open source work?
The benefits of open source for mainframe users
Open-source challenges and solutions for mainframes
Today’s most impactful open-source technologies

What Is Open-Source Technology?

So, how does open source work? Open source is source code that is available to the public. It is a cost-efficient way to alter software and offers a community-centered way for system designers to collaborate and create a program that fits the needs of a certain project.

The Benefits of Mainframe Open-Source Technology

Open-source technology is an accelerator for digital transformation across industries, including the mainframe. Instead of creating proprietary tools, open-source technology allows for collaborative decision-making and development that builds a stronger base for every organization to work on.

Here are three key benefits of mainframe open-source technology.

1. Open source is available to all.

Open-source technology not only allows more collaboration and discussion, but it also opens a wider talent pool for mainframe companies. “[Open source] lowers the barrier of entry for people looking to participate in this ecosystem, not just from a vendor and a customer standpoint, but a next-generation talent standpoint,” says Mertic, adding that open-source technology is creating a broader, more diverse mainframe talent pool that’s driving success and innovation.

2. Open source is not made for secrecy.

Despite the growing prevalence of open-source technology in other industries, open-source adoption on the mainframe has been slow. Whether it be a fear of increased security risks or a lack of knowledge about what the tools are capable of, users are assured by the fact that open-source projects and technologies can be used—and therefore, monitored—by anyone.

Open-source software is not created to be used by a single organization; it is a collection of collaborators and ideas that allows everyone to reap the benefits—or alter a program when necessary.

3. Open source speeds up development cycles.

Open-source technology enables a faster software development cycle. If there is an issue within the code, it can be altered and modified quickly. “[Companies] can get technology out there sooner, they can react to the pace of change, and they can hit the demands that are out there,” Mertic adds.

Implementing Open-Source Technology on the Mainframe

Given those benefits, along with the fact that open-source technology in mainframes allows for a more cost- and time-efficient method to modernize, more organizations are looking to implement open-source tooling into their mainframe environments. Mertic says, “People are realizing, ‘Wow, this makes my life a lot easier. These are easier tools, they’re more widely adopted and they help me connect and solve my problems much easier than before.’”

According to Mertic, it is critical to understand organizational needs and best practices when gaining familiarity with or choosing open-source tools. He recommends using an open-source program office (OSPO) maturity model—like the one created by the Linux Foundation—to gauge best practices and compliance and security needs.

Open-Source Challenges and Solutions for Mainframes

Despite the benefits of deploying open-source technology, change is met with resistance at some organizations—and rapid development cycles can make it difficult to keep up with open-source advances. Adding to that, the mainframe is deployed in mission-critical environments such as credit card and bank processing, meaning security is of utmost importance. But Mertic believes the mainframe community is heading in the right direction. He says, “Being able to have a depth and diversity of maintainers on a project and being able to understand where your vulnerabilities are coming from and all of the tooling on open source is getting a lot of attention right now and is drastically improving.”

While there may have been a stigma surrounding open source on the mainframe in the past few years, changing regulations and internal policies are starting to move the needle. Mertic notes, “You have to put a lot of care, concern and rigor into [embracing open source as a team] and understanding how it can work best in your environment—it can sometimes just take time.”

The Impact of the Open Mainframe Project and Zowe

The Open Mainframe Project, established by The Linux Foundation, is helping companies embrace open-source technology on the mainframe with the belief that “open source is the collective thread within leading organizations that look to leverage their technology infrastructure as a competitive advantage.” The team provides educational opportunities and also works on several influential projects to inform and educate the IBM Z community on open-source solutions.

Among them is Zowe, an open-source software framework that allows development and operations teams to securely manage, control, script and develop on the mainframe like any other cloud platform. Mertic describes Zowe as the “poster child” of open-source integration on the mainframe, and he estimates that 85% of mainframe customers—or plan to—use Zowe in some capacity. “[Mainframers] are seeing it as a way to modernize DevOps stacks, tooling and delivery infrastructure to leverage different technologies versus being stuck in the legacy mainframe world of tooling…it can stretch across multiple architectures and really pull together the entire enterprise,” he notes.

Zowe’s impact has opened the door for more open-source adoption opportunities, including the Open Mainframe Project’s mainframe architecture coming online next year. Mertic believes the shift will improve the usability and security of the architecture, adding, “That’s not just going to be an asset for the Open Mainframe Project, but also the open-source community in general.”

The Future of Open Source on the Mainframe

The introduction of technology like Zowe and Linux on Z has increased open-source adoption on the mainframe, but Mertic believes that this is just the beginning. In other industries that have embraced open source, he notes, “It not only helped produce better results, but the speed of delivery can increase—and the security stance and the quality increases at the same time.”

Looking ahead, open-source technology will continue to be a key piece of mainframe architecture, especially as the next generation of talent comes onto the platform. Mertic mentions, “Most of those folks see open source as a vehicle, but also the technology they’re most familiar with…it’s diversifying the workplace and the mainframe community.”