Bank of Z

A sample z/OS banking application demonstrating modern mainframe development practices with COBOL, BMS, and IBM Dependency Based Build (DBB).

Overview

Bank of Z is a CICS-based banking application that showcases:

• COBOL Programs - Core banking business logic for account management, customer operations, and transactions
• BMS Maps - Screen definitions for CICS terminal interactions
• Copybooks - Shared data structures and definitions
• IBM DBB Integration - Modern build automation for z/OS applications
• Pipeline Simulation - Automated build and deployment workflows

Application Features

The application provides typical banking operations:

• Account Management - Create, update, delete, and inquire on accounts
• Customer Management - Manage customer information and profiles
• Transaction Processing - Handle debits, credits, and fund transfers
• Menu Navigation - User-friendly CICS interface for banking operations

Project Structure

Bank-of-Z/
├── src/                          # Application source code
│   └── base/
│       ├── cobol/               # COBOL programs
│       ├── bms/                 # BMS map definitions
│       └── copy/                # Copybooks
├── .setup/                       # Pipeline setup automation
│   ├── config.yaml              # Environment configuration
│   ├── setup.sh                 # Setup script
│   ├── run_pipeline.sh          # Pipeline execution script
│   ├── pipeline_simulation.sh   # Pipeline simulation script
│   └── build/                   # zBuilder framework
├── .vscode/
│   └── tasks.json               # VS Code custom tasks
├── docs/
│   └── SETUP_GUIDE.md          # Detailed setup instructions
└── dbb-app.yaml                 # DBB application configuration

Quick Start

Prerequisites

Local Machine:

• Node.js and npm
• Zowe CLI: npm install -g @zowe/cli
• Zowe RSE API Plugin: zowe plugins install @zowe/rse-api-for-zowe-cli
• Configured Zowe profile with z/OS connection details

z/OS System:

• Git installed and available in PATH on USS
• CICS region for application deployment
• IBM DBB installed (typically at /usr/lpp/dbb)
• Appropriate permissions for USS directories and dataset creation

Setup Using VS Code Tasks

The easiest way to get started is using the built-in VS Code tasks:

1. Configure Your Environment

   Edit .setup/config.yaml with your z/OS details:

   pipeline:
     workspace: /u/$USER/sandbox
     tmphlq: YOUR_HLQ

2. Run Setup Task

   • Press Cmd+Shift+P (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux)
   • Type "Tasks: Run Task"
   • Select "Setup Pipeline Environment"

   This will:

   • Create workspace directories on USS
   • Clone IBM DBB repository
   • Upload zBuilder framework

3. Run Pipeline Simulation

   • Press Cmd+Shift+P (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux)
   • Type "Tasks: Run Task"
   • Select "Run Pipeline Simulation"
   • Enter git repository URL and branch when prompted

   The pipeline will:

   • Clone your application repository
   • Build all COBOL programs and BMS maps
   • Create load modules
   • Generate build reports

Documentation

• Setup Guide - Comprehensive setup instructions, troubleshooting, and customization
• Setup Directory README - Details on setup scripts and configuration
• Source Code README - Application source code structure

Key Components

COBOL Programs

Located in src/base/cobol/:

• BNKMENU - Main menu program
• BNK1CAC, BNK1CCA, BNK1CCS - Account creation and management
• BNK1DAC, BNK1DCS - Account deletion
• BNK1UAC - Account updates
• BNK1TFN - Fund transfers
• CREACC, CRECUST - Create account/customer
• INQACC, INQCUST - Inquiry programs
• UPDACC, UPDCUST - Update programs
• DELACC, DELCUS - Delete programs

BMS Maps

Located in src/base/bms/:

• BNK1MAI - Main menu map
• BNK1ACC - Account screen
• BNK1CAM, BNK1CCM, BNK1CDM - Account management maps
• BNK1UAM, BNK1DAM, BNK1DCM - Update/delete maps
• BNK1TFM - Transfer map

Build Configuration

• dbb-app.yaml - DBB application configuration with impact analysis patterns
• .setup/build/ - zBuilder framework with language-specific build rules

Development Workflow

1. Make Changes - Edit COBOL programs, BMS maps, or copybooks
2. Commit Changes - Push to your git repository
3. Run Pipeline - Execute via VS Code task or command line
4. Review Results - Check build output and load modules
5. Deploy - Use generated artifacts for CICS deployment

Build System

The project uses IBM Dependency Based Build (DBB) with the zBuilder framework:

• Incremental Builds - Only changed programs are recompiled
• Impact Analysis - Automatically detects affected programs
• Dependency Management - Tracks copybook and BMS map dependencies
• Language Support - COBOL, BMS, and link cards

Configuration

Environment Variables

The pipeline simulation script uses these configurable variables:

• PIPELINE_WORKSPACE - Build workspace directory
• DBB_REPO - Path to DBB repository
• DBB_BUILD_PATH - Path to zBuilder framework
• DBB_BUILD - DBB build directory
• TMPHLQ - Temporary dataset high-level qualifier

All values are pulled from .setup/config.yaml and passed as environment variables.

Dataset Configuration

Dataset allocations are defined in .setup/build/languages/Languages.yaml:

variables:
  - name: MACLIB
    value: SYS1.MACLIB
  - name: SCEELKED
    value: CEE.SCEELKED

Troubleshooting

Common issues and solutions:

• Zowe CLI not found - Install with npm install -g @zowe/cli
• Connection failed - Verify Zowe profile: zowe zosmf check status
• Git not available on z/OS - Contact system administrator to install git
• Permission denied - Check USS directory permissions and dataset access

See the Setup Guide for detailed troubleshooting steps.

Contributing

This is a sample application for demonstration purposes. Feel free to:

• Fork the repository
• Customize for your environment
• Add new features or programs
• Share improvements

Resources

• IBM DBB Documentation
• IBM DBB GitHub Repository
• Zowe CLI Documentation
• COBOL Programming Guide
• CICS Documentation

License

Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0. See LICENSE for details.

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Getting Started: Follow the Setup Guide to configure your environment and run your first build.