watsonx Code Assistant for Z

Modernize mainframe applications faster, with lower risks and costs with the purpose-built coding assistant

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Meet watsonx Code Assistant for Z

IBM® watsonx Code Assistant™ for Z accelerates mainframe application development and modernization with generative AI and automation. It supports developers in every phase of lifecycle—from application discovery and analysis to automated refactoring, code explanation, generation, optimization, and transformation to newer languages and testing. The outcome? Lower modernization risks, enhanced developer productivity and skill sets plus faster time to value.

Forrester Opportunity Snapshot study: Modernize mainframe applications with generative AI

Discover how leading businesses are harnessing generative AI for application modernization. Explore key barriers, use cases, expected benefits and more.

Read the Forrester study

Why watsonx Code Assistant for Z

Full application lifecycle support 

Access AI and automation tooling to support the end-to-end application modernization lifecycle with auto discover, refactor, transform and test.

Fine-tuned gen AI 

Use a fine-tuned large language model (LLM) for mainframe languages and use cases, improving understanding, code quality and accuracy.

Incremental approach

Minimize costs and risks with incremental modernization and dynamic refactoring. Get flexibility to use your choice of language (COBOL/Java) with interoperability

Deployment flexibility  

Deploy where you want—on premises or with hybrid cloud—to meet your unique business needs.

 

Capabilities

Discover how watsonx Code Assistant for Z streamlines mainframe application modernization and boosts developer productivity. Explore the product's key capabilties and see it in action with our interactive demo.

Explore the interactive demo
watsonx Code Assistant for Z screenshot
Understand your application landscape

Achieve a clear understanding of your mainframe applications and visualize their relationships and dependencies. Reduce the time that developers spend reviewing millions of lines of code, dependencies or outdated documentation.

watsonx Code Assistant for Z screenshot
Get real-time code explanations

Generate natural language explanations of mainframe languages such as COBOL, PL/I and JCL code for deeper insights into programs. Streamline documentation by automatically inserting explanations as comments into the application code.

watsonx Code Assistant for Z screenshot
Auto-refactor into modular services

Discover the programs and data needed to automatically refactor your COBOL and PL/I applications into modular business services. Improve accuracy and reduce the developer time and skill required with automated code refactoring. 

watsonx Code Assistant for Z screenshot
Optimize code for performance

Get prioritized insights on performance inefficiencies—identifying issues at the source code level through an in-depth analysis of COBOL modules—to improve application performance and streamline development.

watsonx Code Assistant for Z screenshot
Convert COBOL to Java in minutes

Use generative AI to accelerate COBOL to high quality Java transformations in minutes, not months. Maintain IBM Z® runtimes and quality of services with interoperability, integration and enterprise standardization.

watsonx Code Assistant for Z screenshot
Use auto-generated testing for semantic equivalence

Accelerate testing with auto-generated unit tests—comparing semantic equivalence of new Java service to original COBOL code—to gain confidence in the language transformation and de-risking the process.

watsonx Code Assistant for Z screenshot
Understand your application landscape

Achieve a clear understanding of your mainframe applications and visualize their relationships and dependencies. Reduce the time that developers spend reviewing millions of lines of code, dependencies or outdated documentation.

watsonx Code Assistant for Z screenshot
Get real-time code explanations

Generate natural language explanations of mainframe languages such as COBOL, PL/I and JCL code for deeper insights into programs. Streamline documentation by automatically inserting explanations as comments into the application code.

watsonx Code Assistant for Z screenshot
Auto-refactor into modular services

Discover the programs and data needed to automatically refactor your COBOL and PL/I applications into modular business services. Improve accuracy and reduce the developer time and skill required with automated code refactoring. 

watsonx Code Assistant for Z screenshot
Optimize code for performance

Get prioritized insights on performance inefficiencies—identifying issues at the source code level through an in-depth analysis of COBOL modules—to improve application performance and streamline development.

watsonx Code Assistant for Z screenshot
Convert COBOL to Java in minutes

Use generative AI to accelerate COBOL to high quality Java transformations in minutes, not months. Maintain IBM Z® runtimes and quality of services with interoperability, integration and enterprise standardization.

watsonx Code Assistant for Z screenshot
Use auto-generated testing for semantic equivalence

Accelerate testing with auto-generated unit tests—comparing semantic equivalence of new Java service to original COBOL code—to gain confidence in the language transformation and de-risking the process.

Use cases

Illustration made for the use cases of the page IBM watsonx Code Assistant for Z
COBOL modernization

Whether you want to understand, manage, modernize or build COBOL applications from scratch, watsonx Code Assistant for Z assists you right in your IDE.

 

Illustration made for the use cases of the page IBM watsonx Code Assistant for Z
Transform COBOL to Java

Expand your mainframe developer talent pool. Transform COBOL applications with confidence by using generative AI and automated unit testing.

Illustration made for the use cases of the page IBM watsonx Code Assistant for Z
Modernize PL/I applications

Enable deep analysis of PL/I application landscape, code explanation and auto-refactoring to speed-up modernization.

 

Illustration made for the use cases of the page IBM watsonx Code Assistant for Z
JCL understanding

Gain insights of JCL jobs with graphs to map dependencies, datasets, executed procedures and programs. Generate natural language explanations of JCL steps.

 

 

IBM z17 panel hovering on a corner
Essential enabler Streamline AI deployment on Z Accelerate your AI-powered modernization with IBM® AI Optimizer for Z. It automates the setup, configuration and validation for watsonx Code Assistant for Z, helping teams deploy faster, reduce complexity and maximize infrastructure efficiency. Discover AI Optimizer for Z
Take the next step

Discover how watsonx Code Assistant for Z accelerates mainframe application modernization, powered by Generative AI. Schedule a live demo or speak with a product specialist.

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