reference deployment

Micro Focus Enterprise Server on AWS

Application deployment environment for rehosting IBM mainframe applications

This Partner Solution deploys Micro Focus Enterprise Server 5.0 to the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud. Micro Focus Enterprise Server is an application deployment environment for IBM mainframe applications that run on the IBM z/OS operating system. Enterprise Server lets you modernize and integrate your mainframe applications with technologies such as .NET and Java. It also gives you application flexibility across Linux and Windows, whether containerized or virtual, on AWS.

This Partner Solution creates the required infrastructure for both AWS Cloud and Enterprise Server. This provides a fully functioning demonstration application called BankDemo—using COBOL, CICS, Job Control Language (JCL), Virtual Storage Access Method (VSAM) files, and Performance and Availability Clusters (PACs)—running under Enterprise Server on AWS.

This Partner Solution is intended for:

  • Existing Micro Focus customers who have deployed an IBM mainframe workload to Enterprise Server on premises and want to migrate these rehosted applications to AWS.
  • Those who want to explore the feasibility of moving an IBM mainframe workload to the AWS Cloud, and need a fully functioning production server for running mainframe applications.
  • Systems integrators (SIs) who are used to installing and configuring Enterprise Server deployments on premises, and who want a template to use as a starting point for installing and configuring Enterprise Server deployments on AWS.
micro focus logo

This Partner Solution was developed by Micro Focus Inc. in collaboration with AWS. Micro Focus is an AWS Partner.

  •  What you'll build
  • The Partner Solution sets up the following:

    • A highly available architecture that spans two Availability Zones.*
    • A VPC configured with public and private subnets, according to AWS best practices, to provide you with your own virtual network on AWS.*
    • An internet gateway to allow access to the internet.*

      When you deploy the optional BankDemo demonstration application, TN3270 communications from the internet also flow through the internet gateway.
    • In the public subnets, managed network address translation (NAT) gateways to allow outbound internet access for resources in the private subnets.*
    • Optional Remote Desktop Gateway (RD Gateway) instances in the public subnets for administrative access.
    • In the private subnets, a number of Enterprise Server instances that can be accessed via a TN3270 terminal emulator or HTTP.
    • A Network Load Balancer to automatically distribute requests for the BankDemo demonstration applications to the deployed Enterprise Server instances.

      This is how the Enterprise Server instances are configured for use with the BankDemo demonstration applications. If you modify the AWS CloudFormation template (to tailor it for use with other applications), you must allow the required protocols through the load balancer and specify the required number of instances.

      Note: The Partner Solution can deploy a maximum of two Enterprise Server instances for demonstration purposes. If you are an SI who wants to launch additional Enterprise Server instances as part of a migration project, you must modify the templates supplied with this Partner Solution.
    • An optional Fileshare instance that is preconfigured to be accessible from the Enterprise Server instances (via Fileshare) and accessible directly via the Common Internet File System (CIFS) protocol share for batch processing.
    • An optional Microsoft SQL Server database using Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS) for SQL Server with support for failover and automated backups. The database is preconfigured to work as a relational data store for Enterprise Server.
    • An optional Amazon ElastiCache for Redis cluster that is preconfigured to work as a Scale-Out Repository (SOR) for Enterprise Server.
    • AWS Directory Service for Microsoft Active Directory (also known as AWS Managed Microsoft AD).

    * The template that deploys the Partner Solution into an existing VPC skips the tasks marked by asterisks and prompts you for your existing VPC configuration.

  •  How to deploy
  • To deploy this Partner Solution, follow the instructions in the deployment guide, which includes these steps.

    1. If you don't already have an AWS account, sign up at https://aws.amazon.com, and sign in to your account.
    2. Review the terms of the Micro Focus End User License Agreement.
    3. Launch the Partner Solution. The stack takes about 1.5 hours to deploy. Before you create the stack, choose the AWS Region from the top toolbar. Choose one of the following options:
    4. Test the deployment by running an optional demonstration application called BankDemo.

    Amazon may share user-deployment information with the AWS Partner that collaborated with AWS on this solution.  

  •  Costs and licenses
  • This Partner Solution uses a Bring Your Own License (BYOL) model for Enterprise Server. How you license Enterprise Server for use with this Partner Solution depends on the type of license you have:

    This trial license for Enterprise Server on AWS is only intended to be used for a maximum of 90 days and isn't intended for production use. After the trial period, you're responsible for acquiring the necessary licenses directly from Micro Focus to continue using Enterprise Server on AWS.

    You are responsible for the cost of the AWS services and any third-party licenses used while running this solution. There is no additional cost for using the solution.

    This solution includes configuration parameters that you can customize. Some of these settings, such as instance type, affect the cost of deployment. For cost estimates, refer to the pricing pages for each AWS service you use. Prices are subject to change.

    Tip: After you deploy a solution, create AWS Cost and Usage Reports to track associated costs. These reports deliver billing metrics to an Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) bucket in your account. They provide cost estimates based on usage throughout each month and aggregate the data at the end of the month. For more information, refer to What are AWS Cost and Usage Reports?