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Guidance for Scheduling Batch Jobs for AWS Mainframe Modernization

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Overview

This Guidance demonstrates how to build a simple scheduler for batch jobs migrated to AWS Mainframe Modernization using AWS services such as Amazon EventBridge scheduler and AWS Step Functions. Batch processing is an important component of enterprise applications running on mainframe, and as these batch processes are migrated from mainframe to AWS, they require similar integration between batch processing and scheduling functions. This scheduler pattern can be used for both re-platform migrations, with Common Business Oriented Language (COBOL) or PL1 applications, and re-factor migrations, with the COBOL/PL1 code converted to Java.

This Guidance includes two architectures to show how Amazon EventBridge initiates the AWS Step Functions workflow for a single batch job and an orchestration with multiple batch jobs.

How it works

Single run

This architecture shows the AWS Step Functions workflow for BatchJobExecution for a single batch job.

Download the architecture diagram PDF
Architecture diagram illustrating the AWS Mainframe Modernization batch job scheduling process using services such as AWS Step Functions, Amazon EventBridge, Amazon CloudWatch, Amazon SNS, and IAM. The diagram includes the workflow for batch job execution, completion checks, logging, and notifications.

Batch run

This architecture shows the AWS Step Functions workflow for JobOrchestration for multiple batch jobs.

Download the architecture diagram PDF
Architecture diagram illustrating the batch job scheduling process using AWS Mainframe Modernization and AWS Step Functions. The diagram includes flowcharts for starting, monitoring, and orchestrating batch jobs, as well as error handling and parallel processing of batch jobs.

Well-Architected Pillars

The architecture diagram above is an example of a Solution created with Well-Architected best practices in mind. To be fully Well-Architected, you should follow as many Well-Architected best practices as possible.

EventBridge and Step Functions integrate with CloudWatch alarms. In case of an AWS Mainframe Modernization batch job failure or any other type of failure, Amazon Simple Notification Service (Amazon SNS) can send alerts to the user.

Read the Operational Excellence whitepaper

IAM policies manage user access, providing minimum permissions for users to create new schedules or modify existing schedules. The IAM execution role controls service access for services that invoke a batch job on AWS Mainframe Modernization. 

Read the Security whitepaper

Step Functions comes with retry and catch mechanisms, which allow you to implement automated retries of a particular batch job. 

Read the Reliability whitepaper

Scheduling batch job flows is mostly pre-defined. This Guidance is built on serverless technologies such as EventBridge and Step Functions, so there is no need to provision new hardware or software to set up additional jobs. You can schedule new jobs can by defining additional Step Functions and setting up triggers from EventBridge.

Read the Performance Efficiency whitepaper

Step Functions cost is based on the number of state transitions only. Because Step Functions is serverless, costs will be based on usage instead scheduler instances that are continuously running. There is no separate cost for hardware or software. Additionally, AWS Free Tier offers 4,000 Step Functions state transitions.

Read the Cost Optimization whitepaper

EventBridge scheduler invokes Step Functions only when it is scheduled to run. Further, the underlying hardware and software component are only provisioned when Step Functions is invoked. This helps you keep resource utilization to a minimum. 

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Implementation Resources

The sample code is a starting point. It is industry validated, prescriptive but not definitive, and a peek under the hood to help you begin.
Open sample code on GitHub

Disclaimer

The sample code; software libraries; command line tools; proofs of concept; templates; or other related technology (including any of the foregoing that are provided by our personnel) is provided to you as AWS Content under the AWS Customer Agreement, or the relevant written agreement between you and AWS (whichever applies). You should not use this AWS Content in your production accounts, or on production or other critical data. You are responsible for testing, securing, and optimizing the AWS Content, such as sample code, as appropriate for production grade use based on your specific quality control practices and standards. Deploying AWS Content may incur AWS charges for creating or using AWS chargeable resources, such as running Amazon EC2 instances or using Amazon S3 storage.