Top 8 Mainframe Automation Testing Frameworks

Mainframe systems  are high-powered multi-user systems. Applications requiring large-scale computing opt for mainframe systems. These systems are commonly used in the finance and banking industries, which deal with large amounts of data that need to be processed at high speed. As they are used for critical computing, mainframe systems require a high level of security and availability. As a result, the testing of mainframe systems is given due importance.

Mainframe testing  has evolved from simple manual testing to automated tools and agile environments. In this article, we will discuss the top 8 automation frameworks for mainframe testing, although there are numerous frameworks available today.

Automation Testing Frameworks/Tools

The following table summarizes the automation testing tools that will be discussed in this article.

Automation Framework	Description	Suitable For
testRigor	No-code Generative AI-based test automation tool using plain English	Agile teams modernizing testing through advanced Generative AI
IBM Application Performance Analyzer for zOS	Non-intrusive tool for measuring, analyzing, and enhancing mainframe system performance	Testing the performance of     mainframe systems
REXX	Multipurpose programming tool	Customized test automation
UFT	functional and regression testing across mainframes and other environments	Scripted and scriptless (record and playback) testing options
CA Mainframe Application Tuner	Tool for application tuning and  Performance measurement	Performance and tuning
BMC AMI DevX	Mainframe automation tool with DevOps toolchain	CI/CD integration
BlueZone	Lightweight, secure terminal emulation software by Rocket Software	Teams that already have testing frameworks and just need a reliable emulator
Subject7	Cloud-based SaaS test automation platform	Testing through a codeless user interface

Let us now describe these tools one by one.

testRigor

testRigor is a generative AI-based test automation tool that uses free-flowing plain English to build scalable test automation. testRigor understands the instructions written in plain English so that even a non-technical person can automate test cases. testRigor converts the requirements or specifications into automated test cases. Self-explanatory screenshots, logs, and other information are presented to the user when a test case is executed.

Use this AI agent to test mainframe, web, mobile (hybrid/native), desktop, database, APIs, LLMs, chatbots, graphs, images, Flutter apps, form filling using AI, and many more complex scenarios. Use plain English commands to test the mainframe screens, menus, navigation, to ease mainframe testing using GenAI.

Features:

• Uses generative AI, NLP, self-healing, AI context, and Vision AI for testing.
• Run end-to-end tests for mainframes, web, mobile (hybrid/native), desktop, database, APIs, and modern systems.
• Tests can be written in plain English, with no need for programming or scripting languages.
• Seamless CI/CD integration. Convert your manual tests from TestRail and other test management tools into automated tests directly, using generative AI.
• Test two-factor authentication (2FA), QR codes, maps, SMS, email, audios, videos, AI features: user intent, positive/negative statements, true/false statements, and many more.

Cons:

• Not suitable for performance and game testing.

IBM Application Performance Analyzer for zOS

IBM® Application Performance Analyzer for z/OS® is a non-intrusive tool. The tool mainly assists establishments in managing the performance of mainframe applications, such as measuring, analyzing, and enhancing performance. This tool offers detailed insights into CPU and I/O usage and identifies low application performance areas.

Features:

• AI offers real-time insights by applying machine learning directly to transactional data, eliminating the need for data movement.
• Performance and statistical data for the application can be collected. It also performs historical data analysis.
• Performance bottlenecks can be identified and fixed easily.
• Supports application development, enhancements, and debugging with extensive language support.
• Tracks historical changes and exports reports in PDF or XML files.

Cons:

•  Tool offers limited 3rd party integration
•  Configuration is complex and can be hard.
• The tool is slow to adopt new features.

REXX

The Restructured Extended Executor (REXX) is a procedural, compiled, and interpreted language. It is a multi-purpose programming tool that supports commands, procedures, and functions to program a specific environment. In addition to performing routine tasks, REXX can invoke applications programmed in other languages and system programming.

Features:

• The REXX tool has instructions in common words that are easy to read and write.
• Built-in functions offer arithmetic and formatting capabilities.
• An interactive debug facility helps to identify program errors easily.
• The tool can invoke applications written in a different language.
• Supports parsing capabilities for character manipulation.

Cons:

• The tool has limited features.
• A person using the tool/language should have expertise in it to understand the concepts.
• It is hard to maintain the system, especially complex systems developed using the tool.

Micro Focus UFT (Unified Functional Testing)

Micro Focus UFT is a widely used automated testing tool designed for functional and regression testing across a wide variety of platforms, including mainframes, web, mobile, desktop, and APIs. UFT enables automation of green screen (3270) mainframe applications via terminal emulator support.

Features:

• Users can either record and play back tests or write detailed test scripts using VBScript.
• UFT can interact with mainframe systems through supported terminal emulator interfaces, allowing robust testing of green-screen applications.
• Enables end-to-end management of test cases, results, and defect tracking through ALM and DevOps pipelines, supporting faster releases and greater test coverage.

Cons:

• Initial setup, especially for mainframe terminal emulator connections and CI/CD integrations, can be complicated.
• UFT is a commercial tool with a higher price point.

CA Mainframe Application Tuner

CA Mainframe is an application tuner that can identify the root causes of performance inefficiencies in z/OS applications. At the same time, this tool helps improve response times, reduce operational costs, and lower CPU consumption. CA Mainframe tool can inspect application performance at any stage and detect and analyze degradations.

Features:

• Uses an IDE through which mainframe performance is facilitated.
• Alerts on issues are given before these issues impact production.
• Can detect batch performance issues within CI/CD pipelines automatically.
• Offers a system-wide overview of annual CPU usage.
• Has a Java agent to support various types of runtime environments on a mainframe.

Cons:

• Critical processes are somewhat delayed due to the resource-intensive nature of the tool.
• Integration with new technologies is complex.
• Not very flexible with legacy applications.

BMC AMI DevX

BMC AMI DevX is an automation tool that automates applications and provides an inclusive DevOps toolchain to speed up  resiliency. The tool provides cross-platform object integration and Eclipse workbench support for mainframe CI/CD and an efficient VS Code workbench plugin.

Features:

• Testing and deployment can be streamlined using the Eclipse workbench.
• The code pipeline makes mainframe development with CI/CD processes faster.
• Automated testing is accurate and ensures code integrity.
• Provides a mainframe development environment in the cloud by integrating with AWS.
• Code insights are provided so that complex mainframe code is understood at a glance.

 Cons:

• DevX Code Insights provided are complex, especially for large programs.
• The installation process takes considerable time.
• Mobile app support is absent.

BlueZone

BlueZone by Rocket Software is a lightweight, secure terminal emulation suite that provides access to mainframe, IBM i (AS/400), and Unix systems. It is widely used for mainframe testing and terminal automation because of its high performance and small footprint. BlueZone supports scripting capabilities that allow users to automate interactions with green screen applications. It is highly customizable and can integrate with broader automation frameworks for comprehensive mainframe testing.

Features:

• Minimal resource consumption, making it faster and more efficient than many other emulators.
• Allows the creation of automated test scripts for mainframe applications through built-in scripting engines.
• Includes SSL/TLS, SSH, and other security features to ensure safe mainframe access.

Cons:

• Needs integration with external tools or custom scripting for full-scale test automation.
• Does not provide advanced test reporting without external plugins or frameworks.

Subject7

Subject7 is a simple cloud-based SaaS test automation platform that delivers end-to-end testing through a sequence of instructions. The tool is script-free and language-independent. It has an easy online interface that both non-technical testers and test automation experts can use to create complicated automation test scenarios quickly.

Features:

• Supports all automated testing from one interface.
• Automated test cases can be reused for functional and non-functional testing.
• Resource dependency is minimized, thereby reducing the test maintenance.
• Integration of REST, JIRA, and Jenkins-competent DevOps pipelines
• Open-source standards, Appium and Selenium, are used to test mobile and online applications.

Cons:

• Fewer online resources are available for the tool.
• The user interface is not very friendly.

Conclusion

Mainframe automation uses various tools and frameworks to automate tasks that are usually performed manually. Using mainframe testing tools helps streamline testing cycles, improve accuracy, and ensure reliability and efficiency. In this article, we have seen some of the best test automation platforms used for mainframe testing. These tools ensure that mainframes can be effectively used in financial industries, information services, and so on.