Ending Data Isolation on z/OS

The mainframe remains the engine behind high-availability banking transactions. However, critical datasets kept on physical or virtual tape volumes and DASD that don’t connect with the rest of the enterprise create operational and financial bottlenecks. 

This information isolation prevents the business from leveraging historical data for advanced analytics. For large Brazilian institutions, the transformation journey requires the mainframe to break free from the silo. 

Eccox’s vision focuses on the platform’s long-term strategic value: modernizing does not mean abandoning z/OS—it means integrating it with modern storage to reduce costs and increase agility in accessing information. 

The Roadblocks of Traditional Migrations

Legacy approaches to data movement—such as middleware or manual FTP processes—are inefficient and expensive. They add layers of risk and complexity that infrastructure teams can no longer sustain. Common pain points in large banks and Z Shops include: 

• Excess hardware costs: Spending on x86 servers and intermediary storage used only as a bridge to the cloud. 

• Transfer latency: Intermediate hops delay data availability for analytics applications. 

• Budget pressure: Storage refresh cycles (disk and tape hardware renewals) drive major costs and demand transparency into what truly needs to remain on-prem. 

• Maintenance complexity: Fragile transfer scripts and credential management across multiple platforms overload specialists. 
  
  

The Solution: Native Integration with Cloud Storage

The native integration between z/OS and cloud storage — as enabled by solutions like STRATUS? — eliminates the need for intermediary hardware. Through our partners’ cloud integration solution, the mainframe consumes S3 APIs natively. 

Data moves from z/OS straight into Cloud Object Storage (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, or any S3 storage type) or on-prem as part of your hybrid cloud, avoiding vendor lock-in and maintaining data sovereignty. 

Technical highlights of this approach

• Bi-directional data movement: The technology supports sending, retrieving, and converting data as the business requires (“send it, retrieve it, convert it”). 

• Automated conversion: Integrated code page translation (EBCDIC to UTF-8) delivers data ready for consumption by modern applications. 

• Deployment in hours: Installation is straightforward and does not require months-long network infrastructure projects. 

• Accessible for new talent: Because it uses standard S3 patterns, professionals new to z/OS can operate it quickly, reducing dependency on niche expertise. No additional hardware or management server required.

• Schedule data transfers: Enables automated and recurring data transfers, ensuring operational efficiency without manual intervention.

• No additional hardware or management server required
  
  

Strategic Use Cases for Banking

Large public and private banks can use this technology to reduce storage TCO while maintaining resilience.

Eccox and Modernization with Security

Eccox acts as a bridge between the operational reality of Brazilian banks and leading global solutions. 

Through our international partnerships, like 21CS, we deliver technologies that prioritize governance, transparency, and full control over data. We believe smart modernization preserves mainframe investments while connecting them to a hybrid environment. 

We provide specialized local support for z/OS systems, ensuring these tools are implemented without disrupting mission-critical processing.
 

Getting the Mainframe Ready for the Next Level

An effective data strategy starts with diagnosing cost-reduction opportunities across current tape and DASD environments. 

In many organizations, the financial benefits of moving archived data to cloud object storage – particularly when compared with the rising costs of expanding or maintaining storage capacity – can offset modernization investments quickly.

Take a hard look at what you’re spending today to keep tape volumes that aren't accessed frequently. The cost is simply too high to ignore. 

Want to discuss how to take this burden off your operation at our upcoming events, where we’ll demonstrate this technology in action? Connect now with one of our specialists.