Method and system for determining dependencies in a mainframe development environment
View Patent ↗Techniques are provided for determining dependencies in a mainframe development environment. While executing a first build file to generate a first build of a software program from files in a file system, the activity in the file system is monitored to determine a plurality of files that are being accessed, and first information about the plurality of files is recorded. The first information is sent to a configuration management server. From the configuration management server, second information is received that indicates one or more dependencies which are determined among the plurality of files based on the first information. Based at least on the second information, a second build file is generated. The second build file is executed to generate a second build of the software program, where the second build is generated more efficiently by using less computing resources than the first build of the software program.
1. A computer-implemented method performed in a mainframe computer system that comprises a mainframe operating system that is one of a Multiple Virtual Storage (MVS) operating system, a z/OS operating system, or an OS390 operating system, the method comprising:
registering one or more supervisor call exit routines with the mainframe operating system;
executing a first build file to generate a first build of a software program from a set of files that are stored in a file system;
while executing the first build file to generate the first build of the software program, using the one or more supervisor call exit routines to:
monitor activity in the file system to determine a plurality of files, from the set of files, that are being accessed in the file system, and
record first information about the plurality of files that are being accessed in the file system;
wherein monitoring the activity in the file system comprises receiving, from the mainframe operating system, an invocation of at least one of the one or more supervisor call exit routines when a file of the plurality of files is accessed in the file system;
based at least on second information that indicates one or more dependencies among the plurality of files, generating a second build file that reflects the one or more dependencies among the plurality of files;
wherein the second information is based on the first information;
executing the second build file to generate a second build of the software program.
2. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the second build of the software program is generated by using less computing resources than the first build of the software program.
3. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving the second information from a configuration management server; and
executing the second build file to generate the second build of the software program further comprises:
a first build process starting a second build process; and
the second build process executing the second build file.
4. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 3 , wherein generating the second build file based at least on the second information further comprises:
the second build process accessing a template file, wherein the template file is associated with the software program; and
the second build process generating the second build file by substituting one or more variables defined in the template file with one or more values included in the second information.
5. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
while executing the second build file to generate the second build of the software program, performing the steps of:
monitoring the activity in the file system to determine a second plurality of files, from the set of files, that are being accessed in the file system; and
recording third information about the second plurality of files that are being accessed in the file system;
sending the third information to a configuration management server;
receiving fourth information from the configuration management server, wherein the fourth information indicates second one or more dependencies that are determined among the second plurality of files by the configuration management server based at least on the third information;
based at least on the fourth information, generating a third build file that reflects the second one or more dependencies among the second plurality of files; and
executing the third build file to generate a third build of the software program.
6. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the fourth information is generated by the configuration management server based on the first information and the third information.
7. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first information is a set of metadata that includes one or more values for one or more file system attributes of each particular file in the plurality of files.
8. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the one or more file system attributes of said each particular file include at least one of:
a file identifier of said each particular file;
a date and time when said each particular file was created;
a date and time when said each particular file was last accessed;
a date and time when said each particular file was last modified;
a version of said each particular file;
a size of said each particular file;
a current checksum associated with said each particular file; or
a path indicating the location in the file system where said each particular file is located.
9. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first information is a set of metadata that includes one or more values indicating at least one of:
an order in which the plurality of files are accessed in the file system;
a target file representing the first build of the software program; and
one or more source files from which the first build of the software program is generated.
10. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first information and the second information is formatted as an eXtensible Markup Language (XML) document.
11. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing one or more stored instructions which, when processed by one or more processors of a mainframe computer system that comprises a mainframe operating system that is one of a Multiple Virtual Storage (MVS) operating system, a z/OS operating system, or an OS390 operating system, cause:
registering one or more supervisor call exit routines with the mainframe operating system;
executing a first build file to generate a first build of a software program from a set of files that are stored in a file system;
while executing the first build file to generate the first build of the software program, using the one or more supervisor call exit routines to:
monitor activity in the file system to determine a plurality of files, from the set of files, that are being accessed in the file system, and
record first information about the plurality of files that are being accessed in the file system;
wherein monitoring the activity in the file system comprises receiving, from the mainframe operating system, an invocation of at least one of the one or more supervisor call exit routines when a file of the plurality of files is accessed in the file system;
based at least on second information that indicates one or more dependencies among the plurality of files, generating a second build file that reflects the one or more dependencies among the plurality of files;
wherein the second information is based on the first information;
executing the second build file to generate a second build of the software program.
12. The non-transitory machine-readable medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the second build of the software program is generated by using less computing resources than the first build of the software program.
13. The non-transitory machine-readable medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the one or more stored instructions further comprising instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause:
receiving the second information from a configuration management server; and
wherein the instructions that cause executing the second build file to generate the second build of the software program further comprise instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause:
a first build process starting a second build process; and
the second build process executing the second build file.
14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium as recited in claim 13 , wherein the instructions that cause generating the second build file based at least on the second information further comprise instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause:
the second build process accessing a template file, wherein the template file is associated with the software program; and
the second build process generating the second build file by substituting one or more variables defined in the template file with one or more values included in the second information.
15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the one or more stored instructions further comprise instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause:
while executing the second build file to generate the second build of the software program, performing the steps of:
monitoring the activity in the file system to determine a second plurality of files, from the set of files, that are being accessed in the file system; and
recording third information about the second plurality of files that are being accessed in the file system;
sending the third information to a configuration management server;
receiving fourth information from the configuration management server, wherein the fourth information indicates second one or more dependencies that are determined among the second plurality of files by the configuration management server based at least on the third information;
based at least on the fourth information, generating a third build file that reflects the second one or more dependencies among the second plurality of files; and
executing the third build file to generate a third build of the software program.
16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium as recited in claim 15 , wherein the fourth information is generated by the configuration management server based on the first information and the third information.
17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the first information is a set of metadata that includes one or more values for one or more file system attributes of each particular file in the plurality of files.
18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium as recited in claim 17 , wherein the one or more file system attributes of said each particular file include at least one of:
a file identifier of said each particular file;
a date and time when said each particular file was created;
a date and time when said each particular file was last accessed;
a date and time when said each particular file was last modified;
a version of said each particular file;
a size of said each particular file;
a current checksum associated with said each particular file; or
a path indicating the location in the file system where said each particular file is located.
19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the first information is a set of metadata that includes one or more values indicating at least one of:
an order in which the plurality of files are accessed in the file system;
a target file representing the first build of the software program; and
one or more source files from which the first build of the software program is generated.
20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein at least one of the first information and the second information is formatted as an eXtensible Markup Language (XML) document.
21. A mainframe computer system comprising:
one or more processors;
a mainframe operating system that is one of a Multiple Virtual Storage (MVS) operating system, a z/OS operating system, or an OS390 operating system;
a file system; and
logic which, when executed by the one or more processors, is operable to:
register one or more supervisor call exit routines with the mainframe operating system;
execute a first build file to generate a first build of a software program from a set of files that are stored in the file system;
while executing the first build file to generate the first build of the software program, use the one or more supervisor call exit routines to:
monitor activity in the file system to determine the plurality of files, from the set of files, that are being accessed in the file system;
receive, from the mainframe operating system, an invocation of at least one of the one or more supervisor call exit routines when a file of the plurality of files is accessed in the file system; and
record first information about the plurality of files that are being accessed in the file system;
based at least on second information that indicates one or more dependencies among the plurality of files, generate a second build file that reflects the one or more dependencies among the plurality of files;
wherein the second information is based on the first information;
execute the second build file to generate a second build of the software program.
22. The mainframe computer system as recited in claim 21 , wherein the logic, when executed by the one or more processors, is further operable to receive the second information from a configuration management server; and wherein the logic operable to execute the second build file to generate the second build of the software program is further operable, when executed by the one or more processors, to cause a first build process to start a second build process, and to cause the second build process to execute the second build file.
23. The mainframe computer system as recited in claim 22 , wherein the logic operable to generate the second build file based at least on the second information is further operable, when executed by the one or more processors, to:
cause the second build process to access a template file, wherein the template file is associated with the software program; and
cause the second build process to generate the second build file by substituting one or more variables defined in the template file with one or more values included in the second information.
24. The mainframe computer system as recited in claim 21 , wherein the logic, when executed by the one or more processors, is further operable to:
while executing the second build file to generate the second build of the software program:
monitor the activity in the file system to determine a second plurality of files, from the set of files, that are being accessed in the file system, and
record third information about the second plurality of files that are being accessed in the file system;
send the third information to a configuration management server;
receive fourth information from the configuration management server, wherein the fourth information indicates second one or more dependencies that are determined among the second plurality of files by the configuration management server based at least on the third information;
based at least on the fourth information, generate a third build file that reflects the second one or more dependencies among the second plurality of files; and
execute the third build file to generate a third build of the software program.
25. The mainframe computer system as recited in claim 24 , wherein the fourth information is generated by the configuration management server based on the first information and the third information.