WebSphere Business Rules for z/OS

• Externalize critical decision logic, so that it can be more easily maintained, governed and implemented as it evolves over time.
• An open, easy-to-use, and powerful environment for developers and architects to design, build and integrate new rule-based applications.
• Build and deploy rule-based applications on z/OS as Java or SOA-based decision services, or generate executable code which can run directly inside COBOL applications.

A business rule management system (BRMS) provides a comprehensive set of capabilities that enable Business and IT functions within the organization to work together collaboratively for authoring, maintaining and deploying decision logic that is critical to business systems.

WebSphere Business Rules for z/OS brings powerful rule application development and execution functionality to mainframe systems, greatly improving policy change management and automated decisioning.

Business rules drive critical applications and enable operational decisions to be automated. Business Rules for z/OS facilitates the ability to move from manually coding rules to service-based rule execution as part of a progressive application modernization strategy.

• Externalizes critical decision logic, so that it can be more easily maintained, governed and implemented as it evolves over time.
• Makes decision logic easily accessible and re-useable across the organization.
  
  • Rules can be defined in a customizable business vocabulary using a variety of rule metaphors, including decision tables, text-based rules and rule flows (combining multiple rulesets in a defined execution sequence).
  • Rules can be easily shared across business applications, ensuring consistency in the implementation of business policies across the organization’s applications and systems.
• Reduces the time, effort and cost required to develop and maintain applications by separating business decision logic from core application code. Managing rules outside of applications makes the code base more stable and less likely to be affected by change.
• Tools and environments are designed specifically for the unique needs of different technical stakeholders involved in rule management—Application Developers, Systems Architects and IT Operations.
• Provides a flexible approach to application modernization efforts. With Business Rules for z/OS, three different deployment options are available to meet the specific needs of your mainframe applications and architecture.
  
  • zRule Execution Server for z/OS provides enhanced rule execution for batch and CICS COBOL applications.
  • Rule Execution Server on WAS for z/OS provides the runtime for rule applications on a Java/SOA mainframe architecture or when mainframe applications require the capabilities of the WebSphere Application Server for z/OS.
  • Generated COBOL rule sub-programs (formerly called Rules for COBOL) provides an option when there is a need to execute decision logic within core application code.
  • The same rules can be leveraged across any or all of the available deployment options.

WebSphere Business Rules for z/OS is the initial step in adopting a business rules approach on the mainframe. By bringing together the rule application development and execution capabilities you gain all the benefits described above. But there is significant additional value that can be realized through two complementary product offerings.

Business Rules for z/OS is enhanced with the addition of WebSphere Decision Center for z/OS, which brings capabilities for allowing non-technical business users and subject matter experts to participate in the maintenance and governance of business rules. By advancing to a full Business Rules Management solution, technical staff can focus on improving applications, while giving the line- of-business visibility and control over changes to decision logic that drive application behavior.

In addition, upgrading from Business Rules for z/OS to WebSphere Decision Server for z/OS adds business events application development and runtime options for real-time awareness of actionable business situations that are occurring across your applications.
Learn more about Decision Center and Decision Server at the WebSphere Operational Decision Management for z/OS page.