Workflows
Learn about the core workflows available in the IBM Bob Premium Package for Z.
The IBM Bob Premium Package for Z includes structured, guided workflows for mainframe modernization. Each workflow is designed for a specific task and can be run independently or as part of a larger modernization pipeline.
Generate data dictionary
Maps COBOL/PL/I variables to business-meaningful descriptions, scans the program, selects key variables, and generates DD.json.
Generate documentation
The Generate documentation workflow is designed to automatically produce comprehensive, well-structured documentation for mainframe source files. It transforms complex, often hard-to-understand legacy code into clear and organized insights, enabling teams to quickly grasp program functionality, logic, and dependencies. By analyzing source code across multiple mainframe languages, the workflow bridges the gap between technical implementation and business understanding, improving maintainability, onboarding, and system modernization efforts.
Refactor COBOL or PL/I program
The Refactor COBOL or PL/I program workflow enables modernization of legacy mainframe applications by intelligently extracting discrete business logic into reusable, standalone service programs. It helps transform monolithic codebases into modular components, improving maintainability, scalability, and readiness for modern architectures such as APIs and microservices. By combining automated analysis with user-directed extraction, the workflow supports both discovery-driven and targeted refactoring approaches.
Generate refactored service program
The Generate refactored service program workflow completes the refactoring lifecycle by transforming extracted code segments into fully functional, standalone service programs. Building on the output of the Refactor workflow, it automates the creation of production-ready COBOL or PL/I services, including structure, dependencies, and interfaces. This workflow eliminates manual effort in reconstructing extracted logic, ensuring consistency, standards compliance, and faster delivery of modernized components ready for testing and deployment.
Explain code
The Explain code workflow provides a comprehensive, structured understanding of mainframe source files by translating complex code into clear, audience-specific explanations. It analyzes full programs across multiple languages to uncover logic, business rules, data usage, and dependencies, presenting them in a format tailored to architects, developers, or business users. This workflow is ideal for gaining deep insight into legacy systems, supporting onboarding, documentation, and pre-refactoring analysis.