Podcast
Skyward Data
Hosted by VirtualZ · EN
Conversations That Power Smarter Data Strategies for AI, Cloud, and Innovation. Skyward Data brings you exclusive conversations with experts shaping the future of enterprise data. Discover how organizations are transforming data access, storage, and AI integration to fuel faster innovation and smarter decisions.
Each episode explores how to unlock the full power of your enterprise data—whether it lives on IBM Z, in the cloud, or deep in decades-old tape archives. We dive into real-world stories, bold ideas, and practical strategies for making mainframe and legacy data instantly accessible for AI, analytics, compliance, and modernization.
If you're building smarter systems, training better models, or powering transformation with trusted data—Skyward Data is your guide.
No fluff. No jargon. Just smart conversations about enterprise data, done right.
Learn more at virtualzcomputing.com
#AI #Mainframe #EnterpriseData #HybridCloud #DataAccess #SkywardData #VirtualZComputing
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Mainframe Cloud Backup with FlowZ: Cheaper, Faster, Off-Site
2w ago00:12:07Tap to summarizeHow cheap and how fast can mainframe-to-cloud backup actually be? VirtualZ Computing CTO Vince Re shows how VirtualZ backs up its own IBM Z mainframe — system backups, source code, and operational logs — by streaming them straight to cloud object storage with FlowZ, VirtualZ's no-code tool for using Amazon S3, Azure Blob, and Google Cloud as mainframe backup and archive storage, for pennies a month. Vince Re explains exactly how it works: FlowZ makes cloud object storage look like a normal output target to z/OS, so the mainframe writes to the cloud as if it were a local device — with no custom code and nothing running on the cloud side. He also answers the objection everyone raises about cloud backup: isn't the network too slow? It isn't, and he walks through why. In this episode of Skyward Data, the podcast from VirtualZ Computing: - How cloud object storage becomes a native mainframe output target with no custom code - Real numbers on volume backup speeds and compression, mainframe to cloud - Why network bandwidth is not the bottleneck most teams assume it is - How the approach scales from a small shop to a site moving terabytes a day - Replacing fragile, expensive local tape and disk media with cheaper, off-site cloud backup FlowZ is part of VirtualZ Computing's no-code portfolio for enterprise mainframe data, alongside PropelZ (moving and replicating mainframe data, proven at 56,000 records per second), Lozen (live in-place data access), and Zaac (cloud and SAN as native z/OS storage). For banks, insurers, retailers, and any enterprise running IBM Z, it's a practical path to durable, low-cost, off-site backup and tape replacement. Topics: mainframe cloud backup, IBM Z, z/OS, cloud object storage, S3, Azure Blob, Google Cloud, tape replacement, mainframe archive, no-code data integration, hybrid cloud. Listen to more Skyward Data episodes: https://virtualzcomputing.com/podcasts
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Multi-Cloud Mainframe Data with PropelZ: One Pipeline
4w ago00:12:56Tap to summarizeCan you route the same mainframe dataset to AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, and IBM Cloud at once? VirtualZ Computing CTO Vince Re explains how PropelZ — VirtualZ's no-code tool for moving and replicating IBM Z mainframe data to the cloud — sends a single dataset to multiple cloud platforms simultaneously from one configuration, so enterprises use each provider's strengths instead of locking into one. Vince Re makes the case for treating multi-cloud as a mainframe data strategy rather than a vendor decision: distributing the same z/OS data across providers for resilience, geographic compliance, and cost flexibility, without building and maintaining a separate integration for each cloud. In this episode of Skyward Data, the podcast from VirtualZ Computing: - How to route one mainframe dataset to AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and IBM Cloud simultaneously from a single PropelZ configuration - Geographic distribution that optimizes performance while meeting regional compliance requirements - Cost optimization by matching workloads to the best pricing across providers - Real applications: cross-continent disaster recovery and per-cloud analytics, such as Google Cloud for analytics, Azure for enterprise integration, and AWS for scale - Moving from "choosing a cloud" to orchestrating several, without managing separate pipelines PropelZ writes mainframe data directly to Amazon S3, Azure Blob, and Google Cloud Storage with no code and no homegrown pipelines, and is proven at 56,000 records per second, mainframe to cloud. It's part of VirtualZ Computing's no-code portfolio for enterprise mainframe data, alongside Lozen (live in-place data access), FlowZ (cloud storage for backup and archive), and Zaac (cloud and SAN as native z/OS storage). Topics: multi-cloud mainframe strategy, IBM Z, z/OS, mainframe data replication, AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, IBM Cloud, disaster recovery, no-code data integration, hybrid cloud. Listen to more Skyward Data episodes: https://virtualzcomputing.com/podcasts/
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Mainframe Security in Splunk: PropelZ SMF & RACF Feeds
Jun 900:13:34Tap to summarizeHow do you get IBM Z mainframe security data into Splunk without custom development? VirtualZ Computing CTO Vince Re explains how the PropelZ Splunk connector — part of VirtualZ's no-code tool for moving mainframe data to the cloud — streams SMF records, RACF logs, and console messages directly into an existing Splunk SOC, so the system processing your most sensitive data is no longer a blind spot. Vince Re walks through why most mainframe-to-Splunk integration relies on batch processing and custom work, and how PropelZ delivers real-time streaming into existing Splunk deployments with no custom development, no specialized configuration, and no mainframe-specific expertise required on the security team's side. In this episode of Skyward Data, the podcast from VirtualZ Computing: - Why real-time SMF, RACF, and console data beats the batch processing legacy connectors depend on - Out-of-the-box Splunk integration: structured data formatting and unified timeline correlation with the rest of your SOC - Threat-detection scenarios this enables: privilege escalation monitoring, lateral movement analysis, and data exfiltration alerts - Applying behavioral analysis and anomaly detection to mainframe security data alongside distributed systems - Why integration measured in weeks, not months, matters for security operations SMF (System Management Facilities) is the mainframe's audit and activity log; RACF is IBM's z/OS access-control and security package. PropelZ feeds both into Splunk with no code and no homegrown pipelines, and is proven at 56,000 records per second, mainframe to cloud. It's part of VirtualZ Computing's no-code portfolio for enterprise mainframe data, alongside Lozen (live in-place data access), FlowZ (cloud storage for backup and archive), and Zaac (cloud and SAN as native z/OS storage). Topics: mainframe security monitoring, Splunk integration, SMF, RACF, IBM Z, z/OS, SOC, SIEM, threat detection, real-time data streaming, no-code data integration, hybrid cloud. Listen to more Skyward Data episodes: https://virtualzcomputing.com/podcasts/
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he Mainframe Skills Gap: Closing It Without COBOL
Jun 200:13:57Tap to summarizeWhat is the mainframe skills gap, and how can enterprises close it without hiring more COBOL programmers? VirtualZ Computing CTO Vince Re tackles one of the most pressing problems in enterprise IT: the COBOL, JCL, and REXX experts who keep IBM Z mainframes running are retiring faster than they can be replaced, and few new engineers are trained on those technologies. The mainframes still process core banking, insurance, and government workloads — but the people who understand them are aging out. Vince Re argues the fix isn't finding more mainframe specialists. It's making deep mainframe expertise optional for the integration layer, so the cloud-native and DevOps engineers enterprises already employ can work with mainframe data directly — without learning COBOL or REXX. In this episode of Skyward Data, the podcast from VirtualZ Computing: - What the mainframe skills gap is, why it's accelerating, and what it costs enterprises that don't plan for it - Why hiring against a shrinking COBOL and REXX talent pool is a losing strategy - How cloud and DevOps teams can own mainframe data integration using skills they already have - The economics of leveraging abundant cloud-native talent instead of rare, expensive mainframe specialists - How to build a mainframe data strategy that scales with your existing team One practical answer is VirtualZ's no-code approach: PropelZ moves and replicates IBM Z mainframe data to the cloud — proven at 56,000 records per second — with no code and no homegrown pipelines, so teams integrate mainframe data without deep z/OS expertise. It's part of VirtualZ Computing's no-code portfolio for enterprise mainframe data, alongside Lozen (live in-place data access), FlowZ (cloud storage for backup and archive), and Zaac (cloud and SAN as native z/OS storage). Topics: mainframe skills gap, COBOL skills shortage, IBM Z, z/OS, mainframe modernization, DevOps, cloud-native, IT talent shortage, no-code data integration, hybrid cloud. Listen to more Skyward Data episodes: https://virtualzcomputing.com/podcasts/
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App Store Economics for Mainframe Integration Software
May 2600:12:44Tap to summarizeWhat if enterprise integration software were priced like a smartphone app store — pick the specific capabilities you need and skip the ones you don't? VirtualZ Computing CTO Vince Re explains how VirtualZ applies that model to mainframe integration, letting enterprises choose individual connectors and capabilities instead of buying a large suite and using a fraction of it. Vince Re contrasts the traditional "buy everything, use some of it" enterprise software model with a modular, app-store approach: granular selection, pay for what you use, and combine specialized components into exactly the integration you need. He explains why modular architecture also lets a vendor ship new capabilities faster than monolithic, all-in-one development. In this episode of Skyward Data, the podcast from VirtualZ Computing: - How app-store-style pricing changes enterprise software buying — paying for a handful of capabilities instead of dozens - Examples of modular components working together, such as the Splunk connector, the data-movement multiplexer, and cloud storage - Why modular architecture accelerates innovation compared with monolithic platforms - The advantages of granular selection: lower cost, faster implementation, and flexibility to change later - How customers assemble custom mainframe integration by combining specialized capabilities This modular philosophy runs through VirtualZ Computing's no-code portfolio for enterprise mainframe data: PropelZ (moving and replicating IBM Z data to the cloud, proven at 56,000 records per second), Lozen (live in-place data access), FlowZ (cloud storage for backup and archive), and Zaac (cloud and SAN as native z/OS storage) — four products you deploy and combine, with no code and no homegrown pipelines, rather than one suite you buy whole. Topics: enterprise software pricing, modular architecture, mainframe integration, IBM Z, z/OS, connectors, no-code data integration, software procurement, hybrid cloud. Listen to more Skyward Data episodes: https://virtualzcomputing.com/podcasts/
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Unified Mainframe + Cloud Monitoring with PropelZ
May 1900:11:18Tap to summarizeHow do you monitor IBM Z mainframe and cloud infrastructure in one place instead of two separate systems? VirtualZ Computing CTO Vince Re explains how PropelZ's console logging connector streams mainframe console messages directly into modern monitoring tools, so operations teams see mainframe, Kubernetes, and cloud alerts in a single unified view rather than treating the mainframe as an isolated silo. Vince Re makes the case for unified operations: instead of choosing between mainframe expertise and cloud-native skills, teams combine them by feeding real-time mainframe console data into the dashboards and alerting tools they already run. The result is faster incident response across the whole environment, because mainframe events sit on the same timeline as everything else. In this episode of Skyward Data, the podcast from VirtualZ Computing: - How streaming mainframe console messages into existing tools creates one cross-platform view of mainframe, Kubernetes, and cloud alerts - Using monitoring stacks teams already know — such as Splunk and Prometheus — instead of mainframe-specific tooling - Why real-time mainframe visibility speeds incident response across hybrid infrastructure - Getting more from existing monitoring investments rather than standing up a separate mainframe system - Building operations that scale as the hybrid environment grows PropelZ streams mainframe console messages, SMF records, and other z/OS data into cloud and monitoring platforms with no code and no homegrown pipelines, and is proven at 56,000 records per second, mainframe to cloud. It's part of VirtualZ Computing's no-code portfolio for enterprise mainframe data, alongside Lozen (live in-place data access), FlowZ (cloud storage for backup and archive), and Zaac (cloud and SAN as native z/OS storage). Topics: mainframe monitoring, hybrid cloud operations, IBM Z, z/OS, console messages, observability, Splunk, Prometheus, Kubernetes, incident response, no-code data integration. Listen to more Skyward Data episodes: https://virtualzcomputing.com/podcasts/
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Skip the Copybooks: Automated DB2-to-Snowflake Migration
May 1200:07:42Tap to summarizeWhy does moving DB2 mainframe data to platforms like Snowflake still require weeks of manual COBOL copybook creation — and how can you skip that step entirely? VirtualZ Computing CTO Vince Re explains how PropelZ's automatic metadata discovery removes copybook work from database integration, so a DB2-to-Snowflake migration that used to take months can run in minutes. Vince Re breaks down why copybook creation has quietly slowed mainframe database projects for decades, and how self-describing databases change the equation: PropelZ reads the table's own metadata automatically, so you write a SQL query and run the move instead of hand-building copybooks first. That makes deep COBOL expertise optional for database data movement, not a prerequisite. In this episode of Skyward Data, the podcast from VirtualZ Computing: - How automatic metadata discovery replaces weeks of manual copybook engineering for database integration - Why "write a SQL query and run it" is the modern alternative to copybook-first workflows - A real DB2 table migration that went from complex to straightforward - Why manual metadata management is the biggest adoption barrier for mainframe database projects - How the approach scales from a single table migration to billion-row analytics workloads PropelZ moves and replicates IBM Z mainframe data — including DB2 — to cloud data warehouses like Snowflake, Databricks, Redshift, and BigQuery with no code and no homegrown pipelines, and is proven at 56,000 records per second, mainframe to cloud. It's part of VirtualZ Computing's no-code portfolio for enterprise mainframe data, alongside Lozen (live in-place data access), FlowZ (cloud storage for backup and archive), and Zaac (cloud and SAN as native z/OS storage). Topics: DB2 migration, mainframe copybooks, metadata discovery, Snowflake, Databricks, IBM Z, z/OS, cloud data warehouse, SQL, no-code data integration, hybrid cloud. Listen to more Skyward Data episodes: https://virtualzcomputing.com/podcasts/
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Migrating 200,000+ Mainframe Datasets with PropelZ
May 500:11:49Tap to summarizeHow do you migrate 200,000+ mainframe datasets to the cloud when transferring them one at a time would take months? VirtualZ Computing CTO Vince Re explains how the PropelZ multiplexer turns massive mainframe data migrations from an operational nightmare into an automated, parallel process — moving hundreds of datasets at once instead of queuing them individually. Vince Re walks through inventory-driven migration: PropelZ takes a full inventory of the datasets to move, then runs them in parallel, cutting projects that would take months down to weeks. He explains why enterprises choose intelligent queue management over one-at-a-time transfers for virtual tape library migrations, application modernization, and large-scale cloud moves. In this episode of Skyward Data, the podcast from VirtualZ Computing: - Real performance: 100–200 parallel transfers processing thousands of datasets per hour - Comprehensive status tracking that turns black-box migrations into transparent, monitored processes - Integration with existing automation and help-desk systems - Uses beyond migration: compliance archiving, disaster recovery, and data center consolidation - Why parallel, inventory-driven processing scales where individual file transfers don't The multiplexer is built into PropelZ, VirtualZ's no-code tool for moving and replicating IBM Z mainframe data to the cloud — proven at 56,000 records per second, mainframe to cloud — with no code and no homegrown pipelines. PropelZ is part of VirtualZ Computing's no-code portfolio for enterprise mainframe data, alongside Lozen (live in-place data access), FlowZ (cloud storage for backup and archive), and Zaac (cloud and SAN as native z/OS storage). Topics: mainframe data migration, IBM Z, z/OS, virtual tape library, VTL migration, parallel data transfer, application modernization, disaster recovery, no-code data integration, hybrid cloud. Listen to more Skyward Data episodes: https://virtualzcomputing.com/podcasts/
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PropelZ 2.0: What's New in Mainframe Data Integration
Apr 2800:10:33Tap to summarizeWhat's new in PropelZ 2.0, and what does the release change for enterprise mainframe data integration? VirtualZ Computing CTO Vince Re walks through the major 2.0 release of PropelZ — VirtualZ's no-code tool for moving and replicating IBM Z mainframe data to the cloud — covering dozens of customer-requested features, including a 60% throughput improvement and native binary data handling. Vince Re explains how real customer problems drove the release: a retailer's binary data requirements, a financial services customer's billion-row processing needs, and a large mainframe outsourcer's enterprise connectivity demands. He shares the technical detail behind each enhancement and how it maps to integration problems enterprises face now. In this episode of Skyward Data, the podcast from VirtualZ Computing: - Custom input/output handlers with variable-length record support and binary data processing - Java method integration delivering a 60% throughput improvement for billion-row workloads - Enhanced incremental processing with minimal-change algorithms that optimize database updates - Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) support for security and supply-chain compliance - Databricks connectivity, SOCKS proxy support, and simplified configuration management PropelZ moves and replicates IBM Z mainframe data to cloud platforms and data warehouses like Snowflake, Databricks, Redshift, and BigQuery with no code and no homegrown pipelines, and is proven at 56,000 records per second, mainframe to cloud. It's part of VirtualZ Computing's no-code portfolio for enterprise mainframe data, alongside Lozen (live in-place data access), FlowZ (cloud storage for backup and archive), and Zaac (cloud and SAN as native z/OS storage). Topics: PropelZ 2.0, mainframe data integration, IBM Z, z/OS, binary data, SBOM, Databricks, incremental processing, billion-row data, no-code data integration, hybrid cloud. Listen to more Skyward Data episodes: https://virtualzcomputing.com/podcasts/
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PropelZ for Linux: Data Movement Beyond the Mainframe
Apr 1400:40:50Tap to summarizeWhat happens when mainframe-grade data movement runs anywhere, not just on z/OS? VirtualZ Computing Co-Founder and CTO Vince Re joins Co-Founder Dustin Froyum to introduce PropelZ for Linux — the multi-platform extension of VirtualZ's no-code data movement engine — which takes the same engine proven on IBM Z and runs it anywhere Java runs. Vince Re walks through the architecture: why the core engine translates so cleanly across platforms, where the differences lie, and why they're smaller than you'd expect. He and Dustin also dig into the enterprise security capabilities that matter most — field-level filtering, data masking, SSL/TLS support, and sanitizing sensitive data before it ever reaches its target. In this episode of Skyward Data, the podcast from VirtualZ Computing: - PropelZ for Linux runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, IBM i, UNIX, and any Java-enabled environment - A 150–200% throughput improvement over existing ETL solutions, out of the box - 26,000 rows per second to cloud-based Postgres — multiple terabytes per hour - Zero-code, fully declarative setup — running in minutes to hours, not months - A cautionary tale: a financial services firm spent two years on a legacy ETL project, abandoned it, then ran PropelZ the next day - The Multiplexer: parallel processing that moves millions of files at once using full available bandwidth PropelZ moves and replicates data with no code and no homegrown pipelines, now across mainframe and distributed platforms alike. It's part of VirtualZ Computing's no-code portfolio for enterprise data, alongside Lozen (live in-place data access), FlowZ (cloud storage for backup and archive), and Zaac (cloud and SAN as native z/OS storage). Topics: PropelZ for Linux, ETL alternative, data integration, cloud migration, Postgres, multi-platform data movement, data masking, IBM Z, no-code data integration, hybrid cloud. Listen to more Skyward Data episodes: https://virtualzcomputing.com/podcasts/
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