The simulator
Take a job at ZedBank.
Build the bank from a blank machine, and Zed teaches you what each job needs. All in your browser.
Private beta · Runs in your browser · Nothing to install
READY
LISTUSER
USER=KYLE NAME=KYLE OWNER=SYS1
DEFAULT-GROUP=SYS1 PASS-INTERVAL= 30
ATTRIBUTES=NONE
READY
Your deskBeat 7 of 9
Your first login
Zed
The system says READY. It's your turn.
Ask it who it thinks you are.
Your turn
List your user profile
Done
Learn mainframes by doing the job.
A job, not a course. You start as a graduate, and every story you finish grows the bank and moves you up.
Build the bank from a blank machine
Start at your first login and work up to the bank's batch jobs. Every story you finish adds something that stays built, and the bank grows with it.
Zed beside you
Your mentor explains what each job needs, and nudges before he answers.
Reputation for finished work
Finish the work and it pays, there and then.
A terminal in your browser
The screens you'll use at work, with nothing to set up.
Get promoted
Finish a phase and step up to the next role.
Nothing to install
It all runs in your browser, on a laptop or an iPad. No credentials to request, no VPN, no emulator.
Free Roam
Your own machines to explore. Build what you like, break what you like.
How a story works.
- 01
Pick up a story
Each story is a real piece of work at the bank, from your first login to the overnight batch run.
- 02
Do it on your machine
Zed explains what the job needs. You do it yourself in the terminal, and he nudges if you get stuck.
- 03
Checked by what happened
No quizzes. The story completes when the work is done on your machine, and the reputation lands.
Eight roles, one bank.
Each phase ends in a promotion. Finish all eight and you're a Mainframe101 Professional.
- Phase 1
Graduate Mainframe Engineer
Orientation
- Phase 2
Junior Mainframe Engineer
Platform Foundations
- Phase 3
Batch Engineer
Batch Operations
- Phase 4
Application Developer
Application Development
- Phase 5
Database Engineer
Database Engineering
- Phase 6
Online Systems Developer
Online Banking
- Phase 7
Security Administrator
Security
- Phase 8
Automation Engineer
Automation
Questions
What is Mainframe101?
Mainframe101 is the home of mainframe education. Its simulator lets you learn mainframes by doing real work in your browser: you take a job at ZedBank, a simulated bank, and learn each job by doing it, with Zed, your mentor, beside you.
Who is it for?
Beginners: students, apprentices, junior developers and career changers who have never had access to a mainframe. No experience is needed.
Do I need access to a real mainframe?
No. Everything runs in your browser on MF/OS, a simulated mainframe operating system. There is nothing to install, no credentials to request and no VPN.
What will I learn?
The work a mainframe engineer does: getting around the system, datasets, JCL and batch jobs, COBOL, databases, online transactions, security and automation, one real piece of work at a time.
Who is Zed?
Zed is your mentor at ZedBank. He explains what each job needs in short, plain lines, gives hints before answers, and lets you do the work yourself.
How do I get access?
Mainframe101 is in private beta. Join the waitlist with your name and email to get early access and updates.
Is Mainframe101 affiliated with IBM?
No. Mainframe101 is an independent learning platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by IBM.
Your first day starts here.
The simulator is in private beta. Join the waitlist for early access.