Written by Swathi Rao, Open Mainframe Project 2024 Summer Mentee
Hi, I’m Swathi! I’m a student studying Computer Science and Engineering in PES University and I’m excited to share my mid-term blog post documenting my experience as an LFX Mentee under The Open Mainframe Project’s Mainframe Modernization Group! I first got to know about the LFX Mentorship Program in 2023. However, it was earlier this year that I learnt that many LFX Mentorship projects don’t just involve writing code- they covered a broad spectrum of topics from software documentation, UI/UX design, education and even community building and management. I was highly impressed by the inclusivity of the program that ensured people from varying backgrounds, experience levels and interests with a shared passion for tech and open-source got an equal shot of getting into their dream program.
My Summer 2024 LFX Mentorship journey started when I applied for The Open Mainframe Project’s “Mainframe Modernization White Paper” Mentorship in early May 2024. The problem statement immediately resonated with my forte of researching a topic and presenting my findings in a clear, unbiased manner so I applied without a second thought. After being shortlisted and a round of interviews, I got the letter of acceptance for the Mentorship program on 29th May, 2024! For that, I would like to thank my mentors, Bruno Azenha, Dr. Vinu Russell Viswasadhas and Misty Decker for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to be a part of this prestigious initiative.
The Mentorship began with a virtual kickoff meet on 6th June, 2024 where we were introduced to The Open Mainframe Project, its vision and all the projects under its umbrella. We also discussed the specifics of the Mentorship program, including the deliverables, milestones and the methodology to be followed. After that, there was a round of introductions of the Project Managers, Mentors and Mentees. I was keen on making a good first impression and excited to be a part of a collaborative project with contributors from all over the world!
The next day, our working group, which included Aditi (my fellow mentee), our mentors Bruno and Vinu, and myself had a meeting. During this meeting, we decided that we would meet once in two weeks and work on two papers- one about Application Modernization under Bruno and the other about Data Modernization under Vinu. After a thorough discussion, I decided to work on the paper on Data Modernization under Vinu. We met twice a week as a group and decided on the scope and structure of the paper, while also discussing technical topics to be covered in the paper. Till date, I have performed a thorough study on AI, Mainframes and AI on Mainframes from various sources such as research papers, white papers, books, reports and websites. I have also gained knowledge about IBM’s WatsonX platform for running AI models on Mainframes and have started writing the whitepaper in sections.
Prior to my mentorship, I had a rudimentary knowledge of Mainframes. As I learnt more about these powerful computers, my respect and admiration for them has only grown. Mainframes are used in almost all major industries like finance, insurance, healthcare to name a few and are renowned for their reliability, scalability and security and are hence the first choice for mission- critical applications. As a working group, we are keen that this paper should allow decision makers in the industry to understand how to harness the data stored in their mainframes for Classical AI tasks like Clustering and Regression and Generative AI tasks such as Retrieval Augmented Generation.
I’m halfway through the Mentorship and each day so far has presented itself as a new opportunity to learn and grow. I’ve learnt to develop an unbiased approach while performing my research and the importance of objectivity and critical thinking while writing and presenting arguments. Besides this, I’m also learning to tailor the level of technical detail in my writing to suit the target audience. I have also learnt about the importance of foresight in writing code- it’s important to make sure that the code not only works but is also easy to understand and maintain!
Going further, I’m looking forward to the successful completion of the White Paper. Vinu and I plan to interview prominent figures in the Mainframes in AI space, adding important industry perspectives to our research. I’m also excited to try out IBM’s Mainframe Emulator which would be the closest experience I’ll have to a real mainframe.
In conclusion, I would like to express my gratitude to my mentors, Vinu, Bruno, and Misty, for their exceptional guidance and support. Their knowledge shone through in every interaction I’ve had with them and they have always been incredibly approachable and helpful when approached with queries! I would also like to thank Aditi for being a wonderful co-mentee and I can’t wait to read her white paper! I’m also grateful to the Open Mainframe Project Managers, Yarille Ortiz and Tom Slanda, who ensured our smooth onboarding and have promptly answered any non-technical queries!
Stay tuned
Mentees will be blogging about their experiences. Stay tuned here and the Open Mainframe Project social channels for updates.
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