VirtualZ Computing gives Alibaba Cloud customers something game-changing: real-time, no-code access to high-value enterprise data — including IBM Z mainframe data and other core platforms — without replication, rewrite, or delay.
Whether you’re training AI models on MaxCompute, building analytics in Quick BI, landing data in Object Storage Service (OSS), or feeding PAI, VirtualZ makes your data accessible, governed, and cloud-ready.
Powered by our patented product suite — PropelZ™, FlowZ™, Lozen™, and Zaac™ — enterprises using Alibaba Cloud can streamline data integration, modernize storage, and feed AI with trusted operational data across mainframe and open systems.
The Challenge: Enterprise Data Is Critical — But Often Inaccessible
IBM Z and other core systems of record (midrange, Linux, legacy transactional systems) still run high-value workloads. But that data is often isolated from modern cloud tooling due to:
- Outdated ETL pipelines that are brittle and slow
- Expensive CDC tools that require key fields and proprietary log access
- Security exposure from replicating sensitive data into third-party staging copies
- Custom FTP or middleware scripts that break under scale and aren’t real time
- High MIPS and infrastructure cost just to move data around
VirtualZ removes these barriers — enabling no-code, secure, governed access between enterprise systems (including IBM Z) and Alibaba Cloud services.
PropelZ: No-Code Data Delivery for MaxCompute, Quick BI, and PAI
PropelZ is our no-code data movement and transformation engine. It’s multi-platform: it runs on IBM Z and also supports other enterprise environments, so you can deliver structured data from core systems — not just mainframe — directly into Alibaba Cloud analytics and AI services.
With PropelZ, you can:
- Extract governed data from sources like SMF, VSAM, IMS, Db2, COBOL copybooks, and other enterprise data stores
- Deliver that data into MaxCompute, Data Lakehouse, Quick BI, PAI, or OSS
- Do it with no scripting, no custom ETL pipelines, and no reliance on proprietary log readers or key fields
- Run micro-batch, incremental, or scheduled full loads
- Support AI pipelines, regulatory reporting, and observability/operations use cases
The result: you can prepare, land, and operationalize regulated system-of-record data (including IBM Z data) for model training, real-time analytics, SIEM, and compliance workloads in hours.
FlowZ: z/OS File Access to Alibaba Cloud Storage
FlowZ gives your IBM Z environment bi-directional file-level integration with Alibaba Cloud storage — without rewriting applications.
- Your Alibaba Cloud OSS objects appear to z/OS as standard files
- z/OS can read from and write back to OSS in real time
- No FTP, brittle transfer jobs, or staging servers
- Preserves your existing file formats — no SQL conversion required
- Ideal for hybrid processing, AI scoring loops, secure evidence packaging, and governed backup
FlowZ turns OSS into an active tier for mainframe workloads — not just cold storage.
Lozen: Real-Time Cloud App Access to Live Mainframe Data
Lozen enables applications running in Alibaba Cloud to access live IBM Z data in place, securely, and in real time.
- Read-write connectivity from cloud-native services to mainframe datasets
- Works with high-value IBM Z data sources (Db2, IMS, VSAM, etc.)
- No replication, no shadow databases, no fragile staging layers
- Supports phased modernization where you move logic to the cloud without ripping out the system of record
Example: an application running on Alibaba Cloud ECS, Function Compute, or ACK can interact with current transactional data on IBM Z — without duplicating that data outside governance controls.
Zaac: Cloud-Based Virtual Storage for IBM Z
Zaac modernizes mainframe storage by letting IBM Z workloads use Alibaba Cloud OSS as a virtual disk or tape layer.
- Eliminates dependency on expensive on-prem mainframe storage hardware
- Enables on-demand backup, archive, DR, and recovery directly to OSS
- Transparent to your JCL, batch jobs, and applications
- Built-in encryption, retention policies, duplexing, and auditability
- Ideal for heavily regulated industries that need compliant backup and resilience
With Zaac, IBM Z can natively write to cloud storage — with no code changes and no operational disruption.
Example Use Cases on Alibaba Cloud
| Use Case | VirtualZ Product |
|---|---|
| AI/ML Model Training | PropelZ to PAI or MaxCompute |
| Business Dashboards (Quick BI) | PropelZ to MaxCompute or OSS |
| Hybrid File Processing | FlowZ for z/OS ↔ OSS |
| Live Cloud App Access to Mainframe Data | Lozen for ECS or ACK |
| Cloud Backup & Archive | Zaac to OSS |
| Audit & Regulatory Evidence (PCI DSS, DORA, internal audit, ops logs) | PropelZ for SMF and other operational/log data |
Why VirtualZ + Alibaba Cloud?
- Installs in Hours — no custom code, no fragile ETL projects
- Flat-Rate Licensing — predictable economics, including multi-platform access with PropelZ
- Regulatory Ready — supports requirements like DORA, GDPR, PCI DSS 4.0, SOX through governed access and traceability
- Built for Hybrid — you keep data where it’s safest and most cost-effective; we make it available everywhere it needs to run
- Partner Friendly — built to co-sell with systems integrators, MSPs, and service providers
Global Reach with Local Execution
VirtualZ is built for regulated industries, such as banking, telecom, insurance, public sector, critical infrastructure, and large-scale digital platforms. These are exactly the sectors where Alibaba Cloud is growing.
We’re actively expanding our partner ecosystem across Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East to deliver joint solutions, proof-of-concepts, and repeatable offerings in-region.
Ready to Transform?
VirtualZ + Alibaba Cloud gives you governed, immediate access to your most valuable operational data — across mainframe and other enterprise systems — without rewriting your business.
- Schedule a briefing.
- Watch demos.
- Visit our Customer Briefing Center.
- Review all VirtualZ Use Cases, Thought Leadership papers, and Solution Briefs.
- Explore our YouTube channel, podcasts, and blog.
- Still have questions? Contact us.