Mainframes which have been the backbone of mission critical applications for many decades now , can be migrated to AWS cloud to modernise the workloads.

The options to modernise fall under the following categories.The option to choose needs to be considered on a case to case basis.

1) Shutting down Mainframe workloads by:

Rehosting the workload to AWS

using a lift shift approach using a modern Emulator.

Automated re-factor of code

from Mainframe language to modern language e.g. Java and run on AWS.

Platform migration

by running Mainframe equivalent OS and DB on AWS.

2) Augment Mainframes

Support for Data analytics

– migrating data from Mainframes to Amazon cloud specific DB with Support for analytics.

Develop outside Mainframes

in a AWS any new functionality and use API economy to connect to Mainframes.

3) Development and test environments on AWS to reduce cost of separate environments on Mainframes.

The following is an awesome link with more description on these options.