Mainframe Managed Services Podcasts: What Does It Really Take to Keep Business-Critical Mainframe Systems Running?

Keeping a business-critical mainframe running isn’t just about technology; it’s about having the right people, the right processes, and being ready when something unexpected happens.

In two new episodes of the Vertali Podcast, Senior Technical Delivery Manager Chris Harvey shares practical lessons from more than 15 years working in mainframe managed services. From urgent service takeovers to long-term operational resilience, these conversations explore the realities of supporting some of the world’s most important systems.

Episode One: ‘Five Days to Take Over – What Urgent Mainframe Support Really Looks Like’

What happens when an organization suddenly needs a new managed services partner with almost no time to prepare?

Chris talks through a real-world scenario where the Vertali team had just five days to take over responsibility for a critical mainframe environment. The episode covers the challenges of getting up to speed quickly, building documentation from scratch, and ensuring business continuity without disrupting day-to-day operations.

Episode Two: ‘Beyond the Single Point of Failure – Building Long-Term Resilience in Mainframe Operations’

The second episode looks beyond day-to-day support and focuses on resilience.

Chris discusses why undocumented knowledge is one of the biggest risks facing many mainframe teams, how organizations can reduce single points of failure as experienced professionals retire, and why disaster recovery plans are only valuable if they’re tested under real conditions.

What You’ll Learn Across Both Episodes

Across the two podcasts, Chris covers topics including:

• Taking over a critical managed service with just five days’ notice.

• Why documentation and runbooks are often the biggest hidden operational risk.

• Avoiding single points of failure as teams and skills evolve.

• The importance of realistic disaster recovery testing.

• Managing incidents and change while keeping business-critical services available.

Whether you’re responsible for mainframe operations, infrastructure, or service delivery, these episodes offer practical insights into what it takes to keep mission-critical systems secure, resilient, and running around the clock.

Listen to both episodes of the Vertali Podcast and discover the realities of modern mainframe managed services. Find out more about our Mainframe Managed Services here.