Metalogic Systems

Application migration from Hitachi mainframe to IBM AIX platform for an automobile major in Japan

soomit.banerjee — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:27:00 GMT

Introduction

The customer has multiple applications running on Hitachi mainframe (IBM plug compatible) which included three large applications Parts Consolidation, and Order Processing from supply chain and part of the Production Management system. Due to various technological and cost constraints posed by these legacy hardware and software, client had decided to move these applications from Mainframe to UNIX based platforms while keeping the business logic unchanged. Migration of the three applications was executed in three phases and the projects were primed by Satyam.

Source Platform

Platform: Hitachi / VOS3

Data Store: ADABAS / SAM

Language: COBOL / NATURAL / ASSEMBLER / JCL

Target Platform

Platform: IBM / AIX

Data Store: ORACLE 10g / Files

Language: MF COBOL / Shell Scripts

Challenges

The major challenge lied in migrating each of these applications within a very short time frame. All the migrated applications required to be easily maintainable. The converted applications in the new target platform had to behave exactly the same way they behaved in the legacy platform. A few database fields were also expanded as a part of the migration project. Other modifications included moving the hard coded error messages in the programs to the database.

Solution Approach

Metalogic had transformed these applications to modern platforms. The salient features of this solution were:

· The ADABAS database were converted to Oracle 10g

· NATURAL, COBOL and ASSEMBLER languages got transformed to Micro Focus COBOL

· JCL was converted to Shell Scripts on AIX

· Major portion of the work was executed offshore at Metalogic’s offshore. The combination of automated, tool based approach and offshore delivery resulted in major savings.

The solution achieved more than 95% automation in conversion and modification while near 50% in automation was achieved in testing.

Status

Migration of the first application was started in April 2006 and delivered in December 2006; the second one spanned October 2006 to August 2007 while the third application was started in December 2007 and complete on March 2008.

Migration from IBM mainframe to Sun/Solaris for a leading Insurance company in UK

soomit.banerjee — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 08:51:00 GMT

Introduction

The customer is a leading insurance company in UK. The project was executed for one of its offices in Australia.

As a part of their IT strategy, they wanted to migrate their applications from IBM/MVS to an open systems environment on SUN Solaris.

The mainframe application was using IMS, VSAM, Assembler, CICS, COBOL and JCL. The target environment was Solaris, Oracle9i, Oracle Pro*COBOL Precompiler, MicroFocus COBOL and Shell scripts.

Besides the application migration, the scope also included migration of data from IMS database and VSAM files to Oracle 9i database.

Metalogic Systems executed this project from its development center in Kolkata, India in partnership with the prime contractor for the project, an IT services company based in Mumbai, India.

Challenges

The major challenge in this project lay in the transformation of the complex hierarchical IMS database to Oracle. Achieving performance levels and accuracy of the existing mission-critical application, was an added challenge.

Solution Approach

Metalogic has provided a tool based automated solution approach, which carried out the following steps:

Reverse engineering the application source
Recovering the legacy data model in IMS and VSAM
Finalise and generate the Oracle data model
Generate the database access layers
Generate the data migration utilities
Forward engineering the programs to MF Cobol

The solution has achieved near 90% automation.

Status

The solution achieved near 80% automation in conversion. The project was started in April 2004 and the migrated application was delivered to the client on August 2004. The migrated system went live in December 2004.

Migration from ICL mainframe to Sun/Solaris for a government department in South Africa

soomit.banerjee — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 08:18:00 GMT

Introduction

The customer had an ICL Trimetra LY mainframe for running their mission critical Claims & Benefits applications at Compensation Commission based on COBOL using IDMS-X network database and Flat files. Due to cost and technological constraints posed by these legacy hardware and software, client had decided to decommission the mainframe and modernize the existing software applications. The project was primed by and jointly executed with our business partner.

Source Platform

Platform: ICL Trimetra / VME

Data Store: IDMS-X / Flat Files

Language: COBOL / SCL

Target Platform

Platform: Sun / Solaris

Data Store: Oracle 9i

Language: Oracle Pro*COBOL / MF COBOL

Application Server: JBoss

Screen: JSP

Challenges

The major challenge lied in migrating this application, which had very little documentation and low technical inputs from the end users. All information had to be extracted through a tool-based process from the legacy source code.

The deployment platform of the migrated application was another point of complexity.

Solution Approach

Considering the rich functionality of the software applications, Metalogic had used a transformation solution to move them on to modern platform while retaining the core functionality. Metalogic’s proprietary tools were used for converting COBOL, IDMS-X, and SCL. The salient features of this solution were:

· The network database and flat files were converted to Oracle.

· The COBOL applications were converted to Open Systems MicroFocus COBOL and some components were moved to Java.

· The application screens were converted to JSP

· SCL jobs were converted to Unix SHELL

· Application data was migrated to Oracle 9i.

· A major portion of the work was executed offshore at Metalogic’s offshore facility at Kolkata resulting in major savings.

Status

The solution achieved near 80% automation in conversion. The project was started in April 2004 and the migrated application was delivered to the client on August 2004. The migrated system went live in December 2004.

Application migration for a large system integrator of France

soomit.banerjee — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 07:20:00 GMT

Introduction

The application conversion project was executed for a customer of a leading systems integrator of France.

The existing application was developed in COBOL, PL/I, IDMS and VSAM and the objective was to have a uniform technology with a relational database. Maintaining PL/I and IDMS was costly and the conversion aimed at a cheaper and simpler platform.

The project was primed by and jointly executed with our business partner in France. Metalogic was responsible for conversion of PL/I programs to COBOL, IDMS to DB2 and modifications of programs impacted by the database change. Metalogic’s scope was to convert the source code and schema and it was executed offshore. Our business partner carried out all the testing and the converted application was delivered to the systems integrator for implementation.

Source Platform

Platform: IBM Mainframe / MVS

Data Store: VSAM / IDMS Network database

Language: PL/I / COBOL / JCL

Target Platform

Platform: IBM Mainframe / MVS

Data Store: DB2 / VSAM

Language: COBOL / JCL

Challenges

The major challenge was the conversion of PL/I programs to COBOL without any loss in functionality. Another challenge lied in conversion of IDMS schema to DB2. Neither was any application documentation available in English.

Solution Approach

Metalogic used its transformation tools for conversion of PL/I code to COBOL and conversion of IDMS schema to DB2 schema. Both the converted COBOL and original COBOL programs were modified to access DB2 in place of IDMS. Necessary changes were also incorporated in JCL scripts. Data conversion programs were generated from the tools. All converted components were supplied to the implementer for testing and implementation.

Solution highlights

§ Network database schema was converted to relational schema

§ PL/I programs were converted to COBOL

§ The conversion achieved near 95% automation using Metalogic’s transformation tools

Status

The project was started in July 2004 and source and schema conversion was completed in 4 months. Tool adaptation for PL/I and code and schema conversion was completely managed by Metalogic resources.

Application migration of the Water Billing System for a city office in USA

soomit.banerjee — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 05:51:00 GMT

Introduction

The scope involved migration of a critical water billing system application running on Bull/GCOS to IBM/AIX environment, with COBOL online and batch programs, along with IDS-II network database, JCL, and Screens.

Source Platform

Platform: BULL Mainframe / GCOS 8

File System: UFAS Files (Sequential, Relative & ISAM)

Database: IDS II Network database

Trasaction Monitor: TP-8

Language: COBOL / JCL

Target Platform

Platform: RS6000 / AIX

Database: ORACLE 8

Transaction Monitor: Tuxedo TP monitor

Language: Oracle Pro*COBOL / MF COBOL / SHELL Scripts / VB UI deployed on Windows

Challenges

The major challenges were in re-modeling the IDS II network data model to fit a relational database and meet the same performance level of the existing system. This required to be completed in a tight time frame, as the system was due for retirement. The requirement also included Y2K compliance.

Solution Approach

Automated, tool assisted migration of COBOL programs to MF COBOL and conversion of IDS II schema to Oracle RDBMS. The solution involved conversion of screens to Visual Basic, with Tuxedo TP monitor. JCL was converted to SHELL scripts. Data migration utilities were generated through the tool for downloading data from the mainframe IDS II database and uploading them on to the Oracle database.

Solution highlights

§ Network database schema was converted to relational schema

§ Mainframe character screens were converted to modern GUI screens

§ Data was migrated using tool generated migration programs

§ The solution achieved near 80% automation using Metalogic’s tools

Status

The project along with archived data migration was completed in 6 months time and went live in December 1999 and still running in the converted state.