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The mainframe at the center of a heterogeneous IT
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Current solutions
International Ministry of Transport
Focus
A state Department of Transport in Australia is responsible for the administration of the state's road network. The administration of all driver's licenses and vehicle registrations is also a departmental responsibility.
Environment
- IBM mainframe with the z/OS operating system
- VSAM files and IMS and Db2 databases on the mainframe
- Cloud systems under AWS and AZURE
Target
Reduction of the high maintenance and operating costs of the old applications, lack of experienced staff and dependence on the existing data led to the decision to transform the legacy application, to provide a modern data platform and - in connection with this - to build new business services.
Implementation
By using tcVISION, a cost-efficient and modern infrastructure was built.
The transformation of legacy systems met customer expectations with new services:
- Internal and external users get data access via new interfaces and update functions.
- Reduced dependency on mainframe data and resource access.
- New business functions were enabled by integrating modern elements (APIs, mobile apps, digital channels).
- The time to market of new business services has been significantly reduced due to the interoperability of modern hardware and software.
- The timely and bidirectional data synchronization by tcVISION between the mainframe data and the new platforms forms the basis for successively converting other legacy systems and implementing new business initiatives.
The results are examples of a gradual modernization of mainframe applications on new platforms. It is mandatory to synchronize the data between the mainframe and the new platform in real time. Both data storage platforms (mainframe and Windows Azure Cloud and AWS) are equal. Data changes can be carried out on both data platforms. Bidirectional data replication is therefore essential. This is carried out by tcVISION in real time and thus supports a gradual modernization or migration without having to create your own synchronization modules and programs.
International Authority
Focus
The customer offers services based on legal requirements in the area of training and education services as well as employment agencies.
Environment
- IBM mainframe with z/VM and z/VSE operating systems
- VSAM files on the mainframe
- Windows workstations with Visual Basic applications
Target
Access to productive VSAM files for processing unemployment claims and checking basic social security data with the social security agency.
Implementation
Before using tcACCESS there was no way to authenticate this information. With the help of tcACCESS, the customer is now able to integrate data from VSAM files into Microsoft Visual Basic applications via standard SQL queries. These applications perform processing and validation.
The customer wants to expand the applications in order to be able to change and maintain VSAM data from a Microsoft Visual Basic application.
Conclusion
tcACCESS is a powerful and versatile solution that enables open systems applications to perform direct SQL access to existing z/VSE and z/OS data resources (e.g. VSAM, IMS, DLI, ADABAS etc.) and mainframe applications direct access to Open Systems data permitted.
Automotive sector
Focus
The customer offers services for the Dutch automotive sector in the areas of information, communication and data processing.
Replacement of existing mainframe applications and parallel operation of old and new applications.
Environment
- IBM mainframe with z/VM and z/VSE operating systems
- Linux servers, UNIX and Windows workstations
- Database system IDMS, MS SQL Server and Db2/LUW
Target
The network-oriented database system IDMS is to be replaced by the relational system Db2 and MS SQL Server at the same time as a migration of the IBM mainframe to the Unix and Windows platforms.
Implementation
The challenge for this project is to keep the data in both system worlds synchronized in real time as far as possible. This is the only way to phase out the legacy system.
Before the migration, new applications were already developed that access the IDMS databases using SQL with the help of tcACCESS and the use of ODBC from Windows and UNIX applications.
To implement the migration, tcVISION was used to automatically determine all changes in the IDMS in real time and to synchronize them with Db2/LUW and Microsoft MS-SQL Server databases. The IDMS network topology was mirrored in the relational world. It is important that the different systems are completely equal and that changes can be made in parallel. Organizational measures have been implemented to ensure parallel use. This affects applications running under UNIX/AIX and Windows.
Since all applications can make changes at the same time, it must be ensured that changes to a system are not replicated back to the target system after they have been adapted. This is very specific and complex, especially in connection with IDMS. However, the tcVISION loopback procedure ensures error-free processing.
Conclusion
All applications were migrated to the new platforms and databases much faster than originally planned. The use of tcVISION ensured parallel operation between the 3 platforms involved, which ultimately also enabled a problem-free - and shorter than planned - migration.
Import and wholesale
Focus
International trade and import and wholesale of petroleum products.
Migration of mainframe applications to new client/server applications.
Environment
- IBM mainframe with z/VSE operating system
- Windows workstations
- VSAM and MS SQL Server
Target
All of the customer's applications have been created over the past decades and are tailored to the company's business processes. Nevertheless, the decision was made to migrate to new systems and new technologies. The previous old system was difficult to manage because the necessary know-how was no longer available or difficult to find. The primary goal was a so-called smooth migration. This meant a completely new development of the trading solution in the Microsoft .Net environment. The legacy system under VSE should be used as a "blueprint" and replaced in phases.
Implementation
The challenge for this project is to keep the data in both system worlds synchronized in real time as far as possible. Only in this way is a phased replacement of the legacy system possible at all. The migration was implemented via mirror tables with the help of tcVISION to replicate the data from both platforms in both directions. The loopback procedure available in tcVISION ensures that changes to a system are not replicated back after adaptation in the target system.
After a short implementation phase, the project was phased into production.
Conclusion
The customer migrated to the new system environment more quickly than originally planned, thereby saving considerable costs for continued use of the old system. With the help of tcVISION, the customer's IT landscape was converted to the latest technologies and is therefore up to the challenges of the global economy.
Public corporation
Focus
The customer is a commercial professional association and carrier of the statutory accident insurance.
Integration of modern word processing into existing mainframe processes.
Use of modern reporting systems with access to mainframe data by the department.
Environment
- IBM mainframe with z/VSE operating system
- Online system under CICS
- Data management under VSAM, MS Word and Oracle database
Target
The customer's goal was to replace a word processing system installed on the mainframe with a modern office component under MS Windows. However, the COBOL text modules available on the mainframe should continue to be used and used via macros of the word processing and integrated into the individual texts.
The department should be able to independently access the VSAM files using modern reporting tools in order to create the required reports, without having to create an individual COBOL program for each user department requirement.
Another requirement is the daily transfer and processing of VSAM data into the Oracle database system.
Implementation
Formatted templates of the Office component WORD were developed for users in the departments. The user can enter the insurance number via a dialog box. A VBA macro uses the tcACCESS ODBC driver and calls an existing CICS COBOL program via a CALL. The insurance number and parameters relating to the document are transmitted. tcACCESS integrates the COBOL program into its processing, it is executed and the data required for the document is returned to the VBA macro via tcACCESS.
In addition, tcACCESS is used to call up a WORD form letter directly from CICS applications and to equip it with data that is made available by the online application.
The VSAM data structures, which have grown over decades, are very complex and are processed daily by tcACCESS and transferred directly to an Oracle database.
Conclusion
The use of tcACCESS creates a perfect symbiosis between information and applications that are stored and processed on the mainframe and modern, new applications. The integration of modern workstation-based applications with the business logic on the mainframe was transparently implemented for the department. The department can continue to create necessary evaluations and queries independently without having to use IT programming resources.
