IBM Mainframe to Open Systems

COBOL | Conversion | Programs | Screens | Data | Index Seq. | Maintainability | User Interface

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As the basis for our migration path from CICS to Open Systems we have taken a different and more efficient approach to that offered by our competitors. Our service is not to provide a CICS emulation on the Open Systems platform but to convert the CICS application system to a native Open Systems environment. The main features of our CICS to Open Systems conversion service are...

COBOL

The Unicon CICS to Open Systems conversion service converts systems written in COBOL using VSAM or DB2 files to Open Systems COBOL.

CONVERSION NOT EMULATION

We provide a true conversion - not a CICS emulation on Open Systems. The converted system is no longer a CICS system, it has been fully converted to a true Open System running in a true native Open Systems environment.

PROGRAMS

The CICS COBOL programs are converted to standard ANSI COBOL-85 programs. The original program structure and logic is fully maintained.

SCREENS

The CICS bit-map screens are converted to standard COBOL-85 block mode screens that are included in the screen section of the converted programs. All the original screen features and functions are fully maintained.

DATA FILES

VSAM data files are converted to Vision or C-ISAM data files. DB2 data files are  converted to the chosen Open Systems RDBMS. All original file structures and access methods are maintained.

INDEX SEQUENTIAL TO RDBMS

We are also able to offer the ability to convert VSAM files to RDBMS, including converting the program file access logic. This conversion to a RDBMS can be performed at the same time as the CICS to Open Systems conversion or it can be performed at a later time.

PROGRAM MAINTAINABILITY

The original program structure and logic is fully maintained in the converted programs. There is no loss in program maintainability.

USER TERMINAL INTERFACE  

The terminal users should perceive no change in the way the application programs display or accept data from their terminals. CICS is a central processing facility supporting on-line terminals. CICS terminals will not work on the Open System and must be replaced. However, if the CICS terminals are PCs performing terminal emulation connected over an ethernet network to the central CICS mainframe then the central CICS mainframe can be rolled out and replaced by an Open Systems platform with the only change to the PC network being the replacement of the mainframe terminal emulation software with Open Systems terminal software.

We trust the above provides some insight into our CICS to Open System conversion services. For a more in-depth look into this conversion, please contact us in order that we may run through the process with you and ascertain your needs and targets. We will be pleased to work to provide you with the best possible migration path to installing open systems architecture technology.

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