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Migration from mainframe to unix


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Kumar Ashok

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Joined: 20 Jan 2007
Posts: 29
Location: KOLKATA

PostPosted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 12:14 pm
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Hi All,

In a nutshell requirement is to migrate the system from mainframe environment to UNIX environment (MF cobol would be used I guess). I have not much of idea in this field. I need to do some investigation on following points -

• Ease of conversion
• Known Data compatibility issue
• Issue in performace hadling large volumeof data
• Any other key feature that is important

I also need to know the various database options available fro this task with micro focus cobol in unix. Above are some criteria. we can choose others as applicable. some eg are DB 2 U DB, SYBSE , ORACLE.

Any input in this regard will be quiet helpful. Thanks in Advanve

Regards,
Ashok
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Gnanas N

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Joined: 06 Sep 2007
Posts: 792
Location: Chennai, India

PostPosted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 2:15 pm
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Hi Ashok,

I don't have any idea on this. But I've found this info on ITGAIN INC..,

Support for your migration from MVS to Unix or Linux:
The migration from mainframe to Unix is a current issue. Requirements for IT are constantly changing and clients want to be able to use the latest technologies. A migration facilitates lowering costs and allows for the use of new technology.

An important aspect of migrating a host system to another platform is the ability to carry over existing batch processes without putting your tried and tested business logic at risk


The solution:
J2U, the JCL interpreter from itgain, offers an environment in which each of your existing batch jobs can be executed on the new platform. In fact, there is no need to change any of your JCL. Migration projects usually require painstaking conversions of your Job Control Language into Unix/Linux shell scripts or Perl with all the corresponding difficulties and risks. Not so with J2U where jobs are interpreted step by step conforming to the z/OS rule standards.

More on,
www.itgain.de/en/produkte/j2u.html
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dick scherrer

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Joined: 23 Nov 2006
Posts: 19244
Location: Inside the Matrix

PostPosted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 9:43 pm
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Hello,

Once upon a time, i was project lead/sysadmin/senior dba to migrate an entire data center from mvs to unix (hp-ux). We converted the entire applicaton inventory from mainframe to unix (4 mvs mainframes). FWIW.

Quote:
Ease of conversion
Completely dependent on how the current systems are implemented.

Quote:
Known Data compatibility issue
3 main areas:
1. mvs-style numerics
2. collating sequence
3. data that is stored at the bit level

Quote:
Issue in performace hadling large volumeof data
What is large to you? We were fortunate in that the HP hardware was brand new while the mvs systems were very old, so the unix systems actually ran faster than the mvs systems. Part of the converson decision was based on the cost of completely replacing the mainframe hardware - it could no longer be maintained. Our data volume was quite modest as well - only a few tera-bytes all told.

Quote:
Any other key feature that is important
While unix supports many of the disciplines used on the mainframe, it is a completely different environment. Expect some learning "opportunities" and possible resistance from people who have only ever known one way to do things.
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Kumar Ashok

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Joined: 20 Jan 2007
Posts: 29
Location: KOLKATA

PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 1:55 pm
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Hi Scherrer,

As usual your reply eased things for me. Thanks a lot for all the information you provided. I am not sure whether this is correct platform for asking these question but I hope you could help me with some more clarifications.

1) Was this a data migrations or the system migration? If it was a system migration then was the conversion made from Cobol application programs to Microfocus application program or some other conversion?

2) As per as database is concerned what were the SOURCE database and TARGET database? What are the options available for TARGET database if the SOURCE database include DB2 and VSAM? (If I could get some link to the reference material then it would be of great help)

3) You mentioned three areas in data compatibility issue. Could you please provide some link for reference to know more about it as to my knowledge it seems that it would not be possible for you to explain them in details here.

4) In a nutshell we got about 10000 application programs (written on various languages, about 2M lines of code) to be converted and data of about 200GB to be migrated.

Regards,
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dick scherrer

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Joined: 23 Nov 2006
Posts: 19244
Location: Inside the Matrix

PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 9:28 pm
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Hello,

Quote:
Was this a data migrations or the system migration?
Both. We were required to move all of the data off the mainframes (remember, the goal was to box up the mainframes and send them away) as well as all of the application code. The application inventory sonsisted of COBOL code, CA-IDEAL code, and many flavors of utility/sort processes. For all of the cobol programs we converted from maniframe to MicroFocus COBOL. Computer Associates released a version of CA-IDEAL that worked on the unix environment, and we converted from mainframe utilities to existing unix utilities or implemented our own when needed.

Quote:
As per as database is concerned what were the SOURCE database and TARGET database?
In our environment, CA-Datacom was the primary database in use on the mainframe and CA created an externally compatible version of the product for unix (the application code actually ran unchanged - the dba task was completely different, though).

I've just been called away and will try to add more this afternoon or evening. . .
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dick scherrer

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Joined: 23 Nov 2006
Posts: 19244
Location: Inside the Matrix

PostPosted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 8:19 am
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Hello again,

Quote:
What are the options available for TARGET database if the SOURCE database include DB2 and VSAM?
I would imagine you would target db2 on unix. We had previously converted all of the vsam application files and code to database tables - long before the unix conversion.

Quote:
You mentioned three areas in data compatibility issue. Could you please provide some link for reference to know more about it as to my knowledge it seems that it would not be possible for you to explain them in details here.
Sorry, i don't know of any links - there were none when we went thru this. . . icon_wink.gif If you have questions, i can try to answer them here. My first thought is to not let it seem too intimidating. Some software vendors will tell you how incredibly difficult it is and their software will save your day. The software i've seen does the easy things and the really challinging things (if there are any) still take your time.

One thing i would strongly suggest is that you create "text" files on the mainframe to be downloaded and be usable as received (rather than trying to manipulate mainframe-style data on the unix system - unless you already happen to have an expert who has done this on your team).

Quote:
In a nutshell we got about 10000 application programs (written on various languages, about 2M lines of code)
I expect this will be the biggest time investment. Hopefully, there are still people who know the various languages and what the code is doing. I would make sure that the languages used are supported on unix. If not you will want to have considered how these will be dealt with before the conversion begins. It may be a good idea to replace them on the mainframe and then migrate the replacement code.

Quote:
data of about 200GB to be migrated.
The volume does not matter as much as how many different tables have to be worked with. A few "monster" tables is far easier to migrate than 500 "little" tables. The "monsters" are just wall time once the process is working.

When there are questions, reply back here and we'll go from there.
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mak_tcs

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Joined: 23 Nov 2005
Posts: 69
Location: Minneapolis, MN USA

PostPosted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 6:00 pm
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Hii,

Did you guys face any issues in migrating the DB2 security policies? If yes, can you please list few of them here?

Thanks,
Mani
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