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[shiv_swami]

Hi all,

We have a project in pipeline to convert Mainframe cobol program into PC cobol on WIN NT, so that mainframe time is saved.The programs to be converted are all Online programs and hopefully no files are involved.The current set of programs are meant to fech data from DB2 and IDMS databases on different regions.
Is it possible to connect to IDMS on mainframe from Win NT ?
Client is planning to move DB2 database to NT.So we could acces the DB2 tables from PC COBOL. I am still to gather full requirements like which COBOL compiler would be used so that I can check up with availability of cobol functions.

What are the generic things one has to consider for this kind of conversion (Mainframe COBOL to PC COBOL)?
I have couple of thing in my mind..If someone could add to the list or share his experiece..thout would be great..
1) Availability Functions in PC Cobol with respect to Mainframe COBOL
2) Character set (EBCDIC to ASCII conversion issue )

Also if anyone has worked on both COBOL variants,. could you please share the differences from point of view of a programmer/developer ..
I am putting this post as no one has put up reply for earlier ~~~somewhat similar post
http://www.mvsforums.com/helpboards/viewtopic.php?t=853
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Regards,
Shivprakash

[kolusu]

Shiv,

I have a couple of questions. Are you converting the mainframe programs to PC cobol just to save the run time? What makes you think that the PC COBOL will run faster than Mainframe?

Do you want to convert for cost savings? i.e you are leasing a mainframe and you are charged with every sec of cpu usage which makes the conversion justifiable.

You mentioned that you are mainframe programs are online(CICS or IMS) . Now what do you have the equivalent interface on the PC? Are you going to use java for displaying the screens?

You can access IDMS from windows. check this link for a presentation of Accessing CA-IDMS and BATCH
from Windows

I have never worked on PC Cobol so I can't really tell you the differences. But fujitsu cobol appears to be on par with mainframe cobol versions.check this link for Netcobol

http://www.adtools.com/products/index.htm

Hope this helps...

Cheers

Kolusu

PS: Btw were able to implement the logic for Converting a Fixed lenth file to TAB delimited file?
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Kolusu
www.linkedin.com/in/kolusu

[shiv_swami]

Hi Kolusu and team,

Yes. My shop is leasing a mainframe and that is the reason we are going for this conversion into Windows based application.I have started working on the project now so I know what we are atually trying to do now.

Current mainframe system is as follows:

We have a Custmor care application on Windows which sends request over TCP/IP to CICS on mainframe where a Transaction is initiated by this request.This transactoin internally processes the data sent the type of records to be accessed and then transfers control to a subsystem of programs which has got database accessor for both 1. DB2 on mainframe and 2.IDMS on mainframe.
The control is first sent to DB2 accessor programs which look up the sent arguments and return required information and if the Request has to access the IDMS data it gives additional information to subsequent programs such as region name against which to go for IDMS database requests(with a LU 6.2 connection).
In the end, the collected data is returned to Windows based application which is developed in SmallTalk.

New System would be as follows

Make the Customer care Deskto application to speak to this CICS.Initiate a transaction via TCP/IP on CICS.Now CICS should be able to access the DB2 Database on Windows (I have already installed ). Also send the request to IDMS on mainframe if required.
The COBOL programs development/conversion is being done in Visual Age Cobol.I can compile the ONLY cobol and run them from command line.But I have problems in compiling DB2 programs and porting the .dll file for such programs to Cics region.(Actually /cics/bin/ on Windows installed path )

My tasks are
1 .To install TX series (CICS..which I have done ) on Windows.But I have also to play as ADMINISTRATOR for this one.I am trying to figure out the details
2.To be able to send request over TCP/IP to CICS.I have set up a Listener and other required things for this.Does any one know the CSKL listener counterpart on Windows ?
3.compile Db2-cics programs on Windows either native compilers or Visual age Cobol.Would there be issues of porting .dll (or EXEs ?) from output of other compiler to CICS region.
4.To access DB2 data on windows.
5.To send the requests to IDMS using LU 6.2

I hope I have made my requirements clear to you.Please let me know if I am wrong somewhere.The core of this project is just to change the environemts from Mainfame based CICS & DB2 to Windows based transactions and DB2 database.
Has anyone done something similar to this ?Looking forward to your help on this.
_________________
Regards,
Shivprakash

[selva21]

Hi,

We are planning to move a part of our application from Mainframe Cobol/DB2/CICS to .NET environment.

Is there any conversion strategy available for Mainframe Cobol to Fujitsu NETCOBOL conversion?

Thanks,

Selva.
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