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nightrider · Beginner Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Posts: 12 Topics: 4

We have a customer that is talking about migrate to DB2 version 8. They have programs in cobol ans(version before cobol II), cobol II and cobol for mvs.

I heard about DB2 version 8 can only be accessed by cobol programs wrote in Enterprise cobol.

Is that true? May someone give a little explanation about this matter, please?

Greetings from Sao Paulo - Brazil

Ricardo

CICS Guy · Intermediate Joined: 30 Apr 2007 Posts: 292 Topics: 3

The only thing I've found so far is:
Since VS COBOL II is no longer supported in V8 in a z/OS 1.3 or higher system, you might want to coordinate the move to IBM COBOL (Enterprise level V2.2, V3.2 or V3.2).
Be aware that you can still run the VS COBOL II load module under LE and just hope you don

nightrider · Beginner Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Posts: 12 Topics: 4

Thank you very much "CICS Guy".

Is there another that knows anything about this matter?

Ricardo

dbzTHEdinosauer · Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 10:12 am Post subject:

I would think that the precompiler (cvnt sql to cobol) step would be what counts. If the pre-compiler can recognize the source language and convert the sql, and you have a compiler for the source language:

what would be the problem with invoking db2 version anything?
_________________
Dick Brenholtz
American living in Varel, Germany

nightrider · Beginner Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Posts: 12 Topics: 4

"what would be the problem with invoking db2 version anything?" said mr Dino from GErmany

Someone tell to my boss that DB2 V8 and upper will only be accessed by enterprise cobol. THs is the story that IBM of Brasil tell to a huge customer here. This IBM customer is our customer too.

I would like to know if this true. Imagine the impact: The huge customer metnioned has over 160,000 programs wrote in cobol(ans, II or for mvs)

Do you know what I mean ???

dbzTHEdinosauer · Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 11:41 pm Post subject:

nightrider,

There are people here on this forum that have Vsn8 running and they will be able to tell you if either your customer miss-understood or IBM lied to him in order to secure an outsourcing/consultancy contract.

Your shop would not be the only one to suffer such problems if this were true. Every shop on the planet would be in the same boat as yours.

I don't work at a shop with VSN 8, so I don't know and will refrain from anymore guesses.
_________________
Dick Brenholtz
American living in Varel, Germany

Nic Clouston · Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2007 12:47 pm Post subject:

nightrider · Beginner Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Posts: 12 Topics: 4

Pure bull?!

I have expertise in PL/I too. One thing I learn during these long years: Cobol are less flexible than PL/I.

I would like to remember Nic, that we are talking about cobol here. Then I thing that your comment is a little impertinent(no offense). I will ignore the comment about JCL...

Nic Clouston · Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 11:09 am Post subject:

dbzTHEdinosauer · Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 11:08 pm Post subject:

It appears that nightrider did not like or trust our advice. - or the fact that no one on this website is working with db2 vsn8. He has opened this same question on another website. If there are substantial differences in the response (meaning that to use VSN 8 one must use e-cobol), I will report back.
_________________
Dick Brenholtz
American living in Varel, Germany

dbzTHEdinosauer · Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 2:39 am Post subject:

Here is one response from the other board:

nightrider · Beginner Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Posts: 12 Topics: 4

Hi!

I don't understand why you are annoyed with fact that I post same question in the MVSHELP site. As no one give me an answer here I try in the MVSHELP site.

I don't believe that someone can judge that I don't trust advices. But if it happens, please I bag your pardon.

Cheers

nightrider · Beginner Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Posts: 12 Topics: 4

I was thinking that I can't publish the suggestion of other sites here and hope you excuse me.

Someone tell in the other forum I've posted the same question that you can use the DB2 precompiler of version 8 with the old cobol compiler. He shows an example with precompiling options and cobol compiler options in effect. He says that the installation is running version 8.1 successfully with these programs.

dbzTHEdinosauer · Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 9:35 am Post subject:

Not annoyed. Only that this thread was not complete. No one has posted who also is using DB2 V8. As you indicated, this is a rather important question and that there is no real satisfactory answer here, I intended to increase our knowledge, here, with that gained elsewhere.

I noticed that you have not bothered to update this thread with information that you have gained elsewhere. All you have done is complain that I criticized. Well, I apologize for offending you; that was not my intent. Expanding our knowledge on this board was my intent.

I have also posted the same question on the z/journal site. Don't have the patience to wade thru DB2Mag and try to find a specific article addressing this issue.

The flat statement that one needs E-COBOL to use DB2 Vsn8 is false. OS390/MVS COBOL works just great with Vsn8.

COBOL II? - have not found anyone saying that they are using COBOL II and Vsn8, but then if the shop did not bother to spend money to upgrade from COBOL II, they probably are on Vsn5-6-7 or IMS.

That anyone would use older COBOL (older than COBOL II), knowing that it is not supported by IBM, is asking for compatibility problems as well as missing out on technological advances.

E-COBOL comes with z/OS and most shops have migrated to E-COBOL, probably rather effortlessly - The Compiler and Migration Guides pretty much delineate problem areas.

Experience has shown that most problem areas are those where programmers have done some rather silly things and it requires a little work to make the necessary changes for migration.

You can code E-COBOL without using the OO-Methodologies. So, migration from earlier releases of COBOL could be transparent. But it depends on how much bad-COBOL is involved, because migration issues usually center around poor programming practices and non-standard COBOL (doing things that the compiler will allow, although they are discouraged).

As far as sites with COBOL II (and earlier), migration to OS390/MVS COBOL
(which is what the post on the other board said, and that is not old COBOL, that is OS390/MVS COBOL which does not have the OO capabilities of E-COBOL)
which is all that is necessary to be using a supported compiler and having little or no problem with DB2 Vsn8.

z/OS is not needed for DB2 Vsn8.
_________________
Dick Brenholtz
American living in Varel, Germany

dbzTHEdinosauer · Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 2:26 pm Post subject:

I ran across an article, that I think everyone should read, that indicated the discontinuance of both DB2 V7 and old cobol compilers. Old means COBOL II and earlier.

http://www.craigsmullins.com/zjdp_026.htm
_________________
Dick Brenholtz
American living in Varel, Germany