Sources in the US have stated that the testing phase of Year 2000 projects will comprise 50-60% of the complete project, compared to about 35-50% of conventional development projects. The reason is not simply because the programs are larger in scope and reach, but that the same functionality must be tested under a wider range of scenarios.
A major input into a successful test phase for Y2k is consistency and quality of test data. The way to guarantee this result is to lose as much of the error-prone manual input as possible by automating the extraction and data ageing processes.
This makes sense as well, in line with the diminishing time left to complete Year 2000 projects and the need to allow for more thorough testing of system interfaces (many of which are quite obscure). The complexity of testing is driven by the number of program interfaces with other programs, file exchanges, and database interactions.
Bateleur Software, the sole local distributor of General Systems Limited`s GENSET Year 2000 compliance remediation toolset, has announced the availability of a new function-rich, parameter-driven database tool developed specifically for use on-site to extract, analyse and manipulate ADABAS data for the testing phase.
The tool, GENADA, offers highly automated data impact analysis, as well as accurate and detailed compare and documentation facilities.
These can be used to trace and resolve the impact of the Year 2000 date processing issues in ADABAS as well as facilitate the correction and testing of ADABAS databases for the Year 2000.
More importantly, says Bateleur`s Sam Selmer-Olsen, GENADA fits smoothly into the existing ADABAS maintenance environment and its repository can be periodically updated providing access to data, file and cross-reference information.
"The implication therefore," he stated, "is that GENADA can be used to perform impact analyses for regular data maintenance or more specialised tasks, such as preparations for European Monetary Union.
`This positions it as the ideal ADABAS re-engineering tool for the new Millennium and Beyond - especially given Software AG`s commitment to GENADA to ensure that ADABAS databases are processed consistently and accurately."
Selmer-Olsen explains how GENADA works: "GENADA extracts data and file details from defined mainframe ADABAS files, building a queryable repository of data, including FDT and physical structure information.
"It then employs default and user-definable search criteria, such as those provided for identifying Year 2000 problems, to find matching definitions in the data, and documents both the impacted data and its precise location and context.
"The GENADA Compare facility identifies data differences between multiple data extractions, reporting information to support and verify test processes while the Expansion and Data Ageing functions allow you to apply pre-defined and user-customisable rules, using date edit masks and a customisable calendar, to manipulate and test data.
"Dates may be changed for a period of time, to a specified date, or to a particular event in time, such as the first day of the next quarter, as well as having a century value included in an expanded date field."
User benefits of the new tool can be summarised as follows:
- It provides for easy dynamic and direct access to ADABAS data with extensive data and file information and documentation.
- The Adabas data extraction builds a neutral view of the database information, allowing GENADA to process all versions of Adabas data.
- GENADA`s sophisticated and dynamic search capability allows you to search data using defined criteria, including identifying whole and partial data values and data that matches defined masks.
- Parameter-driven rules provide an easy to manage process of ageing data to enhance and automate the testing of data relevant to time, such as the year 2000.
- GENADA uses field edit masks to expand and fill centuries, using modifiable parameters for the correction of non-Year 2000 compliant date fields.
- GENADA, as part of the Software Agproduct set, has been developed specifically to work in a Software AG environment, integrating seamlessly with other products and using existing hardware, software, procedures and skills.
- GENADA provides essential management and visibility of ADABAS data for parameterised and user-definable data selection and extraction, and comparison of data extracts to identify and verify data changes across test executions.
"It can also be used optionally with the complementary products in the GENSET product-set, which includes GENART for Natural re-engineering, to provide the functionality for Natural application code extraction, analysis, resolution and documentation, and GENTEST.
"Alone, GENADA allows you to understand and verify your data and how it is used by applications, and by importing GENADA data into GENART, you are provided with a complete view of how your Natural code and ADABAS data work together.
"In addition, GENTEST utilises GENADA data to scope the test database required to support testing and extend the automatic test scripting. GENADA also enhances the testing and correction of data, by providing data ageing and manipulation functionality.
"The real bonus," says Selmer-Olsen, "is that the easy-to-use reporting facility allows you to review data structures, content and usage over time, including trend analysis data. GENADA offers extensive reporting and cross-reference capabilities, including FDT and FCB information, which help you to understand and manage your ADABAS data."
For further information, e-mail sam@bateleur.co.za or contact (011) 463-5519.
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