Although leveraging legacy systems is a critical enterprise requirement, the efforts to evolve legacy systems to meet the needs of today`s business climate range from relatively simple to extremely complex.
Enterprises also need to consider the added value that the alternatives offer, says Sharon Currin, account manager at Compuware SA.
"Screen scraping to present mainframe data on client/server or Web presentation layers does not add value to the business. Code transformation is difficult and prone to error while developing new applications in Cobol, or converting development efforts to new technologies such as Java, will not be successful due to the substantial architectural, conceptual and cultural mismatch between technologies.
"Enterprises have to therefore examine their alternatives carefully," maintains Currin. Compuware`s Xpediter is one proven alternative, enabling the reuse of the 390 operating system back end architecture because it is technology and infrastructure independent. Reusing legacy systems consistently is a strength that Xpediter offers enterprise customers.
It easily integrates platforms such as NT, Unix, AS/400, VMS and OS/390; database systems such as MS SQL Server, Oracle, Sybase, DB2, IMS/DB, VSAM and ADABAS; and legacy applications running in CICS or IMS/TM.
"Integrating all these technologies typically requires multi-vendor solutions and a wide skills set. Compuware offers Xpediter, coupled to a Rapid Application Development environment such as UNIFACE, together with professional assistance to help organisations tackle these difficulties."
Currin says integrating legacy data and applications is straightforward with little or no code changes and CICS and/or IMS applications can be used as components in new and enriched Web applications.
"We understand that customers cannot renew legacy applications in one go. They are renewed step-by-step to meet business change and to serve the business in traditional ways as well as address new Web-based applications.
"It`s important to note that there are a lack of skills available to support and further develop applications written in the legacy era, which is why professional assistance and solutions such as Xpediter are so critical.
"Enterprises need to avoid extensive changes to legacy applications as much as possible because traditionally these are business-critical applications that have evolved over a long period of time.
"Xpediter and UNIFACE, with their legacy renewal capabilities, target these types of organisations because, in many cases, legacy components don`t need to be changed but simply reused. But if changes are needed, they can be done component-by-component," says Currin.
Share
With fiscal 2000 revenues of more than $2.2 billion, Compuware is a world leader in the practical implementation of enterprise and e-commerce solutions. Compuware software products and professional services help 14 000 of the world`s largest corporations more efficiently maintain and enhance their most critical business applications.
Compuware products and services improve quality, lower costs and increase the speed at which systems can be developed, implemented and supported, providing an immediate and measurable return on information technology investments. Compuware employs more than 15 000 information technology professionals worldwide.
For more information about Compuware, please contact the corporate offices at 800-521-9353. You may also visit Compuware on the World Wide Web at http://www.compuware.com.
Editorial contacts