New cooperation between ELCA and Delta
With the Swiss IT company ELCA Informatik AG, Delta Software Technology GmbH has found a very experienced partner for the efficient and secure realisation of modernisation projects. This enables us to support our Swiss customers even better. The first common project has started already.
ELCA and Delta modernise large applications together.
Independent Swiss IT company ELCA Informatik AG, with offices in Lausanne, Geneva, Bern and Zurich has taken over the modernisation project of a large COBOL application that has been generated with Delta ADS. Delta Software Technology supports the project with its expertise and the tools and technology for COBOL and Delta ADS.
ELCA will use Delta’s tools AMELIO Logic Discovery and ADS on Eclipse for the application analysis. They make it easier to understand the application; the modernization becomes more efficient and secure.
The partnership that started successfully with this project will be extended and has the goal of completing similar projects together.
"We are happy to have found a reliable and fitting Swiss partner in ELCA. With the experience and know-how of ELCA and the use of our tools and technology we are able to support our customers extensively."
Dr. Daniela Schilling, CEO Delta Software Technology
About ELCA Informatik AG
ELCA is, with over 700 highly qualified employees in 7 cities, one of the largest Swiss IT companies in the areas software development, system integration, business consulting and application management.
Thanks to the diversification over all relevant Swiss business areas and a valuable network of technology and industrial partners, ELCA has been able to achieve an above average rate of growth and has an annual turnover above 100 million Swiss francs.
ELCA’s Mission
"We offer our customers a single source for the complete spectrum of IT services including consulting, development, integration and operations. Thereby, we provide truly workable solutions for many different industries.
Thanks to our well-developed network of technology partners, and our ambition to remain independent (stakeholder, technology partner, industries, etc.) we are always able to choose the technical solution that best meets the specific and individual needs of every client."
More information: www.elca.ch/en.
EasiRun Europa GmbH is a provider of products, tools and solutions for the modernisation of applications and software development platforms with focus on COBOL.
Delta and EasiRun have a reliable project driven cooperation since many years to collaboratively solve tasks for our customers. We are pleased to announce that this cooperation will now be intensified and extended. The focus will be on modernisation projects for which we will offer our products and services together.
EasiRun is a specialist for COBOL compilers and thus has an extensive knowledge about compilers and the COBOL programming language. Delta specialises in building tools for COBOL since 1976 and in automating the modernisation of such applications. This knowledge, experience and tools are now brought together and will be even more integrated.
By harmonising our tools and our knowledge we can offer you solutions “all in one piece” and perform modernisations even more efficiently, totally secure and with less costs.
In addition EasiRun becomes provider for our comprehensive analysing tool AMELIO Logic Discovery. By this, you get the possibility to receive all products from one supplier.
EasiRun Europa GmbH
EasiRun is a German-based product, tools and solutions provider for the software modernisation and software development modernisation of legacy applications with an emphasis on COBOL. Since 1994, EasiRun Europa has specialised in application analysis, code conversion and transformation and the integration of legacy COBOL applications into Java and .NET environments.
"In a proof of concept Delta exemplarily analysed selected PL/I applications from LVM with AMELIO Logic Discovery. The analyses were performed automatically, completely, quickly and reliably. Within the restricted timeframe the presented results could only be achieved by using a powerful automatic support."
Peter Nübel, Bereichsleiter Vertragssysteme-II
Over several years LVM developed its business critical core-applications with PL/I. This resulted in large, complex and powerful systems which are customized to the specific needs of the users. They contain a lot of expertise on the internal processes.
During the regular maintenance these applications have to be adapted to new requirements again and again, e.g. due to legislative changes. This can result in significant modifications, restructurings and even architectural changes. At the same time LVM aims to re-implement parts of the application in JAVA.
Modernization projects like this need to overcome particular obstacles: on the one hand in many cases the original developers are not available any longer. Instead, the applications are maintained by their heirs who however do not know the reasons for formerly made implementation decisions. On the other hand the available documentation targets to support the maintenance. But this documentation does not contain the information needed for modernization and re-implementation purposes.
Thus, the only reliable source for information is the source code itself.
But how can the knowledge required for the modernization be transferred or even rediscovered if necessary?
LVM knew that its developers need a tool which reliably analyse the PL/I applications and thereby ensures that the implemented functional range is completely recorded, no special case is left out and the results are presented in a language independent way.
For this reason LVM decided to perform a proof of concept to evaluate the capability of AMELIO Logic Discovery for PL/I.
AMELIO Logic Discovery for PL/I
AMELIO Logic Discovery reliably and efficiently analyses large and complex PL/I applications and helps developers to understand their systems.
AMELIO Logic Discovery for PL/I ...
- ... derives knowledge about the functionality of the application from the implementation details,
- ... separates the application logic from the technical infrastructure,
- ... analyses not only individual objects but also considers the relations between the programs,
- ... works model-oriented and provides the analysis results as language-neutral documentation,
- ... is configurable and can be perfectly tailored to the requirements of a (modernization) project.
For further details have a look at our Flyer "AMELIO Logic Discovery for PL/I".
PoC successfully finished
LVM has chosen some exemplary sources for the PoC. These were analysed by AMELIO Logic Discovery and the results were handed over to LVM.
The developers showed a big interest: during the three month duration of the study they lively discussed the results within the LVM internal forum. Feedback was given especially from those developers who have to re-implement parts of the PL/I application in JAVA.
During the PoC LVM was also able to gain a positive image of the cooperation with Delta. Enhancement requests of participating developers were accepted and implemented partially even during the PoC.
In a concluding workshop the PoC results were discussed. All participants have a positive view of the PoC. LVM plans to use AMELIO Logic Discovery in projects which aim at re-writing parts of the application in JAVA.
"The analysis results provided by AMELIO Logic Discovery and their presentation, even the complex ones, are noteworthy."
Klaus Schulze, System Architect
The LVM Versicherung (LVM insurance) in Münster, Germany, has developed its business-critical applications in PL/I and was looking for a solution for deep source code analyses to support the further maintenance and modernization.
On the basis of exemplary applications from LVM, we have presented the goals and concepts of AMELIO Logic Discovery. The analyses shown and their presentation have convinced LVM. That is why LVM has now decided to evaluate the functionality and performance of AMELIO Logic Discovery even more detailed as part of a Proof of Concept.
Convice yourself
Do you also have business-critical core applications in PL/I and are you looking for a way to analyse them fully automated and reliable? Please get in touch with us. We would be pleased to demonstrate the capabilities of AMELIO Logic Discovery on the basis of your examples.
“Searching for a tool that analyses our PL/I applications fully automated, completely, quick and reliable, we found Delta and AMELIO. In particular the quality and depth of the analyses and the high level of PL/I competence of Delta have convinced us.”
Peter Nübel, division manager contract systems II, LVM Versicherung
Many enterprises have developed their business-critical core applications in PL/I. Such systems have grown over years – or even decades – and have been further developed and adapted to new requirements. Naturally, they became larger and more complex and presumably include a lot of dead code. Their present architecture doesn’t comply with the originally intended architecture. Often the original programmers are not available anymore and the maintenance has been carried out by a number of different developers.
To efficiently and securely solve such tasks, it is indispensable to understand the functionality of each application and how the programs interact with each other.
Normally, existing documentations describe how specific calculations are executed but they don’t describe what the application does and what special situations must be considered. The original developers cannot be asked anymore. As a result, the only reliable source of information is the source code itself.
But how can you reliably extract the relevant information from the code?
AMELIO Logic Discovery for PL/I
AMELIO Logic Discovery reliably and efficiently analyses large and complex PL/I applications and helps developers to understand their systems.
AMELIO Logic Discovery for PL/I ...
- ... derives knowledge about the functionality of the application from the implementation details,
- ... separates the application logic from the technical infrastructure,
- ... analyses not only selectively but also considers the relations between the programs,
- ... works model-oriented and provides the analysis results as language-neutral documentation,
- ... is configurable and can be perfectly tailored to the requirements of a (modernization) project.
For further details have a look at our Flyer "AMELIO Logic Discovery for PL/I".
The LVM Versicherung (LVM insurance) in Münster, Germany, has developed its business-critical applications in PL/I and was looking for a solution for deep source code analyses to support the further maintenance and modernization.
On the basis of exemplary applications from LVM, we have presented the goals and concepts of AMELIO Logic Discovery. The shown analyses and their presentation have convinced LVM. That is why LVM has now decided to evaluate the functionality and performance of AMELIO Logic Discovery even more detailed as part of a Proof of Concept.
Convince Yourself
Do you also have business-critical core applications in PL/I and are you looking for a way to analyse them fully automated and reliable? Please get in touch with us. We would be pleased to demonstrate the performance of AMELIO Logic Discovery on the basis of your examples.
CGI Germany selects Delta Software Technology as partner for the modernization project at BSQ Bauspar AG
BSQ Bauspar AG plans to migrate its core application package. The project includes also the migration of the complete infrastructure. Particular attention will be paid to the transformation of the database management system IMS/DB to a relational database management system. CGI Germany was chosen as general contractor for this modernization project. Delta will provide the technology for the automated migration.
CGI Germany has been supporting this application package as part of an application management project for about 15 years. For BSQ Bauspar AG it was therefore obvious to ask the GCI IT Modernization Experts as well as their partner Delta Software Technology to propose a modernization solution and rehosting offer for the application package.
Requirements for the migration
The application package organizes BSQs administration processes and is currently operated under IBM z /OS. In order to reduce the operating and maintenance costs BSQ intends to migrate the package of IBM z/OS to a modern and more cost-effective platform. In the process the IMS/DB database will also be replaced by a relational database.
An IMS-emulation or a similar solution is no option for BSQ, because it neither reduces the operating nor maintenance costs. Instead a real SQL solution, using Microsoft SQL Server, will be implemented.
BSQ demands a high quality solution, the test effort must be kept as low as possible and a short project duration must be guaranteed as well. In order to also meet these non-functional requirements, CGI decided to carry out the replacement of IMS/DB and the code changes necessary for the rehosting in a fully automated way. The tools needed for this are provided and operated by Delta.
„The large application adaptations required will be made automatically. This is the only way to ensure a consistently high quality so that the cost of the testing effort can be reduced. For this purpose, Delta Software Technology will provide a customized migration factory with its AMELIO Modernization Platform. This concept has already proven itself in the completed proof of concept."
Carsten Thummes, Head of Center of Excellence IT Modernization Germany, CGI Deutschland Ltd. & Co. KG
The automatic way with AMELIO Modernization Platform
The rehosting and the change of the database management system require the analysis of over 6 million lines of the COBOL Code (program and copybooks) and a yet unknown number of necessary changes. A manual transformation of this size would be both time-consuming and error-prone. Therefore, Delta will use its AMELIO Modernization Platform to create a tailor-made migration factory. This factory will analyze and transform the sources automatically and rule-based.
For the rehosting following transformations are necessary:
- changing of EBCDIC - character encoding to ASCII
- changing IMS/DB, DB2 and VSAM to Microsoft SQL Server
Special focus lies on the conversion of the IMS/DB database, because the change from a hierarchical to a relational database is a paradigm shift. A simple one-to-one replacement of IMS statements by SQL statements is not possible. Instead, a multi-level, automated method will be performed.
Creating a new data model
In order to accomplish the paradigm shift, the data model must be changed. For this purpose the AMELIO Modernization Platform extracts the current data model from the IMS/DB database definition. Out of this, a proposal for the new model is derived. This proposal will be finalized by CGI experts with their specialized knowledge and according to the future requirements to the model.
Defining transformation rules
Based on the new data model and the automatically analyzed information about the use of the existing data model, rules will be defined for the transformation from old to new.
For the transformation rules too, a proposal will be produced which can be customized and extended by CGI.
The Transformation
The migration factory receives the previously created analysis and transformation rules as input. Thereby the application can be fully automatically transformed based on this set of rules.
In order to separate application logic and database accesses IMS/DB accesses will not be replaced in-place. Instead, the SQL accesses will be outsourced in automatically generated data services.
For the transformation the entire application package will be analyzed. The IMS accesses will be replaced by corresponding new data service calls or functions and error handling will be adjusted. All IMS/DB statements contained in the code will be removed.
In this step also additional rehosting–transformations will automatically be carried out on the basis of the required or defined replacement of EBCDIC by ASCII and of DB2 and VSAM by Microsoft SQL Server.
What are the characteristics of the migration solution for BSQ?
The essential characteristic of the migration factory provided by Delta for the migration project is the fully automated implementation of mass changes. The consistently rule-based approach prevents manual intervention, thereby always delivers predictable, reproducible and traceable results.
Further qualities:
- No „One Size Fits All“ solution
Instead of a standard solution Delta provides a migration factory exactly tailored to the needs of BSQ. In this way, requirements and expertise of both CGI and BSQ are being incorporated into the data model and into the code for the access of the relational database. - No footprint – no vendor lock-in
On the target platform no modules for an IMS/ DB emulation or other components coming from Delta or other suppliers will be required. The transformed COBOL-modules are clean SQL-programs and copybooks. The generated code will need no tools from Delta for further development and maintenance, because the generated COBOL – code is readable and easy to maintain.
- Parallel development and extension during the migration
Due to the rule-based approach, the results are reproducible at any time. Therefore the BSQ application can be extended and maintained, while the factory is configured or even while the factory is productive. Already performed transformations can be repeated if the sources have been changed in the meantime. Thus the freeze-times can be reduced to an absolute minimum. - Reduced test effort
The reproducibility of the solution also has a significant impact on the test effort. If the use of a transformation rule once leads to a correct result, this will also apply to any other application of the rule. This approach has proved successful in previous migration projects.
Using AMELIO Modernization Platform by BSQ Bauspar AG and CGI Deutschland means that the application will be transformed reliably and at a constant high quality. Although more than 6 million lines of Code need to be analyzed and possibly adjusted, the tight timescale can be achieved due to the automation.
Project start
In January 2015 the Proof of Concept for the rehosting project that had been ordered by BSQ Bauspar AG was started under the direction of CGI Germany in cooperation Delta Software Technology. It was successfully completed at the end of February. The pre-set goals were achieved: It was demonstrated that the application package of the BSQ Bauspar AG with the entire infrastructure can be migrated to the new platform Microsoft Windows and that the necessary program adjustments (especially the replacement of the IMS/DB database management by Microsoft SQL Server) can be conducted by a fully automated migration factory.
Would you like to know more about the migration project or do you plan a modernization or refactoring project? Would you like to migrate an application package to a new platform? Are you interested in the automation of mass changes? We would like to show you which possibilities are available for you with the AMELIO Modernization Platform. We are looking forward to your request: Delta and CGI.
An article in our newsletter of november 2014 also dealt with the subject "replacement of IMS database".
CGI is the world's fifth largest independent provider of IT- and business process services with 68.000 employees at 400 locations worldwide, including 2.300 in Germany.
CGI Germany Ltd. & Co. KG and Delta Software Technology cooperate in modernization- and outsourcing projects.
For the CGI projects Delta delivers its tools for application analyses (AMELIO Logic Discovery) and fully automated transformations (AMELIO Modernization Platform).
Download Language: Englisch - Version: MT21081.01
CGI Germany selects Delta Software Technology as partner for the modernization project at BSQ Bauspar AG.
BSQ Bauspar AG plans to migrate its core application package. The project includes also the migration of the complete infrastructure. Particular attention will be paid to the transformation of the database management system IMS/DB to a relational database management system. CGI Germany was chosen as general contractor for this modernization project. Delta will provide the
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Steel is one of the most important materials. Due to its properties many application areas – from the architecture to the automobile manufacturing – are not imaginable without steel. It is versatile and cost-effective. Steel is the key material for mastering the challenges in the energy sector. These are the very same properties the large German steel company Hüttenwerke Krupp Mannesmann (HKM) expects from its IT applications: stable, reliable, adaptable, cost-effective, a key for the business change.
That is why HKM relies on the generative development tools from Delta Software Technology for the development and maintenance of their IT applications for more than 30 years. Now, HKM accomplished a modernization project to make their applications fit for the future in the service and object-oriented world.
“One of the key reasons we have selected SCORE is that we can make
our mission-critical applications available as services that we can quickly and
easily reuse – without any extra effort – in other contexts, for example
in a service-oriented architecture, Enterprise Portals and the like.”
Gerhard Batiajew, CIO, HKM
From data-oriented Servers to application-specific Data Services
The main steel production processes are controlled and managed by the application system “Stahlwerk Online” (“Online Steelworks”). For storing the production data of “Online Steelworks” HKM uses Informix databases on Fujitsu PRIMEPOWER servers under Solaris. For the development of the data access servers HKM uses SCORE Data Architecture Integration from Delta Software Technology.
SCORE Data Architecture Integration is a generative tool to quickly and easily provide data from the most different sources as real business services within service-oriented or any other application architectures. The developer declares the access structure in models – so-called composition models. From this declaration, the tool generates the entire access code in COBOL– completely and automatically.
The client applications have been developed with the software development system Delta ADS in a Microsoft Windows environment and were also 100% generated – for the productive use in a runtime environment under openUTM COBOL.
SCORE as well as ADS enable the developers to develop the software on a neutral, platform-independent level – without worrying about the technical details. The implementation for the target environment is generated automatically. If one or even more components of the target environment are changed (operating system, database, transaction monitor), the required adaptations in the applications can be automatically implemented by simple re-generation.
To continually ensure flexibility, maintainability and future sustainability, the data access layer of these applications have now been modernized – in multiple ways:
- Until now, HKM has worked with servers based on the tables’ definitions, i.e. purely data-oriented servers. As a result, the clients were offered more functionality than they required or were allowed to use in their respective context. Furthermore, this resulted in unnecessary dependencies between client and server side which made the maintenance more difficult. That is why HKM decided to change over to application-specific data access modules – a child’s play with SCORE Data Architecture Integration. The accesses have been defined on model-level by using the Composition Manager. Afterwards, the new data servers have simply been generated. The clients now have data services exactly tailored to their needs. Changes and extensions can now be implemented quickly and securely without any undesirable side effects.
- At the same time, HKM took advantage from the upgrade to the latest release of SCORE Data Architecture Integration to implement the existing models not only platform-neutral but also 100% language-independent. Still existing fragments of native COBOL code have been mapped on features of SCORE Data Architecture Integration and are now generated automatically as well.
IT Applications ready for the Future
With this successfully concluded project HKM has increased the maintainability and flexibility of the existing systems. Furthermore, HKM has now made the prerequisite for several possible subsequent steps:
With SCORE Adaptive Bridges the bridge to JAVA now can be built. Adapters and class libraries can be generated directly from the existing models at the push of a button – without having to modify them. New OO applications (e.g. in JAVA) can thereby use the existing (COBOL) servers as real services like components of their own architecture.
Furthermore, from the existing models which are now not only platform independent but also language independent JAVA servers can be generated as well as COBOL servers – real object-oriented code that corresponds to the full extent of the JAVA standards. A “quantum leap” that would not have been possible without SCORE Data Architecture Integration.
Development tools for the change of the IT applications
HKM regularly evaluates its IT technologies. The generative development tools from Delta Software Technology enable the application development teams to modernize their business-critical systems in an easy and risk-free way.
HKM’s IT thereby has the capabilities they also provide for their steel products: Stable, reliable, adaptable, cost-effective, a key for the business change.
“The generative development tools from Delta Software Technology enable us
to modernise our applications easily and risk-free and to
quickly realize cost-oriented decisions.”
Gerhard Batiajew, CIO, HKM
About Hüttenwerke Krupp Mannesmann
The leading German steel producer Hüttenwerke Krupp Mannesmann (HKM) produces over 5 million tons of steel every year with more than 3,000 employees. Every eighth ton of the crude steel produced in Germany is manufactured in Duisburg. The range of delivery and services of HKM comprises more than 1,000 different high-quality sorts of steel that even fulfil the strictest quality specifications.
Automate the Development of Your Data Layers
Generative tools help our customers to quickly and securely benefit from the latest technological development for their applications. Discuss with us your requirements and the possibilities for your individual IT applications. Please contact us now.