COBOL IMS-DC program replacement will take on various forms depending upon the current use of IMS-DC services.

Conversion Components

The Automated Conversion Technology, DB-ShuttleTM, converts all IMS-DC component types.

• IMS-DC programs
• Dataset copybooks
• IMS Database Access Calls
• MFS
• Scratch Pad Areas (SPA)
• IMS-DC printing

Architecture

All IMS-DC COBOL conversions maintain the general architecture of the former COBOL programs. No changes to the program structure are introduced during the conversion. However, changes are made during the migration to introduce some layering aspects that provide flexibility for future processing:

• Business Layer
  The converted program logic flow uses the same architecture as the former IMS-DC program
• Presentation Layer
  The presentation layer processing may be placed into a separate layer
• Map Edit Layer
  Map editing and formatting functions that were formerly handled within MFS itself are converted to a separate map edit layer program
• Database IO Layer
  Performs SQL database access and updates

Manual IMS-DC COBOL conversion or re-write has presented fewer obstacles than conversions which require re-architecting of the presentation and business processes. The automated DB-Shuttle conversion preserves the program flow of the IMS-DC COBOL programs while converting the database calls, the map processing, and (possibly) the language itself.

Database Options

Former IMS database access is converted to process against the relational database of choice:

• IBM's DB2 (or UDB) on the mainframe
• IBM's UDB on Windows
• IBM's UDB on Solaris
• Oracle on the mainframe
• Oracle on Windows
• Oracle on Solaris
• SQL Server on Windows

Language Options

Several DB-Shuttle options are available for IMS-DC replacement:

• Mainframe COBOL CICS with BMS maps
• Windows COBOL .NET using ASP.NET
• Windows C# .NET using ASP.NET
• Windows Visual Basic .NET using ASP.NET
• Sun Mainframe Rehosting Environment