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Legacy Modernization

Alchemy Solutions modernizes legacy mainframe COBOL applications by bringing them to the .NET Framework, uniquely positioning the migrated applications to take advantage of technology in the target platform. In order to accomplish this, a priority in our tool design is that the migrated applications should integrate well with the .NET environment. In some places we can do this by innovative designs in our products, so no change is required in the migrated sources, in other places we massage or transform the code during the migration step so that it fits in to .NET’s modern technology model.

Highlights: 

All the major features of migration plus:

  • COBOL code brought to the .NET environment, able to mix and match with other .NET languages, classes, and objects.
  • CICS BMS character screens become ASP.NET web pages.
  • CICS applications gain .NET/IIS  scalability – economic, fast, flexible.
  • JCL jobs gain a highly usable GUI job manager, can execute programs written in .NET languages like C#, can invoke the latest technologies available on Windows and can be converted to JScript to move fully into the Windows world.
  • SORT statements are executed with one of the world’s fastest sort engines.
  • VSAM data is brought to SQL Server with NO COBOL CODE CHANGES, opening it up to rich ad-hoc reporting and business intelligence analyses. If required, continue to share VSAM files with mainframe applications by leaving VSAM on the mainframe and access using NeoData zLink.
  • Interoperability opportunities multiply
  • Programmers use the best of development environments – Visual Studio + Team System - building whole projects with one click and gaining new insight into their programs with the highly visual and functional tools
Benefits: 

All the cost-saving, MIPS-releasing benefits of migration plus:

  • Migrated applications have a bright new future – they are not constrained by their past mainframe/character-based boundaries.
  • Applications can be enhanced using your language of choice – COBOL for some, C# or Visual Basic for others.
  • Data used by COBOL applications is accessible by other tools and applications.
  • New Web services can quickly be provided from existing code and transactions
  • Computing power is easily adjusted to meet growing or shrinking needs – without sucking your budget dry.
  • Your greater agility and improved ability to use new technologies opens up new business opportunities.
  • Programmers’ use of Visual Studio greatly enhances their productivity and ability to interact with other developers in the Windows/Web world.