Mainframe Modernization

COBOL, Java, Mainframe Modernization

The Amount of COBOL is a Function of History and a Lack of Options

June 10, 2022

Much of the defense of COBOL as a programming language is based on the volume of code that exists today in production. These mission-critical workloads support both government and commercial needs all over the globe. Something used to prop up such critical workloads MUST be valuable, right? Well, the volume of COBOL is more a function of history than an overwhelming acceptance of it as a superior architecture or programming language. It’s not as if

Modernizing COBOL for Maintainability, Automation, and Quality

May 23, 2022

The debate as to whether you should or shouldn’t modernize any portion of your application portfolio is a separate question to the ways to do it correctly. While many people discuss “COBOL modernization,” there is much more involved than simply translating the syntax of COBOL to the syntax of another language. The keys to effectively modernizing COBOL applications must include considerations for maintainability, code quality, and computational precision. Transforming the syntax of COBOL to that

Intelligent Automation: The Modernization Force Multiplier Now Available on YouTube

May 19, 2022

COBOL modernization projects can be high-risk and costly. Especially if applications are modernized using a green-field rewrite approach. These projects can involve small armies of developers deployed for the heavy lifting of code production as they attempt to reduce the risk of extended project duration. Some of these projects are “successful” – often by tweaking the definition of success. The reasons for redefining success are varied. The code produced by the deployed army might be

What’s the Cure for COBOL? Now Available on YouTube

May 1, 2022

Enterprises have long sought the Cure for COBOL, the cure for rising costs, the cure for risks associated with the loss of knowledgeable resources, the rise of technical debt, and loss of understanding the mission-critical business applications and processes. History provides examples of what not to do: • ignoring the problem • thinking Lift and Shift modernization supports innovation attempting to conform Java to COBOL structures • using large teams of coders to manually transform

Driving Balance: COBOL, Mainframes, and The Changing Needs and IT Environments of Modern Organizations

April 15, 2022

It’s clear that the volume and importance of COBOL-based applications remains high. Despite the variety and volume of “stones” thrown by the modern IT intelligentsia at this language and the mainframe platform, these technologies continue to provide valuable solutions that answer the technology demands of many organizations. The reason to address an organization’s existing portfolio of legacy applications isn’t that some enterprise architects – many of whom were trained solely in modern tech stacks –

Java and the zIIP: The 5 Major Benefits

April 13, 2022

In this series of blog posts on the zIIP, we have looked at the various types of specialty processors and the zIIPs place among them, honed in on zIIP usage and eligibility issues and terms and examined the types of processing that can utilize zIIPs. Having digested all of that information, we will turn our attention to Java and take a look at the five most significant benefits it can bring to your environment. Before

The COBOL Situation – So Much Code, So Little Modernization.

April 8, 2022

COBOL, arguably one of the earliest of the 3rd generation programming languages, is still used extensively. In particular, IBM mainframe platforms are still home to a significant number of applications originally developed in this language that continue to power many Fortune 500 companies today. Furthermore, several shrink-wrapped software packages, originally implemented decades ago in COBOL, are still used, e.g., PeopleSoft, emPath, Logo, Lawson ERP, etc. These facts are more a function of history than any

Modern Portals to Quality for Mainframe Transformation

March 25, 2022

Mainframe modernization can feel like a scene from Poltergeist, or any other thriller movie where the protagonist is trapped in an endlessly stretching hallway with a door that keeps receding into the distance. Ask anyone who’s survived a major enterprise upgrade. Transforming thousands of files and COBOL and JCL code into a form that will play nicely with modern Java architecture and cloud computing infrastructure seems to be an endless concern with few offramps. Even

Moving COBOL Workload from the Mainframe to become a “Cloud-Advantaged” Application

February 23, 2022

Migrating mainframe workload to the cloud entails more than simply a recompilation of code or transformation from one programming language to another. Mainframe applications are more than just an implementation of a business function in a particular programming language; the most common of which is COBOL. These applications have dependencies based on the platform’s unique data types and encoding architecture (EBCDIC) and the implementation techniques for batch and transactional workload that were established decades ago

How to Build a COBOL Modernization Factory

February 22, 2022

Modernization of legacy systems can be an essential enabler of any digital transformation effort – or a frustrating roadblock impeding all meaningful progress with digital efforts. For enterprises with hundreds or even thousands of mainframe-based COBOL applications, the modernization challenge can seem insurmountable. Such applications have accumulated over the years, the result of generations of COBOL developers with different backgrounds and skillsets responding to an ever-changing set of requirements. While retiring the lot and starting

Financial Services Firm Accelerates Application Modernization by Automating JUnit Test Case Generation

January 30, 2024

Financial Services Firm Accelerates Application Modernization by Automating JUnit Test Case Generation Automated JUnit Test Case GenerationCase Study Download Case Study Financial Services Firm Accelerates Application Modernization by Automating JUnit Test Case Generation Customer The client is a leading international financial services organization with a strong focus on providing protection and wealth management solutions. Operating […]

Large Credit Card Company Successfully Migrates Two COBOL Applications in Record Time

January 9, 2024

Large Credit Card Company Successfully Migrates Two COBOL Applications in Record Time Credit Card CompanyRenovate Case Study Download Case Study Large Credit Card Company Successfully Migrates Two COBOL Applications in Record Time Business Challenge A tier-1 financial services company confronted a critical modernization challenge with two legacy applications. Extensive batch processing on a mainframe was […]

Fortune 500 Financial Services Firm collaborates with CloudFrame to explore a tool-assisted approach to refactoring

December 13, 2023

Fortune 500 Financial Services Firm collaborates with CloudFrame to explore a tool-assisted approach to refactoring Customer Success Download Case Study The Customer For almost 90 years, this financial services company has been one of the largest banks in the United States and a household name. With over $50B in revenue, over $1T in assets and […]