Units of work that run on the mainframe, at least those running on z/OS, are dispatched using two different types of control blocks: TCBs (Task Control Blocks) and SRBs (Service Request Blocks). It can be beneficial to understand these two types of control blocks, including how they are used, the differences between the two, and […]
Cost is the primary driver for shifting COBOL compute to less expensive platforms. But once organizations decide that they are going to use shifting COBOL compute they discover there are other benefits to this modernization method. These benefits are realized in three areas: impact, risk, and momentum. Financial Impact The immediate benefit of shifting COBOL […]
The title of today’s post is a question that I get asked all the time. Sometimes by users who are interested in trying to curtail mainframe costs. Sometimes by vendors looking for a way to promote their products that help to reduce costs. While both are well-meaning, this is a question I never answer. Because […]
Shifting COBOL compute to less expensive platforms is a great first step on many organizations’ application modernization journey. There are multiple reasons an organization might want to begin with shifting COBOL compute, including low risk, the straightforward nature of the approach, and the potential for extraordinary ROI. NOTE: Cross-compiling COBOL programs into Java byte code […]
Whenever somebody talks about software pricing on the mainframe or tuning to save on their monthly mainframe bill, I always wonder just exactly what they are talking about. Are they aware of all their company’s licensing agreements and all the intricacies therein? Before we move on, let me just state that the mainframe still makes […]
Mobile computing has had a seismic impact on IT and modern computing architecture… and will continue into the foreseeable future. Mobile devices – smartphones and tablets – have overtaken traditional computing devices, such as desktop and laptop computers, in terms of how we interact with service providers and retailers. And this transition is even more […]
In an earlier post, we discussed changes in the technology landscape that should be understood when evaluating an organization’s modernization plans. Another essential reality of the current IT market must be considered as part of a company’s modernization strategy: staffing and skills. For many organizations, staffing changes are driven by the inevitable march towards the […]
How do we rate the capacity of IBM System Z mainframe hardware? Well, these days, IBM publishes the capacity rating of every mainframe that they sell in MSUs, not MIPS. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. When people discuss mainframe capacity, they often talk in terms of MIPS. But what does MIPS mean? And […]
Despite being labeled as legacy, mainframes (specifically the COBOL programming language) remain a critical part of the ecosystem for many businesses, organizations, and governmental groups. This staying power, however, is less a herald of the value of COBOL and more about the complicating factors involved in modernizing these stable workhorse applications. CloudFrame engaged Dale Vecchio […]
COBOL and mainframe usage remain high and are cornerstones of operations for thousands of businesses, organizations, and government agencies. Still, there is a need to modernize and manage mainframe costs without pulling knowledgeable resources from important work. For those organizations with COBOL applications considering using Microsoft Azure or already using the cloud platform, CloudFrame has […]
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