Seminar Abstract

Mainframe to UNIX: Conversion Experiences

Many corporations have chosen to more applications from large mainframes onto smaller UNIX systems. Some have taken this as a strategic direction ("get rid of the mainframe") while others are using it to save costs ("don't buy so much more mainframe horsepower").

This seminar is based on personal experiences in converting applications from the mainframe to UNIX systems.

Hardware, operating environments, development environments, management, and staffing considerations will be discussed.

Topics to be covered include:

• Conversion Performed
  • Original Environment
    • Hardware
    • Databases and Languages
    • Operating Systems and Environment
  • New Environment
    • Hardware
    • Databases and Languages
    • Operating Systems and Environment
  • Infrastructure
  • Data Transfer
  • Data Conversion
  • Code Conversion
  • JCL to shell script conversion
• Lessons Learned
  • Dealing with Auditors
  • Stakeholders coming out of the woodwork
  • Infrastructure Issues and Problems
  • Hardware sizing and growth
• Tools
  • Database/data access
  • Language
  • Scheduling
  • Utilities
• Other Ways of Doing it
  • Re-technology, not just re-platform
  • Rewrite/Re-engineer, not just re-using old code
• Staffing issues
  • Existing Staff
  • Re-engineering the workforce
  • Training
  • Using Consultants

The goal of this seminar is to allow the attendee to learn from the conversion mistakes made by others!

Prerequisites of Attendees:

Attendees should be familiar with their corporate information technology environments - current and planned future. An understanding of the underlying technologies is very useful.

Focus:

Primarily technical in nature with management issues also covered. Intermediate/Advanced.