Transformix - Solutions-in-a-Box

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...Technical Solutions

Migrating Suprtool

SuprtoolSQL for native SQL access to RDBMS’s .

Suprtool Overview

Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL) in database usage and especially in data warehousing involves:
  • extracting data from outside sources;
  • transforming it to fit operational needs (which can include quality levels); and ultimately
  • loading it into the end target (database or data warehouse)
  •
Robelle’s Suprtool is an ETL tool that is proprietary to the MPE/iX and HP-UX platforms and the TurboIMAGE and Eloquence databases. It also supports Oracle and Allbase on HP-UX.

Overtons makes extensive use of Suprtool in its’ Ecometry surround code. Overtons is migrating its’ Ecometry application to Windows, and there is no Suprtool product available from Robelle on Windows.

SuprtoolSQL™ – Robelle Suprtool™ replacement for non-MPE Platforms

SuprtoolSQL™ is a Robelle SUPRTOOL™ replacement product that works with SunGard Bi-tech Transport. Robelle Suprtool only runs on MPE/iX and HP-UX. This presents an obstacle for the many Suprtool users who want to migrate to some other platform such as Linux, Microsoft Windows, AIX, Solaris, etc. SuprtoolSQL™ is a solution that resolves this migration obstacle.

Commands

SuprtoolSQL™ currently has most of the equivalent commands as Suprtool for MPE and the list of command continues to grow. Suprtool is used within many MPE job streams on HP 3000’s. In order to provide a comprehensive replacement for Suprtool™ scripts, what is needed are replacements for MPE specific features including:
  • MPE JCL statements.
  • MPE Intrinsics
  • TurboIMAGE database
  • KSAM file types
  • MPE flat files
  • MPE Message files

Transport – a portable MPE-like Enviroment

Transformix is the distributor for SunGard Bi-tech Transport. Transport provides the missing functionality to enable SuprtoolSQL™ to replace Suprtool™ and related products on most UNIX’s, Linux, Microsoft Windows and the IBM iSeries. The obvious advantage of using SuprtoolSQL™ with Transport is that most of the SUPRTOOL™ code or intrinsics found in MPE/iX application environments can remain untouched and continue to rely on MPE concepts and access MPE files on the target platform. Minimal code changes reduces the risk of a migration, facilitates quicker start-up time, increased productivity and significant cost savings!

SuprtoolSQL™ is written using Java and is therefore platform independent. It also generates SQL statements to access the RDBM, and a planned feature of SuprtoolSQL™ is to be able to translate the SUPRTOOL™ script into a SuprtoolSQL™ script which will contain the generated SQL. This will allow users (if they choose) to edit the SQL and access the data with greater power and flexibility than currently allowed by SUPRTOOL™ scripts

The Solution

In order to migrate, a SUPRTOOL™ customer requires two components installed: Transport for the target platform and SuprtoolSQL™. Transport is known to provide a relatively easy migration path for 3GL applications and SuprtoolSQL™ can be used as the replacement for SUPRTOOL™ on other platforms that will support the existing SUPRTOOL™ code.

Providing MPE functionality on non-MPE platforms

SunGard Bi-tech Transport allows migrated applications to retain MPE functionality on non-MPE platforms. Section 5.2.2 provides additional details about this. Transport is supplemented by tools from Transformix Computer Corporation and its partners that include replacement for other HP third party tools (MPEX, HP Query, FTP, SMTPAPI, Omnidex, etc.), customer language translators (BRW, DataNOW, BASIC, Transact, etc.). Since most of the application code, MPE commands and MPE file types does not need to be modified to be usable on other platforms, this reduces the time and cost of migrations.

JCL migration: Support and Retain MPE and SUPRTOOL code

MPE scripts containing a mixture of SUPRTOOL™ commands and MPE commands such as JCL batch jobs, command files, etc. can remain untouched on the target platform. Additionally, SuprtoolSQL™ can use any of the MPE commands supported by Transport. This is possible because SuprtoolSQL™ simply calls Transport’s HPCICOMMAND intrinsic in the case where the command is not a Suprtool command and/or it is preceded by a colon.

SuprtoolSQL™ also knows when it is being run from inside Transport’s MPE shell (mpe) for various internal reasons and startup command processing. As such, MPE concepts like file equations, session variables can remain in the code and continue to be used in a SUPRTOOL™ environment.

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