TransportTM  Runtime
Fast, accurate COBOL migration from HP MPE/iX to UNIX, Linux and Microsoft Windows

· MPE/iX application functionality
· RDBMS use with SQL or TurboIMAGE compatible access
· MPE Shell,  Batch Job and Spooling


· Accurate VPlus screen emulation
· Fast, non-proprietary, and easy-to-use

Solution Components

COBOL

↔

COBOL/JAVA

IMAGE

↔

RDBMS

VPLUS

↔

Driver Files

KSAM

↔

RDBMS/C-ISAM/D-ISAM

MPE Message Files ↔ RDBMS Queuing /ActiveMQ

INTRINSICS

↔

Transport Libraries

FLAT FILES

↔

Transport Libraries

MPE Shell

↔

Transport Command

SPOOLER

↔

Transport MPESpool

BATCH JOBS

↔

Transport Batchjob

Transport Runtime   
The TRANSPORT Runtime Environment provides a virtual HP 3000 within the context of another operating system such as UNIX or Windows. For example, when TRANSPORT is run on Linux or UNIX, MPE-like features are superimposed on the native file system and API calls. Figure 1 provides an overview of the TRANSPORT runtime environment. The diagram illustrates the fact that the TRANSPORT runtime consists of a number of UNIX applications and libraries. What it does not illustrate is that the TRANSPORT runtime file system actually consists of extra files and directories superimposed over the normal UNIX file system.
 


The TRANSPORT libraries provide the MPE intrinsic libraries so that programs ported from MPE can behave as they do on MPE. The extra files and directories provided by the application give the information these intrinsic libraries need to maintain the MPE environment within UNIX. For example, consider the MPE feature known as Job Control Words (JCWs). JCWs are a type of predefined variable, specifically a subset of session-level variables. UNIX does not provide JCWs natively. Yet TRANSPORT provides a JCW capibility by storing the JCW information within an MPE-like ACCOUNT/GROUP directory hierarachy superimposed onto the UNIX file system.
 
Transport Runtime Key Components
As discussed above, the TRANSPORT runtime environment provides a virtual HP 3000 within the context of another operating system such as UNIX or Windows. This section provides a more detailed view of the elements that make TRANSPORT work as a substitute environment for MPE at runtime, including the following:
  • Environment variables
  • File structure
  • Daemons
  • Shell
  • Database layer

The TRANSPORT runtime component, sometimes called TRANSPORT-RT, is available on the UNIX, Linux, and Windows platforms. TRANSPORT includes the following components:

  •  MPE shell, which provides an MPE-like environment on the target platform.
  •  Intrinsic mapping, which is done via linking libraries provided by TRANSPORT. The intrinsics are also used by the system utilities and the file system interface.
  •  Batch job handling, which uses the native job scheduler, either cron on UNIX or the Windows task scheduler on Windows.
  •  Print spooling, which is done natively on the target platform. Both batch and print operations may be customized by the developers.
  •  A database mapping layer.
  •  An MPE file system mapping layer.

 

 
Typical Simple Migration
One of the most difficult aspects of the code that must be migrated is the functionality contained in the JCL and command files. This code, which includes third party products such as Suprtool, includes various proprietary languages and features written specifically for the HP 3000 environment. To operate the logic and features depend on an MPE environment. .
 
Transformix Computer Corporation provides an MPE/iX JCL emulation product with a supporting MPE emulation runtime environment called Transport. The TRANSPORT Runtime Environment provides a virtual HP 3000 server environment within the context of another operating system such as UNIX or Windows. For example, when TRANSPORT is run on Linux or UNIX servers, MPE-like features are superimposed on the native file system and API calls. Transport is usually used in conjunction with an RDBMS such as Oracle. In order to reduce the effort in migrating programs from the HP 3000 that access the TurboIMAGE layer Transport provides a TurboIMAGE emulation layer that serves as an API to the RDBMS. This emulation layer coexists with the ability to perform native Oracle SQL access. Therefore, developers can choose their method of database access and use tools built for SQL access concurrently with programs developed for TurboIMAGE access.

 

A typical third-party product with pervasive use at customer sites is Suprtool. Transformix Computer Corporation provides functional replacements for a set of unique and proprietary MPE languages; Suprtool is included in these offerings. This example uses Suprtool.

The document focuses on a solution for the replacement of custom scripts including JCL, UDC’s, Command Files and related products. It is not intended to handle all HP 3000 migration issues, but it provides for solutions to provide MPE compatible facilities that address:

  •  Batch Jobs —for implementing batch portions of customer applications on the recommended target platforms.

  •  MPE Commands — it will also present some alternatives for porting the portions of your applications that use MPE commands, either programmatically, from CI or from a colon prompt.

  •  Utilities — it will explore some of the various utilities used on the HP 3000, and present Transformix provided corresponding utilities on the target platforms.

  •  Third-party Products — it will explore some of the third-party products use inside of JCL on the HP 3000, and Transformix provided corresponding tools on the target platforms

The example solution addresses all of the Functional Requirements for a typical customer who uses COBOL, SPL and Suprtool. Through Transport’s innovative technology we can provide a low cost comprehensive migration solution that can be implemented in a shorter time compared to traditional and more costly migration proposals..

 
Typical Solution Components
Description Comments Product
MPE Shell Standard Transport
Specific Shell Features (IF FINFO, JCW, etc.) Standard Transport
JCL Standard Transport
UDC’s and Command Files Standard Transport
Utilities    
• FCOPY Standard Transport
• SORT-MERGE Standard Transport
• FTP Extra Transformix Tools
• Edit Standard Transport
Key Third-Party Products    
• MAILNM Extra Transformix Tools
• Suprtool Extra Transformix Tools
• VESOFT Menu Extra Transformix Tools
Batchjob Processor Standard Transport
Spooler Standard Transport
Job Scheduler Implements the SLS job scheduler that is used by Customer Transformix Tools
Migration tools Provide migration tools for COBOL and JCL stragglers Transformix Tools
 
The proposed solution is designed to make such a migration as painless as possible by allowing the bulk of the JCL and related code to be migrated largely as is.