1 itemfield - automating complex cobol integration next-generation data transformation rami hadadi...

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Itemfield -

Automating Complex COBOL Integration

Next-Generation Data Transformation

Rami Hadadi

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

NEXT-GENERATION DATA TRANSFORMATION

Itemfield Overview

Leader in complex data transformation– Complex data is everywhere; not well supported– Itemfield specifically designed for transformation of all complex data

Itemfield delivers– 80% faster development ; dramatically reduced TCO– Typically 300%+ ROI on first project– Create once, reuse anywhere. Embeddable runtime plugs – Reduced cost, competitive advantage– Customer satisfaction

Company Profile– 100+ customers (7 Fortune 50)– Privately held (top tier venture investors)– HQ and operations in US; R&D in Israel – Top tier partners, representing a majority of middleware installed WW


COBOL Transformation Challenges

Import COBOL Technology

Specification Driven Transformation approach

COBOL Building-Blocks Support

Summary

Itemfield COBOL Offering



Legacy Modernization - exposing COBOL data from Legacy applications to SOA architecture, XML based standards and new applications.

COBOL Definition - Copybooks define a dynamic and unique structure of a COBOL message, each message looks different…

COBOL Building Blocks/Characteristics:– Data Types (Binary, Packed, Signed etc).– Occurs/Occurs depending on– Redefines– Fillers– Parent-Child copybooks– white spaces






Summary



Import COBOL Copybook Technology

Creating new transformation based on the Cobol definition


Import COBOL Copybook Technology

Input CopybookGenerated Transformation Generated XSD






Summary



Data Types


Data Types

Data Types defines the elements format type and representation

Itemfield handles the level number, and the entire data definition: Element name, PIC clause and data type.

Data types are handled by dedicated transformers. Example:

05 NEGATIVE_PACKED PIC S9(1)V999 COMP-3.


Occurs / Occurs Depending on

Occurs/Occurs Depending on – defines a repeating structure, iteration number can be dynamically defined

Itemfield translates the Occurs clause into a RepeatingGroup. The number of max occurrences is displayed in the generated XSD

and effects the number of iteration performed.


Redefines

Redefines express several options for element structure, the executed option will be determined in run-time.

No limitation on the number of options or their location in the hierarchy (a Redefines clause can be nested within another).

The correct option is executed based on a condition that encapsulates the Redefines logic.


Redefines

The Redefines clause is expressed in the ContentMaster as ‘Alternatives’.


Parent-Child Copybook Relationship

There is a “parent” copybook that contains a “filler” field that reserves enough space to hold the “child” copybook.

These relationships are not defined with REDEFINES clauses. Rather, they are programmatically associated with each other during the execution of the COBOL application.

Child 1

Child 2


Parent-Child Copybook Relationship

With Itemfield the parent and children copybooks are imported separately and then appended into one workspace.

The parent copybook becomes the main parser and invokes the children at the right time (‘EmbeddedParser’) based on a predefined logic.


Trimming file size

Use case: The COBOL applications will trim off white spaces (or zeros) of

the end of a message before enqueing it. The message length is therefore no longer compliant with the copybook definition.


Trimming file sizeOption 1 Option 2

Option 1: Content Properties Defining a field as Optional or allowing a smaller range for the field.

Option 2: Resizing the DataResizing the incoming message to fit the copybook length and then execute the parser.






Summary




Specification Driven Transformation (SDT) is an automatic process for creating run-time transformation scripts based on a message specification (e.g. copybook, industry standards)

each generated run-time transformation project contains a parser (any-to-XML transformation) a serializer (XML-to-any transformation) and the XML schema

Use case: Company which works according to industry standards (e.g.

EDI…) or create/maintain specifications for data integration (in Excel or any other format)

Implementing the integration specs usually involves several people from different positions






Summary




Legacy Modernization - exposing COBOL data from Legacy applications to SOA architecture, XML based standards and new applications.

COBOL Definition - Copybooks define a dynamic and unique structure of a COBOL message, each message looks different…

COBOL Building Blocks/Characteristics:– Data Types (Binary, Packed, Signed etc).– Occurs/Occurs depending on– Redefines– Fillers– Parent-Child copybooks– white spaces


Itemfield Overview – High level Architecture

=ContentMaster Engine (run time)

Content Master Components

• Studio: unique development tools cut 70-90% of development cost

• Engine: real time, high performance, embeddable

• Libraries: pre defined transformations for specific markets

1 itemfield - automating complex cobol integration next-generation data transformation rami hadadi...

Documents

cobol data

data types binary

cobol message

entire data definition

complex cobol integrationrami

cobol definition copybooks

number of options

iteration number