Wayne Lashley, Chief Business Development Officer, will present on behalf of Treehouse Software for this webinar. Wayne will show how our real-world customers are implementing strategies to integrate, modernize and extend mission-critical Adabas/Natural applications by leveraging Treehouse products and services.
Thursday, June 25, 2015 | 11:30 AM, EST
Click here to register for this webinar>>
Recently, a poster to a mainframe technical discussion forum asked the question: How can we connect PHP (a popular server-side scripting language designed for web development) with DB2 on the mainframe? Treehouse Senior Software Developer Frank Griffin replied, describing how OpenLegacy could be the answer.
You have some options here. If all you want is access to the raw DB2 data, JDBC or ODBC access will work fine for you, although you will have to write either C ODBC or Java JDBC code that can be called from PHP to do the deed.
If you already have mainframe code accessible via the network (CICS/IMSDC/TSO via TN3270, CICS via TCP/IP) that accesses your data and adds business logic to the mix, you can use the FOSS* OpenLegacy project to mate this logic to your PHP app.
The simplest approach involves using OL to navigate through the green screens of (CICS, IMS/DC, TSO, or whatever) to get to the data you want. This is done via the OSS** s3270 scripting 3270 emulator which creates an XML “trail” file which documents the interactions between yourself and the legacy application over the TN3270 connection. Once you’ve navigated through the series of screens that exposes the data you want to find, you trigger a portion of OpenLegacy which analyzes those screens, identifies logon sequences and unprotected fields on those screens which are linked to client-supplied input data, and generates Java classes which can at some later time use the “trail” file to re-drive the emulator to access the legacy application using client-supplied values for some of the input in order to obtain transaction output associated with those input values.
If your mainframe apps are better modularized, i. e. if you have separated the business logic from the display logic, and the business logic can be invoked through a CICS COBOL program which is designed to obtain its input and provide its output via a CICS COMMAREA, OL can analyze the source code and generate Java classes that invoke those programs directly without screen-scraping.
And, if what you really want is JDBC, OL can generate a series of Java classes that do all of the JDBC work for you and provide you with methods that simply provide the legacy data with no hint as to where it came from.
OL can also layer additional access software. Once the fundamental Java classes that access the legacy data are in place, OL can generate Java apps that use those classes on behalf of clients using all sorts of modern APIs, including SOA/SOAP, REST/JSON, and Mobile. All of this happens with the push of a button.
All of this is FOSS. You can download the OL code and start using it immediately, and it can do all that I’ve described, out-of-the-box. OL makes their money from selling an Enterprise Edition that includes support and some security and management pretties.
If the only access path from PHP to Java is direct invocation of Java code, you’d have to write a Java stub to interact with the OL classes, but this s going to be a *lot* simpler than trying to write JDBC or ODBC applications on your own.
*FOSS = Free Open-Source Software
**OSS = Open-Source Software
OpenLegacy is the world’s first and only light-weight, non-intrusive solution for automated legacy modernization and enterprise application integration. With its standards-based, open-source platform, OpenLegacy enables enterprises to rapidly extend legacy systems to mobile, web and cloud applications; delivering risk-free, high-impact results that solve immediate business needs.
OpenLegacy‘s standard tools rapidly extract the services and information from within legacy systems into an editable format that puts the power of integration into the enterprises’ hands without the expensive handcuffs of vendor lock in. Once a business process is exposed — which can be done in minutes — the output can automatically be transformed into stand-alone mobile, web, and cloud applications; and connected with other solutions. Most importantly, no changes are required to the legacy system in order for OpenLegacy to work — the process is risk-free.
Did you know that Treehouse Software offers online demonstrations of the most complete and flexible portfolio of solutions available anywhere for real-time, bidirectional data replication and integration between mainframe and LUW data sources?
You can see how Treehouse Software’s popular tcACCESS and tcVISION products efficiently and cost-effectively use ETL, CDC, SQL, XML, and SOA technologies for data replication / integration, in an interactive demonstration with our skilled technical experts.
Integrate mainframe data and applications with LUW data sources…
tcACCESS is a comprehensive software solution that enables two-way integration between IBM mainframe systems and client/server, Web and SOA technologies — without the need for mainframe knowledge or programming effort. A proven platform that facilitates SQL-based integration of mainframe data sources and programs into LUW applications, tcACCESS uses industry standards such as SQL, ODBC, JDBC, and .NET. SQL queries to access mainframe data can be easily created using drag and drop techniques — no programming required.
tcACCESS is a modular software solution. It consists of a base system that can either be implemented as a CICS transaction or as a VTAM application. The base system provides its own communication modules. The heart of the system is the tcACCESS SQL Engine which allows access to mainframe data sources using SQL statements. tcACCESS offers Listener components on the mainframe and on the client, as well as scheduling and security functions. Batch processors automate the information exchange processes between distributed applications.
Enable ETL and bi-directional data replication between mainframe and LUW platforms…
tcVISION allows the exchange of data between heterogeneous databases, from legacy non-relational mainframe sources to standard RDBMSs, in batch or real-time, via CDC (change data capture). With tcVISION, complex replication scenarios can be implemented with ease–including bi-directional “master/master” replication requirements.
tcVISION considerably simplifies mainframe data exchange processes. The structure of the existing mainframe data is analyzed by tcVISION processors, then automatically and natively mapped to the target. The data mapping information is presented in a user-friendly and transparent format – even for users with no mainframe knowledge.
See for yourself, right at your desk…
Tell us about your challenges. If you have a project where our mainframe data replication and integration products could be of assistance, our skilled sales and technical staff would be happy to set up a free, online demo. Simply fill out our short Treehouse Software Demo Request Form.
By Wayne Lashley, Chief Business Development Officer for Treehouse Software
Recently I, and others from Treehouse, had the pleasure of attending the CA IDMS Technical Conference in Framingham, MA, as well as the CA Datacom Technical Conference in Plano, TX. Both of these were free events organized by the IUA and CADRE (the IDMS and Datacom user associations), with event hosting and assistance provided by CA Technologies, to provide customers with an opportunity for training, product briefings and technical discussions with product management, product development and with other customers.
I have to commend the IUA, CADRE and CA for their initiative and efforts in putting on these events. With the changes made to the content and focus of CA World in 2014, IDMS and Datacom customers had limited opportunities to learn about product roadmaps and to interact with product representatives. The technical conferences were well-organized, offered excellent technical content—including a full day of condensed product training for both novices and advanced technicians—and even included some social time.
Above: CA Datacom Event
In representing a vendor to these CA customer groups—we have a number of Datacom and IDMS customers using tcACCESS and tcVISION—, I was especially appreciative of the opportunity to get more involved in the community and to have our own technical people benefit from the training and interaction.
I was impressed with the level and quality of resourcing that CA is putting into its development and support teams. Both product groups have adopted Agile methodology for delivering, in a timely way, product capabilities and features that customers “want and will use”. Furthermore, with emerging functionality in IDMS (DB), IDMS/DC, ADS, Datacom and Ideal, there was ample demonstration that CA is embracing modern standards and trends such as SQL, Web services and Big Data.
Above: CA IDMS Event
Readers from IDMS and Datacom shops that were unaware of, or unable to attend, the technical conferences should note that the success demonstrated by the recent events is likely to result in similar technical conferences being scheduled for the future. I encourage you to take advantage of them!
Treehouse Software – Your Mainframe / LUW Data Integration Partner
To learn more about tcACCESS and tcVISION, or to request a demonstration, Contact Treehouse Software today.
In September of 2012, B.O.S. Software Services of Germany (a Treehouse Technology Partner) asked Treehouse Software to take over maintenance of their tcACCESS product for all U.S. and Canadian customers. Up to that point, Treehouse had been selling and supporting tcACCESS for our own customers, but another company had been supporting other North American tcACCESS users. After nearly two years, we’re pleased to know that these new-to-us customers are judging our support just as highly as other customers that have known us for many years. For example, Mike Moore at the Alabama Judicial Datacenter writes:
“Just want you to know that I was a bit concerned when I first learned that our tcACCESS account and support was going to be moving to a new provider—TREEHOUSE. We had a long-standing relationship with the other provider and I was concerned that we might have problems.
I am very pleased to tell you that the transition to TREEHOUSE has been a great experience and everyone has done a wonderful job helping us with whatever we have needed. We tend to run on the ‘bleeding edge’ with some of our software and the TREEHOUSE support staff has been great and very, very responsive when we have had issues.
Y’all have done an excellent job and we are very pleased with the new relationship.”
Mike Moore, IT Manager, Alabama Judicial Datacenter
Treehouse Software is Your Source for Flexible Solutions for Data Integration, Replication, and Migration
Treehouse Software markets, sells, and supports B.O.S. Software’s two mainframe integration products, tcACCESS and tcVISION. tcACCESS integrates mainframe data and applications with open systems and Windows, and tcVISION enables ETL and bi-directional data replication between mainframe, Linux, Unix and Windows platforms. Contact Treehouse Software for more information.
by Wayne Lashley, Chief Business Development Officer for Treehouse Software
Along with three of my colleagues, I recently participated in the Treehouse exhibit at the Gartner Application Architecture, Development and Integration (AADI) event in Las Vegas. This is a conference where we have exhibited in the past, and I personally have attended several other times. In fact, I just learned that the DI in AADI no longer stands for “Data Integration”; this change was only made in the past couple of years, as in the past it was the data integration aspect that made the show particularly relevant to Treehouse.
Though data integration vendors such as Informatica, Pervasive and Adeptia—and Treehouse—were in attendance, their numbers seemed diminished over prior years. And while “Legacy Modernization” had an entire subject “track” a couple of years ago, a number of “name” LM vendors were notably absent this year, and the topic was only rarely represented in sessions.
But there was a predominant theme at the event, and its name is Cloud.
People have been talking about “Cloud” for years already, and it is a well-established concept with many dimensions and extensive implementations. And it’s probably familiar enough to The Branches readers that I won’t waste words describing it, other than to say that it is simply a way to offer computing services via the Internet without the subscriber—most Cloud offerings are subscription-based—knowing or caring what or where the physical implementation is.
Many people consider that Salesforce.com is the granddaddy of all Cloud services, and to my mind it popularized the term “Software as a Service” (SaaS). Evolutionary Technologies, Inc. (ETI), a long-standing player in the data integration field and a company that I have had a lot of contact with over the years, reinvented itself around 2005 as a SaaS company, in doing so placing the company on the leading edge of “aaS” providers and essentially defining an entirely new market space.
These days there are a number of other “aaS” genres competing for mindshare and dollars, the most dominant being “Platform as a Service” (PaaS). Once again, Salesforce.com seemed to define the space initially, but others such as Amazon and Google have since come to dominate it. Just this week I was invited to an event for Oracle partners where Oracle executives will present their concept for an Oracle Cloud PaaS. I recall a Microsoft Worldwide Partners Conference (WWPC) a couple of years ago where Microsoft kicked off its Azure Cloud platform. You don’t have to install Microsoft Office on your PC anymore; Office 365 runs in the Cloud.
Even legacy applications are getting the Cloud treatment: a company called Heirloom Computing has commenced offering a platform for running legacy COBOL applications in the Cloud.
Cloud has also entered popular culture and commodity services. There’s a TV commercial that I keep seeing advertising a Cloud-based service that automatically troubleshoots, tunes up and cleans up your PC.
In short, you’re nobody if you’re not in the Cloud.
D-for-“Data” may have morphed into D-for-“Development” in the AADI Summit name, but data replication, integration and migration remain very relevant in the Cloud age. Indeed, you can’t spell Cloud without a D.
To support provisioning of Cloud-based applications, there has to be a means for getting data from where it is now—often in mainframe-based legacy databases or relational databases on open systems, within a company’s internal IT infrastructure—to the Cloud facilities, be they public or private. This doesn’t happen by magic. We have recently been working in a customer implementation where Oracle and DB2 data are being replicated bidirectionally in a Cloud implementation using our tcVISION solution. Such a scenario posed a bit of a challenge for us in terms of licensing: the machines on which tcVISION is installed are not specifically known at a given point in time. So we had to adapt our licensing model to accommodate the new reality.
We expect to see continued growth and demand for our replication and integration solutions as Cloud offerings evolve and expand. Furthermore, we are working on a new Cloud-oriented solution in collaboration with Cloud platform providers. I have briefed several Gartner analysts on it, and their feedback has been encouraging. Check back to this space regularly for news on this exciting new Treehouse offering.
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