Try the no-risk approach to testing out mainframe data replication on the Cloud with a tcVISION Proof of Concept

by Joseph Brady, Director of Business Development / Cloud Alliance Leader at Treehouse Software, Inc.

Many Treehouse Software customers have discovered that they can save weeks, or months in their mainframe modernization initiatives by doing a tcVISION Proof of Concept (POC) for Mainframe-to-Cloud data replication. Depending on the complexity of the customer’s project, a tcVISION POC generally lasts as little as 10 business days after the product is installed and all connectivity is set up between the mainframe and Cloud environments. Treehouse Software provides documentation beforehand that outlines all of the requirements and agenda for the POC, and Treehouse technicians assist in downloading and installing tcVISION.

The customer provides a representative subset of z/OS or z/VSE mainframe data (e.g., Db2, Adabas, VSAM, IMS/DB, CA IDMS, CA DATACOM, etc.), use case, and goals for the POC, and the Treehouse team mentors the customer’s technical team via remote screen sharing sessions. The application is executed on customer facilities, in a non-production environment, and a limited-scope implementation of a tcVISION application is conducted to prove that the product meets the customer’s desired use case.

By the end of the POC, customers will have replicated mainframe data on their Cloud target, tested out product capabilities, and demonstrated a successful, repeatable data replication process, with documented results. After the tcVISION POC, the customer has all the connectivity and processes in place to begin setting up the production phase of their mainframe data modernization project. The minimal cost, in terms of human resources and time makes a tcVISION POC a valuable ROI in the customer’s mainframe modernization journey.

A key advantage for customers is once tcVISION is up and running, their legacy mainframe environment can continue as long as needed, while they replicate data – in real time and bi-directionally – on the new Cloud platform. Now the enterprise can quickly take advantage of the latest Cloud services, such as analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), etc., as well as move data to a variety of highly available and secure databases and data stores.

About tcVISION…

Many Cloud and Systems Integration partners are recommending tcVISION from Treehouse Software for Mainframe-to-Cloud modernization projects. tcVISION focuses on changed data capture (CDC) when transferring information between mainframe data sources and Cloud targets. Through an innovative technology, changes occurring in any mainframe application data are tracked and captured, and then published to a variety of RDBMS and other targets.

Additionally, tcVISION utilizes a Windows-based GUI Control Board, which is ideal for non-mainframe programmers. While mainframe experts are required in the design/architecture phase during the POC and occasionally during implementation, the requirement for their involvement is limited. The tcVISION Control Board acts as a single point of administration, data modeling and mapping, script generation, and monitoring. Comprehensive monitoring and logging of all data movements ensure transparency across all data exchange processes.

Further reading…

Treehouse Software is an AWS Technology Partner and tcVISION is a Validated AWS Qualified Software. The AWS Partner Network published a blog about tcVISION, which describes how tcVISION allows legacy mainframe environments to continue, while replicating data on highly available and secure AWS targets.

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Contact Treehouse Software for a tcVISION Demo Today…

Simply fill out our tcVISION Demonstration Request Form and a Treehouse representative will be contacting you to set up a time for your requested demonstration.

Treehouse Software – 40 Years and Still Moving Forward (Part 3)

by Joseph Brady, Director of Business Development and Cloud Alliance Leader at Treehouse Software, Inc. 

Introduction

Many readers know that Treehouse Software has been around since 1983, serving enterprises worldwide with industry-leading software products and outstanding technical support. This blog series has discussed Treehouse Software’s origins and the growth of the software company from the early 1980s up to the present.

Change is in the Air, and in the Clouds…

Parts 1 and 2 of this series illustrated the solid beginnings of Treehouse Software in the 80’s and 90’s.  Several products were developed and introduced.  Marketing representatives were acquired in several countries around the globe.  Also, other companies with valuable products sought out Treehouse Software to sell and support their offerings.

In the late 90’s and the early 2000s, we began to experience certain customers’ needs to have Adabas data moved (migrated/copied/converted/distributed) to other database systems.  We developed the tRelational/DPS product set to analyze their Adabas data and structure, and move this data to other relational database systems (RDBMS) such as Oracle, Db2, etc.  This complicated product was our foray into the mainstream of our customers’ mainframe IT processing.  Millions of records of initial data needed to be materialized (ETL) efficiently, and a Change Data Capture (CDC) capability was imperative.  Mission accomplished.

In the early 2000s, some customers required real-time CDC.  This led to the development of DPSync, so named because it kept Adabas data in Sync with the target RDBMS; but this was limited to uni-directional replication.

Requests began coming in for bi-directional (e.g., moving data back to Adabas from Oracle).  Then it was Oracle-to-Db2.  And vice versa – and more variations.  We investigated companies purporting to do data migration from/to various database systems.  In 2007, we found a company with a product already developed and proven, that could in fact move data from/to practically all known database systems at that time.  We partnered with B.O.S. of Germany for Treehouse to do worldwide sales, marketing, support, demos, POCs, training, etc., for that impressive, growing product set, tcVISION.

tcVISION caught on quickly with some of our existing customers of Adabas, but the significant interest commenced when the Cloud took hold.  The Cloud was not just a remote data center, or a place to archive large amounts of data, but has capabilities and features that would attract our types of customers with mainframes and terabytes of data. Enterprise cutomers needed tools that allowed them the connectivity to take advantage of Cloud-based technologies, such as highly available and scalable databases; advanced analytics and security; machine learning and artificalial intelligence; data warehouses and stores; and the list goes on.  This shaped the future direction of Treehouse Software.  More on this in the next blog.

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About Treehouse Software

Since 1983, Treehouse Software has been serving enterprises worldwide with industry-leading mainframe software products and outstanding technical support. Today, Treehouse Software is a global leader in providing data replication, and integration solutions for the most complex and demanding heterogeneous environments, as well as feature-rich, accelerated-ROI offerings for information delivery, and application modernization.

Contact Treehouse Software

Treehouse Software – 40 Years and Still Moving Forward (Part 2)

by Joseph Brady, Director of Business Development and Cloud Alliance Leader at Treehouse Software, Inc. 

Introduction

Many readers know that Treehouse Software has been around since 1983, serving enterprises worldwide with industry-leading software products and outstanding technical support. This blog series will dig a little deeper into Treehouse Software’s origins and explore how founder and president, George Szakach blazed a trail from being a programmer and manager in the 1960s and 1970s, to creating and growing his own software company from the early 1980s up to the present.

Treehouse First Generations… 1980s – 90s

As mentioned in Part 1 of this series, George’s foundational mainframe experience from 1960 to 1975, combined with skills honed from 1975 to 1982 at Software AG, planted the seeds for the next step, building Treehouse Software. George explains:

“Treehouse Software was started during Christmas of 1982, with a consulting assignment I decided to take in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia doing ADABAS performance analysis and tuning.  In addition, I was asked to teach the customer how to use ADAMINT (which I get credit for developing from July 1975 through May 1979 – or blame, take your pick).  I thoroughly enjoyed my 10 weeks in the Kingdom, where I became a big fan of pistachio nuts. 

Treehouse Software was incorporated in mid-1984 in Sewickley, PA.  The plan then was to provide consulting and educational services to SAG sites, while developing software products related to the SAG enterprise.  The services might sell the products, and vice versa.  It worked and still works.  I started hiring help almost immediately as the demand for products and services was growing.

By the way, Sewickley is a small town near Pittsburgh where the oil, steel, coal barons of the 1800s and early 1900s had their summer homes up the hill from the river.  The 100-year-old horse-and-wagon trails and stone walls around the estates can still be seen.”

The Sewickley Bridge spans the Ohio River between Sewickley and Moon Township, PA.

Some interesting facts about Treehouse Software, Inc.

By the end of the 20^th century, Treehouse designed, developed, and released ten products, most notably:

• TRIM, ADABAS and Natural Performance Monitor
• Auditre, Auditing Tool for ADABAS
• N2O, Change Management System for Natural
• SECURITRE, Security System for ADABAS, Natural, and ADABAS Utilities
• tRelational/DPS, ADABAS-to-RDBMS Data Replication Package
• DPSync, Real-time ADABAS-to-RDBMS

Treehouse also marketed several additional products from companies around the world.  Most were related to ADABAS.

Other miscellaneous Treehouse happenings last century:

• Taught classes for over 4000 students, ADABAS and Natural related, and related to Treehouse products. 
• Partnered with 20 affiliates or marketing representatives in various countries, topping out at 14 around 1990.
• Produced 55 issues of the popular Treetips newsletter, with a hard-copy circulation of 13,000 per issue.
• Attended 11 Software AG conferences.
• Presented at 90 regional and local Software AG meetings in various countries.
• Visited affiliates, customers, and partners in at least 24 countries on all continents except Antarctica.
• Invited to Oracle Conference in 1995, in Philadelphia, where Emilie Szakach entertained the crowd with an on-stage dance with Chubby Checker.
• Bought four IBM mainframes for the company.
• Hired many top notch programmers and analysts, tech writers, support personnel.
• Along with most of the world, we awaited and prepared for the feared Y2K debacle, which didn’t happen. However, as the year 2000 approached, one of Treehouse’s most popular and most requested give-aways ever, was our Y2K desk clock…

Cha, Cha, Cha, Changes…

Along with many new products, innovations, and memorable, contributing staff moving through the doors of the Treehouse, we’ve also had several iterations of the company logo and colors, as seen in the following graphic. Do you have a favorite?

Coming soon… Part 3: Change is in the Air, and in the Clouds…    

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About Treehouse Software

Since 1983, Treehouse Software has been serving enterprises worldwide with industry-leading mainframe software products and outstanding technical support. Today, Treehouse Software is a global leader in providing data replication, and integration solutions for the most complex and demanding heterogeneous environments, as well as feature-rich, accelerated-ROI offerings for information delivery, and application modernization.

Contact Treehouse Software

Treehouse Software – 40 Years and Still Moving Forward (Part 1)

by Joseph Brady, Director of Business Development and Cloud Alliance Leader at Treehouse Software, Inc. 

Introduction

Many readers know that Treehouse Software has been around since 1983, serving enterprises worldwide with industry-leading software products and outstanding technical support. However, this blog series will dig a little deeper into Treehouse Software’s origins and explore how founder and president, George Szakach blazed a trail from being a systems programmer in the early 60s, to creating and growing his own software company from the early 80s up to the present.

The beginnings… 1960’s.  Moon Landing, Flower Power, the Righteous Brothers, and Punched Cards

George is a Vietnam-era veteran and started working with mainframes in 1960 while in the Army. 

After programming school in Fort Monmouth, NJ, George was assigned to Fort Huachuca, Arizona where he wrote army related applications on the IBM 709.

Before leaving the army in 1963, George had many job offers.  Three years of programming experience was unheard-of back then, so his skillset was very valuable.  He was even offered a job by the president of Informatics, working in Houston at the NASA Johnson Space Center to “put a man on the moon.”  He declined.

Throughout the rest of the 60s, George worked at Burroughs, Univac, and Leasco. During the 70s through 1982, George worked for Ocean Data Systems, Data General, Optical Recognition Systems, Software AG (his longest stint – 7 years), and Superior Oil.

Punched card…

IBM 709 Computer System…

George’s archeological finds from his time at Univac…

With all of this foundational mainframe experience combined with his skills honed at Software AG, the seeds were planted for George’s future: take those roots, move to the trees, and build a house… 

Coming soon… Part 2: Treehouse Software’s first generations.    

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About Treehouse Software

Since 1983, Treehouse Software has been serving enterprises worldwide with industry-leading mainframe software products and outstanding technical support. Today, Treehouse Software is a global leader in providing data replication, and integration solutions for the most complex and demanding heterogeneous environments, as well as feature-rich, accelerated-ROI offerings for information delivery, and application modernization.

Contact Treehouse Software

Treehouse Software Salutes Franco Harris

by Joseph Brady, Director of Business Development and Cloud Alliance Leader at Treehouse Software, Inc. 

With the recent passing of Pittsburgh Steelers great running back and Pro Football Hall of Famer, Franco Harris, we would like to revisit April of 1993, when Treehouse Software held an international consultant’s symposium. The symposium brought together attendees and speakers from many consulting and technology companies, and schools from around the world. Since Treehouse Software is located in the greater Pittsburgh area, company president George Szakach was acquainted with Franco and invited him to deliver a fascinating and entertaining address, where he spoke about his career, several business ventures he was pursuing, as well as his budding interest in computer technology.

Franco Harris at Treehouse Software’s Consultant’s Symposium (April 1993)

A few years ago, George reminded Franco about his visit to Treehouse back in 1993. He remembered and they shared some laughs and memories. 

We would also like to mention Franco’s well-known sense of community and accessibility in Pittsburgh. Many staff members have met Franco over the years and have fond memories of his friendliness and willingness to spend time engaging in conversations. Those who come in to the Pittsburgh International airpot can see a sculpture depicting Franco’s famous “Immaculate Reception” from 1972.  Thousands of people, especially recently, have selfies taken with the sculpture. Franco will be missed by his many friends and the community.

Franco Harris sculpture at Pittsburgh International Airport.

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About Treehouse Software

Since 1982, Treehouse Software has been serving enterprises worldwide with industry-leading mainframe software products and outstanding technical support. Today, Treehouse Software is a global leader in providing data replication, and integration solutions for the most complex and demanding heterogeneous environments, as well as feature-rich, accelerated-ROI offerings for information delivery, and application modernization.

Contact Treehouse Software

5-Minute Video: Connecting a Mainframe IDMS Database to an AWS SQL Server Database with tcVISION

Treehouse Software is the worldwide distributor of tcVISION, the leading tool for using changed data capture (CDC) when transferring information between most mainframe data sources (IBM Db2, IBM VSAM, IBM IMS/DB, Software AG Adabas, CA IDMS, CA Datacom, or even sequential files) and Cloud and open systems-based databases and applications.

The following video takes a quick look at how tcVISION’s repository is used to import mainframe IDMS schema and builds out a target system on AWS:

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Interested in seeing a live, online demo of tcVISION?

Just fill out the Treehouse Software tcVISION Demonstration Request Form and a Treehouse representative will contact you to set up a time for your online tcVISION demonstration.

7-Minute Video: Manage All of Your Mainframe-to-Cloud Data Replication Tasks from tcVISION’s Control Board

Treehouse Software is the worldwide distributor of tcVISION, the leading tool for using changed data capture (CDC) when transferring information between most mainframe data sources (IBM Db2, IBM VSAM, IBM IMS/DB, Software AG Adabas, CA IDMS, CA Datacom, or even sequential files) and Cloud and open systems-based databases and applications.

The following video briefly takes a look at how the tcVISION Control Board (a Windows-based GUI interface) functions as a central point of administration, data mapping and modeling, script generation, and overall monitoring. In this example, we show how to manage connectivity and data replication between a Mainframe database and AWS PostgreSQL using the tcVISION Control Board:

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Further reading: tcVISION is featured on the AWS Partner Network Blog showing a walk-through of data replication between Mainframe and Amazon Aurora…

AWS Partner Network (APN) Blog: Real-Time Mainframe Data Replication to AWS with tcVISION from Treehouse Software.

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Interested in seeing a live, online demo of tcVISION?

Just fill out the Treehouse Software tcVISION Demonstration Request Form and a Treehouse representative will contact you to set up a time for your online tcVISION demonstration.

tcVISION Video Demonstrations: Real-time Mainframe Data Replication on Three Popular Cloud SQL Databases

Treehouse Software is the worldwide distributor of tcVISION, the leading tool for using changed data capture (CDC) when transferring information between most mainframe data sources (IBM Db2, IBM VSAM, IBM IMS/DB, Software AG Adabas, CA IDMS, CA Datacom, or even sequential files) and Cloud and open systems-based databases and applications. Changes occurring in the mainframe application data are then tracked and captured, and published to a variety of targets.

This video demonstrates real-time data replication between Db2 and PostgreSQL on AWS:

This video demonstrates real-time data replication between Db2 and Google Cloud SQL:

This video demonstrates real-time data replication between Db2 and Azure SQL:

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Further reading: tcVISION is featured on the AWS Partner Network Blog showing a walk-through of data replication between Mainframe DB2 z/OS and Amazon Aurora…

AWS Partner Network (APN) Blog: Real-Time Mainframe Data Replication to AWS with tcVISION from Treehouse Software.

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Interested in seeing a live, online demo of tcVISION?

Just fill out the Treehouse Software tcVISION Demonstration Request Form and a Treehouse representative will contact you to set up a time for your online tcVISION demonstration.

Replicating Enterprise Mainframe Data to Cloud-based SQL Databases with tcVISION

by Joseph Brady, Director of Business Development and Cloud Alliance Leader at Treehouse Software, Inc.

Treehouse Software has been helping enterprise mainframe customers since 1982, and in recent years, we have been developing a strong presence in the Mainframe-to-Cloud data replication market space. This blog takes a quick look at three of the most popular Treehouse-supported Cloud-based SQL database services…

Amazon RDS, a collection of managed services that makes it simple to set up, operate, and scale databases in the Cloud. Users can control the type of database, as well as where data is stored. Specific database formats that are supported include Amazon Aurora, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, Oracle Database, and SQL Server:

Google Cloud SQL, a fully managed relational database service for MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQL server. You can connect with nearly any application, anywhere in the world. Cloud SQL automates backups, replication, and failover to ensure your database is reliable, highly available, and flexible to your performance needs:

Microsoft Azure SQL, a part of the Azure SQL family, Azure SQL Database is an always-up-to-date, fully managed relational database service built for the Cloud:

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Wherever you want to target your mainframe data on the Cloud, Treehouse Software helps to make the process easy…

Treehouse Software is the worldwide distributor of tcVISION, the leading tool for using changed data capture (CDC) when transferring information between most mainframe data sources (IBM Db2, IBM VSAM, IBM IMS/DB, Software AG Adabas, CA IDMS, CA Datacom, or even sequential files) and Cloud and open systems-based databases and applications. Changes occurring in the mainframe application data are then tracked and captured, and published to a variety of targets.

Additionally, tcVISION supports bi-directional data replication, where changes on either platform are reflected on the other platform (e.g., a change to a PostgreSQL table in the Cloud is reflected back on mainframe), allowing the customer to modernize their application on the Cloud or open systems without disrupting the existing critical work on the legacy system. tcVISION’s bi-directional replication writes directly to the mainframe database, thereby bypassing all mainframe business logic, so this architecture requires careful planning, as well as thorough and repeated testing.

Sales and technical leaders at the major Cloud platform companies, as well as systems integrators are engaging with Treehouse Software to take advantage of our tcVISION data replication solution to help them tap into the mainframe data that customers want to be made available on new technologies.

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Further reading: tcVISION is featured on the AWS Partner Network Blog showing a walk-through of data replication between Mainframe DB2 z/OS and Amazon Aurora…

AWS Partner Network (APN) Blog: Real-Time Mainframe Data Replication to AWS with tcVISION from Treehouse Software.

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Interested in seeing a live, online demo of tcVISION?

Just fill out the Treehouse Software tcVISION Demonstration Request Form and a Treehouse representative will contact you to set up a time for your online tcVISION demonstration.

Some are calling mainframes “dinosaurs”, but many of us see that as a good comparison!

by Joseph Brady, Director of Business Development and Cloud Alliance Leader at Treehouse Software, Inc.

Since the dinosaur analogy has been used so much to describe mainframe computer systems in recent years, I would like to use this blog to take a look at the parallels of dinosaurs and mainframes as it relates to the current buzz about modernization on the Cloud.

Of course, dinosaurs and mainframes have been around for a long time and are extremely resilient and successful. I especially say “are” in relation to dinosaurs, because many are not extinct at all, and the fossil record shows that several types have adapted to the changing world by evolving into birds. Additionally, during the age of dinosaurs, they branched off into countless varieties during a span of about 165 million years – hardly a failed species. Also, like the dinosaurs, the mainframe has thrived and survived for over six decades and is continuing to adapt – albeit not nearly as long as the reign of the dinosaurs, but an impressive run, nonetheless.

And the mainframe isn’t finished yet! Mainframe systems are still very much in use, running major banking processes, healthcare systems, government IT services, and critical business operations of many Global 2000 companies. As a matter of fact, IBM has been reporting growth year after year, as the IBM Z platform continues to see important innovations, such as with Cloud-native development capabilities, as well as impressive improvements in processing power.

Looking up and moving forward…

As with the dinosaurs who did not fear looking to the clouds and taking wing to ensure survival, the new breed of mainframers envision bold and exciting possibilities in Cloud computing. Many see remarkable opportunities for business advantage by modernizing their mainframe environments. This modernization includes replicating mainframe data on Cloud platforms in order to quickly capitalize on the latest Cloud services, such as analytics, auto scaling, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), high availability, advanced security, etc., or to move data to a variety of newer Cloud databases, streaming services, container services, and much more. With the proper data replication technology and planning, all of this modernization can occur while keeping the legacy mainframe environment active as long as it is needed!

The IBM Z mainframe isn’t going anywhere, and with visionary and daring leadership, it can continue to evolve and adapt to whatever develops in the Cloud… and beyond.

Ready to move forward, adapt, and evolve? Treehouse Software is here to help!

Treehouse Software is your partner on your journey into future mainframe modernization plans. With our “data first” approach, we can help accelerate digital transformation and successfully leverage Cloud and Hybrid Cloud initiatives on the IBM Z platform, storing sensitive data on a private Cloud or local data center, and simultaneously leveraging leading technologies on a managed public Cloud.

Through an innovative changed data capture (CDC) technology, our tcVISION product tracks and captures changes occurring in any mainframe application data, and then publishes them to a variety of Cloud targets. The customer moves only the right data to the right place at the right time – as much, or as little as they want.

The tcVISION data replication solution has a modular design, which enables it to support mass data load from one source to one or more targets, as well as continuous data exchange processes in real-time via CDC. This modular architecture and the provided APIs gives customers unlimited future potential for continued evolution, and use of new and emerging technologies.

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Want to see tcVISION in action?

You can schedule a live, online demonstration that shows tcVISION replicating data from the mainframe to a Cloud target database. Just fill out the Treehouse Software tcVISION Demonstration Request Form and a Treehouse representative will contact you to set up a time for your tcVISION Mainframe-to-Cloud data replication demonstration.