Code Transformation

#EasiRun #codetransformation

Regulations for success

Many modernisation projects as well as the maintenance of and improvements to application systems require businesses to adapt their code base. The necessary code transformation can take many forms: surgical changes to existing code, wholesale and systematic code adaptation, or replacements of code segments with code in other languages. EasiRun offers you solutions to complete code transformations automatically and in a rule-based manner.

Advantages:

Minimum code freeze Continue to develop right until the transformation starts
Analogue execution Identical structures improve readability
Cost minimisation Automation saves you time and resources
Risk minimisation Improves cost, run time and technical risk planning and management
Individuality Individual adaptations and optimisation with minimal effort
Preserves resources Frees up your subject matter experts to work on other tasks
Test effort Much reduced efforts compared to manual transformation

Code Transformation: the Market Situation

As already mentioned, you will often find that modernisation projects, maintenance and ongoing application development necessitate code transformations including changes to the code base. There are many possible reasons for a code transformation:

    • Modernisation within the existing system but with interface adaptations
    • Integration of applications in a new operating platform, which can include creating compatibility with compilers on the new platform and integration into the new operating environment (interfaces)
    • Planned technology stack consolidation supported be the removal of programming languages
    • Older programming languages or data base systems are not available any more when you change operating platforms

The list below includes a few scenarios in which you need a code transformation:

    • Transferring your data storage from VSAM/ISAM to RDBMS including the extraction of a data access layer
    • Modernisation of COBOL mainframe applications
    • Replacing PL/I with Java as part of a Java strategy
    • Replacing assembler code
    • Modernisation of scheduling and job control solutions
    • Transforming the data storage of a COBOL application on an IMS data base to a relational data base

Code Transformation: the Challenges

Rather than technical aspects, the main challenge in language modernisations is actually defining your current and your desired situations. This includes analyses needed as well as defining rule books that reflect your requirements. Our solutions are equipped with existing data transformers that cover a wide variety of different language and data converters.

In addition to specific transformation solutions we also have a proprietary universal transformation platform that allows for highly efficient new and customer-specific modernisation and migration solutions. The platform enables complex and contextualised code adaptations that are developed and tested iteratively. We offer this code transformation technology as a managed service, giving you the ability to use the platform how and when it suits you best. But, we don’t only provide you with the tools needed to complete the code transformation itself – our experts are also there to help as part of a service provision agreement. Our experts work closely with you to optimise the transformation and integrate it into automated processes.

Solution and Approach

Automated code transformation is gaining traction in the market. This approach can complete wholesale, systematic code adaptations as well as translating code into a new programming language. Compared to other solutions, automation has a number of key advantages for you and for your business:

    • Short code freeze: automated code transformation usually supports a change process that is fully automated. This allows you to continue to develop your legacy application right up until the transformation is fully completed. As a result you can keep the code freeze phase to a bare minimum.
    • Reduced testing efforts: compared with manual changes, automated code transformation needs much less testing because automation avoids non-systematic, human errors. At the same time, any systematic error in an automated approach can be easily spotted and rectified within the code base.
    • Uniform implementation of analog code constructs: Uniform execution of analogue code structures improve readability and understanding of your developers vis-a-vis the transformed application. This makes it much easier for developers to get used to the new code and to maintain it.
    • Individual adaptability: Our code transformation solutions enable individual adaptations that require little effort.
    • Lower costs: Compared to a completely new code development approach or a manual code transformation, the costs of automated code transformation is minimal.
    • Fewer resource requirements: As a rule, setting up or adapting an automated code transformation solution requires no subject matter experts on your part. Usually, all your experts need to do is verify the transformed application as part of testing or to support our analysis of any errors or deviations that may occur.
    • Minimal risks: Our specialists can draw on extensive and transferable experience in any legacy application modernisation using automated code transformation. Unlike other approaches, this expertise and experience allows us to give you exact estimates of the costs, timelines and technical risks of your project.

Why EasiRun

We offer an extensive portfolio of transformation solutions that address most current requirements of legacy modernisation projects. When it comes to code transformation into other programming languages and data storage systems, we can support you in the following ways:

    • PL/I to COBOL
    • PL/I to Java
    • Assembler (z/OS, z/VSE, BS 2000) to COBOL
    • ADABAS/Natural to Java and relational data bases
    • COBOL to Java
    • Job control for Bash, Korn-Shell, Perl, Python, XML
    • CLIST to Perl and Python

Additional solutions for automated code adaptation as part of legacy system consolidation include:

    • Transferring from VSAM/ISAM based data storage in COBOL to relational data bases
    • Changing from IMS/DB data storage to relational data bases

Technologically, our tools encompass the following:

    • Analysis of your current situation
    • Extraction of data structures
    • Generating all the artefacts needed to develop data base structures
    • Generating all the artefacts needed for data migration
    • Extensive automated and context-specific adaptations to COBOL programmes
    • Process automation (Data Migration Factory, Program Migration Factory)

These solutions draw on our own technologies and those of our worldwide network of partners. EasiRun offers you these technologies in a one-stop-shop and successfully supports you through the completion of your code transformation project. If needed, we can also explore the use of other specific transformation tools together with you.