1 Itemfield - Automating Complex COBOL Integration Next-Generation Data Transformation Rami Hadadi

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

NEXT-GENERATION DATA TRANSFORMATION COBOL Transformation Challenges Import COBOL Technology Specification Driven Transformation approach COBOL Building-Blocks Support Summary Itemfield COBOL Offering

NEXT-GENERATION DATA TRANSFORMATION COBOL Transformation Challenges  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

NEXT-GENERATION DATA TRANSFORMATION COBOL Transformation Challenges Import COBOL Technology Specification Driven Transformation approach COBOL Building-Blocks Support Summary Itemfield COBOL Offering

NEXT-GENERATION DATA TRANSFORMATION Import COBOL Copybook Technology Creating new transformation based on the Cobol definition

NEXT-GENERATION DATA TRANSFORMATION Import COBOL Copybook Technology Input Copybook Generated TransformationGenerated XSD

NEXT-GENERATION DATA TRANSFORMATION COBOL Transformation Challenges Import COBOL Technology Specification Driven Transformation approach COBOL Building-Blocks Support Summary Itemfield COBOL Offering

NEXT-GENERATION DATA TRANSFORMATION Data Types  Data Types defines the elements format type and representation

NEXT-GENERATION DATA TRANSFORMATION 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.

NEXT-GENERATION DATA TRANSFORMATION 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.

NEXT-GENERATION DATA TRANSFORMATION 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.

NEXT-GENERATION DATA TRANSFORMATION Redefines  The Redefines clause is expressed in the ContentMaster as ‘Alternatives’.

NEXT-GENERATION DATA TRANSFORMATION 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

NEXT-GENERATION DATA TRANSFORMATION 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.

NEXT-GENERATION DATA TRANSFORMATION 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.

NEXT-GENERATION DATA TRANSFORMATION Trimming file size Option 1 Option 2 Option 1: Content Properties Defining a field as Optional or allowing a smaller range for the field. Option 2: Resizing the Data Resizing the incoming message to fit the copybook length and then execute the parser.

NEXT-GENERATION DATA TRANSFORMATION COBOL Transformation Challenges Import COBOL Technology Specification Driven Transformation approach COBOL Building-Blocks Support Summary Itemfield COBOL Offering

NEXT-GENERATION DATA TRANSFORMATION Specification Driven Transformation approach  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

NEXT-GENERATION DATA TRANSFORMATION COBOL Transformation Challenges Import COBOL Technology Specification Driven Transformation approach COBOL Building-Blocks Support Summary Itemfield COBOL Offering

NEXT-GENERATION DATA TRANSFORMATION COBOL Transformation Challenges  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

NEXT-GENERATION DATA TRANSFORMATION Itemfield Overview – High level Architecture =ContentMaster Engine (run time) Content Master Components Studio: unique development tools cut % of development cost Engine: real time, high performance, embeddable Libraries: pre defined transformations for specific markets