Challenge of Enterprise Data Access

Most mission-critical application systems were created on mainframes many years ago. While the importance of these systems is not questioned, the problem of leveraging the existing mainframe data and applications with new technology has not been easy to solve because there are so many different storage technologies and operating system environments.

Today, data is available throughout the enterprise in a variety of data stores and operating systems, including:

• Mainframe storage technologies such as VSAM, IMS, and DB2.
• Distributed storage technologies such as Microsoft^® SQL Server™.
• Operating systems such as Multiple Virtual Storage (MVS/ESA), OS/390, Virtual Storage Extended (VSE), Virtual Machine (VM), AS/400, and Microsoft^® Windows NT^® Server.

Replacing or re-engineering mainframe applications is often not cost-effective because migration can be expensive and complex, especially for non-relational systems. Moving older applications to newer mainframe technology has not occurred either. For example, in the early 1980s, IBM released its DB2 relational database management system (RDBMS) for the Multiple Virtual Systems (MVS) operating system. Today, most organizations that began using IBM's Information Management System (IMS) and Virtual Sequential Access Method (VSAM) many years ago still use them. While some data is accessible with DB2 relational technology, most of the world's data is still in VSAM files. Mainframe applications, in one form or another, still provide the online transaction processing for many large organizations.

The best answer to this data access challenge is to leverage the large investment in existing mainframe-based solutions with the new SNA Server integration technologies that provide Web access to mainframe applications and data. With this integration approach, you can extend the existing architecture, and use more efficient development languages, operating environments, and methodologies.

By integrating with existing mainframe applications and data, you can extend the desktop into the enterprise for multiple benefits. The following list describes some of these.

• Preserve mainframe investments   Mainframe applications can continue to function while evolving into more flexible and robust systems. Web applications can easily provide a worldwide connection to the enterprise data stores — data access that was previously reserved for only local network mainframe applications.
• Exploit new technology   Take advantage of the better development infrastructures available with new technology to deliver data access solutions faster with minimal implementation disruption.
• Reduce risk   Integration with existing mainframe technology provides the opportunity to support a migration strategy that can safely take small provable steps. Instead of completing the migration in a single massive project, a step-by-step approach, demonstrating effective use of current data stores, helps ensure success and minimize risk. Once the basic data access architecture is in place, incremental replacement with distributed applications and extension to new network-based storage solutions typically increases service as each step is completed. Because the existing mainframe applications and data are still active, a fallback is possible, minimizing the impact of a failed implementation.
• Reduce training and support expenditures   The information department manages an important technical and business advantage: the many developers who create high-quality mainframe software. The developer's skills — business knowledge, historical application maintenance experience, language expertise, structured methodology, and quality focus — are incredibly valuable. While not all programmers want to move to client/server or Web development, integration minimizes retraining costs while maintaining high-quality support.
• Improve corporate productivity   By using this integration strategy, end users and developers are more productive because multiple platforms can now operate together seamlessly. End users can work with a consistent graphical user interface to find information that is location independent, while developers can choose technology to implement the best enterprise application solution.

Enterprise data access technology is at a point where direct integration with mainframe applications and data is the most economical and technically viable development strategy. The bottom line benefits are:

• Easier access to data anywhere in the enterprise.
• Lower development cost through the appropriate use of technologies designed to extend and enhance, rather than replace, mainframe programs.
• Improved use of all assets — hardware, software, and people.
• More useful applications that work in multiple environments for improved decision-making, thus helping to create a competitive advantage.