LzLabs Software Defined Mainframe®
LzLabs Software Defined Mainframe® (SDM) is a workload rehosting and mainframe application modernization platform. SDM enables mainframe legacy applications to execute on open systems, with no requirement for source-code changes, recompilation or conversion of data types. In addition, SDM has unique features that allow legacy applications to be gracefully modernized to contemporary languages and implementations, without compromising the integrity or operation of the system as a whole.
No Source-code Changes, No Recompilation
Eliminating the need to find, modify and recompile source-code of legacy applications is at the core of how SDM significantly reduces the risk and complexity of legacy workload re-hosting. Our unique method enables z/Architecture® binary executable programs to operate at native speeds on x86_64 architecture computers running an open systems software stack, finally opening the path to legacy modernization.
Data Formats Preserved
The design of SDM ensures data is preserved in original formats as it is migrated. The importance of this cannot be overstated. Alongside source-code availability (or lack thereof) data format changes are among the largest impediments to successful legacy workload rehosting. Without this capability, integer formats, decimal formats and collating sequences for character data will all change, and dramatically affect the execution of re-hosted applications. SDM eliminates these issues entirely, for both conventional files and data stored in databases.
Designed for Application Modernization
Re-hosting mainframe workload onto modern infrastructure provides many compelling benefits, but at LzLabs we know the real driver behind mainframe modernisation is to support a rapidly changing and digital marketplace. For this reason we have designed interoperability features into the core of SDM. This feature enables the graceful, incremental modernisation of a complex legacy application, program-by-program, into Java, while maintaining the robust and reliable operation of the application as a whole. This approach eliminates the tremendous risk, complexity and cost commonly associated with “Big-Bang” modernisation projects.
Security Subsystem
The security subsystem of SDM, known as LzVault®, honours the resource controls of the mainframe while exploiting the full capability of Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP). LzVault preserves the resource granularity of legacy mainframe security, in a manner that is easily manageable by a new generation of security pros.
System Managed Storage
This automated approach to storage resources management is aimed at improving efficiency, using software programs to manage data security, placement, migration and backup. Through customer-defined rules, this approach is tailored to best satisfy operational constraints.
Network Interoperability
SDM has the ability to integrate seamlessly with other independent systems or products. It can dialog with them over standard and modern protocols to deliver reliable communication services to remote machines or applications interacting with legacy application workloads. This interoperability extends from traditional network job entry communications and 3270 protocols, through FTP, DRDA, web services and message-oriented middleware. All common methods of network interoperability with legacy applications are implemented.
Scalability
SDM is a native Linux software system. It is designed from first-principles to exploit multi-core and clustered systems. Legacy applications can now benefit from modern models for scaling with almost unlimited cost-effective capacity.
Batch Processing
LzBatch™ provides a batch job submission environment enabling existing JCL to drive job suites without changes, including support for spooled output job scheduling and many commonly used batch utilities
Online Processing
LzOnline™ is a unified environment for re-hosting CICS® and IMS™ TM applications, without source-code changes or recompilation, on x86 architecture computers running the Linux operating system.
Relational Database
LzRelational™ is a database implementation built upon standard PostgreSQL facilities and interfaces. The product leverages user-defined data types, functions, operators and SQL dialect conversion to enable PostgreSQL to behave the same way as Db2® for z/OS® at its interface
Hierarchical Database
LzHierarchical™ is an implementation of a hierarchical database, based on PostgreSQL. It enables legacy applications, originally written to access IMS™ DB using the DL/1 access language, to work without source-code changes or recompilation on Linux. LzHierarchical enables PostgreSQL-skilled IT professionals to manage an organization’s critical data, hitherto locked away in an impenetrable legacy database.
High Availability
By giving customers the freedom to use modern tools for distributed databases and provisioning, and exploiting modern methods for clustering and horizontal scaling, SDM takes high-availability for critical applications to new heights
Data Transparency
Files stored for use by SDM can also be processed using native Linux facilities and vice versa. This capability is critical to ensuring the vast array of Linux utilities can be used to process mainframe data and opens the management of this critical data to a new generation of IT professionals
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Program Interoperability
SDM ensures seamless interoperability between associated programs and data re-hosted in legacy language, and those that are subsequently transcoded to new languages such as Java using LzWorkbench™, enabling a graceful approach to mainframe modernization
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Native Datatypes
Use of native mainframe datatypes and encoding reduces risk of migration by ensuring consistent application behaviour. Same sort orders and collation, same arithmetic outcomes
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Floating Point
Floating point operations are implemented using mainframe algorithms to ensure exactly the same outcomes when high-precision arithmetic operations are required
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Legacy Datasets
SDM supports the most commonly encountered mainframe dataset formats including VSAM, QSAM, GDG, PDS, etc.
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Utilities
SDM comes equipped with a range of utilities functionally and syntactically compatible with IDCAMS, IEBGENER, IEBUPDTE, IEBCOPY amongst others
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SORT
SDM has high-performance SORT capability which is functionally and syntactically compatible with DFSORT. SDM SORT supports common control statements including ALTSEQ, INREC, MERGE, OUREC and many others
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Dataset Editor
An intuitive and modern interface for editing files is provided as part of the SDM Management Console. This interface will be familiar to users of desktop software. Consequently, the management of legacy files can now be performed by a much larger talent pool
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Full Text Search
Modern and intuitive text indexing and search facilities that can be applied to mainframe datasets ensure a modern workforce can navigate files in a familiar way
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Diagnostics
LzLabs Management Console provides detailed application and environment diagnostics for SDM. Staff familiar with modern application server management tools will immediately understand the information model with the LzLabs Management Console
More Information
Visit our download portal for immediate access to our Product Data Sheets. Please note that Data Sheets are available for download in English language only at present.
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