System Integrators, Consultancy firms and individual consultants are often involved at user organizations for project advice with regard to modernization, re-platforming, rejuvenation and restructuring of legacy systems. Often the latest status of technology improvements with regard to the level of automation of these types of projects is yet unknown.
The Y2K issue has been one of the G4-tooling opportunities for automatic mass-conversion, renovation and remediation. Also Euro conversion activities proved that G4-tooling could do the euro conversions fully automatically. Hard-coded currency values in code and in comments (both figures and text) were analyzed and renovated automatically without exceptions. Ongoing implementation of SEPA regulations require insight, analysis and control over back-office, mid-office and front-office systems. Only tools covering multi HW/SW platforms, multi development languages and multi hierarchical/network databases succeed. From there development of the G4-platform has progressed to meet the demands required for more complex tasks of parsing, modeling, pattern recognition, target code generation etc. The G4-platform gradually developed in an advanced white-box architecture with an open meta-data model. G4/Sigma is the integrated pivot for all offspring for both product lines. G4/EAM the controlling agency for legacy maintenance and conversion, migration and modernization.
All conversion/migration projects are undertaken fully automatically. Before starting these automated parts, specific expertise may be involved to set the outlines of the target platform. Tasks like site surveys and analysis of specific constructs from one source language to some other target language are outlined by experts. For these tasks, where human expertise may be hindered by voluminous piles of code, Cornerstone will support all activities with the meta-information database G4/Repository. This meta-information can be interrogated through G4/Analyzer or G4/EAM. The G4/Analyzer (already equipped with over 100 queries and reports) gives insight, overview, relationships, cross-references, metrics and complexity rates throughout the legacy application. For cross HW/SW platform border activities and crossing architectural different application systems, G4/EAM proved to be a standard for ERP systems for the IT-industry itself. G4/EAM is a multi-platform, multi-language, multi-database, multi-JCL, and multi-TP monitor supporting ERP solution. G4/EAM is compliant to ITIL, CSF, CMM and other system engineering methodologies.
G4/Analyzer (based on G4/Repository) can be applied in situations where one major development platform will be analyzed or converted. However practice more often requires analysis tasks that cross the boundaries of development platforms. This requires G4/EAM, explained hereafter. A major renovation issue like SEPA for financial institutions requires tooling which support automatic navigation from backend to mid- and front office systems. In analogy to industrial resource planning issues the IT-departments require a similar ERP solution, covering a wide variety of platforms and architectures. G4/EAM is the leading edge answer to this excessive demand. Exemplified: Without exception, in the back-office it may involve in one chain of analysis languages like Cobol, PL/1, RPG, Assembler, Ideal, Natural etc. and in the mid-office e.g. Progress, OracleForms, Gupta, Magic, UnifAce etc. Currently we engage Java/J2EE, C#.NET, EGL, ABS, APS, VBA, VB.NET in the front office. Above only being a limited view of currently over 55 languages processed by the G4-platform. Even better news is that they can be processed simultaneously in one meta-database (G4/Repository). This requires the multi-language user interface G4/EAM (Enterprise Application Manager) which enables navigation across all HW/SW platforms present at the client situation to be analyzed.
For the entire IT industry and consultancy disciplines all this opens new perspectives on type of services, service level, speed and quality. Just have a look at the Partners regarding the regulations section to get involved in new opportunities.
Critical Success Factors
Improved IT service level, CMM and ITIL compliant. ERP like functionality for the IT-industry itself. Unlike renown ERP systems for business resource purposes implementation time of the ERP system G4/EAM within 3 to 4 weeks. Cost savings of maintenance and control visible within 2 months. Cross-platform software analysis functionality. Integrated view of back-office, mid-office front-office application systems. Special SEPA analysis functionality, BIC, IBAN, ACCOUNTNR drilldown and Logic Mining solutions. Regained control over legacy systems. Improved service level of IT-departments. Faster response on service request. Faster availability of application systems and less deployment disruption. Individual customer profile and bookmarks through configurable architecture.