AUTOMATED REFACTORING

CA Gen Migration

Our Automated CA Gen Refactoring solution delivers modern Cloud-enabled applications and databases that are functionally equivalent to their legacy counterparts, eliminating the hassle and expense of CA Gen (formerly known as IEF, Composer, COOL:Gen, Advantage:Gen, and AllFusion Gen) and the mainframe. This reduces cost, allows for deeper integration, and enables customization to meet business requirements.

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Discussing the 2022 Mainframe Modernization Report

60 minutes

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Why modernize?

CHALLENGES

Scarcity of domain expertise

Developers who understand CA Gen and mainframe technology are reaching retirement age and no one is being trained to replace them, resulting in a steadily diminishing talent pool. As this shortage grows, the costs and risk of relying on CA Gen will continue to rise.

Limited flexibility

Companies are rapidly moving to modern environments and practices such as DevOps and the Cloud. CA Gen, the applications it generates, and the underlying systems that support them were not designed for modern IT, resulting in difficult integrations and limited flexibility.

 

Exorbitant costs

Mainframes running applications generated with CA Gen cost as much as 4,500 per cent more to operate than equivalent Cloud counterparts. This figure is compounded by rising licensing and maintenance fees for ancillary mainframe applications and databases. 

Automated CA Gen Refactoring

OUR SOLUTION

Our Automated CA Gen Refactoring solution preserves the benefits of legacy systems while empowering organizations to leverage the advantages of newer platforms, especially the Cloud. This unlocks a whole new world of quality and scalability from automated testing to quality assurance, and the ability to leverage containerized deployments and orchestration with Docker and Kubernetes.

Many CA Gen transformation solutions convert the generated COBOL from CA Gen, producing illegible, impossible to maintain Java or C#. In contrast, our Automated CA Gen Refactoring solution, harnessing a powerful combination of proprietary software and an iterative transformation methodology, uses the application definitions in the CA Gen encyclopedia. This delivers a modern, easily maintainable Java or C# application based on fully maintainable open systems.

Our Automated CA Gen Refactoring solution converts mainframe and client applications, as well as External Action Blocks, delivering a single application stack as the target end state. Functional equivalence, optimimum performance, and simple maintainability is maximized through the following assurances:

  • Refactored applications must remain functionally equivalent to their original counterparts
  • Refactored applications must be easily maintainable, attain SonarQube A ratings, and follow object-oriented concepts and paradigms
  • Refactored applications should perform as well as, or better than, the original applications
  • Refactored applications should be Cloud-ready and delivered using a standard DevOps toolchain and best practices

The entire inventory of CA Gen components supplied and scoped during the initial assessment is refactored to functionally equivalent Java or C# code using our proprietary software. This toolset is configured to support the options selected during the planning stages of the project. At the end of the modernization process, the refactored code along with the supporting framework is packaged and delivered. This package includes:

  • Java or C# source and binary code for converted CA Gen procedures and Action Blocks
  • XML files for converted CA Gen flows used by the Advanced framework
  • Source code and compiled DLL for generated COM proxy classes for converted CA Gen server procedures
  • Source code and binaries for generated proxy classes for converted CA Gen server procedures
  • Java or C# source and binary code for the Advanced framework supporting execution of the target code, along with the framework documentation
  • Default configuration files

Once the CA Gen and its associated databases are refactored, Java and C# developers can extend application functionality for Cloud optimization using standard DevOps tools and CI/CD concepts that simply aren’t available for mainframe applications.

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Over 35 years of CA Gen and mainframe modernization experience

More than 500 successful modernization projects completed

Over 2.5 billion lines of code refactored through automation

Intelligent modernization, unparalleled experience

OUR PROCESS

Additional resources to help you modernize

 
 

HANDBOOK

Modernizing legacy CA Gen

This handbook covers a recent successful modernization, as well as the business case and technical considerations for ditching legacy CA Gen.

Read handbook

 

 

 
 

ON DEMAND

CA Gen isn't COOL anymore

CO-HOSTED WITH MICROSOFT

Watch to find out how modernization can deliver mainframe class capabilities.

Watch on demand

 

 

 
 

REPORT

2022 Mainframe Modernization Report

Exploring the impact of the new era of digitalization and change on the current state of legacy systems and organizations' modernization plans.

Read report

 

 

Read blog angle-right-solid.svg

Oct 7, 2022 by Rob Anderson, Vice President of Marketing and Product, Advanced

The CASE for modernizing CA Gen

This blog outlines the importance of modernizing your CA Gen environment and the different ways we can help implement this change.

Read blog angle-right-solid.svg

Apr 19, 2021 by Rob Anderson, Vice President of Marketing and Product, Advanced

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Aug 28, 2017 by Rob Anderson, Vice President of Marketing and Product, Advanced

News & Opinions

BLOG // 13-02-2024

How DevOps is influencing mainframe modernization strategies

by Tim Jones, Managing Director - Application Modernization

How DevOps is influencing mainframe modernization strategies