GT Software BLOG

In the next IMS Newsletter, due out in the next few weeks, GT Software is featured in two different articles.   First is an article by Rob Morris titled “Returns of the Day: Banking on IMS”, and on the back cover the featured “I am IMS” article is on our own Paul Sewell. Rob highlights the long legacy that GT has with IMS expertise and experience and the trust that global customers have in GT to enable their IMS systems as service providers and consumers. GT has been fully integrating IMS with the Ivory Service Architect for IMS customers in many industries around the world. Paul Sewell , the GT Director or Marketing, is a perfect example of the next generation of young professional who “get” the power and flexibility of mainframes and especially IMS.

Look for the IMS newsletter link on the IMS Home Page in the next few weeks and see for yourself why GT Software is IMS, and Paul Sewell is IMS.

I was recently contacted by a customer who started the discussion with “I was looking at this BPMS tool that uses a BPMN 2.0 modeling with BPEL execution to create a business process and I need to include an IMS transaction, how can I do that?” Well after trying to decode all the acronyms in that question I asked him what he needed. They had started using a very powerful tool (ActiveVOS www.activevos.com) and were putting together some very interesting business processes, and inevitably he ran into process that needed information from the mainframe. After researching and talking to the guys at ActiveVOS, we realized that a web service that was created in Ivory Service Architect could easily be included into a business process (as a partner link) into ActiveVOS flows.    We created a simple IMS service in Ivory we turned the WSDL over to the designer in ActiveVOS, and in about 5 minutes that flow was invoking the service. We went on to create more complex services in Ivory that involved calling multiple IMS transactions in one service( a mainframe composite service), and again it only took a few minutes before that service was part of a business flow. So, two groups, that spoke their own languages, were able to easily and quickly create business services involving diverse architectures including the mainframe applications.

From that discussion the two companies put together a joint webinar showing how these two products and ideas were easily melded into true business solutions. So now I know that BPMS is (Business Process Management Suite), and BPMN is (Business Process Modeling Notation) and BPEL is (Business Process Execution Language) and all they need to know is that talking to mainframe is easy via a WSDL in Ivory Service Architect. That webinar is at www.vosibilities.com “Leveraging mainframes for BPM success”.

Last week at CA World in Las Vegas, GT Software formally announced Ivory 4.2.    Most prominently, in this release, you will see a major commitment from GT Software to providing support for CA Ideal, CA IDMS, and CA Datacom.   By preserving and web-service enabling CA Ideal-based applications, Ivory 4.2 allows you to derive even more business value from your investment in mainframe systems.  Features like an intelligent panel analyzer for CA Ideal panels and the ability to exploit the 3270 bridge facility in CICS makes CA integration fast, easy and efficient.

The latest version of Ivory Service Architect also contains a substantial list of other exciting enhancements.  Most notably is the ability to use the Delegate Node processing on both the Ivory Server for Windows and the Ivory Java Server.  Allowing the execution of custom .NET and Java programs greatly increases the coverage and scope of functionality by including routines like: compression, un-compression, data manipulation routines, or custom functions

Click here to read the full press release or visit www.gtsoftware.com for more details.

Maybe I shouldn’t admit this on a public technology forum, but I am not really a big Star Trek fan. I am however a HUGE fan of Linux on System z. Think about it…the hyperdrive allowed the starship to fly through space faster than the speed of light, virtually un-throttled in earthly terms. You also don’t see huge fuel tanks to power this unleashed speed, almost like it’s free. Imagine now having un-throttled speed on the mainframe that will allow you to get work done faster than on your GPP (general purpose processor) and as an extra incentive, the MIPS on the IFL (Integrated Facility for Linux) are free! Linux on System z, the Hyperdrive for the mainframe.
GT Software has extended its Ivory Service Architect product to run on Linux on System z. This means that you can now host your mainframe SOA infrastructure on the IFL. Take advantage of the power and stability of the mainframe without impacting your GPP or your bottom line. If you would like to learn more, please attend this live webcast to learn how you can save money, reduce MIPS, and expand your mainframe SOA strategy without impacting your GP. For more information, view the following Webcast: Mainframe Integration with Linux on System z

Before we start, I must acknowledge that this is in fact my first BLOG ever. I know, I know, I’m a real trendsetter, but I’ve often felt that you need to be committed to the “cause” and ensure consistent BLOGing or simply don’t do it at all. Well after much self-reflection (and prodding by some ‘friends’) – I’m ready to give it a go!

I’ve have been working in the integration space, most recently mainframe integration, for well over 15 years. The last 5 years with GT Software. We all know that the mainframe is a pricey, though extremely effective, platform and integration is key to ensuring the mainframe’s current and future viability.

Over my career, I’ve witnessed raging mainframe integration successes, and miserable mainframe integration failures. It’s always interesting to reflect on what causes success or failure and try and boil it down to a few simple ideas that are easy to understand and implement. Over the next few weeks I will do just that and provide what I believe to be the 5 guiding principles that can be the difference between success or failure for your mainframe integration projects.

Here’s the roadmap we will cover to ensure your raging success for mainframe integration projects:

Foreword: Before We Start, What is the Real Problem We’re Trying to Solve?

1. Defining the service
2. Assembling the service
3. Deployment
4. Time to deliver
5. Flexibility to change

I hope you’ll take the time to follow this thread and share your experiences and comments as we refine the integration problem to its core elements ensuring you make informed decisions about your future.

Rob