On Thu, Dec 15, 2016 at 12:47 PM, Rugen, Len <[email protected]> wrote:
> Is it a database on the SAN? Doesn't M$SQL support compression? > βto the best of my limited knowledge, the data will be in a plain "text" type file, not a data base. As to exactly where, that's "need to know" and I haven't been told.β You know, because mainframers can't understand the modern equipment. > > Len Rugen > > Metrics and Automation β [email protected] > > > -----Original Message----- > From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[email protected]] On > Behalf Of retired mainframer > Sent: Thursday, December 15, 2016 12:23 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: how to: convince programmer something else is better. > > While I sympathize with your effort, I have to wonder what happens 10 > years from now when MicroFocus no longer supports the version of the > compression routine you are using and the new version of the compiler > cannot generate the calling sequence the old routines need. I don't know > that company at all but I'm sure Ed could regale us with lots of horror > stories regarding loss of backward compatibility by numerous vendors. We > have been spoiled by IBM's past efforts in this area. > > -----Original Message----- > From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[email protected]] On > Behalf Of John McKown > Sent: Thursday, December 15, 2016 7:25 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: how to: convince programmer something else is better. > > I'm having a bit of a problem convincing a COBOL programmer to "not do" > something because, IMO, there is a better way. However, it almost seems > like he is not hearing me. > > Some background. We have an in-house written RLE blank compression routine > which we use for some selected data sets. These data sets are known to have > large sequences of blanks in the records. We have used this program for > over 25 years (it was here when I came here). So this predates SMS > compression by a couple of decades. It was also used because, back in that > day, VSAM KSDS data sets were limited to 2 GiB. Oh, the program is written > in HLASM. > > Well, we are getting off of z/OS to Wintel. Regardless of cost and time. > "So let it be written. So let it be done!" As part of this, we will need > to uncompress the data and transfer it to Windows. There are no problems > with that (other than screams from the SAN people about the size of the > resultant files). Part of this is using MicroFocus COBOL to do some of the > work (i..e port the COBOL programs to Windows). The aforementioned > programmer wants a COBOL version of the HLASM compression and decompression > routines. In fact, he has written the decompression routine. He wants me to > write a COBOL version of the compression routine. Which I am working on. > This is being done "just in case" they are needed (i.e. the SAN people > scream long & hard enough about space issues). However, MicroFocus supplies > 3 different compression routines which can be called from COBOL. What I'm > trying to convince the programmer to do is write the Wintel COBOL versions > of the compression routines to take the same parameters as they have > historically, but to call the MIcroFocus routines within them to do the > actual compression and decompression. But, again, it is like he is just not > hearing me. > > Do any of the COBOL programmers out there have any idea how I can phrase > this information so that it makes better sense to him? I.e. convince him > that using the vendor compression routines, via a compatible interface > routine, is the way to go? > > -- > Heisenberg may have been here. > > http://xkcd.com/1770/ > > Maranatha! <>< > John McKown > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email > to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email > to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, > send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN > -- Heisenberg may have been here. http://xkcd.com/1770/ Maranatha! <>< John McKown ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
