tcACCESS – Areas of Use

Integration of Mainframe Data into Office-Applications

Selection and extraction of data from IBM Mainframe data sources and integration of this data into a MS Office application (i.e. MS EXCEL, MS Word or MS Access) is extremely simple and straightforward with tcACCESS. No programming skills are required. All Office components are ODBC-eligible and can send SQL queries to the tcACCESS SQL engine. The SQL-engine treats all mainframe data sources as “relational” resources. An administrator can predefine queries used by end-users. A link to the query or view can be established and placed on the user's desktop. The user can then click on the icon, the query is executed and the result set can be displayed as an EXCEL spreadsheet or MS ACCESS table. A multitude of examples could be envisaged.

User Stories: Office-Integration

   

Bi-directional Synchronization of Mainframe Data and Data on Network Server

tcACCESS can be used to synchronize production data residing on different systems. Only the data, which has been changed on one system, will be transferred to the other system. With tcACCESS systems can be kept in synch. Transaction processing is supported. Customers of tcACCESS are using the synchronization features in conjunction with SAP R/3. Data files of a SAP R/3 component may be synchronized in “real time” with data sources owned by an IBM Mainframe application and vice versa.

User Stories: Data-synchronization

          

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Access to Mainframe Datasources from a Web-Application

Using the tcACCESS ODBC and JDBC/J2EE server components and the tcACCESS API really simplifies the access to mainframe data sources from a Web application. tcACCESS presents a mainframe file like a relational table. The Web application developer does not require any mainframe knowledge to access the data.

User Stories: Web-applications

         

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Integration of existing Mainframe Business Logic

Workstation-programs can directly access existing mainframe programs. This allows the    integration of business logic that has been developed to support the production business processes. The integration of mainframe business logic is especially useful, when data from  legacy applications must be accessed that is encrypted or requires special access algorithms. Another typical area of use is complex data validation. Through integration of the existing data validation modules, updates and inserts can be done from Web applications in a very secure and safe way.

User Stories: Integration of existing business logic

         

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Migration of different Mainframe Datasources to DB2

tcACCESS provides full SQL support for VSAM, DL/1 or IMS/DB, ADABAS, CA-Datacom, CA-IDMS, EDN, KDBS and SPITAB sources. tcACCESS can be used to migrate these data sources to DB2 using standard SQL commands. This migration may take place as a host-based batch process using the DB2 Loader to load the database or it can be done from any batch or CICS/VTAM program through the tcACCESS API. Of course a migration to any database is supported, not only to DB2. Different migrations are also possible (e.g. VSAM to DLI, DLI to ADABAS etc).

User Stories: Data-migration

         

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Data-extraction (ETL) for Data Warehousing, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

tcACCESS allows SQL-based access to nearly all IBM mainframe datasources. The selection and extraction of mainframe data and further processing of this data in a workstation-based application system is very simple. Using the tcACCESS API or the ODBC/JDBC- interface, a completely invisible connection to the mainframe can be established and data from mainframe files as well as server- data can be processed: the user no longer recognizes the origin of the data.

User Stories: Data Warehousing, Enterprise Resource Planning

         

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Re-Engineering of 3270-User Interfaces

tcACCESS allows execution of PC-based programs from the mainframe as well as execution of mainframe programs from a PC. This offers a wide variety of functionality. It is possible to connect an existing legacy mainframe application to a completely new presentation interface. The screen-scraping function of tcACCESS allows the contents of 3270 screens to be used as input for other IT applications.

User Stories: Re-Engineering of 3270-user interfaces
User Stories: Integration of existing business logic

         

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SAP R/3 Integration - Connection to an IBM-mainframe system

For all corporations that use SAP R/3 system components in conjunction with legacy applications on the mainframe, tcACCESS provides the capability to connect the systems at a data and application level. tcACCESS is solely based on standard interfaces, which are provided by SAP. For example, these interfaces used with tcACCESS enable a SAP R/3 system component to communicate with the IBM mainframe and exchange data. Functions provided by tcACCESS allow the continuous synchronization of data residing on a Mainframe with data residing in SAP R/3.

User Stories: SAP R/3 Synchronization

         

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Access to Mainframe-Data from any Programming Language

tcACCESS supports standard interfaces to access mainframe-data and -applications. All programming languages available on today's market support ODBC, JDBC/J2EE or even both. Programming languages that do not support this industry standard can use the tcACCESS API. The developer works in his familiar environment. No mainframe knowledge is required. No help and intervention from mainframe experts is necessary.

User Stories: Programming languages

         

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Access to Open System Databases from a Mainframe Application

Mainframe applications can directly access any ODBC datasource or ORACLE database. The access can either be Read-mode or Write-mode. The implementation of the Open System Transparency is simple. A tcACCESS API must be used on the mainframe. 

User Stories: Open System Access

         

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Start of Open System processes and applications from a Mainframe Application

Using tcACCESS mainframe applications can directly start and initiate any Open System  process or application.

User Stories: Open System Access

    

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The described areas of use are certainly not complete. They should only serve as examples of the versatile uses of tcACCESS. Different kinds of implementation are possible. They all have one in common: 

Using tcACCESS drastically shortens the development cycle and cuts development expenses.