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The computers get old and outdated and cannot keep up with new technology for a longer period. The things, which can be done with old computer and what is needed to be done to prepare for a new computer, are listed.

CIOs can facilitate their companies' shift to client/server technology without entirely discarding legacy systems by using surround strategies. Basically, surround strategies allow technology executives to compensate for the shortcomings of legacy systems by substituting client/server technology only for certain parts of the system. This is achieved by dividing legacy systems into presentation, process and data layers. The new and old components of the system are then made to communicate with each other via screen mapping, process mapping, legacy data application or legacy data servers.

Advancing information technology presents a variety of options for constructing the seamless enterprise. Among the key decisions is the choice of applications software. IF THERE IS A SIMPLE WAY TO […]

Moving to newer higher capacity programmable devices can give you higher density and better performance. But if you use common CAE design tools, transferring your old design's description to the [...]

The IBM Systems/36 is the most widespread midrange computer system today. The midrange is aging, hoewever, and is a prime candidate for replacement with current Unix-based computer platforms. Most of the installed applications developed for the Systems/36 are still viable though it requires new technology which the old system is not capable of supporting. Suggested conversion methodologies include total manual system redesign, redesign using fourth generation languages, software re-engineering and emulation.

Executive Summary Distributed processing is not a new concept, and neither are distributed systems. Early on, business functions that may have been performed manually were computerized and installed at departmental […]

Conversion methods, which are used to switch to new control systems, are presented.

Rightsizing may be the current vogue, but, asks Jenny Mill, are users aware of the many pitfalls that could lead to reduced performance and increased costs? Last month, insurance giant […]

'Downsizing' from the mainframe to LANs can save companies money. Government organizations realize that they have to go through the same process, but there are many more hurdles to overcome […]

Have you ever performed an operating-system upgrade that resulted in an unreasonably slow-running computer? It could be a driver issue, which is easy enough to resolve, but often it's something […]

Upgrading is easier and cheaper than ever-but dozens of hours are gone forever. As I gazed over the antique computer equipment littering my home, I decided, no more excuses, I'm […]

The problems connected with the year 2000 (Y2K) and the weekend number rollover (WNRO) of the Global Positioning System highlight the need for greater communication exchanges between the transportation industry and its partners. One of the steps required to address these issues include the realization that Y2K and WNRO are not single-day problems but continuous events that require long-term solutions. The industry must also be aware that the problem's interdependence requires fixing the entire network and not just one system.

Q. Why doesn't Excel offer horizontal subtotals? For example, I'd like to add a subtotal in E for Q1 (see Figure 1). A. This is a great question. Although it [...]

Finding the right hardware specification for a mainframe to client-server migration would test the patience of even the most experienced IT manager. But, writes Emma Mansell-Lewis, there are steps that […]

When asked how he manages to sleep at night, Jeff Bingham of the Automobile Association (AA) laughs as if it is a daft question. But it does not seem daft […]

AN EASTERN PHILOSOPHER ONCE SAID THAT HUMAN BEINGS are renewed in seven-year cycles. Over the course of each cycle, the cells in our bodies are completely replaced, except, perhaps, for […]

Is 25 percent added effort sufficient for testing?' When I heard that question, I nearly fell out of my chair. New customers usually demand a reduction in planned testing efforts […]

When my wife and I bought our current home about nine years ago, there was a cute little pine tree behind the garden shed. About two feet high, it was […]

Automated methods are an increasingly attractive way to update insurance industry systems. Traditional systems migration approaches, including manual conversion, implementation of purchased software packages and systems rewriting are costly and often inaccurate. Automatic conversions encompass only 50-80% of the process, making them imperfect but often more cost-efficient. Companies are coming out with turnkey conversions that could streamline the procedure., Insurers have invested millions to build automated systems that now are a roadblock to the future. Business is different than it was a few years ago. Insurers are seeking break-throughs [...]

We've all lived through a decade of hype about plummeting PC prices putting mainframes on our desktops. When a real live example comes into my E-mail inbox, I relish the […]

How do you integrate valuable data held in legacy systems with that from new corporate applications? That was the question asked by this months CW debate in Bristol. Julia Vowler […]

The 'ize' have it! How many are there? Downsize, rightsize, systematize, centralize, decentralize. I have a new one. 'Appropriatize.' Mine is a little different in that it encompasses all of […]

IBM and Viasoft Inc agreed to jointly develop reengineering tools to assist in the downsizing practice of migrating Cobol applications designed under IBM's Application/Development (AD) Cycle environment off mainframe computers to microcomputer and other more inexpensive operating platforms. The new programs operate by inputing applications logic from large business applications such printing or report generating into the AD/Cycle's complex forward engineering tools. These tools generate smaller, more manageable applications that can run on more cost-effective platforms. Industry analysts believe these types of products will give organizations alternatives when it comes to reengineering projects. In the past, such projects often demanded expensive consulting services to complete. The tools being developed by IBM and Viasoft will give organizations the option of having in-house personnel meet their reengineering needs.

The key to moving from mainframes to smaller computers is addressing and solving the challenge of downsizing applications. From a hardware perspective, downsizing is easy. From a software perspective, downsizing […]

By Jim Seymour Over the past decade we've seen a tremendous change in the operating philosophy of many corporate MIS directors. Working with MIS departments over that decade, I've seen […]