All-in-One Guides:Mainframe Management
Chapter 3: Mainframe Migration Considerations
The advantages of mainframe computing are often overshadowed by premium hardware and labor costs, a complex and aging architecture, and pricey software licensing or maintenance expenses. And if that weren't enough, there is a shortage of mainframe skills in the IT workforce. In the face of these difficulties, some mainframe shops are abandoning Big Iron and making the shift to open systems. Let's take a closer look at the considerations behind this shift, and examine some of the potential pros and cons of a major platform change.
Mainframe migration case studies:
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NYSE undertakes IBM mainframe migration to Unix and Linux
14 May 2007
Article - By moving from a 1,600 MIPS mainframe to distributed systems, the stock exchange is cutting transaction costs in half.
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Moving 600 developers off the mainframe
Tip - Micro Focus eased an army of in house COBOL programmers off of the mainframe and onto Windows while maintaining the legacy APS language at Blue Cross Blue Shield South Carolina. The company is also in the process of refining its SOA vision.
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Publisher aims to save a million moving off mainframe
14 Mar 2006
Article - NYC publisher, Simon & Schuster, expects to save $1M a year on hardware and licensing fees by migrating off the mainframe to Unisys' Intel-based ES7000.
Mainframe migration drivers:
1 - 3 of 9-
HP makes the case for mainframe migration
17 Jan 2007
Article - John Pickett, Hewlett-Packard's worldwide mainframe alternative program manager, outlines HP's strategy for mainframe replacement.
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Microsoft Mainframe Migration Alliance: Divide and conquer
31 Aug 2006
Article - The Mainframe Migration Alliance knows the zSeries community isn't ready to trash its mainframes just yet. But the recent migration of Canadian insurance firm Lombard to Windows shows that Microsoft is making strides in the market in can thrive in --...
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Third-party software costs killing mainframe growth
10 Jan 2007
Article - A new Gartner survey reflects mainframe trends in third-party software costs, Linux adoption and IBM's struggle to bring new blood to the platform.
Mainframe staffing issues:
1 - 3 of 9-
COBOL skills needed in the future
03 Jan 2006
Article - There is just too much of this code out there to ignore, and future programmers would do well to cash in on the coming COBOL knowledge pool shortage.
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Workload consolidation attracts new blood to mainframe
Tip - At the recent Share conference, the IBM user group covered workload consolidation, Linux on the mainframe, distributed computing and mainframe education opportunities
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COBOL, Wintel generations must bury the hatchet
01 Nov 2006
Article - Some pundits and bloggers think that mature, COBOL generation IT workers should retire and get out of the way in order to make room for Wintel IT staff. Forrester analyst Phil Murphy explains why that idea is counterproductive.