Micro Focus Variable Length Files

Convert, Process, and Protect COBOL Data

Overview
CLF/ELF
CSV
Excel
JSON
LDIF
LS-RS-VS
MF-ISAM
MFVL
Text
Variable blocked
Vision
VSAM
XML
Challenges

Short and long datasets with variable lengths in Micro Focus COBOL exist in file formats that many applications cannot import or process.

You may also need to process these data directly, maintaining their format or converting them to another file format or to a structured (sequential) file format such as CSV, XML, or LDIF.

Solutions

IRI offers Micro Focus Variable Length (MFVL), ISAM and other file conversion functions for its entire product line:

IRI NextForm Converts short and long format MicroFocus Variable Length (MFVL) files to common file formats (such as CSV, XML, Text, etc.) or from additional formats to MFVL. NextForm also supports MF and other COBOL data types, as well as dataset layout remapping (e.g., fixed to delimited).

The SortCLProgram in IRI CoSort can convert, transform, protect, and report data in MFVL files. Use SortCL to sort, join, aggregate, integrate, format, protect or produce BI from mainframe COBOL data.

CoSort (SortCL) and IRI FieldShield can protect data in MFVL files with field-level encryption, masking, de-identification, and other routines, based on the type of data and the recipient of the file. Both create audit-proof XML logs of their operations to check compliance with data protection laws.

Do you need test files in MFVL format? IRI RowGen uses the same layout metadata as CoSort (SortCL) and NextForm, so that you can easily switch between generating test data and transforming real data.

Related solution

Product links