z/OS (MVS) / VSE Sort Migrations
Fast Parm Conversion & Output
Challenges
When migrating to another platform, you must re-host and potentially extend your existing sort jobs. MVS (z/OS) and VSE JCL sort steps will not work in a Unix shell or Windows command-line environment.
The conversion of Parm is necessary, and there are several considerations regarding cost-effectiveness. So you will need:
- Functional equivalence
- same or better sorting performance
- lower operating costs
- a more modern application syntax
- Support for more data transformation and reporting features
Solutions
IRI CoSortUsers have been successfully converting JCL sort operations to Unix, Linux, and Windows systems for over 30 years.
The free metadata conversion programs (mvs2scl and vse2scl) in the CoSort package translate z/OS (MVSand VSE JCL parameters written for IBM DF-SORT (ICEMAN), CA-SORT, or SYNCSORT into CoSort Sort Control LanguageSortCLProgram Job Scripts.
SortCL can perform all functions of mainframe sort programs – and many of the reporting and replication tasks of utilities like File-AID, ICETOOL, and IEBGENER – on „open systems“ ... usually faster and certainly cheaper.
In addition to replication efforts, there are many benefits to application modernization and more data management options. Users of the larger IRI Voracity platform, which is supported by CoSort, can a complete Range of functions for data discovery, integration, migration, governance, and analytics.
The IRI CoSort package—and specifically the Sort Control Language (SortCL) program—is the oldest and still preferred target for sort parameters written for z/OS (MVS) and VSE JCL sorting software, originally distributed by IBM in DF-SORT.
CoSort includes free Sort card conversion programs named MVS2SCL and VSE2SCL. These utilities translate the relevant sort steps (select, sum, etc.) from a JCL stream into a functionally equivalent SortCL job specification file that runs on Unix, Linux, and Windows. Metadata is converted and adjustments are made for multiple output and data types.
These advanced sort parameter conversion tools also set up job scripts that cover the entire spectrum of CoSort data transformation, conversion, reporting, and protection Functions for all structured data sources outside the mainframe.
The conversion assistant pictured below shows the conversion of one or more mainframe sort decks into SortCL job scripts. You can search for the position of the parms and then automatically convert them for use in SortCL.
The middle window shows advanced options available for these conversions. The bottom window shows from left to right: Project Explorer files (including source and target job script), an editor that displays the source job script, a display of the target job script, and a tree view of the target job script components.
