Scenario Six.

A manufacturing company uses a mixture of Mainframe and LAN technology. The mainframe is "split" into two separate and independently functioning machines. One side runs VM/SP 5.0 the other side runs VSE/ESA, with CICS, ACF/VTAM, NCP etc.

Now this is the "Standard" or "Vanilla" mainstream scenario. Between May and September 1996 new versions of the Operating Systems were announced, these being the first Year 2000 ready Operating Systems.

The major difference between Cinderella and Mainstream is that the Mainstream operating systems need to have Year 2000 compatibility built in before User Applications can run properly.

The main reason for this is that the master control blocks and essential system services suffered from Y2K problems. Setting of the system clock at IPL time, contents of VSAM and System catalogs, program and file directories and the like, together with JCL and System service programs all had to be modified.

The SCP used a mixture of date formats, both binary and mm/dd/yy (or dd/mm/yy or yyddd). These formats and internal functions had to rationalised first.

This installation now needs to upgrade to VM/ESA and Vse/ESA Release 2 Version 2, and CICS/ESA 4.1.

The older COBOL/VS, COBOL II and PL/1 programs need to be modified to use the new functionality in COBOL/ESA and PLI/ESA.

This User has the option to use any of the multitude of tools and services now manifesting themselves for this conversion.

LAN users may need to upgrade to newer levels of Server Software. Networks may need to be generally upgraded. Possibly End User terminals may need to be upgraded or replaced. Typically we are talking about OS/2 Warp 4, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 97 and all associated products. Compliant versions of these will apparently only be available in 1997.

New versions of third party software must be ordered and installed. Essentially all System Software including Sorts, Utilities, Compilers need to be replaced In Toto. Old versions will not be compatible.

A suitable installation and conversion plan must be established, and sunchronised with available of SCP's and Third Party offerings.

This is a Major System Upgrade. For our purposes we will assign "Object Class 6". This is the primary Mainstream Class.



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