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Conference ulysse::rdb_vms_competition

Title:DEC Rdb against the World
Moderator:HERON::GODFRIND
Created:Fri Jun 12 1987
Last Modified:Thu Feb 23 1995
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1348
Total number of notes:5438

1331.0. "Porting Opp. 4341 & IDMS" by SIOG::P_HOUGH () Tue Jan 25 1994 14:07

Folks,
I need help responding to the following request from a customer to help 
'migrate' a large application from IDMS to UNIX & an RDMS. This customer
is primarily looking for a "can do" answer, before evaluating the 
technical merits of the proposal. Their main aim is to get the application
onto a reasonable development platform. Their alternatives are to spend
*A LOT* of money upgrading the IBM mainframe, purchasing new IDMS licenses
etc. They really don't want to do this. Our competition is from a division
of the RAND Corp. (Do they specialise in this ?)

Any help on sizing this would be appreciated. 
Anyone out there who can help do this stuff ???
All pointers appreciated..

The application is from a University...
The text below is extracted directly from a mail message from the customer
- his words - hope it makes sense to someone out there :-)

Regards,		..P.J..


BTW, in 1989 this customer invited us to quote for a REWRITE of the system.
I have this additional information (no. of screens etc) if its of use...




                       REGISTRARS INFORMATION SYSTEM

1. Introduction

             The Registrars Information System supports the functions of
             the Registrars Office. Key functions are:

                  ADMISSIONS     :    take on of student details
                  RECORDS        :    maintain academic record for
                                      students. i.e. courses taken,
                                      exam results and qualifications
                                      awarded.
                  EXAMS          :    Exam administration
                  FEES           :    Fees Ledger.

             The system uses the IDMS database and is run on an IBM
             model 4341 computer. The application was implemented in
             1985 and has been operating in a stable environment without
             major enhancement since 1991.

             Current plan is to downsize application to RDMS running on
             Unix machine.

2. Applicatiion Components.

             Softaware Details
             -----------------

             Compiler                 :    PL/1
             TP Monitor               :    CICS
             Database                 :    IDMS Release 10.0
             Processing Languages     :    PL/1
                                           ADS
             4 Generation Languages   :    Culprit
             Data Dictionary          :    IDMS
             JCL                      :    OS/VS1 JCL
                                           CMS
             Job Scheduler            :    OS/VS1 VM/SP
             3rd Party Software       :    CA-Sort

             All source code is the property of ***



3. Batch Processing

             Database Programs
             -----------------

             Language            No.Programs         Lines of Code
             -----------------------------------------------------
             PL/1                102                 13,840
             Culprit             69                  22,100
             
             Job Control Language
             --------------------
             Type                Number              No of Lines
             ---------------------------------------------------
             CMS EXEC            134                 11,621
             JCL                 785                 91,930

4. On-line Processing

             Database Programs
             -----------------

             Language            No.Programs         Lines of Code
             -----------------------------------------------------
             ADS                 1184                15,999

             
             Screens
             -------

             Type                Number
             --------------------------
             ADS                 394  


5. Storage

             Flat files (sequential) used to load data from CAO (first
             year student details) and Bank (fee data). All other data
             stored in IDMS.

6. Users

             Currently about 30 users. Not expected to increase.

7. Documentation.

             IDMS is self documenting. User documentation is poor and
             has not been kept up to date.

8. Main Inputs to System.

             Exam Results:       Read by OMR. 100,000 exam marks p.a.
                                 (approx)
             Bank Tape:          Monthly, 10,000 records p.a.
             CAO Tape:           2,000 records p.a.
             Continual maintenance of database information.

9. Database Utilisation.

             The following extracts from an IDMS utilisation report
             indicate the storage requirements of the existing database.

IDMSDUMP  IDMS SECURITY DUMP - DATABASE UTILIZATION REPORT               
PAGE SIZE IS 4,628 CHARACTERS.  DUMPED 5,000 PAGES,  FROM AREA ST-AREA   
SPACE USED 22,861,816 CHARACTERS,  EMPTY SPACE LEFT 118,184 CHARACTERS,  
                                                                         
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *      SPACE DISTRIBUTION PER
             MAXIMUM   ***********************ACTIVE*********************
RECORD TYPE  LENGTH    OCCURENCES   TOTAL SPACE USED  PERCENT OF TOTAL US
  SR2            16           9               144               0        
  SR3             0           9                 0               0        
  SR501         348      30,248        10,526,304              46        
  SR502          52      84,487         4,393,324              19        
  SR505          64      93,729         5,998,656              26        
  SR533          96      19,551         1,876,896               8        
  SR557         144         360            51,840               0        
SPACE INV     4,596           3            13,788               0        


IDMSDUMP  IDMS SECURITY DUMP - DATABASE UTILIZATION REPORT               
PAGE SIZE IS 19,068 CHARACTERS.  DUMPED 400 PAGES,  FROM AREA SUBJECT-ARE
SPACE USED 1,654,420 CHARACTERS,  EMPTY SPACE LEFT 5,959,980 CHARACTERS, 
                                                                         
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *      SPACE DISTRIBUTION PER
             MAXIMUM   ***********************ACTIVE*********************
RECORD TYPE  LENGTH    OCCURENCES   TOTAL SPACE USED  PERCENT OF TOTAL US
  SR503          72          62             4,464               0        
  SR511          48       1,805            86,640               5        
  SR513          68      10,311           701,148              42        
  SR514          72         107             7,704               0        
  SR520         100         130            13,000               1        
  SR521          36          26               936               0        
  SR522          36       1,768            63,648               4        
  SR534          68         238            16,184               1        
  SR542          60       3,568           214,080              13        
  SR544          44      11,732           516,208              31        
  SR547         116          59             6,844               0        
  SR550          36         122             4,392               0        
  SR551          32           2                64               0        
  SR553          24           1                24               0        
  SR554          24           1                24               0        
  SR590          24           1                24               0        
SPACE INV    19,036           1            19,036               1        



IDMSDUMP  IDMS SECURITY DUMP - DATABASE UTILIZATION REPORT               
PAGE SIZE IS 4,628 CHARACTERS.  DUMPED 20,000 PAGES,  FROM AREA ASP-AREA 
SPACE USED 54,496,304 CHARACTERS,  EMPTY SPACE LEFT 37,423,696 CHARACTERS
                                                                         
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *      SPACE DISTRIBUTION PER
             MAXIMUM   ***********************ACTIVE*********************
RECORD TYPE  LENGTH    OCCURENCES   TOTAL SPACE USED  PERCENT OF TOTAL US
  SR2            16          11               176               0        
  SR3             0          11                 0               0        
  SR504          52           5               260               0        
  SR506         112     103,954        11,642,848              21        
  SR512          56     321,457        18,001,592              33        
  SR515          44     545,755        24,013,220              44        
  SR552         104       7,661           796,744               1        
SPACE INV     4,596           9            41,364               0        


IDMSDUMP  IDMS SECURITY DUMP - DATABASE UTILIZATION REPORT               
PAGE SIZE IS 4,628 CHARACTERS.  DUMPED 300 PAGES,  FROM AREA COURSE-AREA 
SPACE USED 628,784 CHARACTERS,  EMPTY SPACE LEFT 750,016 CHARACTERS,  FIL
                                                                         
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *      SPACE DISTRIBUTION PER
             MAXIMUM   ***********************ACTIVE*********************
RECORD TYPE  LENGTH    OCCURENCES   TOTAL SPACE USED  PERCENT OF TOTAL US
  SR507         140         341            47,740               8        
  SR508          36         749            26,964               4        
  SR509          56       2,150           120,400              19        
  SR510         116       3,699           429,084              68        
SPACE INV     4,596           1             4,596               1        


IDMSDUMP  IDMS SECURITY DUMP - DATABASE UTILIZATION REPORT               
PAGE SIZE IS 19,068 CHARACTERS.  DUMPED 400 PAGES,  FROM AREA SCHIS-AREA 
SPACE USED 5,375,328 CHARACTERS,  EMPTY SPACE LEFT 2,239,072 CHARACTERS, 
                                                                         
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *      SPACE DISTRIBUTION PER
             MAXIMUM   ***********************ACTIVE*********************
RECORD TYPE  LENGTH    OCCURENCES   TOTAL SPACE USED  PERCENT OF TOTAL US
  SR546          76      35,910         2,729,160              51        
  SR548         168       5,342           897,456              17        
  SR555         340       5,087         1,729,580              32        
  SR556          48           1                48               0        
SPACE INV    19,036           1            19,036               0        


IDMSDUMP  IDMS SECURITY DUMP - DATABASE UTILIZATION REPORT               
PAGE SIZE IS 4,628 CHARACTERS.  DUMPED 300 PAGES,  FROM AREA XFEE-AREA   
SPACE USED 166,516 CHARACTERS,  EMPTY SPACE LEFT 1,212,284 CHARACTERS,  F
                                                                         
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *      SPACE DISTRIBUTION PER
             MAXIMUM   ***********************ACTIVE*********************
RECORD TYPE  LENGTH    OCCURENCES   TOTAL SPACE USED  PERCENT OF TOTAL US
  SR570          56         203            11,368               7        
  SR571          48       3,090           148,320              89        
  SR585          72          31             2,232               1        
SPACE INV     4,596           1             4,596               3        



IDMSDUMP  IDMS SECURITY DUMP - DATABASE UTILIZATION REPORT               
PAGE SIZE IS 19,068 CHARACTERS.  DUMPED 300 PAGES,  FROM AREA FDOT-AREA  
SPACE USED 1,624,860 CHARACTERS,  EMPTY SPACE LEFT 4,085,940 CHARACTERS, 
                                                                         
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *      SPACE DISTRIBUTION PER
             MAXIMUM   ***********************ACTIVE*********************
RECORD TYPE  LENGTH    OCCURENCES   TOTAL SPACE USED  PERCENT OF TOTAL US
  SR562         164         271            44,444               3        
  SR563          40      38,701         1,548,040              95        
  SR564          92         145            13,340               1        
SPACE INV    19,036           1            19,036               1        



IDMSDUMP  IDMS SECURITY DUMP - DATABASE UTILIZATION REPORT               
PAGE SIZE IS 4,628 CHARACTERS.  DUMPED 700 PAGES,  FROM AREA FEE-AREA    
SPACE USED 2,601,596 CHARACTERS,  EMPTY SPACE LEFT 615,604 CHARACTERS,  F
                                                                         
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *      SPACE DISTRIBUTION PER
             MAXIMUM   ***********************ACTIVE*********************
RECORD TYPE  LENGTH    OCCURENCES   TOTAL SPACE USED  PERCENT OF TOTAL US
  SR561          56      37,791         2,116,296              81        
  SR583          56         240            13,440               1        
  SR584          56       8,344           467,264              18        
SPACE INV     4,596           1             4,596               0        


IDMSDUMP  IDMS SECURITY DUMP - DATABASE UTILIZATION REPORT               
PAGE SIZE IS 4,628 CHARACTERS.  DUMPED 800 PAGES,  FROM AREA INDEX-AREA  
SPACE USED 2,294,368 CHARACTERS,  EMPTY SPACE LEFT 1,382,432 CHARACTERS, 
                                                                         
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *      SPACE DISTRIBUTION PER
             MAXIMUM   ***********************ACTIVE*********************
RECORD TYPE  LENGTH    OCCURENCES   TOTAL SPACE USED  PERCENT OF TOTAL US
  SR4         1,184         482           295,608              13        
  SR700          32           1                32               0        
  SR701          32           1                32               0        
  SR702          84           1                84               0        
  SR703       1,220       1,872         1,994,016              87        
SPACE INV     4,596           1             4,596               0        

=============================================================================

T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
1331.1Consider DBMS?WIBBIN::NOYCEDEC 21064-200DX5 : 130 SPECint @ $36KThu Jan 27 1994 01:1614
Depending on details of the application, conversion to a
relational model could be easy or hard.  I'll let someone
else tackle that estimation.

Are you and your customer aware that VAX DBMS (does it have
a new name now?) is a CODASYL-style database management system
that's available on both OpenVMS VAX and OpenVMS AXP?  This
would likely be a much simpler conversion from IDMS.

Raising this subject may be sensitive, since it doesn't get
the customer onto UNIX, and doesn't get them to a relational
system.  But it may be an alternative they should consider.
Either VAX or AXP should be able to do the job much cheaper
than their 4341.
1331.2There are ways to do this ..DBSALF::FOLDEVIDownsizing/Migrations - dtn 343-2368Thu Mar 10 1994 19:2120
P.J.,

I will pass this on to my counterpart in the IBM side of the
DECsolutions program.  We talk/work with a couple of 3rd parties that
do just these things.  We just need to take a closer look at it, and
maybe get back to you for more info.

Since I didn't read this until now, 2 months late, please tell me if
it's still an opportunity.

If they don't demand a relational DBMS, CA is now offering IDMS on Unix
platforms (we are talking  to them about a port to DEC OSF/1.)

Anyway, please give me an update and if it's still hot, copy Lynda
ANGLIN::Jones.

Cheers,

- Lars