Data Center Management Systems
Data Ager |
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Data Ager Overview
Data Ager adjusts all or a portion of the dates in your test files in seconds.
Data Ager provides significant reductions in the time and labor associated
with System Testing setup. Data Ager allows programmers to quickly
update test files with a portion or all of the date fields adjusted in
seconds. A recent Data Ager customer realized $350,000 in
cost reductions for testing setup, and projects that they will save an
estimated $45,000 per year for continuous improvement testing setup.
Data Ager significantly reduces project cost and delivery time by providing complete automation in the test file aging setup process. This automation eliminates the majority of the manual labor-intensive processes associated with test file aging. Data Ager also improves test accuracy by making it so easy to regenerate test files that Data Ager users are seldom tempted to risk reusing out of date test files from a previous project.
KRON - The System Date Compensator is now included with the Data Ager. KRON intercepts system date requests and optionally returns a simulated date to applications running on the OS/390 or z/OS operating systems.
Data Ager significantly reduces project cost and delivery time by providing complete automation in the test file aging setup process. This automation eliminates the majority of the manual labor-intensive processes associated with test file aging. Data Ager also improves test accuracy by making it so easy to regenerate test files that Data Ager users are seldom tempted to risk reusing out of date test files from a previous project.
KRON - The System Date Compensator is now included with the Data Ager. KRON intercepts system date requests and optionally returns a simulated date to applications running on the OS/390 or z/OS operating systems.
The Data Ager system consists of 2 components: the Online and Batch utilities.
Online - The Data Ager Online utility permits you to specify information about the file to be aged, such as it's name and the date fields on the file. Each use of the Online utility creates the Data Ager Batch utility JCL needed to accomplish the specified data aging. The JCL can be submitted for immediate execution or stored on a private library for later execution.
Batch - The Data Ager Batch utility actually performs the data aging. It sequentially updates the file, incrementing each selected date field. It supports QSAM fixed- or variable-blocked (sequential) or VSAM (KSDS, ESDS or RRDS) files. It supports fields that are character, packed or hex (binary) data types, containing dates in more than 20 formats, such as MMDDYY and YYYY-DDD. DCMS is committed to supporting all date formats. New date formats will be quickly added as required.
Online - The Data Ager Online utility permits you to specify information about the file to be aged, such as it's name and the date fields on the file. Each use of the Online utility creates the Data Ager Batch utility JCL needed to accomplish the specified data aging. The JCL can be submitted for immediate execution or stored on a private library for later execution.
Batch - The Data Ager Batch utility actually performs the data aging. It sequentially updates the file, incrementing each selected date field. It supports QSAM fixed- or variable-blocked (sequential) or VSAM (KSDS, ESDS or RRDS) files. It supports fields that are character, packed or hex (binary) data types, containing dates in more than 20 formats, such as MMDDYY and YYYY-DDD. DCMS is committed to supporting all date formats. New date formats will be quickly added as required.
1. The Initial ISPF screen prompts the user for the following
information
- Input COBOL record layout member, library and access method (Panvalet, Librarian, PDS)
- Input name of the file to be aged and file organization type
- Specify if Selection Criteria is to be used to optionally select only a portion of the records to be aged
- Specify if Automatic Date Selection is to be used to optionally select all fields containing the word 'date' for aging
- Input the date to be used in the aging calculation
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Respond to prompts for options on how the process is to be performed
2. The second ISPF screen optionally prompts the user for information on
which records are to be selected for aging. The Selection Criteria
screen is only displayed if (Use Selection Criteria = YES) was specified in
the previous screen.
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Data Ager presents a list of Field Names and allows the user to specify the
operationvcodes and field values to use to select records for aging. Valid
Operation codes are (EQ or =, NE or ¬=, GT or >, LT or <, GE or >=, LE or <=)
3.
The Third ISPF screen optionally presents each field that contains the
word 'Date' in the field name. The Selected Field screen is only
displayed
if (Automatic Date Selection = YES) was specified in the initial Data
Ager
Screen.
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- Data Ager allows the user to optionally select each field presented for aging by
entering the field date format. Data Ager supports over 20
different
date formats.
4. The fourth ISPF screen displays a scrollable list of all the fields
including the fields to be modified
- Data Ager presents a list of field names and allows the user to specify which
date fields are to be aged and the format of the date stored within each
field.
Data Ager supports over 20 different date formats.
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5.
The fifth ISPF screen displays the Generated JCL.
- Data Ager presents the Generated JCL in an ISPF edit session.
The
user can optionally submit the JCL for execution or save it for future
execution.
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Product
use Recommendation
Data
Ager can provide Customer with much time and cost savings advantages
for
their project efforts, current “as-is” system testing, and future
on-going
system testing requirements on the OS/390 platform. This product will
provide
cost savings, which will pay for the product many times over. The
following
is a list of proposed Data Ager product usage considerations.
- Testing automation analysts could use Data Ager to build properly aged files required for daily, weekly, quarterly and year-end Baseline and Regression testing.
- Prepare file-testing packets for outside vendors to perform unit testing on code renovation projects.
- Development staff can quickly create independent testing environments for concurrent simulation testing.
- Current “as-is” systems development staff can use Data Ager to reduce their current labor on testing setup.
- Operations and Development staff can use Data Ager to re-create problem resolution testing for production systems.
- Data Ager can provide automated support for Q/A and development environments.
Installation,
Customization and Training
Data
Ager is available for any processor that supports the MVS/SP, MVS/XA,
MVS/ESA
and OS/390 operating system environments. Data Ager utilizes
ISPF/Dialog
Manager (DM) and ISPF/Program
Development Facility (PDF). Data Ager supports all versions and releases of MVS, ISPF (version 2.0 and higher) and VSAM.
Development Facility (PDF). Data Ager supports all versions and releases of MVS, ISPF (version 2.0 and higher) and VSAM.
- Data Ager installation and customization takes less than 30 minutes.
- Data Ager is very easy to use. Detailed help information is available for every Data Ager panel. Formal training is seldom required.
Customer Service and Support
The DCMS toll-free Customer Support Hotline (800) 998-3848 is accessible 24
hours / 7 days a week. On-site training and consulting are available
for a nominal fee.
Cost
Savings Assumption Model
Business Application changes require system integration testing be performed on
a business process flow comprised of batch processing testing. This
testing includes the changed programs and the associated programs impacted by
the process changes. The model is based on “best case” industry averages.
Cost estimates are based on a $50.00 hourly rate.
This scenario assumes Company ABC requires changes to the Accounts Receivable system to adjust the aging algorithms. These changes impact online CICS programs which define the customer master detail records which define the terms for receipt and the related batch jobs performing system accrual, G/L hand off, etc. Complete testing requires that files be prepared to reflect future daily, monthly, quarterly, and year-end processing and reporting.
This scenario assumes Company ABC requires changes to the Accounts Receivable system to adjust the aging algorithms. These changes impact online CICS programs which define the customer master detail records which define the terms for receipt and the related batch jobs performing system accrual, G/L hand off, etc. Complete testing requires that files be prepared to reflect future daily, monthly, quarterly, and year-end processing and reporting.
Assumptions: |
Programs scheduled for modification |
20
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Programs scheduled for testing |
100
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Jobs scheduled for testing |
30
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Files required for testing |
300
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| Hourly Rate |
$50
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Time required to modify 50 files |
200
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Hours |
Sample Cost Savings
Testing Setup Function |
Manual Hours | Est. Manual Cost | Est. Data Ager Hours | Est. Data Ager Cost | ||
| Modify files for jobs |
200
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$10,000.00
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16.00
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$800.00
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| Totals: |
200
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$10,000.00
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16.00
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$800.00
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| Time Savings |
200 Hours - 16.00 Hours =
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184 Hours | ||||
| Cost Savings |
184 Hours * $50.00 =
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$9,200.00 | ||||
The following pricing is based on Software Group 60 processor pricing.
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$10,000.00
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Base product price (Software Group 60) | ||
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$0.00
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First year annual maintenance @ 15% of base product price | ||
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$10,000.00
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Total system delivery price |
- For additional information, contact your DCMS Representative at (800)998-3848 or sales@dcmsi.com.