Challenge

Migrate Progressive’s mission-critical Core Claims database and application from CA-IDMS to IBM’s DB2 without disrupting the business operations performed by 10,000 users and 2,000,000 transactions a day

Solution

ATERAS DB-Shuttle Automated Conversion Technology, patent pending

Success

Full migration of IDMS and ADS/Online to DB2 and COBOL CICS was performed in 10 months without disruption to claims-related activities

Key Benefits

• Lowered total cost of ownership
• Increased efficiency of operations
• Easier access to central data from web-based applications
• Flexibility for the future

“The task of converting all our IDMS databases and systems to DB2 was a formidable challenge. The ATERAS automation technology allowed us to achieve a rapid conversion with minimal disruption to our users” — Progressive

Migration Goals

Progressive required that their conversion solution be 100% automated, while still guaranteeing functional equivalency and maintaining all existing business rules. The migration needed to be transparent to the end user community and could not disrupt any business-related activities.

After extensive research into their options, Progressive selected ATERAS and its unique DB-Shuttle automated technology to perform the conversion.

The conversion of the CORE Claims System was the last step in a long series of changes Progressive had made to modernize their database structure. The need to access data directly from multiple web applications without complicated programming was a driving force in the decision to change. Progressive required a system that could function efficiently in their high demand environment.

Another factor driving the changes was the increased difficulty and expense of finding skilled team members to work with the IDMS database and applications. Transitioning to a relational database and more open languages would guarantee the availability of a larger pool of skilled resources to maintain and enhance the applications into the future.

Project Summary

A total of 5 IDMS databases and 5 million lines of code were converted to use the new DB2 relational database, including:

• 397 IDMS Maps
• 603 ADS/Online dialogs
• 10 IDMS ADSA structures
• 1,797 IDMS COBOL programs

The converted applications are high performance, non-proprietary and fully relational. The new configuration reduces overall cost, improves access to the data, and provides the business with greater agility and flexibility for adjustment and future expansion.

Project Phases

The primary phases of the ATERAS DB-Shuttle automated conversion included:

• Software Assessment to gather and inventory the Progressive software and database components
• Database Conversion to provide a fully functional relational database to replace the former IDMS hierarchical structure
• Data Conversion including IDMS extract programs custom-generated by DB-Shuttle based upon the former IDMS database structure
• Application Conversion including the application of Progressive standards for the new application languages and database access routines

Support by the ATERAS teams as the Progressive teams verified the results of the database, data and application conversion, and as they implemented the new applications and databases into production.

Software Assessment

ATERAS performed an in depth automated assessment of the IT environment at Progressive. In the Assessment phase, goals and areas of concentration were fully defined, and all source code and database components were collected, counted, inventoried and measured. The inter-relationships of the components were identified and reported. Even the methods of database access were detailed.

This very detailed, targeted assessment of the entire mainframe application environment provided the ATERAS and Progressive teams with the information required to fully define the conversion project plan, task assignments, responsibilities, timeframes and costs.

As a sub-phase of the Assessment, ATERAS performed a Proof of Concept illustrating two different methods of implementing the target databases and applications. This process allowed the Progressive teams to select the solution best suited for their future processing.

Database Conversion

The Progressive teams responded to a set of workbook questions regarding their standards for database table and column naming, as well as their requirements for space allocation and index usage. Using several DB-Shuttle workbenches, the ATERAS team selected rules for Progressive’s conversion to the new DB2 database.

ATERAS used DB-Shuttle to generate the new DB2 Database Definition Language syntax. The Progressive teams reviewed and adjusted the rules throughout the project lifecycle, ensuring that the relational database structure and configuration met the Progressive processing needs for the future.

Data Conversion

DB-Shuttle used the structure of the original IDMS database (including 265 record types and hundreds of set relationships) to generate a set of high-speed extract programs and the JCL required to run the extracts.

The IDMS extracts were delivered to the Progressive teams, who compiled and executed them on the Progressive mainframe, producing sequential files in the format required by the DB2 load utility. Progressive’s data was never moved from the Progressive mainframe, and only the Progressive teams required access to any of the Progressive data.

Additional data cleansing and relationship definition rules were defined through another DB-Shuttle workbench to further customize the data extract and population process.

Application Conversion

The Progressive teams responded to a set of workbook questions regarding their standards for application naming conventions for their new CICS COBOL DB2 environment. Using the DB-Shuttle workbenches, the ATERAS team defined the re-naming rules for all IDMS maps, programs and copy modules for Progressive.

With the naming standard rules in place, DB-Shuttle generated the new application code, converting the ADS/Online language component to CICS COBOL and all COBOL IDMS calls to DB2 access through a highperformance data access layer. The new applications were immediately ready for testing by the Progressive teams

Testing and Deployment Support

The ATERAS teams provide support, rule changes and other adjustments throughout the Progressive Team’s detailed testing process.

Contact Information

ATERAS

6600 LBJ Freeway
Suite 210
Dallas , TX, 75240
USA

tele: 469.385.7236
toll-free: 800.801.9005
fax: 972.664.9007
info@ateras.com
www.ateras.com