S/390 Partners in Development

Why do I need OPTI-AUDIT?

So, you are a small VSE site and you plan to do the conversion yourself. Very good, most VSE sites do.

Which programs are you actually using?

Which programs are used by other programs and not executed directly?

Most sites do not know the answers to these questions. Most sites accumulate programs over the years. Some programs are used all the time, some a few times a year and some were only used once but they are all still out there in a VSE library and the source is waiting to be converted. Are you going to waste your time converting programs you no longer use? We have worked with sites that tell us they have 'only a few hundred' programs and are shocked to learn that they have 15,000 phases on their system. We have one customer that discovered 55,000 phases on his system.

When I was a systems programmer, I would pass around a directory listing of our production library and ask if I could delete anything. I never deleted anything.

Which files are being used by the programs that are in use?

OK, you know that you need to change the key of a specific VSAM KSDS file or the record length of a sequential work file. Now, which of your programs will be effected by these changes? Using OPTI-AUDIT you can identify the programs actually in use and which files are used by these programs.

Using OPTI-AUDIT's COBOL scanner to scan for date related verbs and variables you have a big jump on getting the program converted. Using VisualAge for COBOL it is easy to make the necessary changes and re-compile the program.

OPTI-AUDIT has been purchased by some companies just for the COBOL source scanner.

Year 2000 testing of the program begins but when you set the system date ahead to 2001 the program still does not work correctly. Could the problem be external to the program? Using the OPTI-ANALIZER feature of OPTI-AUDIT you can get a complete picture of all the phases used during the execution of a program. You may discover that the problem is in an SVA routine you have not converted yet. Remember, the conversion of the program is not complete until it has been forward date tested.

Any VSE site doing a Year 2000 conversion needs to get an inventory and assessmemt done as soon as possible. Time is running out. What are you going to do if you miss a few programs because 'Oh, we do not use that program any more ...'? Even if you do not plan to start your conversion for six months, you should start the inventory process now so that when you do start the conversion you will have a good database of program and file usage data to work with.

Any VSE site that says 'Oh, we are small and will handle it ourselves later' is in denial. Do not let the truth or the cost of the problem scare you into not admitting you will have a problem. We expect some companies will be forced out-of-business soon after January 1, 2000 because they refused to admit they had a Year 2000 problem.

Does this give you a better idea of how OPTI-AUDIT will help you in your Year 2000 conversion effort?