Prerequisite software and service for Enterprise COBOL 5 and 6

Updates are required for other products to compile programs with Enterprise COBOL 5 and 6 and also to bind, run and debug those programs. Now, with Enterprise COBOL 5 and 6, you can use FIXCAT to find required service.

Prerequisite levels of related software products

Enterprise COBOL for z/OS® 6 runs under the control of, or in conjunction with, the currently supported releases of the following programs and their subsequent releases or their equivalents. For more information, see the Program Directory and the preventive service planning (PSP) bucket for each COBOL release.

For COBOL 6.4:
  • z/OS 2.3 (5650-ZOS), or later, is required with various z/OS Language Environment® APARs applied for mixed AMODE 31 (31-bit)/AMODE 64 (64-bit) and COBOL runtime support. Check the Program Directory for APARs needed depending on your z/OS version.
  • For installation on z/OS, z/OS SMP/E is required.
  • For customization during or after installation, z/OS High Level Assembler is required.
  • Enterprise COBOL XML PARSE statements in programs, which are compiled with the XMLPARSE(XMLSS) compiler option, require z/OS XML System Services 2.3 (5650-ZOS), or later.
  • The new COBOL/Java™ interoperability feature available in Enterprise COBOL for z/OS 6.4 requires IBM® SDK for z/OS, Java Technology Edition 8.0.6.36 (JVM), or IBM Semeru Certified Edition for z/OS 11.0.14.1, or later.
For COBOL 6.3:
  • z/OS 2.2 (5650-ZOS), or later, is required.
    Note: To run 64-bit (AMODE 64) COBOL applications, z/OS 2.3 (5650-ZOS) or later is required.
  • For installation on z/OS, z/OS SMP/E is required.
  • For customization during or after installation, z/OS High Level Assembler is required.
  • Enterprise COBOL XML PARSE statements in programs, which are compiled with the XMLPARSE(XMLSS) compiler option, require z/OS XML System Services 2.2 (5650-ZOS), or later.
For COBOL 6.2:
  • z/OS 2.1 (5650-ZOS), or later, is required.
  • For installation on z/OS, z/OS SMP/E is required.
  • For customization during or after installation, z/OS High Level Assembler is required.
  • Enterprise COBOL XML PARSE statements in programs, which are compiled with the XMLPARSE(XMLSS) compiler option, require z/OS XML System Services 2.1 (5650-ZOS), or later.
For COBOL 6.1:
  • z/OS 2.1 (5650-ZOS), or later, is required.
  • For installation on z/OS, z/OS SMP/E is required.
  • For customization during or after installation, z/OS High Level Assembler is required.
  • Enterprise COBOL XML PARSE statements in programs, which are compiled with the XMLPARSE(XMLSS) compiler option, require z/OS XML System Services 2.1 (5650-ZOS), or later.

Depending on the functions used, you might require other software products such as CICS®, Db2®, or IMS. For a list of compatible software, see the Software Product Compatibility Reports (SPCR) website. From the SPCR website, in the In-depth reports section, under Detailed system requirements, click Create a report. Search for Enterprise COBOL for z/OS, choose the COBOL version and then click Submit.

Note: Prerequisite software levels were valid as of the General Availability of the Enterprise COBOL 6 releases. Over time, some of the products will announce end of support plans. Check the product lifecycle website for versions currently supported.

Determining service required

You no longer need to find lists of APARs and PTFs in PSP buckets. As of Enterprise COBOL for z/OS V5, you must use SMP/E FIXCATs to identify the required PTFs on other products to work with Enterprise COBOL 5 and 6. The required service PTFs for COBOL for z/OS 5 and 6 are not documented in this Migration Guide, are not included in PSP buckets, and are not included in any handouts for conferences.

SMP/E FIXCATs allow you to have the most up to date and correct information about Enterprise COBOL 5 and 6 required service. It is the easiest way to quickly determine if you have all the necessary required service PTFs installed. For Enterprise COBOL 5 and 6, you should use SMP/E V3R5 or later support for FIXCAT HOLDDATA to do programmatic target system PTF verification. These PTFs are identified with a FIXCAT category name in HOLDDATA. There are now 5 for COBOL.
  • For COBOL V5.1: IBM.TargetSystem-RequiredService.Enterprise-COBOL.V5R1
  • For COBOL V5.2: IBM.TargetSystem-RequiredService.Enterprise-COBOL.V5R2
  • For COBOL V6.1: IBM.TargetSystem-RequiredService.Enterprise-COBOL.V6R1
  • For COBOL V6.2: IBM.TargetSystem-RequiredService.Enterprise-COBOL.V6R2
  • For COBOL V6.3: IBM.TargetSystem-RequiredService.Enterprise-COBOL.V6R3
  • For COBOL 6.4: IBM.TargetSystem-RequiredService.Enterprise-COBOL.V6R4
A HOLDDATA type FIXCAT (fix category) is used to associate an APAR to a particular category of fix for necessary target system PTFs. To help identify PTFs required but not yet installed for your upgrade to Enterprise COBOL 5 or 6 on your current system, use the SMP/E REPORT MISSINGFIX command. Here is a sample command used to run against your z/OS CSI for COBOL V6.3 (and earlier versions): 
SET BDY(GLOBAL).
REPORT MISSINGFIX ZONES(ZOS13T)
FIXCAT(IBM.TargetSystem-RequiredService.Enterprise-COBOL.V5R1,
       IBM.TargetSystem-RequiredService.Enterprise-COBOL.V5R2,
       IBM.TargetSystem-RequiredService.Enterprise-COBOL.V6R1,
       IBM.TargetSystem-RequiredService.Enterprise-COBOL.V6R2,  
       IBM.TargetSystem-RequiredService.Enterprise-COBOL.V6R3)
For complete information about the REPORT MISSINGFIX command, see SMP/E Commands.

Enterprise COBOL 4.2 aids for migration to Enterprise COBOL 5 or 6

Fixes for previous versions of Enterprise COBOL are not handled by FIXCAT. The following APAR fixes contain aids for helping you migrate from Enterprise COBOL 4.2 to Enterprise COBOL 5 or 6.
  • PM93450 - FLAGMIG4. This one helps you identify if you have COBOL statements that are unsupported in 5 or 6. It is also recommended that you install PTFs for APARs PI12240, PI26838, and PI58762 as these contain updates to the FLAGMIG4 option.
    Note: The source code changes for COBOL V5 and V6 are rarely used COBOL language features and do not affect 99% of COBOL users.
  • PM85035 - new function to support the XML-INFORMATION special register. This was helpful for migrating to XMLPARSE(XMLSS), which was required for migrating to COBOL 5.1 before XMLPARSE was added. In COBOL 5.1 with service applied and COBOL 5.2 and later compilers, the XMLPARSE compiler option is added so that you do not need to migrate to XMLPARSE(XMLSS).
  • PI40323 - ZONECHECK. This option helps you find cases of invalid COBOL data in numeric DISPLAY zoned decimal data items. Invalid data can get different results in COBOL 5 or 6 compared to previous COBOL compiler releases.
  • Language Environment, V1.13 PM87347 for XML-INFORMATION support at run time if you have installed the related Enterprise COBOL 4 APAR, PM85035.