FAQs

Which IBM COBOL products does CUAZ support upgrade for?


Upgrade from:	Upgrade to:
All versions/releases of: OS/VS COBOL VS COBOL II COBOL/370 COBOL for MVS and VM COBOL for OS/390® & VM Enterprise COBOL for z/OS Enterprise COBOL Value Unit Edition for z/OS	Enterprise COBOL 6.5 Enterprise COBOL 6.4 Enterprise COBOL 6.3 Enterprise COBOL 6.2 Enterprise COBOL 6.1

What version of COBOL should I upgrade to and what are the benefits of upgrading?

To get the benefits of the latest IBM Z hardware, it is recommended to upgrade to the latest version of the COBOL compiler. IBM Enterprise COBOL for z/OS typically keeps the latest two version releases in support, so upgrading to the latest compiler version is recommended to ensure continued support.

Should I upgrade in stages? For example, Enterprise COBOL 3 to 4.2 to 6.5?

No, this is not required and in most cases is not efficient.

However, if you are moving from a much earlier version of the IBM COBOL compiler, like moving from OS/VS COBOL to Enterprise COBOL 6, you may decide that moving from OS/VS COBOL to Enterprise COBOL 4.2 to Enterprise COBOL 6 works better for you. While this is not necessary, this could break down the upgrade into two parts. The first part is to upgrade to Language Environment®, convert to 85 COBOL Standard, and resolve interoperability issues. The second part is to address invalid data and code problems.

Why do I need to use Python to run an inventory scan? Do I need to install the scripts?

Users do not need to manually run any Python or z/OS UNIX scripts. When completing the SMP/E install, these scripts are installed to the default location usr/lpp/IBM/cbu/vXrX/pytools, where XX is the version number, unaffected by fixes or PTFs between versions. CUAZ runs these scripts automatically when generating an inventory report.

The z/OS UNIX path and Python script install location are input fields that are populated with the default location when performing a scan.

Can I run the application scan or the invalid data detection scan on an application that uses CICS, IMS or Db2?

The CUAZ application scan and invalid data detection scan currently supports COBOL batch applications only. Batch applications that use Db2 and IMS are also supported. There is no support for CICS or IMS online applications.