IBM shows the picture on the lid of its AD/Cycle, Repository box of tricks
IBM’s Repository is here, well almost. In fact IBM was playing down this repeatedly delayed product, presenting it as merely one of a set of application development components that takes the company’s System Application Architecture into the realms of computer aided software engineering. The whole caboodle is, as previously reported (CI No 1,266), to be known as AD/Cycle. This framework includes a number of user-written and vendor supplied tools which are integrated through a PS/2 workstation user interface, tool services, an application development information model and the Repository. In fact very few parts of this cycle are available now, since IBM was merely showing the press the picture on the lid of the box to look at first. In fact the scene-stealer of the show, Repository Manager/MVS 1.1, will not appear until July 1990 and will provide services for both MVS/ESA and MVS/XA. Although the technology is at this stage still shrouded in mystery the Repository appears to be little more than a straightforward database supporting the definition, collection, manipulation and control of application development information which would include data about a business’s data processing environment, organisation, activities, processes and assets. In a sense the Repository can, however, be described as a passive database since it cannot run applications and it is a development tool only. It interfaces with systems running applications via Common Programming Interface, enabling it to express complex relationships and enforce rules but cannot itself execute run-time code. In its intended development role highlighted features include interfaces to entity-relationship tools and to object services tools as well as entity-relationship modelling. One-time charges on smaller 4381s will be $94,080 or a monthly fee of $1,960; one time charges for the big 3090-500S and 600S machines will be $243,000 or a monthly fee of $4,500. For those working within a DOS/VSE under VM environment, Repository services are also planned for the VM operating system as well as for OS/400. IBM also issued a statement of direction concerning the use of its Repository Manager/MVS to manage network configurations for NCP and VTAM definitions. In this role the Repository will be used to store network configuration information, support network tasks, help to generate NCP or partial emulation program load modules, and define resources to VTAM, providing new sources of information for the NetView network manager to look at.
IBM’s DevlopMate for AD/Cycle Aside from the Repository, however, IBM was announcing a range of tools within its AD/Cycle framework. The beginning of this cycle is enterprise modelling – the point where the business problem is defined and the entity-relationship model is created. In this sphere IBM announced DevelopMate 1.1 for use between an MVS host and a PS/2 workstation, which creates prototypes and puts this information in the Repository according to the decided model constructs, which are then shared with other AD/Cycle tools. This enables an early informal prototype to emerge which can then be referenced by third and fourth generation language programmers. DevelopMate is compatible with IBM’s own Integrated Business System Development Method (alias SDM), as well as with methodologies such as SSADM and Information Engineering. For smaller 4381s the one time charge for this product will be $30,050 or $626 a month, for the 500S/600S market the one time charge will be $77,760 or $1,440 a month. Develop Mate will not be available until January 1991.
Languages, CSP Cobol generator for SAA
Having selected the method to be used, the developer within AD/Cycle must then find the tools to build the applications. As regards languages, IBM has extended the SAA Common Programming Interface to include PL/I. SAA compliance is in OS PL/1 v.2, currently supported under MVS/ESA, MVS/XA, VM/SP and VM/XA, but which will be implemented for OS/2 EE and OS/400 in the near future. O
ther language enhancements were also announced: C/370 1.2 to enable C/370 applications to execute under CICS/ESA 3.1 and to support inter-language calls with System/370 Assembler and VS Cobol II available in July 1990; VS Cobol II 3.1, available in January 1990, which extends the support of 1985 ANSI standards in the VM/SP6 environment – a one time charge for the Compiler, Library and Debug on a baby 9370 will cost $12,370 or a monthly licence of $521, on a 3090-600S the charges are respectively $85,210 and $1,470. IBM also announced VS Fortran 2.4, available from October to improve 3090 mainframe vector processing; VS Fortran 2.5 to add support of parallel processing for high-end super computers – available in July 1990 for MVS/ESA and MVS/XA, and AIX/370 support for the compiler and library due out first quarter 1990. IBM has also kindly announced a VS Fortran 2 Compiler/Library to help users upgrade from Fortran 1 to Fortran 2. Available in October, the kit will cost a one time charge of $5,950 for a baby 9370 (monthly licence $390), $40,950 for a 500S or 600S (monthly licence $929). For those programmers worried about their vector enhancements IBM also announced Vast-2 for VS Fortran at a one time charge of $30,000 available for MVS/XA and VM/SP in February 1990 with parallelism and AIX/370 support planned for July of that year. Having established that PL/1 and Cobol are the programming languages within AD/Cycle, developers may be pleased to know that IBM has two new offerings of its Cross System Product which integrate with the Cycle. Cross System 3.3 due for release in June 1990 supports application definition on a programmable workstation (PS/2), providing a graphical representation based on Common User Access, applications definitions for IMS/VS 2.2 and IMS/ESA 3.1. long names, SQL extensions, VM/XA use and language enhancement. One time charge for a baby 9370 is $7,625 or $709 a month; on a big 3090 it’s $32,730 or a $1,100 a month. The other offering is the Cross System Product/370 Runtime Services which generates VS Cobol II code using the application definition function of CSP 3.3, for use in the IMS/VS 2.2 or IMS/ESA 3.1 environments. It is from $17,040 or $568 a month on a baby 9370, to $35,530 or $987 a month on the biggest 3090s. – Katy Ring
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