Legent Corp has announced its strategies for the Automated Systems Operations and the Automated Output Management markets in the wake of its achieving its Goal. The Vienna, Virginia company formed Integration Task Forces immediately following the announcement of the planned merger with Goal Systems Inc, and they comprise senior representatives from both companies’ development, management, support and documentation staffs. In the Automated Systems Operations area, Legent will merge the AutoMate/MVS and OPS/MVS mainframe-based and workstation-based automation product lines into one set of products, and some initial merging will take place over the next 12 months. The product will include SQL-based data storage that provides a relational data cache for storing automation information. Multi-Address space architecture is to exploit MVS’s multi-tasking capabilities, and a single message repository will provide the means to store, search and browse through system messages. The workstation-based product will combine elements of the AutoMate/XC kernel with the functionality of OCF and OPS/Relay. The resulting product will provide local area network support for monitoring mainframe information SystemView conformance; and LU 6.2 capability to provide a data pipeline from the personal computer to the mainframe. In the Automated Output Management area, Legent says that it will merge the BUNDL, SAR and Express Delivery products to create a report distribution product.

Merging will take place

As with Automated Systems Operations products, some merging will take place in the coming year and the initial offering will have concurrent post-JES processing for data collection; application-level processing for controlling security access, distribution and administration of the report distribution system; pre-JES capability to provide real-time processing and reduce input-output activity to the JES spool; optical disk support as an alternative to microfiche processing; report tracking to provide a means for bar-code report tracking and statistics; and the collection and balancing facilities that will enable users to verify report contents and control report distribution. The workstation-based product will integrate the functionality of SAR/PC and BUNDL/PC View to provide both downloading and co-operative processing. CMA-Spool, an independent spooling system and CMA-Connection, which prints mainframe graphics on personal computer printers, are additional future products. As part of its product integration strategies, Legent says that it will provide support for the existing AutoMate/MVS, OPS/MVS, BUNDL and SAR/Express lines until the new set becomes available and customers have adequate time to migrate; the next release of AutoMate/MVS, AutoMate/XC, OPS/MVS, OCF, OPS/Relay, BUNDL and SAR/Express will become generally available within the next six to 12 months and they will contain the key enhancements necessary for moving towards the superset products; also, the company says that it will provide migration tools at no cost.