WinterGreen Research, an analyst firm focused on the telecommunications and computer technology markets, has completed work on a web–based calculator.
The company says that the calculator could measure the total–cost–of–ownership (TCO) of mainframe SOA enablement when utilising an IBM System z Integrated Information Processor (zIIP) in combination with DataDirect Shadow integration middleware from DataDirect Technologies, the provider of data connectivity and mainframe integration products.
WinterGreen Research noted that the Shadow TCO Calculator builds on the WinterGreen Research ROI engine for delivering ROI calculations. ROI calculations allow businesses to use the zIIP engine in combination with Shadow middleware for SOA-related processing.
Susan Eustis, president and CEO of WinterGreen Research, said: Technological advancements like SOAs, web services, ANSI–92 SQL and XML Events address many of the challenges of mainframe integration, but cost still remains a primary customer concern. With thi s calculator, we have provided the market with a highly effective tool for real–time ROI analysis and strategic support for extending the value of the mainframe to new workloads through zIIP exploitation.
DataDirect says that the Shadow TCO Calculator is used for analysing and modelling the impact of web services/SOA–related processing on mainframe MIPS capacity.
Shadow version 7 reportedly uses patent-pending technology to expand the utilisation of the zIIP engine to additional workloads beyond DB2, including the non-relational mainframe databases Adabas, IMS/DB, IDMS and VSAM as well SOAP/XML parsing for creating web services within the mainframe to applications residing within CICS, IMS/TM, IDMS and Natural.
