Cobra 7.0

Today's mainframe application development manager is faced with an increasing range of demands and problems:

the maintenance and development environment making increasing demands on mainframe resources, decreasing mainframe response and increasing hardware cost
lack of modern testing and debugging tools that work with existing packages.
existing, complex applications requiring a high level of expertise and experience to maintain and enhance.
increasing pressures from more sophisticated users, demanding greater levels of functionality and user-friendliness.
a financial sector that is undergoing rapid change, both through legislation and market demand, requiring rapid response from D.P. departments in order to ensure financial viability.
morale problems amongst maintenance staff as they do not have the opportunities to use new tools and new methodologies.

Filix Pty Ltd is pleased to announce a new release of our established product used throughout the world that addresses these problems for the users of the Computations Life Office System (CLOAS). Our product, Cobra, allows the CLOAS developer to port their CLOAS business source to the Personal Computer environment and develop in a "state of the art" environment.

Cobra integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Visual Studio 2019 and Micro Focus Visual COBOL, enabling full access to industry standard productivity tools (including a source level debugger allowing the examination of Working Storage Variables, setting of breakpoints under various conditions, code analysis tools for evaluating source complexity and structure, performance analysis tools providing execution profiles)

Productivity improvements as high as 50% have been estimated to be achieved through I.T. shops using Micro Focus Visual COBOL. I.T. staff morale rises significantly as response time and mainframe availability no longer become issues. No more waiting for jobs in queues or access to a database - meaning lower blood pressure and caffeine intake!

Costs are significantly lowered as development and maintenance is moved off the mainframe with corresponding lowering of pressure to upgrade hardware. Resource wastage is reduced as staff no longer spend time waiting for a mainframe resource (response, queue, etc.) but instead are working productively.

Staff morale significantly improves as the above frustration factors disappear and they start to take advantage of the productivity tools built into Cobra, Visual Studio and Micro Focus Visual COBOL.

Cobra is not merely a CLOAS transaction testing harness but rather a fully functional system that closely approaches the CLOAS mainframe environment. It requires the Micro Focus Visual COBOL and is itself constructed using that product. Future developments of Cobra will allow it to support a small CLOAS production load.

Briefly, the main features of Cobra are:

Batch and online (CICS) testing.

Many mainframe testing packages only allow the user to test in one environment - batch or CICS. Cobra allows testing of CLOAS programs written for both environments without any loss of functionality.

The user has the ability to capture and run internal, external and captured transactions in a flexible manner as an enhancement to testing effectiveness. The user may select individual transactions to unit test or batches, sets or even blankets. CLOAS Output Printing is fully supported, including the ability to support external "user exit" type files. CLOAS Transaction Edit is supported; however, the implementation varies from that on the mainframe. Full support is provides for transaction 490 (Start File Maintenance) and 491 (End File Maintenance) in the unit test environment.

Full support for the "MGCALL" Dynamic Call Interface

The CLOAS "MGCALL" dynamic call interface is catered for, allowing any CLOAS application program to dynamically call another program without linking it in. This feature allows flexible testing, a more modular approach to programming and efficient usage of machine memory. The dynamic call interface also provides for user configurable aliases, enabling all calls via this interface to be redirected to a program name other than the one called. Additionally, powerful and configurable trace facilities are available, allowing the user to gather and analyse detailed information on program and database calls.

Full support for all CLOAS DBIOC calls

Cobra uses a real database structure where records may be examined and manipulated to influence real changes in application behavior. Databases may be backed up and restored enabling reproduction of testing conditions. Currently Cobra uses an ISAM emulation of a network database structure much like CINCOM's SUPRA DBMS or the CLOAS database structure; however the design methodology used will allow Filix to extend the DBMS support with considerable ease.

There is full emulation of all application interfaces to Database Input Output Controller (DBIOC). Exit points are provided to enable support for internal activities, update of Run Date Last Transaction fields, and Sub-Ledger Integrity Checking features of CLOAS.

All database updates are logged, and checkpoints are taken at successful end of transaction. These features enable the preservation of database integrity, allowing for transaction backout and recovery.

A feature has been provided to allow for the storage of certain Control Records on the users’ local workstation with others on the server. This allows for Cobra to initially search locally for a Control Record and to then search the server. All database updates are done locally, leaving the server Control File unchanged. This feature allows for the users’ local database to be smaller (for easy and quick backup/restore) and the server database to be maintained synchronously with production.

Full support for SEND-ERROR-MESSAGE and Program Check Functionality

Through usage of the Cobra dynamic call, logging and checkpoint features the CLOAS SEND-ERROR-MESSAGE is supported in a manner that is consistent with mainframe user expectations:

Sets	- failure of one transaction within a set results in the backout of all transactions within that set.
Blankets	- failure of one blanket execution does not result in the failure of any other blanket execution.

Cobra supports the trapping of all program checks normally encountered on the mainframe in both debug and non-debug mode. Additionally storage violations are identified immediately (this feature is not available under mainframe CICS).

Access to all Control Program date, time and numeric edit routines.

CLOAS application programs make functional requests of the mainframe Control Programs to process time, date and numeric edit functions. These functions are mapped through the dynamic call interface to a different suite of programs than might be expected. Cobra emulates this mapping to its own suite of programs providing the same functionality. Support is also provided to allow usage of genuine CLOAS Date and Numeric Edit routines if desired.

Support is provided for Control Program entry points MEDATA through MEDATL, MSSE1972 (MGTIMDAT), MSSE1973 (MGCURDAT), MESEA803 (PACK-DATA) and MESEA804 (UNPACK-DATA).

Support for GET-UNIQUE-REFERENCE

Cobra supports functionality for returning unique values (mainly used to allocate unique keys) in a way compatible with CLOAS application requirements.

Full emulation of the CLOAS online environment

In fact, within CLOAS, there is very little difference between the online (CICS) environment and batch. Realising this, Filix was able to emulate the CLOAS CICS environment without costly purchases of PC CICS emulators. This also means that extra, complex setup and tailoring of an extra product is not required. The Write- Read-Screen functionality provided by Cobra is in fact a good deal faster than many CICS emulators can provide.

CLOAS uses a feature of Control Programs to separate the attribute and data components of BMS maps into different streams (BLAD and BLSD copybooks). Cobra supports this as well as the more standard BMS format. Cobra also supports the Control Program BMFIELD extension to BMS mapping which is used in a significant number of CLOAS maps and no other PC system supports.

Support for Sub-Ledger Integrity Checking and Internal Date Calculations

Standard exits are provided to interface to CLOAS Internal Activity Date calculation. Internal transactions are loaded onto transaction queues in a "diary like" manner for later selection for execution. The user may see what internals will run on a particular day by browsing the queues.

Other exits are provided to support CLOAS Sub-Ledger Integrity Checking. The user has the option to run with or without it for testing purposes.

Download database records from the mainframe

The user may populate their test database running the already familiar CLOAS "ZAC" and "280" transactions on their mainframe databases to select the appropriate policies/records. The text file is then downloaded to the PC and loaded into Cobra with ease. Support is also provided to import EBCDIC "flat files" which will be much smaller and loaded much quicker.

Tailorable Interface for External System Interfaces

Every CLOAS site in the world has developed external interfaces to their system in order to input or query data. Such systems include web browser and Windows desktop interfaces. Cobra provides a flexible interface to support many such asynchronous and synchronous interfaces.

On-line Help

All system documentation is held in a hypertext type format with ready access from all parts of the system. This documentation may be browsed easily, following links from one topic to the next, and may be printed at any stage.

Support Multiple CLOAS Releases

Cobra is currently being used on various sites with differing releases of CLOAS and Control Programs with no loss of functionality. Cobra seamlessly supports U.S.A. specific versions of Control Programs as well as the more common worldwide releases.

Performance

With all of this you could be excused if you thought Cobra might be slow. In fact the opposite is true with many users commenting that the system is significantly quicker than their mainframe system!! Typical “Restore - Online Query – Online Capture – Batch Process – Backup database” cycles are under 5 minutes.

Tried and True

Cobra has now been available and in intensive use for over 20 years at a number of sites around the world. Filix is more than happy to supply a list of reference sites for the prospective purchaser.

Established Maintenance Program with Significant Developments in the "Pipeline"

Cobra is sold with a maintenance program supplying a high level of support and speedy defect repair. Minor enhancements are provided free, with discounts for major new related products. Currently a version of Cobra is being developed for the .NET platform.

Utilities are provided to backup and restore databases

You can manage your source code from one place

Integrated with Microsoft Visual Studio 2019 and fully supporting all CLOAS project type

Step through CLOAS programs, set breakpoints and examine data items

Examine and update records