Mainframe Application Modernization Based on Service-Oriented Architecture

Declared `dead´ for quite a while now, many legacy mainframe applications are still happily productive and will continue to be. Within them mainframe database management systems like Adabas or IMS are utilized as well as related programming languages like Natural or COBOL. However, those applications are often only badly, if at all, integrated with newer enterprise applications. This article describes a case study for mainframe modernization based on integration technology and Web services. Used in conjunction, they serve as base for application integration into an up-to-date distributed service-oriented architecture (SOA).