Modernize Your Legacy Code: COBOL, FORTRAN, PASCAL, BASIC, C

The percentage of translation is near 100%.  In terms of lines of code, where an application represents 5 million lines, there can be a few dozen places where some pre-translation updates are required.  These updates can usually be taken back to the OpenVMS environment, but a few may remain.  We have a mechanism to account for those issues.  What is more important is that there are no fixes required, post-translation.

The translation is done on Linux and can take about 15-20 minutes on a small Linux instance.

The key to a zero-code-freeze migration project—which is absolutely critical for any effort lasting more than five months (as is typical with large applications)—is 100% automated conversion from OpenVMS COBOL to ANSI COBOL.

Our clients face no restrictions when it comes to ongoing maintenance or development on OpenVMS during the migration. It's Sector7's responsibility to ensure that the toolchain is precisely tuned so that there is never any manual intervention required to translate, compile, link, and test the application on Linux

Immediately after the translation is performed, the remedied code is compiled on Linux using a compiler listed above.  For instance, NetCOBOL will compile the 5 million lines of remedied code in about 15 minutes.  These Linux-based compilers are really fast.

VX/COBOL is a comprehensive solution designed to migrate legacy COBOL applications from mainframe environments to modern, flexible Linux-based systems. It allows businesses to retain their valuable, time-tested business logic without needing to rewrite code from scratch.

This approach helps organizations significantly reduce the high operational costs associated with mainframe hardware and software licensing. By moving to a Linux environment, companies can modernize their IT infrastructure, improve performance, and ensure their critical applications are future-proof. Many businesses, like Sprint T-Mobile, have successfully leveraged similar migration strategies. To discover how we can help you, please contact us.

VX/COBOL includes a powerful suite of tools to ensure a seamless migration and high performance on Linux. The key features are:

• High-Performance Compiler: Supports various COBOL dialects, which minimizes the need for code changes during recompilation.
• Mainframe Emulation: A robust runtime environment that emulates essential mainframe services like CICS, IMS, and JCL, allowing applications to run on Linux without modification.
• Data Migration Utilities: Tools to convert mainframe data formats such as VSAM and sequential files into Linux-compatible formats.
• Integrated Debugging: A complete set of tools for testing and debugging to ensure the migrated application is functionally identical to its mainframe predecessor.

For more details on how these features can benefit your organization, contact us.

The VX/COBOL runtime environment is specifically designed to bridge the gap between mainframe and Linux systems. It works by emulating the core services and APIs that COBOL applications rely on in a mainframe environment, such as CICS for transaction processing, IMS for database management, and JCL for batch job control.

This emulation layer allows your existing COBOL applications to execute on Linux without requiring any changes to the source code that interacts with these services. It effectively tricks the application into thinking it's still running on the mainframe, ensuring a smooth transition and preserving years of investment in your business logic. Companies like Allianz have found great success with this kind of modernization. If you have questions about your specific dependencies, contact us to discuss them.

The migration process with VX/COBOL is a structured, multi-phase approach designed to minimize risk and ensure a successful transition. The typical stages are:

1. Assessment: We start by thoroughly analyzing your existing COBOL application to understand its architecture, dependencies, and complexities.
2. Planning: A detailed migration plan is created, outlining timelines, resource requirements, and a comprehensive testing strategy.
3. Execution: This phase involves recompiling the COBOL source code, migrating all necessary data from mainframe formats to Linux-compatible ones, and deploying the application in the new environment.
4. Testing: Rigorous testing is conducted to verify that the migrated application meets all functional and performance benchmarks, ensuring it behaves exactly as it did on the mainframe.
5. Deployment: The final step is rolling out the application into production and decommissioning the legacy mainframe system.

To get a personalized plan for your migration, contact us today.

Migrating COBOL applications to a Linux environment with VX/COBOL offers significant strategic advantages for any organization.

• Major Cost Reduction: The most immediate benefit is the elimination of expensive mainframe hardware maintenance and software licensing fees.
• Infrastructure Modernization: It allows you to move to a flexible, scalable, and modern platform that easily integrates with cloud and other modern technologies.
• Improved Performance: You can leverage the power of modern commodity hardware and the efficiency of the Linux operating system for better application performance.
• Future-Proofing: By moving to a widely supported and actively developed platform, you ensure the long-term viability and maintainability of your critical business applications.

Organizations like Amprion GmbH have realized these benefits. Find out what you can achieve by contacting us.

No, one of the primary advantages of VX/COBOL is that it minimizes the need for code modification. The solution is built around a "recompile and run" philosophy. Its high-performance compiler supports various COBOL dialects, and the runtime environment emulates mainframe services, which means your existing business logic can be preserved.

The goal is to recompile the source code on the Linux platform with minimal to no changes, ensuring that the core functionality of the application remains intact. This dramatically reduces the risk, time, and cost associated with a full rewrite. To see how this applies to your codebase, contact us for an assessment.

VX/COBOL includes a set of specialized data migration tools designed to handle the conversion of mainframe-specific data formats. These utilities can read data from formats like VSAM (Virtual Storage Access Method) and sequential files and convert them into modern, Linux-compatible formats, such as indexed files or relational database tables.

This ensures that all your critical business data is migrated accurately and efficiently, maintaining data integrity throughout the process. The migrated application can then access this data seamlessly in the new Linux environment. This approach has been proven in projects for companies like BNY Mellon. For specific questions about your data, please contact us.

VX/COBOL provides a comprehensive suite of debugging and testing tools to ensure the functional equivalence of your application after migration. These tools are designed to help developers validate that the application behaves exactly the same on Linux as it did on the mainframe.

The testing phase is critical to the success of any migration project. With VX/COBOL, you can conduct thorough testing to identify and resolve any discrepancies, ensuring that the application meets all functional requirements and performance expectations before going live. This rigorous process is how we ensure success for clients like Amco. To learn more about our testing methodologies, contact us.

VX/COBOL will transform the embedded SQL statements from Rdb to PostgreSQL / Oracle.  The changes are few, but significant.  At the end of the transformation, the COBOL application on Linux will access PostgreSQL/Oracle instead of Rdb. Fujitsu (makers of NetCOBOL ) have a COBOL preprocessor available in the r enterprise version which supports PostgreSQL.

‍

In a typical OpenVMS application of approximately 4 million lines of code, VX/COBOL can perform up to 100,000 fully automated transformations to align with ANSI COBOL syntax and semantic requirements.

While the volume of changes is substantial, every modification is handled programmatically—with zero manual intervention required.

‍

VX/PASCAL is an automated transpiler that converts OpenVMS Pascal to ANSI-compliant C++ for execution on Linux. It fully supports VMS-specific extensions, CDD data structures, and RMS file handling ensuring 100% compatibility. To explore VX/PASCAL for your migration, contact us.

VX/PASCAL supports VMS stack operations, Common Data Dictionary (CDD) integration, RMS file handling, VMS API mapping, and optimized string operations using STR$CONCAT and STR$COPY.

VX/PASCAL automates migration in four steps: source code analysis, transpile to C++, compile with GNU C++, and validate with automated testing to ensure identical behavior.

Yes, VX/PASCAL allows continuous development without code freeze. Teams can continue enhancing VMS Pascal applications while changes remain synchronized between Pascal and C++ versions.

VX/PASCAL supports all RMS file operations on Linux through VX/RMS integration including indexed, relative, sequential, and block files with faster performance than native VMS RMS. Companies like SEB have leveraged these improvements.

VX/PASCAL provides 500+ customizable options including VMS API mapping, variable naming conventions, code formatting, and error code translation to meet enterprise standards.

VX/PASCAL automatically handles VMS stack argument tracking (PRESENT/NOT PRESENT) that Linux doesn't support, preventing stack corruption by generating equivalent C++ code that maintains identical behavior.

VX/PASCAL has successfully translated over 3 million lines of Pascal code with 100% automation, bug-for-bug compatibility, and zero code freeze. Organizations eliminate vendor lock-in and reduce infrastructure costs. Contact us to discuss your requirements.

VX/FORTRAN is a powerful automated migration tool that translates OpenVMS FORTRAN to ANSI-compliant FORTRAN (Intel Fortran) for execution on Linux. It extends Fortran Partner (FPT) with VMS-specific features, standards adherence, and performance optimizations.

The tool is specifically designed for aerospace, defense, and high-tech industries to ensure complete, error-free Fortran migration while preserving decades of software investment. To learn more about how VX/FORTRAN can modernize your legacy systems, contact our migration experts.

No, VX/FORTRAN provides 100% automated migration without requiring manual code modifications.

The migration follows four automated steps: source code analysis to identify VMS-specific extensions and dependencies, transpilation to ANSI-standard Fortran, compilation with Intel Fortran optimization, and validation through automated testing to verify identical execution behavior.

Yes, VX/FORTRAN supports zero code freeze, allowing you to continue development on VMS while migrating to Linux. This parallel approach ensures business continuity throughout the modernization process.

Organizations like Amprion GmbH have successfully used this approach for large-scale FORTRAN migrations involving millions of lines of code.

VX/FORTRAN performs advanced optimizations including loop unrolling, inline expansion, and memory access optimizations that can speed up execution time by up to 40%.

VX/FORTRAN automatically converts Pro*Fortran SQL statements to external C functions, ensuring seamless database integration on the target Linux platform without manual intervention.

VX/FORTRAN includes comprehensive testing tools that support record/replay execution, trace logs, and QA compliance. The tool automatically detects and fixes errors, improving code quality and maintainability by identifying issues like missing subroutine declarations, inconsistent argument types, and unsafe conversions.

Companies like BNY Mellon have leveraged similar automated migration capabilities for critical financial systems. For detailed information about our testing methodologies and quality assurance processes, contact our team.

VX/ESQL-FORTRAN (VX/PF2PC) is a powerful conversion tool that transforms Pro*Fortran source code into standard Fortran by replacing Oracle SQL calls with Pro*C procedures. This is essential because Oracle discontinued Pro*Fortran support since Oracle 11g, leaving legacy applications without supported database interaction methods.

The tool ensures your Fortran applications remain Oracle-compatible while eliminating dependency on deprecated pre-processors. For organizations needing to modernize their Pro*Fortran systems, contact us to discuss your specific requirements.

Oracle discontinued Pro*Fortran in Oracle 11g as part of their strategy to focus on more widely-used programming languages and modern database interaction methods.

VX/PF2PC generates four essential files from your original .pfo file: a .h header file with C procedure declarations, a .pc SQLPC module containing converted SQL calls, a .inc Fortran header file, and a .F Fortran source file with SQL statements replaced by Pro*C procedure calls.

The compilation follows a two-stage process: first, the .F and .inc files compile with the Fortran compiler to create an object file, then the .pc and .h files process through Oracle's Pro*C pre-processor and compile with GNU C to create a second object file. Both objects link together for the final executable.

No, VX/ESQL-FORTRAN preserves your existing Fortran code structure and logic. The tool seamlessly integrates with current codebases by replacing embedded SQL with Pro*C procedure calls while maintaining program integrity. Organizations like Allianz have successfully used similar approaches for their legacy system migrations.

The conversion removes dependencies on deprecated Fortran-specific Oracle functions including SQLFX7, SQLFIN, and SQLADR, making your applications future-proof for upcoming Oracle releases.

VX/PF2PC extracts all SQL calls from your Pro*Fortran source and converts them into Pro*C procedures stored in SQLPC modules. The original SQL statements are commented out in the Fortran source and replaced with calls to these newly generated procedures, ensuring clean separation between business logic and database interaction.

VX/ESQL-FORTRAN delivers seamless migration without full application rewrites, future-proofing against Oracle updates, and efficient compilation processes. The tool maintains full Oracle database interaction while running natively on Linux, eliminating vendor lock-in and reducing infrastructure costs.

Companies like BNY Mellon have leveraged similar modernization strategies to enhance their financial systems. To explore how VX/ESQL-FORTRAN can benefit your organization, contact our migration specialists.

VX/C is Sector7's automated tool that converts VMS/OpenVMS C source code into portable, POSIX-compliant ANSI C. It identifies, flags, and corrects VMS-specific issues to ensure your code runs seamlessly on Linux environments.

The tool provides fully automated source code conversion, works with existing Makefiles and build systems, and handles VMS-specific syntax and dependencies. For organizations looking to modernize their legacy systems, contact us to discuss your migration requirements.

VX/C identifies and resolves over 15 categories of VMS-specific issues including addressing constants, variant struct/union usage, missing function arguments, VMS-specific compiler calls, and POSIX type incompatibilities.

VX/C automatically handles VMS-specific include file references, logical name includes, and case sensitivity issues in include paths, ensuring proper POSIX compliance in the migrated code.

VX/C functions like a C compiler, parsing source files and generating formatted reports, fix scripts, and POSIX-compliant source code through a simple command-line interface.

VX/C seamlessly integrates with existing Makefiles and build systems, providing configuration file support for default options. It generates SED scripts for automated code fixes that can be easily applied to your source code.

Companies like DuPont have successfully used similar migration tools to modernize their legacy C applications while maintaining their existing development workflows.

Yes, VX/C automatically corrects missing function arguments, undefined return types, and inconsistent function naming cases. It converts VMS-specific function calls to their POSIX-compliant equivalents and fixes typecasting issues on assignment operations.

VX/C delivers fully automated migration that reduces manual effort and ensures consistent code output across large codebases. It supports continuous integration workflows and has been proven effective in high-complexity migrations.

Organizations achieve seamless portability from VMS/OpenVMS to Linux environments while maintaining code functionality. Companies like Honeywell have leveraged similar automated tools for successful large-scale migrations.

To learn more about how VX/C can accelerate your migration project, contact our migration experts.

VX/BASIC is a full-featured OpenVMS BASIC to ANSI C transpiler that enables legacy BASIC applications to run natively on Linux. It provides 100% conversion of VMS BASIC syntax to working C code while maintaining the original structure, variable names, and comments for easy maintenance.

For organizations ready to modernize their legacy systems, contact us to discuss your specific migration requirements.

VX/BASIC supports all VMS BASIC data types including INTEGER, BYTE, WORD, LONG, DOUBLE, and STRING. The only exceptions are GFLOAT and HFLOAT, which are automatically converted to DOUBLE for compatibility.

VX/BASIC preserves all VMS error codes and handling mechanisms, ensuring programs behave identically to their OpenVMS versions with the same error numbers and responses.

VX/BASIC supports all standard VMS BASIC I/O operations including PRINT, INPUT, and file operations like OPEN FOR INPUT, converting them to equivalent ANSI C functions.

VX/BASIC provides full translation of VMS BASIC records and maps into C structures, automatically mapping data correctly and maintaining the original data alignment. This ensures that complex data structures work seamlessly in the migrated application.

Organizations like SEB have successfully used similar migration approaches to modernize their core systems while preserving data integrity.

VX/BASIC supports over 900+ VMS system service calls, providing comprehensive integration with VMS functionality including RMS file handling and other system services.

VX/BASIC maintains the original BASIC source code structure while generating optimized C code, allowing developers to continue working with familiar BASIC syntax. The transpiled C code retains the original program flow and variable names, making debugging and maintenance much easier than completely rewritten applications.

VX/BASIC delivers 100% compatibility with VMS BASIC while providing seamless portability to Linux. Organizations retain their valuable software investments while gaining modern infrastructure benefits including reduced hardware costs, improved performance, and enhanced scalability.

Companies like HH Gregg have successfully migrated millions of lines of legacy code using similar approaches. The generated ANSI C code ensures long-term portability and future-proofing for legacy applications.

Ready to explore migration options for your BASIC applications? Contact us to discuss your specific requirements.