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Difference between mainframe COBOL and VMS COBOL?

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  • 21-08-2013 9:33am
    #1
    username123
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,484 ✭✭✭


    It's an academic question really, what's the difference from a developers pov?

    I spent years developing in COBOL on OpenVMS, these days I sometimes see contract work for mainframe COBOL developers, which I have no experience of. Is it much different?


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    #2
    TrueDub
    Moderators, Sports Moderators, Regional Abroad Moderators Posts: 2,638 Mod ✭✭✭✭TrueDub


    username123 wrote: »
    It's an academic question really, what's the difference from a developers pov?

    I spent years developing in COBOL on OpenVMS, these days I sometimes see contract work for mainframe COBOL developers, which I have no experience of. Is it much different?

    It's years since I worked on either, but I suspect the main difference would be in the way programs are invoked and file(s) are referenced. Mainframes (tend to) use JCL, where are VMS uses (I think, stretching here) DCL.


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    #3
    username123
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,484 ✭✭✭username123


    Yeah that's pretty much what I thought. Yes, it is DCL on VMS. So the code itself would be the same or very similar?

    What about Microfocus COBOL?


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    #4
    TrueDub
    Moderators, Sports Moderators, Regional Abroad Moderators Posts: 2,638 Mod ✭✭✭✭TrueDub


    username123 wrote: »
    Yeah that's pretty much what I thought. Yes, it is DCL on VMS. So the code itself would be the same or very similar?

    What about Microfocus COBOL?

    Can't comment, TBH, never worked on Microfocus. Sorry.


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    #5
    Tom Dunne
    Registered Users Posts: 23,212 ✭✭✭✭Tom Dunne


    I would imagine for a lot of recruiters OpenVMS=mainframe?

    Sacrilege, I know.


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    #6
    username123
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,484 ✭✭✭username123


    Tom Dunne wrote: »
    I would imagine for a lot of recruiters OpenVMS=mainframe?

    Sacrilege, I know.

    Maybe. I don't know the answer to that.


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    #7
    croo
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 1,333 Mod ✭✭✭✭croo


    I'd say mainframe means IBM.

    I think they call their mainframes zSeries now, but in my day it was a S/390.
    There were typically two distinct OS that you would find there; "VM/CMS" & MVS. These also have updated "z" names but they remain principally the same.

    I never saw COBOL on the VAX but I did on other systems and there were only superficial differences between it and the COBOL on the IBM mainframes... though on the mainframe COBOL was nearly always accompanied by CICS to manage transactions - again I'm probably showing my age and the names are all different today; but my point really is that while the COBOL was very similar how to build & deploy your code differed greatly even between the two IBM (mainframe) OSes.

    Still the pool of people with zSeries Cobol experience is probably quiet small (in Ireland?) so anyone with a lot COBOL experience might be acceptable.

    I believe these new zSeries mainframes now act as host to many other virtual systems so you never know what OS is really required. And, as Tom says, mainframe might mean anything. To get past the recruiters just say yes you do have mainframe (VMS mainframe) experience :)


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    #8
    username123
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,484 ✭✭✭username123


    Thanks Croo, very informative answer.


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    #9
    azzeretti
    Registered Users Posts: 1,477 ✭✭✭azzeretti


    I'd almost forgotten I started out my IT life as a mainframe operator! Used to rent access from a state company and shared the resources across departments. It was a nightmare, full system backup took 12 hours! Load some tapes and head off for some pints.......dropping back in every couple of hours to load some more scratch and gander at the the green screen! Unreal when you think of what we deal with now!

    /reminisce.


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    #10
    komodosp
    Registered Users Posts: 1,657 ✭✭✭komodosp


    I do seem to remember that on Mainframe COBOL the "Report Writer" isn't available - or maybe it just wasn't installed on the server I worked on...


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