Bompreco (Wallmart)

LincII / EAE Migration To JAVA

Third largest supermarket and hypermarket chain in Brasil, Bompreco (WalMart) has successfully concluded its IT project targeting Unisys mainframe deactivation. With this project, all legacy corporate application was migrated to Linux/Java2/Oracle platform. The potential of the new technological platform and the savings achieved in the first months after the deployment made this project a huge success.

Mainframe x Open Environment

Bompreco had its corporate core business applications running on an Unisys mainframe, model NX 6824, with 6 processors and 768 Mbytes of memory, more than 9.300 RPM, with more than 3.000 on-line connected users spread all over Brazil. This platform was substituted by an IBM Regatta server, with 10 processors, where an Oracle database runs all migrated legacy data (database server); and five IBM X-360 servers, with 4 processors each, being used as application server, in a multilayer architecture implemented with J2EE, using XSEED/Java.

With exception of Oracle database Server and the Regatta AIX operating system, all other software components are Open Software, thus costing near by zero. This factor was one of main responsible for extreme cost reduction achieved in this migration. Additionally, using browser as presentation layer, there was no need to upgrade end user’s PCs – even a Pentium PC with 32 Mb was useful.

The Migration Project

Using XSEED/Innovation/Java migration tools, consulting support from XSEED Software and its own IT team, Bompreco completely finished its legacy migration project in a record time of just six (06) months – from beginning up to turning off the Unisys mainframe. This project consisted of several application totaling six (06) millions LincII / DMSII lines of code, equivalent to 60 millions Cobol lines of code. More than 5.000 programs were migrated.

The Project had a large complexity threat, once besides technological platform changes – Cobol to Java2 – the applications had various own on-line integration and also integration with others internal and external (WEB) applications, demanding state-of -art and creative solutions in the J2EE architecture. Project’ size can be perceived under the perspective of the Hipercard credit card application, which, at that time, had more than 2,2 millions card holders, with more than 60 thousands affiliated stores, using various interfaces such as Voice Recognition Device, Transaction Approval Server (FEP).

Project Success

The Migration Project was done strictly under its working program schedule and budget. Transition from legacy application to new platform was smooth, and had no need of end user training – more than 3 thousands internal users and 60 thousands stores – due toXSEED Software strategy to keep same transaction functionality, not changing the way end user interacts with the application.

Mr. Romildo Barros, Bompreco IT Director, says that most perceived project success factor was observing favorable end users reaction with the migrated application – no complains at all -, and more, their happiness with the ‘new’ HTML interface. One of the most significant greetings came from the executive in charge of the Credit Card operations, congratulating the IT team for the outstanding success, once he had no kind of complain, regarding the new application, from Hipercard users – more than 2,2 millions card holders and more than 60 thousands affiliated stores. They had achieved nice project side effects: better response time; better batch process time, which allowed a reduction of one day from the billing cycle.

The last migrated application (Hipercard) had a target date to enter in production on June, 30th – and it effectively occurred. Unisys mainframe was turned off in July, 1st. 

Changes in TI Team

Adopting a new platform, Bompreco IT team had to acquire skills with Open platform tools (Linux, Java2, Oracle) to better serve migrated applications. Support team had to be repositioned to search for solutions on the WEB and others technology providers, improving support services. After migration, application maintenance was extremely facilitated because XSEED/Java tool adopts same concepts and programming paradigm of LINC II / EAE / Cobol, thus smoothing maintenance process and not disturbing it. Developers were allowed to continue working using their previous programming skills. This also favored IT team a quick qualification in the new J2EE technology, maximizing their previous business knowledge and putting them again in the IT market.

XSEED and IBM Involvement

XSEED Software consulting team was crucial for project success. Source code was quickly converted at XSEED software factory and returned to Bompreco site for testing and certification, which required a hard work for IT and end users team, with permanent on-site XSEED support to adjust tools and even re-migrating programs that didn’t conforms to the new platform.

The methodologies for migration and software Project management adopted by XSEED, coupled with those used by Bompreco IT team, assured total success in achieving time goals, as well as allowing using every solution component (hardware, software, training, network) in its due time frame. IBM consulting team was also fundamental for assuring smooth running of IBM equipments (Regatta and X360), as well as operating systems (AIX and Linux) for those equipments.