Code/Impact analysis tools: IN-COM's Smart TS XL

FranklinE · Post by **FranklinE** » Thu Mar 03, 2011 11:26 am

We are going to do an evaluation of this tool, briefly and rather inadequately described at http://www.in-com.com/Products/tabid/62/Default.aspx. IN-COM claims built-in support for DS code. I request opinions about this tool from any source and any level of exposure to it, even rumors if you have them.

My point of comparison is the Micro Focus app Revolve, our everything-mainframe source code analysis tool. Don't worry if you're not familiar with it, but if you are further opinions on that basis are welcome. We have already evaluated Micro Focus' intended replacement for Revolve, Modernization Workbench (MWB), and they were iffy about importing DS code.

eostic · Post by **eostic** » Thu Mar 03, 2011 1:49 pm

Never heard of it......let us know what you find out. Thanks for the link...

Ernie

ray.wurlod · Post by **ray.wurlod** » Thu Mar 03, 2011 3:10 pm

Once you get to version 8, such tools are directly available in DataStage.

FranklinE · Post by **FranklinE** » Thu Mar 03, 2011 3:19 pm

ray.wurlod wrote:Once you get to version 8, such tools are directly available in DataStage.

That's good to know. The part I didn't tell you is that our shop wants a one-stop place for all of our code, mainframe, browser, various flavors of SQL and DataStage.

FranklinE · Post by **FranklinE** » Wed Mar 09, 2011 10:19 am

A DSXchange file upload was just brought to my attention: http://www.dsxchange.net/uploads/Impact ... ART_TS.pdf

We are preparing to migrate to 8.5 from 7.5, and 8x has a "new" format called ISX. I don't know anything about it personally, but I've been prompted to ask: Will 8.5 continue to support DSX, and does/will Smart TS XL support ISX?

Our Smart TS XL evaluation is scheduled for the week of April 4th. I'll post updates from my experience with it. Anyone who can prompt me with intelligent questions to ask SEA's reps during the evaluation is very welcome to post or contact me separately.

eostic · Post by **eostic** » Wed Mar 09, 2011 11:38 am

Hi Franklin...

It would be interesting to know your site's goals. Is it for inter-dependencies between the offerings? Parsing of actual source code? Or just identification of it? Tools like this might be perfect for deep cross-searching of actual "source code" entries like "PROFIT_PCT", especially when deep scanning of native source code is a requirement.

Determine also your user requirements ...is it for the developer or the developer teams...or end users, or both?

Those answers, within your site, will probably help you put the correct focus on the tooling and improve your evaluation.

Ernie

FranklinE · Post by **FranklinE** » Wed Mar 09, 2011 12:07 pm

eostic wrote:Hi Franklin...

It would be interesting to know your site's goals. Is it for inter-dependencies between the offerings? Parsing of actual source code? Or just identification of it?

The lazy answer is all-of-the-above.

Our shop covers so much it would take me another 30 mintues to list everything. The analogy that comes to mind is a buffet that has the same choices everyday for meat, vegetables and salad, but one could have a dozen or more combinations of choices and not repeat oneself until the 13th day. Our impact analysis needs go hand-in-hand with knowledge transfer to succeeding development teams, retirement of code planning, even keeping track of code that was retired.

We've got layers. Sometimes they look like a parfait, sometimes like an onion.

ray.wurlod · Post by **ray.wurlod** » Wed Mar 09, 2011 3:14 pm

Not to be trifled with, then.

eostic · Post by **eostic** » Thu Mar 10, 2011 6:21 am

I notice you didn't mention business users. That's fine, every site has unique needs, but it's worth noting that a lot of companies are starting to look at lineage and tracking of metadata from the business user's point of view......so that answering the "where did this value on the report come from" becomes the overriding goal for everything they do with metadata and definitions, above and beyond "source code" management and integration. You may want to look at tools like IN-COM's, in addition to some larger "information governance" focused tooling.

Ernie

FranklinE · Post by **FranklinE** » Thu Mar 10, 2011 8:56 am

Hi Ernie. Before I forget again, thank you very much for your input on this.

We have a fairly well-defined division of work here. Our business clients are all internal, and we have an organized (always use that word carefully) liaison for requirements and testing called the business system analyst (BSA). Clients generally are not expected to even understand what they are looking at from the IT point of view (and the vast majority of them don't have the academic background, even). The BSA bridges the gap in both directions, with IT folks often woefully ignorant of the business functions we are obligated to support. I can't exaggerate how much my life as a developer has improved since the BSA role was established here.

The clients do have metadata analysis needs. Smart TS XL claims to support document repositories (Word, Excel). If we purchase that or a similar tool, I know some people who will jump on the chance to improve their situation with it.

eostic · Post by **eostic** » Thu Mar 10, 2011 12:09 pm

This isn't a place to do "selling", so I don't want to sound like a marketing slide.... but I'd still strongly encourage you to take a look at what release 8 has to offer in terms of business and data lineage and governance over your metadata, primarily with Business Glossary and Metadata Workbench.

Even in conjunction with tooling like IN-COM, the hybrid might deliver exactly what you are looking for ....and more. Feel free to contact me offline if you want to discuss it further.

Ernie