| debis MEB: |
Modern Windows NT software through customer specified reengineering:
New a-line software for Germany's Daimler Chrysler vendors |
What does a German software vendor do that supports different hardware platforms such as
NCR, S/36, AS/400 and DOS-PCs but still cannot satisfy the customers' request for a Windows
solution? The management of Mercedes EDV Beratung (MEB) asked themselves and found the
solution to their problem within PKS Software and its AX/ware product. |
| The Debis System vendor, MEB, offers a complete package for Mercedes Benz dealers providing everything that a Daimler-Chrysler car dealer needs for sales support, service handling, spare parts administration with inventory control, accounting as well as a connection to document administration. |
The Problem
The total application was on different hardware platforms (NCR, S/36, AS/400, DOS) which took a great deal of time, effort and expense to maintain. At the same time customers were asking for a consistent modern Windows Graphical UserInterface (GUI) solution for this otherwise excellent software. |
| Therefore, the goal of MEB was to reduce the maintenance effort and create a single, integrated Windows NT product line. Only a single source migration strategy together with reengineering of the user interface and a new data base design could meet these requirements |
The Solution
To achieve their objective MEB and PKS analyzed the existing systems and determined a
migration strategy for each platform. AX/ware was the core technology to be used to convert all systems.The AS/400 application was converted using the AX/ware tool. S/36 code required unique manual and automated changes which allowed it to be processed through the AX/ware engine.In order to be on the safe side, everyone agreed upon an evaluation project. This feasibility study showed the possibility of a single source migration, the expected performance as well as proving the design of the reengineering effort required. After the initial study MEB's approved the project which was the first step in the conversion of four separate systems into an integrated product named "a-line". |
Database Considerations
In order to make the MEB software, which contains native S/36 parts, attractive on Windows, extensive reengineering steps were integrated into the migration process. For example, native ORACLE date fields were generated automatically from comment fields in the original source code, which contained date information. These date fields are also recognized by DB-analysis tools. The complete data base design of the original application was consolidated into a single DB repository. All the ORACLE data base tables and views for the Windows NT version were automatically generated from the DB repository. |
User Interface
An AX/ware component changes the AS/400 screen definitions into a binary representation. The AX/ware Client then displays the GUI screens with a typical "Windows Look and Feel". Thus, the manual post-work efforts were dramatically reduced. PKS worked on the design and implementation of the enhancements to the existing AX/ware tools that had to be developed. It took only a few weeks to develop an OCL converter as well as the scanning and generating tools for the data base repository. Most of the core processing already existed in the AX/ware software. |
Meeting the Schedule
The entire project from start to finish was scheduled to be completed in a year. This included the AX/ware enhancements developed by PKS, the joint migration of the applications, the test phase by MEB and the first customer installation. Despite some unforeseen S/36 problems, the project was in production within 3 weeks of the original target date. Installation at the end customer site: The new a-line was installed at the car vendor Pfister in Gerolzhofen. |
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First Installation
Autohaus Pfister in Gerolzhofen was the first customer installed. The old NCR-ITX system, including all terminals and printers, was removed and replaced by the new Windows NT server hardware. It took only a weekend to install the new hardware and the a-line software, including the data transfer from the old system. Today (July, 2001) the a-line application is running at over 400 Mercedes Benz car dealerships.
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Conclusion
MED said, "The end users are enthusiastic about the new a-line. They find it a successful Windows product with excellent performance and availability. Supporting the system from a single set of source has dramatically reduced maintenance costs and allows us to provide significant enhancements with existing staff." |
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