IBM Automatic Binary Optimizer for z/OS (ABO) is a unique offering that applies cutting-edge optimization technology to improve the performance of already-compiled COBOL applications built with VS COBOL 1.3 to Enterprise COBOL 4.2. You can now try ABO out with an improved, easy-to-use ABO Trial Cloud Service without installing ABO on your system.
This new ABO Trial Cloud Service has been redesigned from ground up to improve the optimization process for COBOL load modules using ABO. All you have to do is to upload load modules of your COBOL application built with Enterprise COBOL 4.2 (or earlier versions) in a data set to the ABO Trial Cloud Service. There are easy-to-follow instructions and videos to guide you at every step throughout the entire trial process. After uploading the data sets that contain your COBOL application(s), you can view the entire list of COBOL modules in uploaded data sets, search modules in data sets, and select multiple modules for optimization. The ABO Trial Cloud Service provides notifications to keep you up-to-date with the optimization status. After the optimization is complete, you will automatically be notified so you can download and test the optimized modules on your system.
Click https://optimizer.ibm.com to get started. All you need is an IBMid. The ABO Trial Cloud Service comes with a 90-day evaluation license at no charge. It has the same functionality as the official ABO offering except that the ABO Trial Cloud might not perform all runtime-library-based optimizations. Any missing opportunities due to this limitation are noted in the returned log files. Modules optimized by the Trial Cloud Service are not allowed to be deployed into production.
The new ABO for z/OS Trial Cloud Service leverages IBM Cloud to both securely store and transfer your data sets to an IBM z/OS mainframe for ABO optimization. The data sets are analyzed and optimized at the binary code level. Once the optimization task is done, the optimized data sets are transferred back to the ABO Trial Cloud Service, and the service interface is updated allowing users to download the optimized data sets.
ABO improves the performance of COBOL applications without the need to recompile program source! Simply put, it generates code that can take full advantage of IBM zEC12 to z15 systems without affecting program logic. This means the optimized programs will run faster, use less CPU resource, and therefore, cost less to run. Because the behavior of the optimized application remains unchanged, you can also significantly reduce testing cost. ABO is complementary to IBM Enterprise COBOL for z/OS. It can help reduce the scope and effort of migrating to Enterprise COBOL 6. ABO reduces CPU usage for COBOL applications and can help you optimize CPU consumption for Tailor Fit Pricing.
For more information on IBM Automatic Binary Optimizer for z/OS, visit https://www.ibm.com/products/automatic-binary-optimizer-zos.
Roland is a Program Director in Offering Management and Strategy for Enterprise Products and Compilers on Z.