As of January 1, 2007, MSKs are replaced with the more functionally rich, Migration Assistance Pac (MAP). See the MAP description for details.
It is our intent to make available a MQ V5 to V6 MSK by the end of July, 2005. If you wish to be kept informed of this tooling's availablility, send an email to don.fowler2@verizon.net and we will add you to the interested parties distribution list. When the MSK becomes available we will announce it to the interested parties first. We are looking for several candidates to be our beta test sites for the new MSK. If interested use the same contact information as above and let Don know.
Over the last 90 days, we have brought to market additional tools
designed to assist you, the technical professional, with converting components of your
system that are inhibiting or will inhibit your ability to install new versions of
strategic IBM software. These new tools are known as Conversion Support Kits and are based
on templates similar to those you are probably already using in the MSK arena. The CSK has
the same 'look and feel' of the popular MSKs.
We currently are offering Conversion Support Kits to:
1) Deal with your old COBOL VS conversion requirements. These requirements are now
absolute necessities for users looking to migrate to CICS TS V3.1, IMS V9, or DB2 V8. This
CSK is available now.
2) Deal with your IMS SMU to RACF requirements. IMS V9 is the last release to
contain SMU. Converting to your External Security Manager is a must before thinking about
moving to any future versions of IMS. This CSK will be ready to ship in July 2005.
3) Deal with your DMS/CICS/VS modernization requirements. DMS/CICS goes out of
support in September and users are now looking at ways to address removal of the product
while maintaining the application inventory of DMS business functions. This CSK is
available now.
On December 8, 2004, we added a new IMS Migration Support Kit
designed to provide you with a comprehensive list of tasks, task and
"how-to" materials to accomplish either a IMS V7 or V8 migration to IMS V9. The
MSK covers some two dozen IBM and Independent Software Vendor products used with
IMS. We just shipped our 18th IMS MSK domestically.
If you don't know what a Migrations Support Kit can do for you, click here for details!
Between June 1, 2005 and September 30, 2005, clients may take advantage of receiving a free fully customized MSK to support their ordering, installation and migration tasks for new version migrations of MQ, DB2, CICS TS, or IMS. All you have to do to qualify is order your IBM software with in the four month period (Jan 1 through Apr 30.) This offering is normally $3500 and is yours free of charge during this program.
In keeping with our desire to constantly improve our delivery to you, we are now offering an onsite or teleconference Systems Assurance Review prior to you ordering a new version of CICS TS, DB2, or IMS. Sytems Assurance Reviews have been around for many years. The Review is a checkpoint to make sure the I's are dotted and the T's are crossed prior to ordering some of the more complex IBM software products. It is an excellent point to obtain all of the information to fully configure a Migration Support Kit to your specific needs. Up to now the MSK has been ordered via a fill-in-the-blank order form process. This order form process is still available but is now augmented with this new Systems Assurance done onsite or long distance meeting to review the upcoming product orders for correctness, any holes in the install, migration, or testing, and any uses of new functions.