Rocket Software, Inc. increases development efficiency

Rocket Software, Inc. is a global software development company that builds enterprise products and delivers enterprise solutions in the following segments: business intelligence and analytics; storage, networks and compliance; application development, integration and modernization; and database servers and tools. The company is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Challenge
Rocket Software wanted to increase efficiency and improve time to market for its IBM® System z® operating system-based software products. Developing mainframe software can be challenging because it often involves integrating with existing applications, many of which are large and complex. “You’re not usually writing things from scratch on the mainframe,” says Joseph Devlin, managing director, research and development, Rocket Software. “You’re building and integrating into software that people have relied upon for decades.” Therefore, says Devlin, it’s essential to use the right language for the right job. High-level programming languages, which can be extremely efficient, aren’t always the correct tool for low-level, mainframe development. And Rocket Software, which takes on new projects and products constantly, strives to have the exact tools to support its needs and keep up with its growth.

Solution
Rocket Software used the Metal C feature of the IBM z/OS® XL C/C++ compiler to develop high-performance system-level programs. With the Metal C feature, programmers can write code in the C syntax while taking advantage of advanced optimization technology in the z/OS XL C/C++ compiler, resulting in high-performance code that works seamlessly with code written in the IBM High Level Assembler (HLASM) language. Initially, Rocket Software used the compiler on a test project, employing the Metal C feature to compile expressions for filtering various data feeds, and insert them into existing HLASM programs.

The project was so successful that Rocket Software subsequently built a common Metal C feature library that includes components to address common tasks. Now C programmers, who might not have extensive mainframe backgrounds, can work on mainframe-based projects, helping significantly broaden the company’s resource pool. “Metal C was open in the right places and was flexible in the right places, so we could start to do much bigger applications with it,” says Devlin. Using the Metal C option, Rocket Software built one compliance product in four months. In the past, such a project might have taken
two to three times longer to complete. This is even more impressive considering the majority of the project staff had minimal mainframe experience. Rocket Software has continued to train and add developers to the group using the Metal C feature. “I think the sky’s the limit,” says Devlin.

Benefits
• Significantly increases development efficiency
• Reduces development time by one-half to two-thirds
• Helps enable the company to capitalize on C programming skills for mainframe development

For more information
To learn more about the Metal C feature of the IBM z/OS XL C/C++ compiler, please contact your IBM marketing representative or IBM Business Partner, or visit the following website:

ibm.com/systems/z/os/zos/metalc