Mainframe systems are at the heart of many businesses, storing critical data that fuels daily operations. Yet accessing and utilizing this data has always been a challenge. Mainframe data often remains locked away, requiring specialized expertise and complex coding just to generate basic reports or run analytics. Lozen™ from VirtualZ Computing™ is here to change that and help you transform complex VSAM files into user-friendly formats.
The Challenge: Connecting Mainframe Data to Modern Tools
Much of the world’s business data resides on mainframes, but when it comes to using tools like Microsoft Excel, Crystal Reports, Tableau, or other analytics platforms, customers face two significant barriers:
- Connectivity: Most modern tools don’t natively connect to mainframe systems, leaving users unable to access their data without significant intervention.
- Complex Data Formats: Even if tools could connect, they wouldn’t know how to handle the unique and intricate mainframe data types such as VSAM files, packed decimals, mainframe-style floating points, and specialized timestamps.
To bridge this gap, organizations often resort to writing custom extract programs or leveraging costly ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) tools. These approaches are time-consuming, resource-intensive, and prone to maintenance headaches whenever data formats change.
Enter Lozen: Simplifying Mainframe Data Access
Lozen solves these challenges with a no-code, out-of-the-box solution designed to make mainframe data as accessible as any other file on your system.
Seamless Connectivity
With Lozen’s NFS (Network File System) support, accessing mainframe data becomes as simple as mounting a local file. Users can leverage familiar tools like Excel, Tableau, or Crystal Reports without needing to write a single line of code. Lozen’s integration ensures that:
- Data is accessed securely, adhering to the robust security rules of the mainframe.
- Applications see mainframe files as if they were local, eliminating the need for APIs or custom interfaces.
Data Transformation Made Easy
Lozen’s Data Transformation Engine takes the complexity out of handling mainframe data formats. For example:
- A VSAM file with complex structures like packed decimals, floating points, or timestamps can be transformed into user-friendly formats such as CSV, XML, or JSON.
- Tools like Excel, Tableau, and even BI platforms can now seamlessly ingest and process mainframe data without additional steps.
Real-Time Flexibility
Lozen supports concurrent transformations, allowing the same mainframe dataset to be presented in multiple formats simultaneously:
- CSV for Excel users.
- XML for reporting tools like Crystal Reports or Tableau.
- JSON for modern analytics applications.
This flexibility ensures that different teams and applications can access data in the format that works best for them—without creating additional workloads for IT.
Metadata Management Without the Hassle
One of the most time-consuming aspects of working with mainframe data is deciphering its metadata—understanding the structure of files and fields. Lozen eliminates this bottleneck by leveraging COBOL copybooks or industry-standard modeling tools.
- Users can import metadata directly from COBOL copybooks, allowing Lozen to automatically understand and process file structures.
- Open-source data modeling tools can also be used to visually analyze data samples, which can then be integrated into Lozen.
When file structures change, Lozen adapts in real time, ensuring minimal disruption and no need for recoding or restructuring.
The Bottom Line
Lozen transforms the way businesses interact with mainframe data, unlocking its full potential for reporting, analytics, and business intelligence. By eliminating the need for custom coding, simplifying connectivity, and streamlining data transformation, Lozen saves time, reduces costs, and empowers teams to focus on insights instead of infrastructure.
Whether you’re generating financial reports, running advanced analytics, or powering BI platforms, Lozen bridges the gap between your mainframe and modern tools, enabling businesses to innovate and thrive in today’s data-driven world.