This mainframe application is being migrated to Unix, and for once that means the mainframer responsible for it isn’t getting the chop, reports a pilot fish on the scene.

“He knew nothing about Unix, but really knew the existing application and was very well liked by the business users,” says fish. “I always wondered how he kept his job — maybe he had photographs or something.

“Anyway, the company sent him away for a total of six weeks of training on Unix, shell scripting, editing, C programming and Oracle SQL. Then he returned to the existing application on the mainframe.

“Six months later, the new application was ready. Data was migrated, the old application was shut down, and this guy was expected to support the new application on the Unix system.

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here