XML Support Anchors Changeman Upgrades

Serena Software Inc. this week is releasing several upgrades throughout its ChangeMan family of products, giving developers new weapons to manage and automate changes to enterprise application code.

Key to the updates to the San Mateo, Calif., companys Enterprise Change Management solution is the new XML Services support in Serenas mainframe product, ChangeMan ZMF 5.3.

XML offers a standard, open interface to mainframe data. Serenas XML Services translates mainframe data, such as ChangeMans metadata Package Master, said Serena officials, and presents the information in several usable formats: in a browser, via Open Database Connectivity database query tools; in reporting tools such as Crystal Decisions Inc.s Crystal Reports; and in project management applications such as Microsoft Corp.s Project.

A ZMF 5.3 beta tester at Atlanta-based ING Americas uses several tools for managing and changing application code, but ChangeMan ZMF will be particularly useful in helping consolidate mainframe and server code brought in from acquisitions, he said.

"The XML Services give us a consistent interface into mainframe processes," said Wayne Johnson, system consultant for INGs Minneapolis data center facility, which is consolidating several data centers.

ChangeMan ZMF includes so-called Enterprise Release Management features, which perform changes across multiple platforms and provide support for managing IBM DB2 stored procedures.

Other upgraded modules to the ChangeMan family include new support for SAP AGs R/3 enterprise software in ChangeMan DS (Distributed Systems) 5.5 and ChangeMan ALM (Application Life Cycle Manager) 3.2, as well as support for Mercury Interactive Inc.s Test Director and Microsofts Project in ALM 3.2.

ChangeMan DS 5.5 now supports IBMs eServer Zseries servers, and ChangeMan WCM (Web Code and Content Manager) 3.2 supports Hewlett-Packard Co.s Tandem servers. Finally, ChangeMan DS 5.5 and WCM 3.2 support Borland Software Corp.s JBuilder 6.0.