RE: Replacing packed fields in record -- MIDRANGE-L

Rick,

I'd create a PF with the correct format, packed fields and all. Then an LF with all the packed fields
unpacked.

You'd receive the file into the PF and the DW system would read the LF.

Thus, you have a solution that can provide the values from the packed data if it's ever needed.

Charles Wilt
Software Engineer
CINTAS Corporation - IT 92B
513.701.1307

wiltc@xxxxxxxxxx

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:midrange-l-
bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Rick.Chevalier@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2008 2:15 PM
To: midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: Replacing packed fields in record

Chuck,

You are correct that the iSeries is an intermediary. As I understand
it, there are big $ involved in having the data sent to us in the format
we need. The packed data is not needed. It is a flat file that
originates in EBCDIC from the vendor and our data warehouse system is
ASCII (Unix) and can't do the translation (or so I'm told). We have a
utility called Informatica that they use to pull files from the iSeries
but it apparently doesn't handle packed fields either, at least not the
release we have.

I'm about to use an SQL update statement on it. The problem with that
is every few records there is one that doesn't fit the pattern. No one
can tell me why or what the data is supposed to be. Doing a blanket
update will certainly trash those records but leaving them alone will
allow packed fields in the transfer which brings me full circle.

HTH,

Rick

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of CRPence
Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2008 10:45 AM
To: midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Replacing packed fields in record

To give a good answer, requires knowing more about the file [a
database file?] and its packed data, how the file and that data needs to
be used [as a database file with the packed data column?], how the data
gets into the DW, and where the DW resides [presumably on an ASCII
system?].

If the file is only getting to the i5/OS system as an intermediary,
such that the data is unused except to transform for a push to the DW,
then the best option is to have the data properly exported from the
vendor and eliminate the intermediate step. If the file needs to be
used for its packed data when it arrives from the vendor, then changing
the data in the file would not be best. Copying of data is not ideal,
for its CPU & storage requirements, and thus possibly just a logical
view of the existing data is best. But each /if/ is an unknown for the
scenario, requiring more details.

Regards, Chuck
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