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How does SRC recover
missing source code? Q. How Does SRC Recover Missing Source
Code?
A. Before the ReSource™ technology was developed,
many programmers and analysts thought it was impossible to recover
missing source code. Here's how SRC accomplishes the seemingly impossible:
Step 1. Disassembly. When a program is compiled, source code is translated into a binary
representation. During disassembly, this binary object file is converted
into psuedo Assembler statements so that ReSource™ can work
directly with the machine instructions and their operands.
Step 2. Pattern Matching. Next, the disassembled machine instructions are matched against
known sets of instructions created from COBOL statements. ReSource's
automated analyzer compares the disassembled machine instructions
with code patterns from its extensive repository, which includes
various dialects of COBOL. Since COBOL statements must consistently
compile into a corresponding pattern of machine code, a specific
set of machine code will always represent the same COBOL statement.
The resulting pattern-matched source code contains all of the appropriate
COBOL statements and references to operands used in those statements.
Step 3. Operand Analysis. Pattern matching is ideal for recovering COBOL procedure statements,
but does not provide much information about other program elements.
Operands of the machine instructions are detected during disassembly
and decompilation. An analysis of the operands recovers data items
in file descriptions, working storage and linkage sections. These
data items are recovered in a manner similar to procedure statements.
Step 4. Validation. Step 5. Supporting Information. External clues may assist in completing the source code reconstruction.
Supporting information may include file layouts, source of copybooks
and related programs along with JCL, documentation, and program
and application specifications.
This step enables SRC analysts to attach meaningful data and paragraph
names that are either the original names or are similar in style.
This type of service is offered in addition to the basic recovery
service.
The source code recovered by ReSource™ maintains the original
logic of the program. SRC guarantees the code be functionally equivalent
to the original executable source code.
SRC technical strategy is based on the assumption that all executable
object code that customers deliver to SRC results from a clean compile.
This means the original source code at the time it was compiled
was syntactically valid. The executable object code contains everything
required by the computer to execute the instructions contained in
the original source code and nothing superfluous. The source code
can be run on an IBM mainframe or equivalent using the IBM 360/370/390
instruction set.
The ReSource™ technology regenerates COBOL and Assembler source
code for IBM MVS mainframe environment. It can handle a variety
of COBOL dialects including: COBOL II, OS/VS COBOL, IBM ANS COBOL,
and CA/OPTIMIZER (Capex) COBOL. In addition, ReSource™ can
recover source code from BMS Maps, CICS, DLI, IMS, DB2, SQL and
Report Writer.
For a more thorough explanation, see Solutions For Recovering Lost
Source Code and other articles in our "News" section. Q. What are the benefits of source code
recovery?
A. ReSource/Recovery™ provides better results in less
time and for less money than other options. Compared with other
options, ReSource/Recovery™:
Q. How does recovery compare with other
options?
A. Organizations that are missing source code have only
three options:
Scrapping or replacing the application.
Rewriting code. Example. An organization with 30 million lines of COBOL is missing
300,000 lines, or 1% of its source. The missing code represents
2,800 function points (FPs). If each FP takes 20 hours to recover
at a cost of $894, rewriting the code will take 56,000 hours and
cost $2,505,000. That's 28 years of work, or two years for 14 programmers.
Recovering code. The Source Recovery Company can recover your missing code - and
you don't have to worry about losing any functionality. With the
ReSource proprietary technology and SRC's team of experienced recovery
experts, the recovered program is guaranteed to perform exactly
like the original.
The ReSource proprietary source recovery process, which uses pattern
recognition algorithms to examine compiled object code, has been
used commercially since 1991 to help some of the world's largest
corporations and government agencies. Q. Are there other uses for source code
recovery?
A. There are many uses for the source code recovery process,
in addition to the many recoveries that were done for Year 2000
projects. SRC sees itself as being in the asset management business
- a company's source code portfolio is among its most important
assets, and those assets need to be protected. The source code recovery
process can be used for any programming task using COBOL; Assembler;
CICS, DB2 or IMS.
Q. How can billions of lines of source
code be missing?
A. There are many reasons why companies and agencies lose
their source code.
Here are just a few: Q. Can the source code recovery process
be used for programs outside the IBM mainframe environment?
A. While we believe the ReSource™ technology can be used
to recover source code in virtually any environment, we have chosen
to invest our resources into recovering source code in the IBM mainframe
environment, because it covers most business applications worldwide.
Since every platform has its own instruction set which is the foundation
for its operation, our ReSource™ technology is limited to supporting
the IBM System 360/370/390 instruction set. See our links page for
companies that provide similar services on other platforms.
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