EBCDIC to ASCII Data Conversion via Hexadecimal Parsing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Data formatted in one computing system, such as EBCDIC, is often not interpretable or readable in another system due to format incompatibilities, leading to challenges in data interoperability across different computing environments.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that receive EBCDIC data as a hexadecimal string, determine the hexadecimal lengths of fields based on data layout descriptions, extract and convert these hexadecimal substrings to a target format like ASCII, and output them for storage in relational databases or Hadoop Distributed File Systems, facilitating data interoperability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If data is stored in EBCDIC format in mainframe computers, then the data can be processed by mainframe systems, but the data cannot be read or interpreted by other computing systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs an intermediary conversion system that translates EBCDIC-encoded data into ASCII format. This intermediary process allows data to maintain its native EBCDIC representation in mainframe systems while simultaneously providing readable ASCII representations to external systems, thus resolving the incompatibility without direct modification of the source data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the encoding parameter of the data from EBCDIC to ASCII through a systematic conversion process. By altering the character encoding parameter while preserving the underlying data structure and content, the system enables the same data to be interpreted correctly by different computing systems with different encoding requirements.
2Adaptability or versatility
If data conversion between different formats is implemented, then data interoperability is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data conversion process into distinct operational phases: receiving EBCDIC data, determining field boundaries using delimiters, converting specific data fields, and outputting converted data. This segmentation allows each phase to be handled independently with specialized logic, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining comprehensive conversion capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal conversion system that can handle multiple data types (character fields, numeric fields, dates, times) through a single integrated process. The system uses a unified approach with configurable parameters to accommodate different field types and conversion requirements, eliminating the need for separate conversion mechanisms for each data type.
Data Source
AI summary
Source data rendered as a string of hexadecimal data representing a set of Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code (EBCDIC) data, and a data layout description defining a record in the source data that includes a plurality of fields, are obtained. Respective hexadecimal lengths of the fields based on a source data length of each field and a source datatype of each field are determined. Hexadecimal sub-strings are extracted from the hexadecimal string based on the hexadecimal lengths and source datatypes of the fields. At least some of the hexadecimal sub-strings are converted to a target format. The sub-strings are output in the target format.