Database Management Systems (DBMSs)

Lists supported and tested DBMSs along with the Visual COBOL features that use them.

All RDBMS testing is done on both 32- and 64-bit platforms based on RDBMS client software availability.

With regard to support for each of these third-party RDBMS supported version, Micro Focus :

  • Provides support until the standard end-of-service (EOS) date provided by the RDBMS vendor
  • If your deployment requires support for a given RDBMS beyond the vendor's EOS dates, check with Customer Care for availability of Extended Support Plus options.
  • Encourages you to include third-party RDBMS consideration when planning an upgrade to your Micro Focus product

With regard to resolving reported issues with Micro Focus software while using a third-party RDBMS, Micro Focus :

  • Attempts to resolve issues for supported DBMSs on tested or untested platforms
  • Investigates issues involving planned but not yet supported RDBMSs, and attempts to resolve non-architectural issues that also occur in the latest supported RDBMS version

This version of Visual COBOL supports the following Database Management Systems:

COBSQL (Pro*COBOL)

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Before deploying a COBSQL application, be sure to install and configure all applicable third-party software.

Note: COBSQL (Pro*COBOL) is supported for native COBOL only.
Availability
Feature/Platform 32-bit 64-bit
x86-64 running Windows X X
XA Switch Module
When the Enterprise Server feature is enabled, the Oracle XA switch module is provided for COBSQL (Pro*COBOL), and is available on the same platforms as are indicated in the Availability section above. Oracle Instant Client fully supports all 1PC functionality with Pro*COBOL applications.
Restriction: The Oracle Instant Client does not support the 2PC functionality of the Oracle XA switch module. To use 2PC functionality with Pro*COBOL applications, you must install Oracle Client, not Instant Client.
Certification of RDBMS Precompilers for Native COBOL
Certification of RDBMS precompilers with Micro Focus products is the responsibility of the RDBMS vendor, rather than Micro Focus. Certification information can be found within the relevant Oracle documentation. If you have an Oracle MetaLink account, document # 43208.1 provides details of all language compilers certified by Oracle for use with their precompilers.
Preprocessors
COBSQL supports the following database preprocessors:
  • Oracle Pro*COBOL versions 18c and 19c database preprocessors
  • Sybase Open Client Embedded SQL/COBOL Version 11.1 or later
  • Informix Embedded SQL/COBOL Version 7.3 or later
Compiling
On x86 and x86-64 platforms, when compiling with COBSQL for use with Oracle, do not use the COBSQL directive option NOMAKESYN, since this directive results in COMP host variables, and on Intel platforms these are incompatible with the native byte order expected by Oracle.
Testing
For this version, COBSQL was tested with Oracle Pro*COBOL versions 18c and 19c.

DB2 ECM

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Before developing or deploying a DB2 ECM application, be sure to install and configure all applicable third-party software.

Note: DB2 ECM is supported for native COBOL only.
Availability
Feature/Platform 32-bit 64-bit
x86-64 running Windows X X
XA Switch Module
When the Enterprise Server feature is enabled, the DB2 XA switch module is provided and is available on the same platforms as are indicated in the Availability section above.
Certification of RDBMS Precompilers for Native COBOL
Certification of RDBMS precompilers with Micro Focus products is the responsibility of the RDBMS vendor, rather than Micro Focus. You can find IBM document certification information for DB2/COBOL applications within the IBM Information Center for DB2, in the topic Support for database application development in COBOL.
Preprocessor
DB2 ECM supports the following database preprocessors:
  • IBM DB2 LUW Version 10.5 or later
  • IBM DB2 Connect Version 10.5 or later
Testing
For this version, DB2 ECM was tested with DB2 LUW 10.5 and 11.1, and 11.5

OpenESQL

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Before developing or deploying an OpenESQL application, be sure to install and configure all applicable third-party software.

Availability
Feature/Platform Native and .NET COBOL 32-bit Native and .NET COBOL 64-bit
x86-64 running Windows X X
XA Switch Module
When the Enterprise Server feature is enabled, the ODBC One-phase Commit, SQL Server, and PostgreSQL (early adopter program) switch modules are provided and available on the same platforms as are indicated in the Availability section above.
Native COBOL
  • OpenESQL supports access to relational databases using ODBC 3.0-compliant drivers
  • Refer to your driver vendor's documentation to determine whether your driver is suitable for use with OpenESQL
.NET COBOL
  • OpenESQL supports access to relational databases using compliant .NET framework drivers
  • OpenESQL has been tested against the following ADO.NET data providers:
    • Microsoft provider for SQL Server
    • Microsoft provider for Oracle
    • IBM DB2
    • Oracle Data Provider for .NET (ODP.NET) - fully managed and unmanaged providers
    • OleDb
    • Managed ODBC .NET providers
    • Npgsql 3.2.2 for EDB PostgreSQL
SQL CLR Integration
The following software is required to use the SQL CLR integration feature, which is specifically for the development and deployment of COBOL stored procedures under Microsoft SQL Server. This feature is available for projects created using the SQL Server Database Project template, which becomes available after installing the ASP.NET and web development tools feature from the Visual Studio IDE (see To install missing features from the IDE for details).

Projects based on the SQL Server Database Project template require:

  • Microsoft SQL Server Tools (SSDT SDK)
  • Visual Studio 2017 or later Professional, Enterprise or Community Edition
  • Any of the following:
    Target Version Microsoft Recommendation
    SQL Server 2014 and later .NET Frameworks 4.x CLR v4.0-based .NET Framework 4.5.2
    SQL Azure Database (option 1) .NET Frameworks (2.0, 3.0, 3.5) CLR v2.0-based Review the latest Microsoft recommendations to select an appropriate .NET Framework.
    SQL Azure Database (option 2) .NET Frameworks 4.x CLR v4.0-based

If you are accessing Microsoft SQL Server from a remote machine, install the same Visual COBOL or COBOL Server version on the remote Microsoft SQL Server machine as you have running on your local machine. For additional information, see SQL Server COBOL Stored Procedures.

Important: The SQL CLR Database project template available in previous versions of Visual COBOL is no longer supported. Projects based on the SQL CLR Database project template are automatically upgraded to use the SQL Server Database project template when opened in Visual COBOL for Visual Studio 2017.
Testing
For this version, OpenESQL was tested with:
  • Oracle 18c and 19c
  • DB2 LUW 10.5, 11.1, and 11.5
  • SQL Server 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2019
  • PowerLinux LE on remote Linux server using DB2 LUW 10.5 only
  • EDB PostgreSQL 10.x (where x>=5), and 11.x
  • MySQL 5.7 (5.3 ODBC drivers only)
Note: Micro Focus provides compatibility for PostgreSQL and MySQL but does not directly contribute to or support either open source project. Any issues relating to the functionality of either DBMS should be addressed through an open source support vendor.
Planned
Support for the following is planned for future release:
  • Azure SQL Database (Managed Instance)
  • Azure SQL Database (Logical server)
  • Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL-Compatible Edition
Parent topic: Additional Software Requirements