CA/EZTEST
| Company type | Software |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software testing, Debugging |
| Predecessor | EZTEST/CICS |
| Founder | Capex Corporation, Ken Dakin |
| Headquarters | Phoenix , United States |
| Products | Interactive testing and debugging for CICS environments |
| Owner | Computer Associates |
CA-EZTEST was an interactive testing and debugging solution for CICS environments, marketed by Computer Associates. Initially named EZTEST/CICS, it was created by Capex Corporation based in Phoenix, Arizona, with contributions from Ken Dakin of England.
This software provided source-level debugging and testing functionalities for applications developed in COBOL, PL/I, and Assembler (BAL). It served as a complement to Computer Associates' existing COBOL optimization tools.
Competition
The primary competitors to CA-EZTEST included:
- "Intertest," originally developed by On-line Software International (U.S.). After Computer Associates International, Inc. acquired On-line Software in 1991, the product was rebranded as CA-INTERTEST, leading to the discontinuation of CA-EZTEST.
- OLIVER (CICS interactive test/debug) from Advanced Programming Techniques (UK).
- XPEDITER, produced by Compuware Corporation, which purchased OLIVER in 1994.
Early critical role
These testing tools played a vital role as third-party system software supporting IBM’s flagship teleprocessing system, CICS, which lacked inherent memory protection. A single malfunctioning application—commonly due to buffer overflows—could compromise system-wide data integrity and cause outages affecting thousands of terminals. Since CICS was central to global financial and commercial operations from the 1970s through the early 1990s, troubleshooting such errors was complex and typically required skilled system programmers to interpret extensive "core dump" information before restoring system functionality.
Early integrated testing environment
CA-EZTEST and similar products offered an integrated testing framework that early versions of CICS did not provide. IBM’s subsequent embedded tool, the "Execution Diagnostic Facility" (EDF), was designed for newer "Command level" developers but lacked comprehensive protective capabilities.
Supported operating systems
The software was compatible with the following operating systems:
External links
- IBM CICS official website
- Xpediter — Interactive mainframe analysis and debugging
- Xpeditor/CICS user guide for COBOL applicable to OS/390 (Release 2.5+) and z/OS, September 2004
- CA Inc. — detailed product overview for CA-Intertest