Learn all you need to know about mainframe to cloud migration: why you need it, the challenges you might face, and options for mainframe modernization.
The Universal SQL Console That Unlocks Your Legacy Data
The Legacy Data Problem Nobody Talks About
Every enterprise sitting on a mainframe has a hidden productivity drain: getting to the data. Analysts wait for DBA tickets. Developers reverse-engineer schemas from decades-old documentation. Integration teams stitch together SSH tunnels, emulators, and desktop SQL clients just to run a simple query against DB2 on z/OS.
Meanwhile, the data that drives 70% of the world’s business transactions stays locked behind workflows that haven’t changed since the 1990s.
SQOL changes that. Built by OpenLegacy as a free community tool, SQOL is a browser-based universal SQL console that gives every team member, from developers to business analysts, instant, secure access to legacy and modern databases from a single interface. No installations. No tunnels. No tickets.
What Is SQOL?
SQOL is a lightweight, zero-install web console that unifies access to legacy databases like DB2, DB400, and IMS DB alongside modern engines like PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLSERVER and Oracle. Think of it as your universal data workbench accessible from any browser, anywhere.
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Unified Query Editor |
Write and run SQL across DB2, DB400, IMS, Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL — all from one tab. |
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AI SQL Assistant |
Describe what you need in plain English. SQOL’s AI generates complex JOINs, inserts, and cross-table queries instantly. |
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Visual Schema Explorer |
Browse tables, columns, and relationships with interactive schema graphs — no documentation needed. |
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Inline CRUD Editor |
Edit rows directly in the UI. SQOL generates the SQL for review before execution — safe, auditable, and fast. |
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Cross-DB Export |
Move schemas and datasets between connections (e.g., DB2 → PostgreSQL) for test data, migrations, and sandboxing. |
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OL Hub Integration |
Turn any table or stored procedure into a REST API, CDC stream, or ETL pipeline with a few clicks. |
Who Is SQOL For?
Modernization Specialists
You’re mapping the path from mainframe to cloud, and the first step is always understanding what’s in the legacy database. SQOL lets you explore schemas visually, export table structures to modern engines, and validate data mappings — all without filing a single DBA request.
Integration Engineers
Building APIs and data pipelines against legacy databases shouldn’t require a mainframe terminal. With SQOL’s direct OL Hub integration, you can expose stored procedures as REST endpoints or set up CDC/ETL flows straight from the console — collapsing weeks of integration work into hours.
Data Analysts & BI Teams
Stop waiting for extracts. SQOL’s AI assistant helps you write complex queries in plain English, visualize results instantly, and export datasets for downstream analysis. You get self-service access to the same mainframe data that powers your core business.
Developers
Whether you’re building a new microservice or debugging a legacy integration, SQOL gives you the query tool you wish you’d always had: fast, modern, browser-native, and connected to every database your application touches — legacy or otherwise.
The Business Value: Why SQOL Matters
1. Democratize Legacy Data Access
Most mainframe data is accessible only to a handful of specialists with the right tools and credentials. SQOL opens that data to every authorized team member through a secure web interface — eliminating bottlenecks and accelerating decision-making across the organization.
2. Centralize with AI-Powered Intelligence
Instead of juggling multiple SQL clients, terminal emulators, and documentation wikis, teams get a single pane of glass with built-in AI assistance. The AI doesn’t just autocomplete — it understands your schema and generates production-quality queries from natural language prompts. This dramatically reduces the learning curve for teams unfamiliar with legacy SQL dialects.
3. Accelerate API & Pipeline Creation
SQOL isn’t just a query tool — it’s the front door to OL Hub’s full modernization platform. From the same console where you explore data, you can generate CRUD APIs from database tables with built-in get, create, update, and delete operations. Execute and expose stored procedures as REST endpoints. Set up Change Data Capture (CDC) streams for real-time data synchronization. Build ETL pipelines that move legacy data into modern data warehouses. Deploy auto-generated contracts and services with a few clicks.
4. Reduce Modernization Risk
Cross-database schema and data export means you can create faithful replicas of legacy environments in modern databases for testing, validation, and parallel-run scenarios — without touching production systems.
How It Works: From Query to Production API in Minutes
- Connect — Add your database connections (DB2, DB400, IMS, PostgreSQL, Oracle, MySQL, etc.) through a simple configuration panel.
- Explore — Browse schemas visually, inspect table relationships, and understand data structures without reading documentation.
- Query — Write SQL directly or let the AI assistant generate it from natural language. Edit data inline with full SQL review before execution.
- Export — Move schemas and datasets across databases. Perfect for creating test environments or migrating data between legacy and modern systems.
- Deploy — With OL Hub integration, turn tables into CRUD APIs, expose stored procedures as REST services, or set up CDC/ETL pipelines — all from the same console.
Get Started Running Your First Query Against You Mainframe Database Today — It’s Free
SQOL is available as a free community tool from OpenLegacy. Whether you’re running your first query against a mainframe database or building enterprise-grade API pipelines, SQOL meets you where you are and grows with your modernization journey.
- Watch the SQOL demo
- Join the OpenLegacy community and try SQOL for free
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