VSAM Experts in Germany
for reliable mainframe data systems, matched with vetted freelancers in minutesHire experts who design, maintain and modernize VSAM data sets, including KSDS, ESDS and RRDS structures, with strong IBM z/OS and COBOL skills. FRATCH matches you quickly and precisely with vetted, available freelancers.
Meet FRATCH Experts in Germany, who have recently used VSAM
Jürgen S.
Last position:
IT – Consultant / Analyst / Developer / Tester / Support at Automotive manufacturer
- Analysis, software development/adaptation and testing of various transaction and batch objects
- Execution of specialist integration and regression tests on TEST and QA platforms under z/OS for subsequent implementation in production
- Hardware / software / tools: IBM-MVS, z/OS, JES2/3, TSO-ISPF, JCL, DB2, SQL, SQL/PL, QMF, QMF for Work-Stations, SPUFI, FileAid, IMS-DB/DC, MFS, XPEDITER, COBOL, REXX, Windows-10, MS-Office-365, MS-Teams, batch job management via OPC, BETA92, RVS, BVB, ABL, DIALOGplus, PROBA, PRODPR (VW internal systems), JIRA, CONFLUENCE
Jörg S.
Last position:
Software Developer at Commerzbank
- Created interface programs between mainframe and distributed online screens
- Modified and created batch programs for daily data processing
- Provided advice on program setup, database structures, and programming tools
- Performed error analysis for the overall project
- System: OS/390, ISPF, TSO, IMS DB, IMS Connect, COBOL, DB2, SQL, SPUFI, IBM debug tool, Confluence, Jira, Eclipse, Rational Developer for Z Systems (RDZ)
Holger B.
Last position:
Business Analyst at BLS
- The AVANZA project provides the deployment and procurement of a modern, reliable system for efficient access and sales and supports smooth operations at the Lötschberg & Simplon car shuttle.
- Operations are sustainably secured and the further development of the car shuttle business model is supported.
- Developed a study with an evaluation of possible solution options.
- Supported the decision on options, evaluated the RFI, prepared procurement, concept created based on the chosen option.
Ulm P.
Last position:
DataStage ETL Expert at ING Bank
- Datastage 11.7, dbt, Oracle 19, Python 3.12 / PySpark 3.5, Azure GitHub, Azure DevOps, Automic
- Development of migration jobs to transfer data from the collection DWH to the new Risk Mart, as well as development of ETL pipelines to migrate historical data from the old Mart to the new Risk Mart.
- Storage of the silver layer on Hadoop and the gold layer in Oracle.
- Translation of DataStage jobs into dbt to publish reporting data in Google Cloud to a PostgreSQL database.
- Creation and optimization of complex SQL queries for data extraction from a data vault, taking into account historical data in the point-in-time tables.
- Creation of Oracle table definitions (DDL) and adjustment of existing stored procedures.
- Versioning changes in GitHub and deployment via the CI/CD portal.
- Refactoring long-running DataStage jobs into Python using PySpark to reduce server load.
- Migration of SAS scripts to PL/SQL, including new development of distribution functions that have no direct equivalent in Oracle.
- Development of Automic jobs to run DataStage pipelines and Python scripts (PySpark jobs) that control the population of the SME and institutional risk tables in the Risk Mart and perform business calculations.
- Participation in the agile process, including creating user stories, estimations, and planning in Azure DevOps.
- Handling Azure DevOps tickets and close collaboration with testers and business teams for error analysis and resolution.
Michael F.
Last position:
DACHSER SE
- Support and consulting in the authorization environment and license optimization
Ensar Y.
Last position:
Service Manager Microsoft Cloud Services (ITIL) at Industry (technology group)
- Took on the role of Service Manager for Microsoft 365 and Azure services
- Coordinated service providers in the areas of collaboration and security (Exchange Online, Teams, Azure AD)
- Monitored and optimized SLA-compliant operating processes (Incident, Change, Problem)
- Worked closely with internal IT management and integrated ITIL processes into Azure DevOps
- Microsoft Azure, Exchange Online, Teams, Azure AD, ITIL v4, Azure DevOps, Power BI, ServiceNow
Peter R.
Last position:
System support / further development at Allianz
- Software management
- Release management, automated release deployment
- Handover of PL1 modules to Linux for MF-Pl1 compiler
- Maintenance of XINFO, Lexicon, DB design, migration
Abdullah A.
Last position:
Technical Program Manager - IT & Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at Maxon Computer GmbH (a Nemetschek Company)
Led cross-functional compliance and IT programs spanning infrastructure, security, legal, and executive stakeholders, ensuring audit readiness and regulatory alignment.
Acted as single point of ownership for IT governance and CSR programs, defining scope, milestones, risks, and success metrics.
Partnered directly with VP of IT as a governance and control counterpart, supporting security incidents, compliance posture (ISO 27001, GDPR, SOC 2), and executive reporting.
Supported organizational readiness for emerging EU regulations, including the EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) and EU AI Act, by analyzing regulatory requirements, identifying governance and compliance impacts, and aligning internal policies and control processes.
Designed and scaled data collection and reporting processes for CSR and regulatory reporting across group and subsidiary level.
Drove process improvements and standardization, increasing transparency, predictability, and audit readiness.
Technologies and tools: Office 365 Power BI, MS SharePoint, MS Word, MS Excel, MS Teams, Zendesk, Confluence, JIRA, Vanta.
Axel T.
Last position:
Migration of Host Programs to Decentralized Processing (Cobol to Java) at Freelancer
- Analysis of calculations in the legacy system (Cobol), reconciliation with specification and checking differences in the new system
- Managing change requests with Jira
- Basis for compare reconciliation: XML formats for further processing in Dopix (business: VS certificate, customer info, contribution statements)
- Automated XML comparisons via TWS jobs in various test systems
- Reviewing and documenting related utility programs and interface calls
- Reviewing legacy programs in terms of content, technology, and business logic
- Creating and extending JCLs for regression tests host <> decentralized
- Analyzing error cases and comparing with specifications for correctness
- Creating Jira tickets as requests or bug fixes for the Java programs
Technical environment:
- COBOL
- TSO/ISPF
- DB2/SQL (Spufi, QE2)
- IMS-DB/DC application development
- JCL, TWS (Tivoli), EJM Beta48 (AIX)
- Changeman (Extended Release Option)
- Citrix environment
- MS Office
- Ticket management with Jira
- Agile development
Gerhard H.
Last position:
Application Developer at Lila Logistik
- Supported the application
- Developed applications in COBOL
- Extended customer and in-house requirements
- Assisted in ensuring smooth operation
- Methods/tools: COBOL, HP3000, MPE/XL operating system, IMAGE database, Whisper (development interface)
Smita A.
Last position:
Scrum Master at Synechron
- Coached, mentored and trained teams to bring in agile mindset.
- Organized and facilitated daily scrum, sprint reviews, retrospectives, sprint and release planning.
- Collaborated closely with product owner on backlog grooming to keep product backlog relevant and prioritized.
- Effectively managed and tracked team’s progress.
- Worked with scrum masters across sites to prepare and facilitate potentially shippable increment planning sessions.
- Expertly promoted continuous improvement and helped teams increase productivity and foster innovation.
- Identified and mitigated risks and impediments on continuous basis.
- Used effective facilitation techniques for decision making and conflict resolution.
- Worked with remote/distributed teams with varying level of agile maturity.
Thomas M.
Last position:
Application Developer at Freelance
- Development of a new payment method
- Adaptation of SB programs for FRAUD provisioning
- Creation of programs for fraud processing
- Defect fixing and further development of SB programs
- Analysis and development as part of FRAUD for SB applications
- Requirement analysis
- Program development
- Quality assurance of the developed programs
- Testing of the developed programs
- Development of new batch applications
- Banks
- Assembler, Cobol2, DB2, File-AID, IBM mainframe, IBM ISPF, JCL, JES2, REXX, SQL, TSO, Xpediter, z/OS, IMS-DB, IMS-DC
Wolfgang H.
Last position:
Developer at Süddeutsche Krankenversicherung
- Further development and maintenance of systems related to policy administration
- Further development and maintenance of systems related to benefits
- Further development and maintenance of systems related to health insurance
- Technologies: COBOL, VSE, JCL, CA Sort
Roman P.
Last position:
IT Manager, Specialist and Consultant; Robotics Specialist; Business Analyst; Actuary at Righley Cooper GmbH
- IT Manager, Specialist and Consultant
- Robotics Specialist
- Business Analyst
- Actuary
Martin Z.
Last position:
Insurance
- Data migration of transaction data in the area of commission settlement from various proprietary IBM mainframe systems to the target application SAP ICM.
- Planning, implementation, and quality assurance of a batch process for data migration on various mainframe platforms from testing to production.
Discover over 15,000 top freelancers
Statistics of experts using VSAM
Aggregated from the professional profiles of matched freelancers.
Experience
34 years
Position duration
2.5 years
Positions per freelancer
19
Top business areas
Information Technology, Quality Assurance, Project Management
Top industries
Banking and Finance, Insurance, Information Technology
Certification focus areas
Information Technology, Project Management, Product Development
Bachelor's degree or higher
50%
Master's degree or higher
38%
Certifications per freelancer
3
Most common languages
German, English, French
Speak two or more languages
88%
Based on our profile pool as of 29 Oct 2026.
Daily rate distribution
The chart shows how the daily rates of experts in this technology in Germany are distributed, based on recent contracts on our platform. Each bar covers a rate range — its height shows the share of experts charging within that range.
Average rates of experts in Germany using VSAM
Rates are based on recent contracts and do not include FRATCH margin.
The average daily rate is the mean of all daily rates from recent contracts of comparable freelancers on our platform.
The median daily rate is the middle value of all daily rates — half of comparable freelancers charge less, half charge more. Unlike the average, it is barely affected by outliers.
Calculated based on our freelancers’ daily rates as of 29 Oct 2026. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
VSAM experts industry focus
See which industries our matched freelancers work in most often — every figure is calculated live from the freelancers on FRATCH.
- Banking and Finance (75%)
- Insurance (75%)
- Information Technology (75%)
- Automotive (44%)
- Transportation (38%)
- Professional Services (38%)
- Government and Administration (38%)
- Manufacturing (31%)
Please note that freelancers can work across multiple industries, so percentages overlap.
About the technology
Core technology
VSAM, or Virtual Storage Access Method, is IBM's high-performance file access method for z/OS environments. It organizes records in key-sequenced, entry-sequenced and relative-record data sets. Companies use it when mainframe applications need dependable storage, fast keyed access and controlled handling of business-critical records.
Data set types
- KSDS structures for keyed access and indexed records
- ESDS structures for sequential or addressed access
- RRDS structures for fixed relative record access
- Alternate indexes, paths and upgradeable data sets
Professionals also manage catalog entries, control intervals, control areas and the operational behavior of data sets under changing workloads. Their work must account for record size, free space, buffering, sharing and recovery requirements.
Mainframe ecosystem
VSAM work sits close to IBM z/OS, COBOL, JCL, CICS, IMS and DB2. Strong specialists understand how batch jobs, online transactions and utility processes access the same data. They may use IDCAMS for definition, listing, copying, verification and repair, while monitoring jobs and system messages to diagnose failures.
Project needs
Companies bring in freelance expertise when a legacy application must remain stable, when file structures need redesign or when a migration affects critical data flows. Typical assignments include converting non-VSAM files, correcting catalog or index issues, improving batch processing and documenting undocumented data relationships. In Germany, this work often supports long-running operations in banking, insurance, logistics and public services.
Modernization work
VSAM specialists can connect established z/OS data with newer services without weakening the mainframe system of record. They assess options such as DB2 integration, API exposure, event-driven access, replication and controlled migration. The right approach depends on transaction behavior, data ownership, compliance needs and the skills available to operate the result.
Strong specialists
The best professionals combine precise VSAM knowledge with careful production practice. They can read COBOL copybooks, trace JCL and CICS flows, interpret IDCAMS output and explain risks in clear language. They test recovery paths, protect data during changes and leave behind useful definitions, runbooks and handover documentation. Remote collaboration works well when access controls, schedules and escalation paths are agreed early.
Frequently asked questions
Before you brief your next project: the most common questions about VSAM.
VSAM stores and retrieves structured records in IBM z/OS applications. It is common in transaction processing and batch systems where reliable keyed, sequential or relative access to operational data is essential.
VSAM is a file-based access method, while DB2 is a relational database management system with SQL, schemas and broader query capabilities. The choice depends on application design, transaction needs, data relationships and the cost and risk of changing an established mainframe system.
A strong VSAM specialist usually works comfortably with IBM z/OS, COBOL, JCL, CICS and IDCAMS. Knowledge of DB2, IMS, mainframe security, batch scheduling and data migration is also valuable when the assignment crosses application or operational boundaries.
The required background depends on whether the assignment involves routine support, data-set redesign, recovery or modernization. A specialist should have proven experience with the relevant VSAM types, application flows and production controls, and should be able to show how similar risks were handled.
Many VSAM assignments can be completed remotely when secure z/OS access, test environments and clear release procedures are available. On-site work may still help during cutovers, incident response or workshops with teams operating sensitive mainframe systems in Germany.
Ask the professional to explain KSDS, ESDS and RRDS choices, IDCAMS operations, catalog problems and recovery planning in the context of your system. A quality specialist connects technical decisions to application behavior, operational risk and clear documentation rather than focusing only on isolated commands.
VSAM modernization makes sense when access needs have changed, interfaces are difficult to maintain or the organization needs controlled integration with newer services. It should begin with dependency mapping and data ownership, because a direct replacement can create more risk than a carefully designed coexistence model.
A VSAM freelancer should clarify the z/OS environment, data-set definitions, application languages, batch and transaction schedules, access permissions and recovery expectations. They should also confirm testing responsibilities, production change rules and who can approve structural or migration decisions.
The average hourly rate of freelancers in Germany who have used VSAM in their recent projects is 98 €, which corresponds to a daily rate of about 781 € based on an 8-hour working day.
Of the freelancers in Germany who have used VSAM in their recent projects, 50% hold at least a Bachelor's degree and 38% hold at least a Master's degree.
On average, freelancers in Germany who have used VSAM in their recent projects have 34 years of professional experience, with a single engagement typically lasting around 2.5 years.
The most common languages among freelancers in Germany who have used VSAM in their recent projects are German (100%), English (88%), and French (31%).
The most common industries among freelancers in Germany who have used VSAM in their recent projects are Banking and Finance (75%), Insurance (75%), and Information Technology (75%).
The most common business areas among freelancers in Germany who have used VSAM in their recent projects are Information Technology (100%), Quality Assurance (88%), and Project Management (69%).
Main locations of FRATCH Experts, who have recently used VSAM
Our freelancers and interim experts are at home across the DACH region — available on-site in the major business hubs or fully remote. Choose a location to discover matched specialists, local market insights and up-to-date availability.
Berlin Hamburg Munich Cologne Frankfurt Stuttgart Dusseldorf Leipzig Dortmund Essen Bremen Dresden Hanover Nuremberg Request a free demo
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FRATCH CEO
