VSAM Experts in Germany
for reliable mainframe data systems, matched in minutes with AIHire experts who manage VSAM data sets, design KSDS and ESDS structures, and support z/OS batch and CICS workloads. FRATCH connects you with vetted, available freelancers whose experience matches your technical requirements quickly and precisely.
Meet FRATCH Experts in Germany, who have recently used VSAM
Sven H.
Last position:
Process Architect (Symbio, Signavio) at IT service provider for an international premium automaker
- Analyzing, aligning and modeling business processes (BPMN 2.0) for the 'The New Retail' program in the areas of invoicing, tax, customs and accounting
- Tracking user stories and their impact on processes
- Point of contact for preparing the tool migration from Symbio to Signavio for the mentioned areas
- Power user after the introduction of Signavio, point of contact and coach for other process modelers
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
Jürgen S.
Last position:
IT Consultant / Analyst / Developer / Tester / Support at Automotive Manufacturer
- Analysis, software development/customization, and testing of various transaction and batch objects
- Conducting functional integration and regression tests on TEST and QA platforms under z/OS for later production implementation
- Hardware / Software / Tools: IBM MVS, z/OS, JES2/3, TSO-ISPF, JCL, DB2, SQL, SQL/PL, QMF, QMF for Workstations, 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
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)
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)
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.
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
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
Discover over 15,000 top freelancers
Statistics of experts using VSAM
Aggregated from the professional profiles of matched freelancers.
Experience
34 years
Position duration
2.4 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 19 Sep 2026.
Daily rate distribution
The chart shows how the daily rates of freelancers in this technology in Germany are distributed, based on recent contracts on our platform. Each bar covers a rate range — its height shows how many freelancers charge 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 19 Sep 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
What VSAM is
VSAM, or Virtual Storage Access Method, is an IBM access method for storing and retrieving records on z/OS. It supports indexed, sequential and relative record access for applications that depend on dependable mainframe data handling. VSAM data sets remain central to many long-running business systems.
Core data sets
The main VSAM types are key-sequenced data sets (KSDS), entry-sequenced data sets (ESDS), and relative record data sets (RRDS). Each suits a different access pattern, from keyed customer records to append-oriented logs and fixed relative records. Linear data sets are also used by selected z/OS components.
- KSDS for keyed access and controlled record updates
- ESDS for sequential storage and event-like record flows
- RRDS for records addressed by relative slot
- Alternate indexes for additional access paths
Ecosystem and tooling
VSAM work sits within the z/OS ecosystem and often involves JCL, IDCAMS, COBOL, CICS, Db2 and batch scheduling. Specialists use IDCAMS commands to define, copy, inspect and reorganize data sets, while monitoring tools help identify space, catalog and performance issues. Knowledge of SMS, catalogs and security controls is equally important.
When expertise matters
Companies bring in freelance expertise during migrations, application modernization, incident recovery and changes to established record layouts. Support is also valuable when a system needs better batch windows, safer data-set reorganizations or integration with newer services. In Germany, collaboration may combine remote delivery with on-site work for regulated or operationally sensitive environments.
- Converting or reorganizing legacy VSAM data sets
- Investigating failed batch jobs and access errors
- Connecting COBOL and CICS applications to stable data structures
- Planning interfaces between VSAM and relational or distributed systems
Strong professional practice
Strong professionals understand both the data structure and the application that depends on it. They review key design, record sizes, free-space settings, buffering, sharing and recovery procedures before changing production data. They also document IDCAMS steps, rollback options and operational dependencies clearly for the wider z/OS team.
Choosing the right specialist
Look for hands-on work with the relevant VSAM types, access modes and z/OS utilities rather than generic mainframe knowledge. Ask how the specialist diagnoses open, catalog, space and performance problems, and how changes are tested against batch and online workloads. For remote work, agree on access controls, runbook ownership, German or English communication and production change procedures at the start.
Frequently asked questions
Before you brief your next project: the most common questions about VSAM.
VSAM is used to store and access records in IBM z/OS applications. It supports keyed, sequential and relative access, making it common in COBOL, CICS and batch systems that manage high-value operational data.
VSAM stores records in data sets and gives applications direct control over access patterns and file organization. Db2 provides relational tables, SQL, transactions and broader query capabilities, so the right choice depends on application design, data relationships and modernization goals.
A strong VSAM specialist usually works comfortably with z/OS, JCL, IDCAMS, COBOL and CICS. Knowledge of Db2, MQ, batch scheduling, RACF, storage management and data migration is useful when the work crosses application and platform boundaries.
The required depth depends on the risk and scope of the work. A VSAM professional handling a production reorganization, recovery plan or complex CICS change should have proven experience with the relevant data-set type, utilities, access paths and operational controls.
Yes, VSAM work can often be delivered remotely when secure z/OS access, test environments and clear change procedures are available. On-site collaboration may still help for restricted systems, production cutovers or teams that require German-language coordination.
VSAM organizes data through several data-set types. KSDS uses a key, ESDS follows entry order, and RRDS addresses records by relative number; the application’s read and update patterns should determine the design.
Ask the VSAM professional to explain key design, record layout, free-space settings, buffering, sharing and recovery decisions in practical terms. Quality work includes repeatable IDCAMS procedures, tested rollback steps, clear documentation and evidence that both batch and online workloads were considered.
Virtual Storage Access Method, commonly called VSAM, remains important because many core z/OS applications still depend on its data sets. Modernization may wrap, replicate, migrate or gradually replace that data, but safe change requires understanding existing layouts, access logic and operational dependencies.
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 783 € 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 2.4 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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Philipp Thomaschewski
FRATCH CEO
