IBM i is a powerful technology. But many consider the system old and outdated, with a green screen interface and a reputation for being “rusty”.
But IBM i is a powerful system that needs to be used properly and replaced. In this section, we will be discussing IBM i Modernization.
IBM i Legacy
When considering the IBM i system, many people imagine a system that has been about three decades behind – it’s old and obsolete, and the green screen interface is very simple or fun. IBM i has a name for being old and “rusty”. As these systems have been in place for so prolonged, various third-party systems have been connected and are reaching throughout the company.
Someone surely forces a modern system that is more comfortable to operate and has more advanced software development tools and more data entrance to other applications around the organization. When considering this type of overhaul, the IT team wonders where to begin and what to do subsequent. Rather than pulling IBM i and substituting it with something else, think of upgrading your IBM system.
Exactly what does modernization mean? There are many options when modernizing your IBM i system. When reviewing these advantages, it is clear to become overly delusional and it is difficult to settle which approach best results. Some of the choices to consider exactly include exposing the locked data and logic to 400, the user interface upgrades, and the software development method.
Process of Software development
Updating your strategy to development is a great place to modernize, and as simple as investigating new ways of doing things. Experts recommend starting with the following choices:
1. RPG Updation- The latest versions of RPG include enhancements to the RPG free format coding language, making it easier to use and improving the productivity of your development unit
2. Adopting the latest tools such as Ib IBM Rational Developer for I (RD) is another significant measure. RDi is the outcome of IBM’s plan to provide general development and management tools over operating systems and languages. It is a state-of-the-art tool for application development on IBM i systems that substitutes conventional development tools such as PDM, SEU, SDA, and RLU.
Green screen updating
Modernizing the Green Screen will drive a better look, workflow, and user experience to grow enterprise users’ productivity. The following are some of how you can switch to a browser-based UI and achieve those objects:
The simplest solution is to convert the green screen known as re-facing to a GUI screen. This strategy quickly produces a browser-based look and feel without any programming adjustments.
Another possibility is to separate business logic from the UI, allowing the same business logic to be used in multiple UIs. This option makes using RPG Open Access much more manageable.
Exposing locked data and business logic in AS / 400
An integration project enables users to trade e-commerce systems and obtain orders while IBM i continue to treat transactions securely, and quickly. Here are three tools we commonly use to integrate an IBM i e-commerce:
- Web services- They are a great option as you do not need to buy different software. IBM i can create web services and host them within the native system.
- The IBM WebSphere MQ Series- This is a comparatively inexpensive tool that adds great value to the project and the team. This software tool is found on IBM i and optionally on the external system, and provides safe and secure messaging within the two systems.
- Mule Enterprise Service Bus – uses more complex projects and functions as a middleware between the two systems. At the fundamental level, this tool processes activities between IBM i and e-commerce systems. It is further robust and includes more characteristics than other options.
The important thing to keep in understanding when making an upgrade is that IBM i is still a comprehensive backend system. It is powerful and strong, and reliable.
Advantages of the IBM i Modernization
Whichever process is chosen, the IBM i Modernization has many benefits.
- Better and richer customer experience including Users and other users.
- Redesign with modern web frameworks such as Angular, React, and HTML 5.
- Increasing the minimum cost without changing the main business rules.
- Access Easy and integrated with mobile devices.
- Efficient application workflow.
- Flex more flexible applications.
- Business Easy to implement new business requirements.
- Resource Excellent resource availability.
Summary
For several organizations, Core IBM i (AS / 400) applications have been the foundation of their strong business processes for decades. IBM i systems can store valuable information and important business logic. As data matches the main driver of business intelligence, the necessity to tap and extract information on these 5250-based green screens is rising while considering cost and risk and generating a better and more convenient user-friendly system. In addition, users are dissatisfied with the outdated interface, the absence of major functional updates, and the lack of timely or up-to-date data.
As technology advances and changes the way the company drives forward, it requires resources that are experienced in both old and new technologies to integrate extra functionality into these legacy applications. The new database and the latest OS’s programming characteristics are very relevant, as newer versions improve the original OS or hardware legacy application (such as the IBM Series ). The difficulty is finding a team that can combine new updates into the existing IBM i series application.
In most instances, these ‘legacy’ applications are highlighted rich with complex business rules. The total re-write can be an expense calculated in years and millions of dollars. The value does not end with the cost of IT, but in the case of training, your organization proceeds to fail and may add new processes and schemes that have influenced the technology shift rather than your business requirements.
Modernization of the IBM i platform is a much more prudent approach than expensive and risky alternatives such as migrating to a completely new (unproven) system. Many companies utilize the power of IBM i systems, empowering businesses to add new user experiences, workflows, and abilities to the source code without any consequence – guaranteeing that the IBM i investments prevail to pay dividends.