IBM iSeries Solution ModernizationEngineering the Future

IBM iSeries has been the backbone of numerous vital business operations across industries. But the 5250 green screens remain an eyesore, not to mention the primitive user interface that’s still being used in this era of advanced technology. Technology today helps unlock the true potential of IBM iSeries applications to be used across web and mobile interfaces. RPG, PHP, and mobile applications can bring about a marked enrichment in business processes, employing in-house skilled personnel and IBM i assets more efficiently.

Common Challenges Solution & Approach Complete Rewrite Using the Web Facing Tool Using the Profound Tool Recommended Approaches About Us

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4Now, if one were to marry the reliability of AS400 to the appeal of modern technologies, what would be a quick painless way that doesn’t burn a hole in one’s pocket? Well, you put the old wine in a new bottle! There are tools (such as IBM WebFacing and IBM Profound) that allow you to web-enable these legacy applications. This leaves the back-end unchanged but modernizes the front-end, improving what matters to the end users.

Short Term Goals Support the legacy application to achieve business functionality critical to the end users. Documentation of the existing code to make technology migration possible.

Long Term Goals Enhancement of the customer facing portal to offer a delightful user experience.

Derive insights and deliver meaningful visualizations using business intelligence tools to enable quick and effective decision-making.

Integration with partner solutions on newer technologies is difficult.

The code, worked upon by generations of programmers over time, gets patchy and spaghetti-like. Maintaining this is extremely difficult.

RPG is a niche skill, so few candidates come by.

Lack of clear documentation makes reengineering and migration to modern technologies inconvenient.

So, if you ask us, this is what we would say-

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Solution & Approach

Common Challenges

Understanding the application and key focus areas help prioritize items, identify short-term/ long-term goals, and chart out a detailed plan for application modernization. Following are the typical goals which are set during an application modernization exercise:

There were 3 alternatives to achieve web enablement:

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Using the Web Facing Tool

Complete Rewrite

Support the legacy solution until the entire end user base migrates to the new platform. Mid Term Goals Migration of the legacy solution to a graphical user interface (GUI)-based solution using web technologies.

Streamline and standardize data management processes using ETL tools.

A complete rewrite involves a complete understanding of business workflows, customizations, grasp of technical considerations, data conversion, significant investments, and data migration hiccups among many other things. Yep... you guessed it right. This sounds EXPENSIVE!

Usually, businesses prefer subtlety when it comes to changes.

WebFacing is an IBM WebSphere-based solution that provides a Java-based connector framework for interfacing with iSeries programs. It helps programmers web-enable RPG applications by converting RPG display files to JSPs and JavaBeans, which, in turn, accesses the core business logic residing within the RPG/System. This simple ‘tweak’ allows the host application to act as a web application.

• Minimal changes to underlying RPG application

• Better architecture using Model–View–Controller (MVC) design pattern in the Struts framework

• Conversion is done at the development time which makes runtime faster

• Highly scalable

• Requires DDS source files. If DDS source files are not available, it requires an advanced edition with HATS support

• Cannot change the screen to screen navigation

Pros: Cons:

• Easy-to-use HTML5 visual design interface for IBM i

• 100% IBM i hosted

• Compliant with Web and IBM i development standards

• Compatible with native RPG operations as well as Java/ PHP

• Supports all browser types

• Supports both web and mobile applications

• Requires DDS source files. If there are no DDS source files, it needs advanced edition with HATS support

• Cannot change the screen to screen navigation

Pros: Cons:

Using the Profound ToolProfound Logic is at the cutting edge of modernization solutions. It’s an all-in-one solution for converting existing RPG applications to GUI browser-based applications. A few of its capabilities are listed in the table below.

Create Modern desktop and mobile application interfaces

New web and mobile applications

Modern RPGLE and PHP applications

Enhance Web-enable green screens on the fly

Convert legacy DDS code to Rich Displays

Transform green screen menus into modern web application menus

Extend Provide and consume Web Services

Ensure secure web and mobile access to IBM i

Deploy stateless applications

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WebFacing from IBM allows you to web-enable your programs with little or no interference with the original IBM i applications. The tool, with its user-friendly wizards, is used with applications using DDS source code to create 5250 display screens.

IBM WebFacing

Recommended Approaches

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The tool can be used with other WDSC tools to enhance WebFaced applications. It can be used to add graphics and dynamic JSP attributes.

Complete reengineering of your legacy 5250 applications.

Convert DDS-based 5250 applications to web interfaces for their use in internet browsers. Customize the web browser user interface after conversion.

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Once the source code is converted, the application can be accessed through a browser or you can also continue using 5250 displays.

Profound UI is a browser-based modernization framework that transforms RPG applications into Web applications and mobile applications that run on the IBM i platform. With the modules in the Profound UI suite, you can:

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Transform outdated 5250 green screen interfaces into rich, modern user interfaces.

Develop new, rich applications using your existing RPG development talent.

Use a patented drag-and-drop interface to rapidly design modern desktop and mobile interfaces.

Add modern, centralized navigation to your RPG applications.

Integrate Open Source development with Node.js and PHP, and open your development to a younger generation of developers.

Meticulous documentation of legacy code, minimizing the chances of erratic application behavior.

Implementation of best practices for support and ETL resulting in faster customer service.

Minimum changes to the core business logic leading to no major defect post-migration.

Customization of open source tools that cut down the operational expenditure.

An agile methodology that ensures alignment with client expectations.

How can you ensure a successful modernization exercise?

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Think Simple, Build Powerful

This is not just our philosophy, it’s our way of life. Simplicity and clarity of thought can go a long way today as technological advancements are rolling out at a fast pace. We are determined to deliver simple solutions that meet your expectations and help you derive meaningful insights and outcomes for your business.

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