AS400 needs to be modernized
…seems to be the chant of the moment.
But I put it to you that it is not the Computer System that needs modernizing: It is the applications that run on the system… and more importantly the *expectations* of the users and developers that need modernizing.
Most IBM midrange systems out there have been upgraded/replaced over the last five+ years with the latest IBM hardware – IBM Power Systems. Do IBM Power Systems need upgrading?
Nope
Even if you are one of the few IBM midrange shops out there running older system architecture like the older models of IBM iSeries Server, its not that they need modernizing – because I’m sure they are humming along quite contentedly. If your old iSeries Server is running latest version IBM i operating system then does it still need upgrading?
Nope
If you are actually still running one of the old AS400 servers (and are there really any of these decade old pieces of hardware still running out in the wild?) then I would predict that you don’t know you are running on an AS400 because it is just humming away under the stairs in at the back of the warehouse and everyone has forgotten where it is…. leave these precious rare beasts alone. Dont upgrade them, they are a beautiful piece of history and should be revered, stroked and talked to in a soothing voice. So, just for that, I’m going to mutter a quietly calming
Nope
But, even if we are contemplating uplifting our applications to make them work on the web, upgrading our old RPG3 and RPG400 programs to use ILE programming concepts or to use SQL for file access – it all starts with a simple process I’m going to call “putting your IBM i house in order”
So what’s involved in PUTTING YOUR IBM i HOUSE IN ORDER
RPG3 is dead – use CVTRPGSRC to simply uplift your old source code to RPG4 format. You don’t need to worry about making it all nice and /Free, but just get it ready, and for the god’s sake put the source code in QRPGLESRC. CLP is dead – don’t use anything to convert it. just copy it all to QCLLESRC and change the source type to CLLE
You dont even need to change a single line of code…. but at least you are now ready.
Of course – you could also check out Upgrade Source (UPGSRCMBR) a rather sexy RPG source code powertool that tidy’s, freshens and even upgrades your old RPG source to the new RPG4 format.
But… I did write it… so I’m biased 🙂