29
Fri, Nov
0 New Articles

How Low Code Helps Businesses Modernize their IBM i Apps

Development Tools
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

Digital transformation and application modernization are both never-ending cycles of continuous improvement. Whether a business wants to adopt the latest technologies, upgrade legacy applications, or improve the integration of various systems, modernization never stops.

In fact, there are quite a few drivers of modernization, and for businesses relying on the IBM i (previously known as IBM iSeries or IBM AS/400), the availability of human resources is quickly working its way to the number one spot.


It’s no secret that RPG developers are retiring faster than they are being created, and it’s an issue that is projected to widen over the next few years. To make matters worse, there is a major gap between open developer jobs and talented developers to fill those roles.

Even companies such as Amazon, Google, and Verizon are struggling to fill their open developer positions.

Between retiring RPG developers, and the difficulty in attracting top young talent to create modern applications, IBM i businesses are in quite the conundrum.

As bad as it may look right now, there is an alternative to address this situation, low-code. More specifically, hybrid-low code.

Low-code is quickly becoming the go-to app development platform for many businesses. However, low-code comes in many varieties, and not every low-code platform is designed to create complex enterprise apps. In fact, there are only a few low-code platforms that currently run on the IBM i.

The key is finding a low-code platform that is easy to use for RPG developers nearing retirement as it is for junior developers right out of school.

After all, it has to bridge the current talent gap and allow IBM i shops to utilize any developer. If the platform relies on JavaScript alone, easily creating full-stack applications will be difficult.

The platform has to strike a balance between ease of use and functionality. While being easy to use is nice, it still has to be powerful enough to create complex enterprise applications.

Must-have features to create complex enterprise apps should include the ability to create a full-stack app utilizing a single platform. Integrating with any system utilizing APIs, integrating with SQL, or natively accessing the IBM i’s own database should also be “table-stakes” for a development platform.

When you look at all the necessary criteria needed to be a viable RPG replacement as well as being able to fill the current talent gap, it becomes pretty clear that Visual LANSA’s hybrid low-code solution may just be the solution these IBM i businesses need.

Let’s take a closer look at what Visual LANSA has to offer.

Easy to Learn:

Defining what qualifies as an easy-to-learn platform or language is quite a challenge, and it can be very subjective. Many low-code platforms claim you can create an app in less than a day, and technically they are correct.

You can also create “Hello World” in any language in less than an hour. But much like a “Hello World” app, the low-code app created in less than a day is pretty useless. You are not going to be able to create an enterprise-level application in one day with any platform, period.

Visual LANSA has a track record of being able to go from beginner to creating production-ready applications in about two weeks. For example, four recent college grad developers at Bemis Manufacturing were able to create production-ready applications by their second week of employment.

They accomplished this task without any formal LANSA training, only utilizing Visual LANSA tutorials and concepts they learned in school. When it comes to training, British Car Auction only needs one week to train Visual LANSA developers before setting them loose for their first task. Both are great examples of how quickly new developers can learn Visual LANSA.

IBM i Full-Stack Apps - One Platform

Aside from Visual LANSA, creating full-stack applications on the IBM i is a multi-language or multi-platform process. Certain low-code vendors offer IBM Cloud solutions to compensate for the lack of native IBM i support. So, while you may get away with a single platform, cloud deployment is your only option.

Other vendors offer the ability to create simple front-end apps with a JavaScript-based low-code solution but lack complete full-stack development. Only Visual LANSA allows IBM i developers the ability to create native full-stack applications without ever leaving the IDE.

Visual LANSA’s unique hybrid low-code concept blends the best of low-code methodologies with the power and flexibility of a traditional language approach. This means that whether developers are creating stunning visual front-ends or data crunching back-ends, they will use the same language and development techniques for both.

This approach simplifies app development, decreases development times, and is a contributing factor to the speed at which new developers learn to create Visual LANSA applications.

Active Business Rules Engine to Easily Access DB2 Databases

Visual LANSA allows for the direct import of an IBM i DB2 database. Once the DB2 tables are inside the Visual LANSA Rules Engine, they become easy to access plus developers have the ability to utilize global rules and triggers on them.

Global rules and triggers can be set one time in the Rules Engine and then applied throughout any Visual LANSA application. This simplifies application development since redundant hand-coding is eliminated.

The Active Business Rules Engine isn’t just for DB2 databases. You can import SQL tables, Excel spreadsheets, and a wide variety of different database formats.

Along with holding your database tables, the Rules Engine will be a central access point for creating APIs and accessing your code modules. It is truly a powerful feature not seen in any other application development process.

Planning for the Future - Staying on the IBM i

There is no doubt businesses relying heavily on RPG applications need to start acting on modernization plans sooner rather than later. One thing is certain, those modernization plans should focus on staying on the IBM i. The IBM i is the most reliable business server and it is optimized to crunch data.

There is no denying the value and advantages the IBM i brings to so many businesses. The key question becomes how to efficiently and effectively replace decades of RPG applications. I have no doubt low-code will be the solution.

When it comes to low-code on the IBM i, Visual LANSA is the only platform that can confidently check all the boxes needed for a full RPG conversion project.

0 0

LANSA is a low-code, high-productivity software development platform for mobile, web, and desktop applications. Visual LANSA's unique low-code development platform, system integration, and digital transformation technologies reduce hand-coding, support multiple languages, and empower development teams to build applications up to 10 times faster. More than 8,000 organizations in 65 countries use LANSA's platform to develop, maintain, and integrate their business applications, ensuring a consistent look and feel with minimal coding. Customers include JPMorgan Chase, Kawasaki, TruGreen, Vistar, and Walt Disney, among others. LANSA is a division of Idera, Inc.

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: