Modernizing IBM i Applications from the Database up to the User Interface and Everything in Between


Book Description

This IBM® Redbooks® publication is focused on melding industry preferred practices with the unique needs of the IBM i community and providing a holistic view of modernization. This book covers key trends for application structure, user interface, data access, and the database. Modernization is a broad term when applied to applications. It is more than a single event. It is a sequence of actions. But even more, it is a process of rethinking how to approach the creation and maintenance of applications. There are tangible deliveries when it comes to modernization, the most notable being a modern user interface (UI), such as a web browser or being able to access applications from a mobile device. The UI, however, is only the beginning. There are many more aspects to modernization. Using modern tools and methodologies can significantly improve productivity and reduce long-term cost while positioning applications for the next decade. It is time to put the past away. Tools and methodologies have undergone significant transformation, improving functionality, usability, and productivity. This is true of the plethora of IBM tools and the wealth of tools available from many Independent Solution Providers (ISVs). This publication is the result of work that was done by IBM, industry experts, and by representatives from many of the ISV Tool Providers. Some of their tools are referenced in the book. In addition to reviewing technologies based on context, there is an explanation of why modernization is important and a description of the business benefits of investing in modernization. This critical information is key for line-of-business executives who want to understand the benefits of a modernization project. This book is appropriate for CIOs, architects, developers, and business leaders. Related information Making the Case for Modernization, IBM Systems Magazine




IBM i 7.2 Technical Overview with Technology Refresh Updates


Book Description

This IBM® Redbooks® publication provides a technical overview of the features, functions, and enhancements that are available in IBM i 7.2, including all the available Technology Refresh (TR) levels, from TR1 to TR3. This publication provides a summary and brief explanation of the many capabilities and functions in the operating system. It also describes many of the licensed programs and application development tools that are associated with IBM i. The information that is provided in this book is useful for clients, IBM Business Partners, and IBM service professionals that are involved with planning, supporting, upgrading, and implementing IBM i 7.2 solutions.




SQL Procedures, Triggers, and Functions on IBM DB2 for i


Book Description

Structured Query Language (SQL) procedures, triggers, and functions, which are also known as user-defined functions (UDFs), are the key database features for developing robust and distributed applications. IBM® DB2® for i supported these features for many years, and they are enhanced in IBM i versions 6.1, 7.1, and 7.2. DB2 for i refers to the IBM DB2 family member and relational database management system that is integrated within the IBM Power operating system that is known as IBM i. This IBM Redbooks® publication includes several of the announced features for SQL procedures, triggers, and functions in IBM i versions 6.1, 7.1, and 7.2. This book includes suggestions, guidelines, and practical examples to develop DB2 for i SQL procedures, triggers, and functions effectively. This book covers the following topics: Introduction to the SQL/Persistent Stored Modules (PSM) language, which is used in SQL procedures, triggers, and functions SQL procedures SQL triggers SQL functions This book is for IBM i database engineers and data-centric developers who strive to provide flexible, extensible, agile, and scalable database solutions that meet business requirements in a timely manner. Before you read this book, you need to know about relational database technology and the application development environment on the IBM Power SystemsTM with the IBM i operating system.




Who Knew You Could Do That with RPG IV? Modern RPG for the Modern Programmer


Book Description

Application development is a key part of IBM® i businesses. The IBM i operating system is a modern, robust platform to create and develop applications. The RPG language has been around for a long time, but is still being transformed into a modern business language. This IBM Redbooks® publication is focused on helping the IBM i development community understand the modern RPG language. The world of application development has been rapidly changing over the past years. The good news is that IBM i has been changing right along with it, and has made significant changes to the RPG language. This book is intended to help developers understand what modern RPG looks like and how to move from older versions of RPG to a newer, modern version. Additionally, it covers the basics of Integrated Language Environment® (ILE), interfacing with many other languages, and the best tools for doing development on IBM i. Using modern tools, methodologies, and languages are key to continuing to stay relevant in today's world. Being able to find the right talent for your company is key to your continued success. Using the guidelines and principles in this book can help set you up to find that talent today and into the future. This publication is the result of work that was done by IBM, industry experts, business partners, and some of the original authors of the first edition of this book. This information is important not only for developers, but also business decision makers (CIO for example) to understand that the IBM i is not an 'old' system. IBM i has modern languages and tools. It is a matter of what you choose to do with the IBM i that defines its age.




IBM Db2 Mirror for i Getting Started


Book Description

IBM® Db2® Mirror for i provides a new solution for continuous availability for an IBM i environment based on an active-active clustering design that uses a low-latency communication protocol for synchronous database replication. With Db2 Mirror, IBM i customers can benefit from continuous application availability for both planned and unplanned outages. Db2 Mirror can help reduce or eliminate application downtime for regular maintenance operations such as program temporary fix (PTF) installations, operating system (OS) upgrades, or for planned server outages. This IBM Redpaper publication provides a broad overview and understanding of this new solution by covering its architecture, positioning, planning, and implementation aspects. It provides an introduction reference for a seller or technical specialist audience to become familiar with the new Db2 Mirror solution.




Getting Started: Journey to Modernization with IBM Z


Book Description

Modernization of enterprise IT applications and infrastructure is key to the survival of organizations. It is no longer a matter of choice. The cost of missing out on business opportunities in an intensely competitive market can be enormous. To aid in their success, organizations are facing increased encouragement to embrace change. They are pushed to think of new and innovative ways to counter, or offer, a response to threats that are posed by competitors who are equally as aggressive in adopting newer methods and technologies. The term modernization often varies in meaning based on perspective. This IBM® Redbooks® publication focuses on the technological advancements that unlock computing environments that are hosted on IBM Z® to enable secure processing at the core of hybrid. This publication is intended for IT executives, IT managers, IT architects, System Programmers, and Application Developer professionals.




Accelerating Modernization with Agile Integration


Book Description

The organization pursuing digital transformation must embrace new ways to use and deploy integration technologies, so they can move quickly in a manner appropriate to the goals of multicloud, decentralization, and microservices. The integration layer must transform to allow organizations to move boldly in building new customer experiences, rather than forcing models for architecture and development that pull away from maximizing the organization's productivity. Many organizations have started embracing agile application techniques, such as microservice architecture, and are now seeing the benefits of that shift. This approach complements and accelerates an enterprise's API strategy. Businesses should also seek to use this approach to modernize their existing integration and messaging infrastructure to achieve more effective ways to manage and operate their integration services in their private or public cloud. This IBM® Redbooks® publication explores the merits of what we refer to as agile integration; a container-based, decentralized, and microservice-aligned approach for integration solutions that meets the demands of agility, scalability, and resilience required by digital transformation. It also discusses how the IBM Cloud Pak for Integration marks a significant leap forward in integration technology by embracing both a cloud-native approach and container technology to achieve the goals of agile integration. The target audiences for this book are cloud integration architects, IT specialists, and application developers.







Application Development for IBM CICS Web Services


Book Description

This IBM® Redbooks® publication focuses on developing Web service applications in IBM CICS®. It takes the broad view of developing and modernizing CICS applications for XML, Web services, SOAP, and SOA support, and lays out a reference architecture for developing these kinds of applications. We start by discussing Web services in general, then review how CICS implements Web services. We offer an overview of different development approaches: bottom-up, top-down, and meet-in-the-middle. We then look at how you would go about exposing a CICS application as a Web service provider, again looking at the different approaches. The book then steps through the process of creating a CICS Web service requester. We follow this by looking at CICS application aggregation (including 3270 applications) with IBM Rational® Application Developer for IBM System z® and how to implement CICS Web Services using CICS Cloud technology. The first part is concluded with hints and tips to help you when implementing this technology. Part two of this publication provides performance figures for a basic Web service. We investigate some common variables and examine their effects on the performance of CICS as both a requester and provider of Web services.




Microservices from Theory to Practice: Creating Applications in IBM Bluemix Using the Microservices Approach


Book Description

Microservices is an architectural style in which large, complex software applications are composed of one or more smaller services. Each of these microservices focuses on completing one task that represents a small business capability. These microservices can be developed in any programming language. They communicate with each other using language-neutral protocols, such as Representational State Transfer (REST), or messaging applications, such as IBM® MQ Light. This IBM Redbooks® publication gives a broad understanding of this increasingly popular architectural style, and provides some real-life examples of how you can develop applications using the microservices approach with IBM BluemixTM. The source code for all of these sample scenarios can be found on GitHub (https://github.com/). The book also presents some case studies from IBM products. We explain the architectural decisions made, our experiences, and lessons learned when redesigning these products using the microservices approach. Information technology (IT) professionals interested in learning about microservices and how to develop or redesign an application in Bluemix using microservices can benefit from this book.