James Allman | JA Technology Solutions LLC
IBM i consulting, support, reporting, and modernization
If your business still runs on an IBM i, the platform you may know as the AS/400 or iSeries, and the RPG has grown undocumented and risky to change, a vendor is quoting a multi-year rip-and-replace you are not sure you need, and the green screens work fine but no new hire wants to learn them, that is the work I do. I provide independent IBM i consulting: support, reporting, integration, troubleshooting, and a modernization path that fits the business rather than a rewrite for its own sake.
The problem I usually see
The pattern repeats across IBM i shops. The system has run for twenty or thirty years and still posts every order correctly, but the RPG is fixed-format and thinly documented, so even small changes are risky, and the vendor's answer to every request is a quote for a full replacement. Meanwhile the data finance needs is locked inside DB2 for i where the current reports cannot reach it, and a critical integration runs through a fragile nightly file transfer nobody wants to touch.
None of that means the platform is the problem. IBM i runs current business logic on current POWER hardware, and most environments need support, better reporting, modern interfaces, and a realistic plan, not a rip-and-replace. The work is reading the code that is already there, documenting what it does, and extending it safely.
The platform's real strength is that the business logic does not have to move. The RPG and DB2 for i core stays put, while modern access grows around it: existing green screens, new web and mobile front ends, REST and JSON APIs for partners, and JDBC and SQL for reporting and analytics.
Preserve the core. Modernize the access.
Areas of work
- RPG and RPGLE development
- CL and operational tooling
- DB2 for i and SQL development
- Custom reporting
- Legacy enhancement
- Troubleshooting and production support
- System integration
- Data movement, conversion, and ETL
- Modernization planning
IBM i platform strengths
99.95%+ uptime
IBM i systems routinely deliver enterprise-grade reliability measured in years, not months.
Integrated database
DB2 for i is built into the operating system: no separate installation, patching, or management.
Object-level security
Built-in security model provides inherent PCI compliance advantages over file-system-based platforms.
35+ years compatibility
Applications written decades ago run on current POWER hardware without recompilation.
Support that fits the platform
Many IBM i environments do not need wholesale replacement. They need support, reporting, integration, and a realistic modernization path that fits the business.
Java and JDBC on IBM i through PASE enable modern integrations, web services, and cross-database connectivity while preserving existing RPG business logic. The same work usually reaches beyond the platform: bridging IBM i to Linux services and Windows/.NET applications, moving data between DB2 for i and SQL Server or PostgreSQL, and exposing RPG logic to web and mobile front ends. Working across all three is what keeps an IBM i from being treated as an island.
How an engagement starts
Most IBM i work starts with a short, honest assessment: what is in production, which programs are business-critical, what is documented, and where the real risks are. From there I scope a first piece small enough to prove the approach, whether that is a reporting fix, a web service around an existing program, or recovering and documenting undocumented logic before it is needed in a crisis. I review the work and provide a quote before any billable work begins.
Free IBM i and mainframe tools
Try these free browser-based tools for working with IBM i and mainframe data: the EBCDIC to ASCII Converter handles character encoding translation with fixed-length record support, the Packed Decimal Converter decodes COMP-3, zoned, and overpunch numeric fields, the COBOL Copybook Explorer interprets record layouts from copybook definitions, the DDS Screen Explorer renders display file screens as HTML, the DDS to SQL Converter converts physical file definitions to SQL and back, the Fixed-Width Converter parses positional record formats, and the WSDL/SOAP Explorer reads the service contract of an Integrated Web Services (IWS) or other SOAP endpoint and generates a curl command to test it.
Related capabilities
IBM i work connects closely with modernization, system integration, custom application development, migration, custom reporting, and cloud and hybrid architecture.
Further reading
IBM i: The Platform Decision-Makers Should Understand: why the platform is still the right choice for many businesses, and how to get the most from it.
RPG: The Language Behind Your Business Logic: what RPG is, why it still runs critical operations, and the knowledge-gap risk.
RPG Modernization: Options Beyond Java Migration: modernization paths that do not require a full rewrite.
EBCDIC and ASCII: a practical guide to mainframe and IBM i data conversion.