James Allman / JA Technology Solutions LLC
Modernization that builds on what you have
Modernization does not mean starting over. It means making existing systems more maintainable, more capable, and better connected — without the risk of a wholesale replacement.
Approach
I approach modernization selectively. Not every part of a legacy system needs to change. The goal is to identify where modernization delivers real business value — better maintainability, reduced risk, improved integration, or new capability — and focus effort there.
This often means modernizing interfaces while preserving reliable back-end logic, or wrapping existing business rules in modern APIs rather than rewriting them from scratch.
What Modernization May Include
- Free-format conversion of legacy RPG code
- Java and Kotlin services alongside existing IBM i applications
- Web front ends using React, Vue, and modern frameworks connected to existing business logic
- API development to expose legacy data and functions to modern consumers
- Replacement of green-screen interfaces with browser-based alternatives
- Vendor lock-in reduction through open-source JDKs, Linux-based deployment, and open database platforms
- Consolidation of spreadsheet-based workflows into database-backed applications
- Modernization of reporting from static printouts to interactive, visual formats
When Modernization Makes Sense
Modernization is most valuable when the existing system works but is difficult to maintain, extend, or connect to other systems. If the business logic is sound but the interface is outdated, the deployment is fragile, or the code is in a format that makes changes expensive — that is a modernization conversation.
See the BI dashboard in action for an example of what happens when business data moves from a static spreadsheet into a modern, visual format.
Free Modernization & Legacy Tools
Modernization starts with understanding what is already in place. These free browser-based tools make it easier to inspect legacy screens, record layouts, and numeric encodings before you decide what to replace and what to wrap.
- DDS Screen Explorer — render IBM i 5250 display files as browsable HTML
- BMS Screen Explorer — render CICS BMS screen definitions for mainframe modernization planning
- DDS ↔ SQL Converter — convert IBM i physical file definitions to SQL DDL and back
- COBOL Copybook Explorer — interpret legacy record layouts into readable structure
- EBCDIC to ASCII Converter — decode legacy text exports
- Packed Decimal Converter — decode legacy numeric fields
Related Capabilities
Modernization often connects with migration, custom application development, and reporting modernization. See modernization in action for a side-by-side comparison of legacy and modern interfaces.
Further Reading
IBM i: The Platform Decision-Makers Should Understand — modernization context for the platform that many legacy systems run on.
RPG: The Language Behind Your Business Logic — what lives in your RPG code and how to modernize it without losing business logic.