JA Technology Solutions

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Home

Practical support, migration, integration, and custom development for the systems your business depends on

With over 35 years of software development experience, I help organizations of all sizes support, migrate, modernize, integrate, and extend the systems their operations depend on — without unnecessary disruption.

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Services for business-critical systems

I provide practical technical services for organizations that rely on long-lived systems, customized workflows, and integration between operational platforms. The focus is on keeping those environments useful, maintainable, and adaptable without unnecessary disruption.

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Custom reporting for operational and business-critical systems

Reporting drives operations, visibility, accountability, and decision-making. I provide custom reporting services for organizations that need better outputs, reporting automation, and practical reporting improvements across long-lived business systems.

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Legacy system migration that protects what works

Migration is rarely just a technical conversion. Long-lived systems contain years of business rules, reporting logic, integration behavior, and custom workflows. I help organizations move to better platforms while preserving the behavior their operations depend on.

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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.

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System integration that connects your business

Most business environments rely on multiple systems exchanging data across operations, finance, warehousing, retail, and reporting. I help organizations connect those systems reliably — through practical, supportable data flow.

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Custom applications for the workflows that matter most

Some business problems cannot be solved by packaged software. When your organization needs an application tailored to how it actually operates, I design and build it — across IBM i, Java, .NET, web, and mobile platforms.

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ETL and data pipelines that move your business forward

Every time data moves between systems — whether it is a one-time migration or a process that runs every night — there is an ETL pipeline behind it. I build the ones that work reliably and the ones that replace the ones that do not.

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Database development for the systems your business depends on

Databases are the foundation of every enterprise application. I design, develop, migrate, and optimize databases across DB2, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, Informix, Microsoft Access, and other platforms — with a focus on reliability, performance, and long-term maintainability.

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EDI that keeps your trading partners connected

Electronic Data Interchange is the backbone of automated business-to-business transactions — purchase orders, invoices, advance ship notices, and more. I develop, support, and troubleshoot EDI systems for organizations where reliable data exchange with trading partners is critical to operations.

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IBM i consulting, support, reporting, and modernization

IBM i — the enterprise midrange platform previously known as the AS/400 and iSeries — continues to power critical business operations worldwide. I provide IBM i consulting for organizations that need practical help with support, reporting, integration, troubleshooting, and modernization.

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Linux application development and infrastructure architecture

Linux is the foundation of modern enterprise infrastructure. I build applications, design deployment architectures, and integrate Linux-based platforms with existing business systems — including IBM i, Windows, and cloud environments.

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Microsoft and Windows platform development

From C# and .NET application development to Excel and VBA automation, Access databases, SQL Server, and banking integrations — I build and maintain the Microsoft-based tools that business operations and finance departments depend on.

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Cloud architecture and deployment for modern business systems

Cloud is not a destination — it is an architecture. I design and build cloud deployments that are reliable, cost-effective, and practical for the systems your business depends on, whether that means serverless functions, containerized applications, or hybrid architectures that bridge cloud and on-premises.

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Grocery retail merchandising system support, reporting, and modernization

I provide practical help for organizations that depend on grocery merchandising platforms, including Grocers Support Systems (GSS) and similar retail management software. This includes support, enhancement, reporting, integration, and modernization-related planning.

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Industry experience grounded in real operational systems

I work with organizations across industries whose systems support real operational workflows, with particular depth in grocery retail, warehousing, and the finance and accounting operations that support them.

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Insights

Technical perspectives on systems, modernization, integration, and the platforms that businesses depend on.

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See It In Action

See what modernization looks like — edit real data and watch it come to life.

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Free Tools

Practical tools for developers, IT professionals, and business systems teams. Everything runs in your browser — no signup, no uploads, no data leaves your machine.

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About James Allman

I am an independent software developer, systems architect, and technical consultant with over 35 years of software development experience. From strategy through delivery, I help organizations of all sizes support, migrate, modernize, integrate, and extend the systems their business depends on.

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How I Work

Whether your organization is a large enterprise or a focused operation with critical business systems, here is how I work, what to expect, and answers to the questions prospective clients ask most often.

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Contact

If you have a business-critical system that needs support, reporting, migration, integration, modernization, or specialized IBM i help, I would be glad to discuss the environment and the business problem you are trying to solve.

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Schedule a Call

Book a phone call to discuss your project, ask questions, or explore how I can help. No obligation, no sales pitch — just a straightforward conversation.

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How This Site Was Built

This site is a working example of the kind of practical, maintainable, and well-engineered software I build for clients. Here is what it is made of and why.

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Privacy Policy

JA Technology Solutions LLC respects your privacy. This policy explains what information is collected through this website and how it is used.

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Terms of Use

Plain-language terms for using this website and the free tools it offers. Consulting engagements are covered separately by a written agreement.

Tool Category

Data & Finance Tools

Banking, accounting, healthcare, payments, and EDI file formats.

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Retail & POS Tools

Barcodes, point-of-sale files, retail math, and fiscal calendars.

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Shipping & Logistics Tools

Freight estimation, container loading, route optimization, and trade compliance.

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Inventory & Warehouse Tools

Reorder planning, cycle counting, warehouse slotting, and cost allocation.

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Networking Tools

Subnet math, MAC vendor lookup, email authentication, and WHOIS.

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Development Tools

Format converters, encoders, hashes, regex, JWT, SQL, and more.

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IBM i & Mainframe Tools

EBCDIC, packed decimal, COBOL copybook, DDS, BMS, and fixed-width.

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QuickBooks Explorer

Explore and create QuickBooks Desktop QB IIF and QuickBooks Online CSV files. Parse, validate, convert, and generate — all in your browser.

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BAI2 File Explorer

Parse BAI2 bank statement files into structured views with type code lookup, transaction details, and CSV export.

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NACHA/ACH File Explorer

Parse ACH payment files into readable records. View entries, totals, and export to CSV or JSON.

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Positive Pay Generator

Generate Positive Pay fraud prevention files from check data. Chase, BofA, Wells Fargo, and generic formats.

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BAI2 File Generator

Generate BAI2 bank statement test files with configurable accounts, transactions, and auto-calculated control totals.

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OFX/QFX Explorer

Parse OFX and QFX bank statement files. View account info, transactions, and balances. Export to CSV.

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SWIFT MT Explorer

Parse SWIFT MT financial messages (MT103, MT940, MT700). Block structure, field lookup, and transaction tables.

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Business Day Calculator

Count business days between dates or add/subtract business days. Includes US holiday awareness and payment term shortcuts.

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Depreciation Calculator

Calculate asset depreciation schedules using straight-line, declining balance, sum-of-years-digits, or MACRS methods.

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Check Digit Validator

Validate and calculate check digits for UPC, EAN, credit cards (Luhn), and ABA routing numbers.

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Barcode Explorer

Generate, scan, and decode barcodes in 15+ formats. Camera scanning, image upload, batch detection, and CSV export.

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Margin & Markup Calculator

Convert between margin %, markup %, cost, and selling price. Includes profit calculation and reference table.

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Retail Fiscal Calendar (4-5-4)

Map any date to its NRF 4-5-4 retail fiscal year, quarter, period, and week number.

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EOQ Calculator

Compute the Economic Order Quantity that minimizes total annual inventory cost.

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Safety Stock Calculator

Calculate safety stock and reorder point from demand and lead-time variability at any service level.

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ABC Analysis Tool

Upload SKUs with annual value and get Pareto-sorted A/B/C tiers with CSV and Excel export.

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Shipment Cost Allocator

Allocate shared freight, duty, and fees across PO lines by weight, volume, value, or equal basis.

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Pallet Pattern Label Generator

Generate Ti × Hi pallet patterns with top-down and side-view visualizations plus a printable warehouse label.

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Reorder Point Dashboard

Combine EOQ, safety stock, and reorder point across your SKU portfolio with CSV upload and below-ROP alerts.

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Cycle Count Planner

Generate ABC-driven cycle count schedules with configurable frequencies, daily capacity, and working days.

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Warehouse Slotting Simulator

Assign SKU slot positions by pick velocity with hot/warm/cold zones and golden-zone scoring.

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HS/HTS Tariff Code Lookup

Search Harmonized System (HS) and US HTS tariff codes at the 4-digit heading and 6-digit subheading level.

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NMFC Freight Class Estimator

Calculate density in lb/cu ft and get a density-based LTL freight class estimate.

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Pallet & Container Calculator

Calculate cases per pallet and pallets per container with weight and cube utilization checks.

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Route & Stop Optimizer

Optimize delivery stop order with interactive map visualization. Nearest-neighbor + 2-opt heuristic for up to 500 stops.

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Dimensional Weight Calculator

Compare dimensional weight across UPS, FedEx, and USPS with billable weight analysis.

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Freight Rate Estimator

Estimate LTL, parcel, and truckload freight costs with class-based rates, dimensional weight, and accessorials.

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Shipping Box Calculator

Find the optimal box size from standard carrier catalogs based on your item dimensions and weight.

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Bill of Lading Generator

Generate a standard straight bill of lading with shipper, consignee, commodity lines, and print-ready output.

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Container Loading Planner

Pack mixed pallets into containers with first-fit-decreasing bin packing, stacking, and weight checks.

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Landed Cost Calculator

Compute per-unit landed cost with freight, duty, insurance, and fees — single SKU or multi-line shipment.

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SIL File Explorer

Parse SIL (Standard Interchange Language) files into structured tables with CSV and JSON export.

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EDI File Parser

Upload or paste any EDI file — parsed into labeled segments with export to CSV, JSON, and SIL.

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EDI 810 Invoice Builder

Enter invoice details, paste a CSV, or import from QuickBooks — download a valid X12 EDI 810 invoice ready to submit to a trading partner.

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EDI 850 Purchase Order Builder

Enter PO details, paste a CSV, or import from QuickBooks — download a valid X12 EDI 850 purchase order ready to send to a supplier.

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EDI 856 Advance Ship Notice Builder

Build a valid X12 EDI 856 advance ship notice — nested HL shipment/order/item loops, carrier and BOL details, and one-click pre-fill from a prior 850.

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EDI 997 Functional Acknowledgment Builder

Paste any inbound X12 document — the tool lists each transaction set so you can mark it accepted or rejected, then download a valid 997 ready to transmit.

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EDI 855 Purchase Order Acknowledgment Builder

Paste the inbound 850 — the tool pre-fills every line as accepted, then you mark the ones that change quantity, price, or ship date, or reject the ones you can't fulfill.

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EDI 820 Remittance Advice Builder

Tell the payee which invoices you're paying. Load 810s to populate invoice entries, set action codes and amounts, and download a valid 820.

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X12 Segment Reference

Searchable EDI X12 segment and element dictionary with 43 segments, 27 transaction sets, and qualifier codes.

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HL7 Message Explorer

Parse HL7 v2.x healthcare messages with segment descriptions, field labels, and message type identification.

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FHIR Resource Explorer

Parse HL7 FHIR JSON resources with resource-specific rendering. Supports Patient, Observation, Bundle, and more.

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ISO 8583 Explorer

Parse ISO 8583 payment card messages with MTI breakdown, bitmap visualization, and data element parsing.

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Universal File Converter

Convert between CSV, Excel, TSV, JSON, and delimited formats with smart auto-detection and Force Text columns.

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EBCDIC to ASCII Converter

Convert between EBCDIC and ASCII for IBM i, AS400, and mainframe systems. Fixed-length records, line ending options, CP037 reference.

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Packed Decimal / COMP-3 Converter

Decode and encode packed decimal (COMP-3), zoned decimal, and trailing overpunch for IBM i and mainframe systems.

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DDS Screen Explorer

Paste IBM i DDS display file source and see the screen rendered with authentic 5250 green-screen and modern preview.

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DDS to SQL / SQL to DDS Converter

Convert between IBM i DDS physical file definitions and SQL CREATE TABLE statements in both directions.

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BMS Screen Explorer

Paste mainframe BMS (CICS/3270) screen definitions and see the screen rendered with green-screen and modern preview.

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COBOL Copybook Explorer

Explore COBOL copybook structures with interactive tree view, field layout, SQL conversion, JSON Schema generation, sample data decoding, and visual hex ruler.

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Fixed-Width ↔ CSV

Convert between fixed-width text files and CSV. Editable column definitions with name, start, and length.

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Data Diff & Compare

Compare two datasets with key-field joining. Supports CSV, TSV, JSON, XML, YAML, and Excel with automatic dot-notation flattening for nested structures.

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Data Profiler

Profile CSV data with column-level statistics, value distribution charts, quality matrix, and drill-down column detail.

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Parquet File Explorer

View and explore Apache Parquet files entirely in your browser. See schema and metadata, browse data with filtering, export to CSV/JSON/Excel, or convert files to Parquet.

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JSON ↔ CSV

Convert between JSON and CSV formats. Paste, upload, or load sample data. Download or copy the result.

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XML ↔ JSON Converter

Convert between XML and JSON formats. Handles attributes, CDATA, arrays, and nested elements.

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YAML ↔ JSON Converter

Convert between YAML and JSON formats. Handles multiline strings, anchors, and flow syntax.

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Delimiter Converter

Convert between CSV, TSV, pipe-delimited, semicolon, and custom delimiters with proper quoting.

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XML Formatter

Format, pretty-print, minify, and validate XML with syntax highlighting and well-formedness checking.

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SQL Formatter

Pretty-print SQL queries with proper indentation and keyword uppercasing. Supports common SQL dialects.

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Regex Tester & Builder

Test regex patterns with real-time match highlighting. Built-in pattern builder and syntax reference.

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JWT Explorer

Decode, inspect, and build JWTs. View claims, check expiration, and create HMAC-signed tokens.

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Cron Expression Builder

Build and decode cron expressions visually. 12 presets, 5-field editor, and human-readable descriptions.

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Base64 Encode/Decode

Encode text to Base64 or decode Base64 to text. Supports UTF-8.

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Hash Generator

Generate SHA-256, SHA-384, SHA-512, and SHA-1 hashes from text using Web Crypto.

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Timestamp Converter

Convert Unix epoch timestamps to human-readable dates and back. Timezone support.

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UUID Generator

Generate v4 UUIDs. Single or bulk generation up to 100. Copy individual or all.

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URL Encode/Decode

Percent-encode or decode URLs and query parameters. Component and full-URL modes.

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Color Converter

Convert between Hex, RGB, and HSL color formats. Live preview swatch and ready-to-use CSS output.

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Markdown Preview

Live side-by-side markdown editor and rendered preview. Supports headers, lists, code, links, and more.

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Subnet Calculator

Calculate network ranges, masks, host counts, and CIDR notation for IPv4 subnets.

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IPv6 Subnet Calculator

Calculate IPv6 prefixes, expanded and compressed notation, network and host portions, and total addresses.

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IP Address Converter

Convert IPv4 addresses between dotted, decimal, hex, octal, and binary representations.

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CIDR Range & Overlap Tool

Detect overlaps between CIDR blocks, merge adjacent ranges, and check IP containment.

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MAC Address Tool

Format, validate, and look up vendor for MAC addresses across all common notations.

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Email Auth Checker

Check SPF, DMARC, DKIM, MX, and BIMI records for any domain in one place.

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WHOIS Lookup

Look up domain and IP ownership using the modern RDAP protocol — registrar, expiry, name servers, ASN.

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DNS Lookup

Query any DNS record type (A, AAAA, MX, TXT, NS, SOA, CAA, SRV, PTR) directly from your browser.

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DNS Propagation Check

Query Cloudflare, Google, OpenDNS, and NextDNS in parallel and flag any resolver whose answer differs from the majority.

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Reverse DNS + FCrDNS Checker

Look up the PTR record for an IP and verify the round-trip (FCrDNS) — important for mail server reputation.

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DNSBL Check

Check an IPv4 address against 12 public DNS blacklists in parallel and see exactly which lists flagged it.

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ASN Lookup

Look up ASN, AS name, announced prefix, country, and registry for any IPv4 or IPv6 address.

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HTTP Header Inspector

Fetch any URL and see its response headers, redirect chain, and a full security-header audit (HSTS, CSP, X-Frame-Options, and more).

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SSL Certificate Checker

Check HTTPS reachability and certificate history for any hostname via Certificate Transparency logs.

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IBAN Validator

Validate IBAN check digits and decode country and BBAN structure using the ISO 13616 mod-97 algorithm.

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Amortization Calculator

Calculate loan amortization schedules with monthly payment, principal/interest breakdown, and extra payment analysis.

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MICR Line Decoder

Parse the MICR E-13B line from a check to extract routing number, account number, check number, and amount.

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Card Number Validator

Validate card numbers with the Luhn algorithm and detect card network from prefix ranges.

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Connection String Builder

Build JDBC, ADO.NET, and ODBC connection strings with a browsable property reference for 8 database platforms and 18 drivers.

Article

IBM i: The Platform Decision-Makers Should Understand

A practical overview for business leaders evaluating, maintaining, or modernizing IBM i environments.

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Linux: The Foundation Your Business Already Depends On

Why the platform that runs most of the internet matters for your business, and what goes wrong when it is not managed well.

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Java: The Enterprise Language That Keeps Delivering

Why the platform that powers enterprise software across every industry remains one of the most practical choices for business applications.

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ETL: The Invisible Backbone of Enterprise Data

How data actually moves between the systems your business depends on, and what goes wrong when it is not done well.

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RPG: The Language Behind Your Business Logic

What decision-makers need to know about the programming language that powers their IBM i applications.

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Microsoft Access, Excel, and VBA: The Tools Your Finance Team Depends On

What decision-makers need to know about the Microsoft tools that quietly run critical business processes.

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Understanding BAI2 Files: A Guide for Treasury and IT Teams

Everything you need to know about the banking industry's standard cash reporting format — from file structure to automation.

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HL7 vs FHIR: What You Need to Know

A practical guide to healthcare data exchange standards — what works, what's changing, and how to make smart integration decisions.

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EDI 101: What Business Leaders Need to Know

A plain-language guide to Electronic Data Interchange — what it is, why it matters, and how to tell when it's not working the way it should.

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POS Item File Sync: Keeping Stores in Sync with the Host

Why multi-store POS item files drift, what automated audit reports reveal, and how synchronization keeps every register accurate.

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Business Intelligence Dashboard

Edit live data, analyze with grouping and filters, and visualize across multiple chart types.

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EDI Made Useful

See raw EDI purchase orders and invoices parsed into readable documents and usable data formats.

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Modernization in Action

Side-by-side task comparison showing the productivity advantage of modern interfaces.

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