LEGACY SYSTEMS MODERNIZATION SERVICES www.eratech.com.eg Slide # 1 Feb. 2013
Agenda 1. Modernization of Legacy Systems Why and How? 2. Success Story Central Auditing Organization 3. Introducing Informix Genero Accelerating a New Generation of I4GL Applications Slide # 2 Feb. 2013
Modernization of Legacy Systems: Why and How? Legacy Systems Definition : Core business applications of enterprises Some dating back to the 60s Often run on obsolete and usually slow hardware End users view is TUI on dummy terminals or emulators Mostly built with Informix I4GL, Cobol, RPG, Programming Language Resources are seniors with deep understanding of the business rules of the Enterprise Business Processes Slide # 3 Feb. 2013
Legacy systems are considered to be potentially problematic for several reasons: Hardware spare parts for such systems become increasingly difficult to obtain These systems are often hard to maintain, improve, and expand The designers of the system may have left the organization, leaving no one left understanding or to explain how it works Inadequate documentation or manuals, or documentation getting lost over the years Integration with newer systems may also be difficult because new software may use completely different technologies Challenge : Should IT executives continue to pour money into their legacy systems, replace, or modernize it? Slide # 4 Feb. 2013
Challenges Maintaining legacy systems is often not an option due to the continuous technological change Replacing the existing system by rewriting it from scratch will face several difficulties and Factors working against this approach : Top management rarely approves a major investment unless system is down Replaced staff takes with them years of knowledge about business, business processes, and supporting systems Development of such massive systems normally takes years Documentation for the old system is in general nonexistent or outdated Like most large projects, the development process will take longer than planned And finally, there's a tendency for large projects to end up costing much more than originally Budgeted How about thinking Modernization as the last option What is Modernization edge, How it can be achieved? Slide # 5 Feb. 2013
Modernization edge By Modernizing Legacy Systems You will: Save money on needless re-development Protect tens of man years worth of investment in domain specific development Protect your domain knowledge resources and Improve their productivity Give users the state-of-the-art user interface they deserve Run applications across the desktop, web or Smartphone concurrently Support industry standard databases Run apps indifferently between Unix, Linux or Windows without recompilation How Converting,Migrating legacy code to another modern programming environment Using a Modernization tool Slide # 6 Feb. 2013
Success Story Core Business Applications Conversion Customer: Central Auditing Organization Industry: Government Solution: Information Management (IBM Informix Genero) Overview Customer Saves money on needless re-development using Informix Genero. Slide # 7 Feb. 2013
Business needs: Getting out of the old legacy box (Server) and be able to deploy and run applications regardless of the backend platform. Protect tens of man year s worth of investment in domain specific development. Protect domain knowledge resources who developed applications using legacy Informix 4GL. Solution Offered: IBM Informix Genero, a 4GL solution, is compatible with legacy Informix 4GL and provides a cost-effective path to modernize existing 4GL applications through a graphical user interface and web access without rewriting code. Informix Genero lets you model applications using an intuitive user interface, and deploy them across multiple environments including desktop, browser, mobile, or cloud based. Informix Genero includes powerful reporting capabilities for fast design of sophisticated reporting capabilities that utilize minimum system resources. Slide # 8 Feb. 2013
Benefits expected: I. Adapt applications rapidly to changing market needs and business models II. Run applications across the desktop or web browsers III. Improve developers productivity IV. Support industry standard databases including IBM Informix... V. Run apps indifferently between Unix, Linux or Windows without recompilation VI. "One binary fits all": virtual machine architecture means compile once, test once, run Anywhere VII. Reduce the size of program executable Slide # 9 Feb. 2013
Case Study: Based on site survey done by eratech to make assessment for the current infrastructure and the running system at Central Auditing Organization we found the following: I. Applications developed by CAO team over many years using Informix 4gl. II. Applications runs on an obsolete server III. Two IBM Power Servers (P1,P2) exists and planned to be the new production environment. IV. P1 planned to host CAO migrated applications V. P2 hosts Informix IDS ver. 11 & CAO DB Schema is implemented VI. Data is replicated manually each week from the obsolete server to P2 VII. Number of the current running subsystems that need to be migrated are (11) Slide # 10 Feb. 2013
Switching from I4GL to Informix Genero Proposed Solution I. Pilot Project to convert 2 of the current Informix I4gl based subsystems (HR & II. Payroll) to Informix Genero based subsystems. Customized, On-the-Job and Classroom types of Training, and Consultancy Services. Scope of work I. Preparing development/test and production environments II. Configure Installed Products for the production environment III. Pilot Project to convert two of the current Informix I4gl based Subsystems (Payroll & HR) to Informix Genero based technology IV. On-the-Job Training for 4 months to support and to transfer conversion knowledge to CAO s IT Team during converting other Subsystems which will be selected later V. Consultancy technical services for 2 months to support and solve technical issues that may rise during full Subsystems conversion by CAO s IT Team Slide # 11 Feb. 2013
Project Delivered All of the Milestones of the Project has been delivered in time not only that, but the customer IT developers succeeded to migrate all of their legacy subsystems during the consultancy and on-the-job phases of the project Slide # 12 Feb. 2013
IBM Information Management Introducing Informix Genero - Accelerating a New Generation of I4GL Applications Slide # 13 Feb. 2013
IBM Business Information Management problem Introducing Informix Genero Clients want to leverage their existing 4GL logic and skills, and re- -purpose Accelerating their investments a New by Generation adding modern of platforms 4GL Applications and features that will allow for meeting and expanding their requirements through: Mobile Devices (ipad, iphone, etc.) Graphical desktop clients, browser-based applications (Web-based) Simple development environment Cloud computing which helps to connect and get work done from anywhere on any device. Slide # 14 Feb. 2013
Value proposition Saves time on needless re-development Protects tens of man-years of investment in domain skills Able to quickly adapt applications to changing market demands Meets user expectations with a modern GUI Runs applications across the desktop, web, mobile or cloud Improves developer productivity Run applications indifferently between Unix, Linux, Mac or Windows without recompilation Slide # 15 Feb. 2013
What is it? Informix Genero really is an updated Informix 4GL - Superset of Informix 4GL - Highly compatible with modern technology - Recompile and run Out of the Box - Little to no modifications to business logic Virtual machine architecture - Technology independent code - We focus on the infrastructure - You focus on the business logic Slide # 16 Feb. 2013
Informix 4GL - Today Header is output by a sub program Master-Detail Data Area PF-Key Menu Slide # 17 Feb. 2013
Informix Genero - In Days or Weeks Menu drop-downs & widgets (tools) No Header or Title in main screen Master/Detail with Tabbed Table Slide # 18 Feb. 2013
Informix Genero language extensions GUI Model - Multiple Dialogs - Drag n Drop - Tree Views - Rich Text - Multiple Selects - Picture Flow - Etc. Web Services Modules Java Interface (OO) Slide # 19 Feb. 2013
Informix Genero - Incremental Modifications Leverage Microsoft Silverlight and Web Components Microsoft Silverlight is a web application framework that integrates multimedia, computer graphics, and animation into a single runtime environment Slide # 20 Feb. 2013 10
Informix Genero Product Suite Key components Development Tools - A language & compiler: Business Development Language (BDL) - 4GL compatible An Abstract User Interface (AUI) with cross-platform UI support - Genero Studio - Genero Report Writer Runtime Tools - Dynamic Virtual Machine (DVM) - Genero Application Server (GAS) - Genero Desktop and Web Clients (GDC, GWC) - Genero Web Services (GWS) Slide # 21 Feb. 2013
Informix Genero Studio Edit code DB Meta schema Design Forms Create Reports SOA & WS Manage Projects App Generator Business Application Code Analyzer Team work (SCM) Debug apps Profiler Diff Files & Dirs Help Slide # 22 Feb. 2013
Flexible deployment anywhere! The fastest path to Linux Desktop Clients Web Browser Mobile Devices The Cloud Slide 19 # 23 Feb. 2013
Informix Genero Offering Informix Genero Developer Suite BDL with Web Services Application Server Desktop Client Report Writer Studio (IDE) Client SDK 3.50 Informix Genero Runtime Suite BDL with Web Services Application Server Desktop Client Report Writer Connect Runtime 3.50 Developer Suite - authorized user single install (AUSI) Runtime Suite AUSI, PVU Slide # 24 Feb. 2013 20
Migration Considerations Modernization must enhances the organization's future development and growth Preserves legacy knowledge, data, processes and staff Migration Steps Path Identifying core business processes Identifying functions and logic for each business process Analyzing source code Process conversion Finally, Enhance system by adding Genero extensions Post Conversion For a Successful Migration The resulting system should be thoroughly tested before deploying We recommend Testing I4GL and Informix Genero applications side by side for a period of time before going life. Slide # 25 Feb. 2013
Click to edit Master title style Click to edit Master subtitle style 26 12/13/1434 Slide # 26 Feb. 2013