Migrate AS 400 Applications to

Windows, UNIX or Linux

INFINITE Corporation White Paper

prepared for
Infinite Product Group

date
January 2012

Abstract: This paper is a discussion of how to create platform independence by

executing i OS (AS/400) applications on the Linux operating system and Oracle as
the database. The approach behind this paper is to explain how to execute AS/400
DB2/400 applications under Linux/Oracle without having to rewrite the RPG or
COBOL/400 application code.

Copyright © 2011 Infinite Corporation. IBM Midrange, AS/400, OS/400 and System/36 are registered
trademarks of the IBM Corporation. Windows, Internet Explorer, Visual Basic, VB Scripting, HyperV are
registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Dell is the registered trademark of Dell Corporation.
Oracle, Sun and Solaris are registered trademarks of Oracle Corporation. HP, HP-UX and Integrity are
registered trademarks of Hewlett Packard Corporation. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), Red Hat
Enterprise Virtualization (RHEV) and JBoss are registered trademarks of Red Hat Corporation. VMWare
is a registered trademark of VMWare, Inc. Java and Sun are registered trademarks of Oracle Corporation.
Infinite Cloud, Infinite i and Infinite 36 are registered trademarks of Infinite Corporation. All other product
and brand names are registered trademarks of their respective companies.

No part of this document may be reproduced without written permission of Infinite Corporation.
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Contents

INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................... 3
OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................................... 3
Background ................................................................................................................................................. 3
Solution ....................................................................................................................................................... 3
THE CHALLENGE .............................................................................................................................................. 4
Job Management ......................................................................................................................................... 4
Database ..................................................................................................................................................... 5
Printing ....................................................................................................................................................... 5
Other Services Functions .............................................................................................................................. 6
THE REHOSTING SUITE ..................................................................................................................................... 6
Save Application On AS/400 .......................................................................................................................... 6
Load Application On Infinite i ........................................................................................................................ 6
Build Application .......................................................................................................................................... 6
Application Changes ..................................................................................................................................... 6
APPENDIX: SUMMARY OF AS/400 FEATURES ..................................................................................................... 7

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INTRODUCTION

This paper is a discussion of how to create platform independence by executing i OS (OS/400)

applications on the Windows, UNIX or Linux operating system and Oracle as the database. The
approach behind this paper is to explain how to execute AS/400 DB2 400 applications under MS SQL or
Oracle without having to rewrite the RPG or COBOL/400 application code.
OVERVIEW

Background
Software companies and end users developed on the IBM AS 400 (System i) platform because it offered
a number of advantages – database capabilities at the machine level, stability, wide acceptance and
excellent support from IBM. As the industry matured, the marketplace has sought more open growth
platforms such as Linux, UNIX or Windows. Starting over every time a new business requirement arises
is neither practical nor justifiable. An approach is needed which enables applications to adapt to rapid
business and technology changes. Many companies wish to operate their AS 400 applications under
Windows, UNIX or Linux instead of i OS. They wish to run the software in a virtualized environment like
VMWare or Red Hat Enterprise Linux, they wish to use industry standard blades instead of proprietary
System i or IBM P series running i OS and DB2/400. They would like to write to an industry standard
database like Oracle and they would like to provide a Cloud-based, graphical UI that is intuitive and not
menu-driven. This paper will explain how these objectives can be achieved.

Solution
This white paper will discuss how to migrate RPG or COBOL code, CL and DDS to Windows, UNIX or Linux
and to execute on Oracle. AS/400 applications were generally written in RPG/400 and were
subsequently developed in RPG ILE. The usual compiled environment of AS/400 applications also
includes CL and DDS.

In order to accomplish these objectives, the code must be recompiled. In this instance, we are using the
compilers available from Infinite Corporation. Infinite has developed a family of products named Infinite
i. As part of this product family, there are several compilers that will provide for the recompilation of
RPG.400, RPG ILE, COBOL/400 and COBOL ILE, CL and DDS source code. Once recompiled, this code will
be executed as native object code for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.0. This is a 64-bit environment.

This approach uses what you already have; proven AS 400 code and resources, and allows you to
execute functionally rich applications on a lower-cost 21st century platform.

Using infinite i, end-users can combine all the ‘competitive edge’ benefits of Windows, UNIX or Linux
with the power and stability of their RPG or COBOL applications. Since the underlying code is the
original, the skills required to maintain the core logic remain the same. In fact, this process maintains
source code integrity and simply allows it to be distributed on open platforms.

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For AS/400 ISV’s, Infinite i provides a way to access thousands of new sales prospects, without taking
years to rewrite applications. ISV’s can maintain the same source code and continue development on
the IBM i OS deploy those programs on the i OS or Linux or even Windows via Infinite i.

To illustrate what infinite i can do we will look at how Infinite i deals with rehosting an AS/400
application to run on Windows, UNIX or Linux.

THE CHALLENGE

Presented with the challenge of running an AS/400 application on Windows, UNIX or Linux, the problem
that first comes to mind is that of source language; how to find a way of compiling thousands of
programs written in proprietary CL, RPG or COBOL on Windows, UNIX or Linux? But, in fact, the
language issues are only the small tip of a large iceberg.

An AS/400 comes with a standard, mature and sophisticated environment designed to meet the needs
of commercial applications. i OS (OS/400) provides the fundamental services required by an application-
service such as print spooling, message handling, batch job process and, of course, the database.

In contrast, the services provided by Windows, UNIX or Linux are less complete and less rich and where
an adequate service is provided, it is invariably different to the service on an AS/400 in some significant
respect.

AS/400 applications depend on these services as much, if not more than, the CL, RPG and COBOL
languages that are used to define the application algorithms. So, the most vital components of infinite i
are not the language compilers but the Infinite Deployment Environment. This environment contains
internal DLL’s holding a legion of function that map OS/400 services on to underlying Windows, UNIX or
Linux services and so provide an OS/400-like ‘shell’, in which application programs can execute.

In this paper we examine the Big Five Services to see how Infinite i enhances standard Windows, UNIX or
Linux architecture to implement OS/400 functionality. We will then look at the process by which an
iSeries application is built on Windows, UNIX or Linux.

1. Job management
2. Database access
3. User interface
4. Printing
5. Other service functions

Job Management
When an application program is compiled, Infinite i first generates intermediate C code (analogous
to the Machine Code generated by the OPM and ILE compilers) and then uses the Microsoft Visual
C++ compiler and linker to build native Windows DLLs, LIBs and EXEs. The characteristics of these
components are similar to those of a program object on the ISERIES. The compiled components can
be dynamically loaded into and unloaded from a running job. They can call other modules and

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return control without being unloaded from the calling job (so enabling the RPG RETURN
functionality).

In addition to compiling
application programs into
Windows Standard DLLs, LIB and
EXEs, Infinite i implements most
of the standard OS/400 programs
as DLLs with the same
characteristics. An application
running on Infinite i will find job
and program models very similar
to those on the ISERIES. The job
management service functions
provide the glue to link the
programs together at runtime
and implements job attributes
such as the library list, program
stack and job message queue that provides the backbone of any application job.

Database
Infinite i replicate the System i DB2/400 database within the suite of programs, providing a complete
replacement of the System i. The internal database provides all the routine functionality (physicals,
simple and join logicals, select/omit, triggers, etc) as well as functionality that is specific to DB2/400
such as multi-member files, multi-format logicals, etc.

Alternatively, either Oracle or SQL Server can be designated as the repository for all or just a subset
of an application's data files. In this case, Infinite i creates the database schemas (for example,
mapping physical files to tables, logical files to views) and, at runtime, translates the application
database calls (READ, READE, SETLL etc.) to the appropriate SQL statements. This translation takes
place within the database service function so the application programs remain independent of the
implementation.

Printing
Infinite i replicates the traditional I Series print service functions that provide a high level of support
for printer file DDS, together with an implementation of the OS/400 print spooling system (including
out queues, device descriptions and writer jobs) that integrates naturally with the target operating
system’s Print Manager. This allows for the same level of application and operator control of print
activity, using the standard commands (e.g. RLSSPLF) and user interfaces (e.g. WRKSPLF).
Alternatively a user can choose to have output for designated printers released immediately to the
Print Manager so that print jobs can be managed using standard interfaces.

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Other Services Functions

The OS/400 object management system provides a variety of object types, most of which are listed
in Figure 1. The Infinite i service functions implement all the object types that are in common use
by applications. In each case, the object is implemented using one or more of the target operating
system files and wrapper functions to provide controlled access to the object and to implement the
standard OS/400 commands and APIs.

THE REHOSTING SUITE

Save Application On AS/400

Migrating an application to Infinite i is a straightforward procedure. The application needs to be
saved on the IAS/400 using SAVLIB to save all the application components (source and object) to
save files. The save files are then transferred to Infinite i.

Load Application On Infinite i

Infinite i provides the command RSTAPP - Restore Application, to load the application components
from the save files. This command:

• Restores all the source files and members

• Uses catalog information in the save files to generate instructions describing how the source
members need to be compiled
• Automatically restores other object types that are not created from source (e.g. job
descriptions, message files)

Build Application

The Infinite i command RUNBIF, Run Build Instructions, executes the build instructions that were
generated by the load phase, by making calls to the appropriate 'create' commands (CRTPF,
CRTRPGPGM, CRTBNDRPG etc). When this command has completed, all the source members should
have been compiled and the application will be ready for testing.

Application Changes
Infinite i provides development tools to allow changes to be made, built and tested. The SEU, PDM
and the language compilers implement full source validation – they don't assume that they will be
compiling valid source programs. Alternatively, if the application source is still hosted on an AS/400,
changes can be made there and selectively transferred to and rebuilt on Infinite i using the
procedure described above.

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APPENDIX: SUMMARY OF AS/400 FEATURES

Supported Languages Data Areas (DTAARA)

ILE RPG Message Handling
RPG/400
SQL RPG/400 User Interface
COBOL/400 “Work With” panels
SQL COBOL/400 Menus
CL/400 Command prompts
CMD/400 Panel Groups (PNLGRP)
DDS/400 (pf, lf, dspf, prtf) Telnet 5250 Data Stream
User profiles
Development Support
Programming Development Manager Object Management
(PDM) Save / Restore
Source Entry Utility (SEU)
Debugging Printing
Interface w/ C language from within Spooling
HLLs. Output queues (OUTQ)
Spool Writers (SPLWTR)
Database Support Local and remote printing
Database Engine
Internal DB2/400 Migration Support
Connectivity w/ MS SQL Server
Connectivity w/ Oracle OS/400 API support
Support for Multiple Members Most common APIs
Support for Multiple Formats USRSPC handling
Joined Files
OPNQRYF
Triggers
Commitment Control
Query/400
DFU (Data File Utility)
LAPIS
Job Management
Batch job processing
Job Scheduling
Subsystems
Joblog
Job Description
Data Queues (DTAQ)

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