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Blog Articles2022-02-01T17:51:27+02:00

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Our expertise around DevOps, Modernization and Anonymization solutions

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DevOps for IBM i
IBM i Modernization
Application Release Orchestration
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Why we should stop using punched cards?

16 February 2023|

Discover the hidden potential of RPG Free Form and why it's time to upgrade to modern features and tools for creating cutting-edge business applications!

Putting the CT in your CI/CD pipeline

31 August 2022|

We have all heard about the CI/CD pipeline in DevOps. This is the standard phrase. But what is often left out of this is the CT - the Continuous Testing aspect. Automation of the testing is vital to the success of the CI/CT/CD pipeline and with the Arcad testing suite of tools, we fit right in with the use of automation, regardless of the pipeline used.

IBM i: the challenge of generational transition

8 November 2021|

IBM i was born over thirty years ago and has seen many innovations that have kept the platform ahead of the field. With looming staffing changes comes the inherent challenge of closing the knowledge gap and keeping the legacy of IBM i alive and well...

Field Size Expansion to Automatically Transform Your IBM i Source Code

30 September 2021|

As databases begin to age, so does their source code, and their purpose may also change. Refitting a database to meet the current needs of business often requires modification to the database at the field level, which can have all kinds of undesirable consequences if it is not executed with the greatest of care.

The Key to IBM i Automation

23 September 2021|

The twenty-first century is well underway and automation has radically changed nearly every industry across the planet. And this is just as true in the world of DevOps where automation is no longer just another handy tool, but is often the key to whether a business survives or thrives.

DevOps maturity on IBM i: let go of the past

26 August 2021|

When speaking of the IBM i and the lifecycle of application development, it would be easy to stick to the old ways of working. But in today’s world, those old ways just do not cut it. Forward thinking enterprises have massively adopted the Agile and DevOps philosophy.

Managing IBM i: CIO challenge or opportunity?

10 May 2021|

A constant challenge for a Chief Information Officer in a transactional, data-heavy industry is leveraging the legacy of their IBM i platform to adapt to current needs, essentially using it to its fullest potential. Keeping that potential tapped translates into a flexible and agile platform, driving growth for your business, an important aspect to keep in mind when approaching the demands of IT.

3 steps to modernize your IBM i

5 May 2021|

First let’s answer the question: why modernize your IBM i applications anyway? Well, many IBM i modernization projects don’t start until after a major production failure, so getting out ahead of problems saves you time, pain and resources. Secondly, many IBM i specific skills like RPG or 4GL development are becoming more and more scarce, meaning time could be running out.

Git DevOps going on IBM i

7 April 2021|

A practitioner’s guide to easy CI/CD on IBM i with Git (or, why are you waiting?). I have a question for the IBM i shops out there. What are we waiting for? Why aren’t we doing DevOps yet? I’m going to suggest that a lot of shops fall into the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” category. That’s pretty much been the culture of traditional IBM i shops.

‘True Git’ – the right and wrong approaches to Git on IBM i

2 February 2021|

Until now, the current change management (CM) tools have dominated the IBM i market providing some elementary versioning of application releases, only ONE version of the source per release. But today the term ‘source control’ - or SCM - has taken on a whole new meaning.

CI for RPG/COBOL with ARCAD and CloudBees

18 September 2020|

Similar to GitHub’s relationship with the open source project Git, CloudBees is the company built around the open source project Jenkins.

Unit Testing: Beating technical debt

19 May 2020|

In this article we will examine the importance of unit testing in general and assess how relevant the technique is on IBM i.

“Azure DevOps” Rhymes with “Arcad ‘n’ Drops”

29 April 2020|

Learn how your IBM i shop can utilize Microsoft’s most powerful development software, aside from perhaps Windows itself. Azure DevOps has existed in some iteration since 2006, but it seems to have hit its stride with the addition of git in 2013.

Why “Git”?

20 March 2020|

Git is still generating an enormous amount of buzz. What are the reasons behind its poularity? Is it really justified? And how relevant is Git in the world of IBM i development?

Code review: go automatic!

28 February 2020|

SonarQube is the de-facto standard code review tool for many modern languages today. But do you need to automate the same continuous quality checking for your RPG code and CL?

“Legacy” will never die!

15 July 2019|

Modernization vs. Migration : Discover how Legacy systems can provide oustanding competitive advantage, reduce operational risk and keep your business up and running smoothly and securely!

GIT a Jump in Your Step

25 January 2019|

Reflections on the rise of Git and the DevOps paradigm on so-called legacy platforms IBM i and z/OS – by Floyd Del Muro, DevOps Advocate

5 keys to IBM i Modernization Success

30 November 2018|

Whatever the driving reason for a modernization project on a so-called "legacy" system like IBM i, it is important to identify the key points that will help secure the success of the project.

The evolution of DevOps

15 October 2018|

Find out how the DevOps concept, which previously focused primarily on IT services, is spreading across the enterprise today.

DevOps Facts & Predictions – Infographic

6 September 2018|

DevOps adoption is growing faster than ever. Check out our infographic to discover the latest DevOps predictions, and how this agile corporate culture improves efficiency in all lines of business!

What is Source Code Management?

9 February 2018|

You would think someone who has been in the industry for as long as I have would have a simple answer to a simple question. What is source code management? My reply? Well, that depends.

How Git can be used as the source repository for your native IBM i code? – Part 1

14 November 2017|

Imagine being able to branch and merge IBMi code as easily as you do your PHP code. Imagine adopting agile methodologies for native development, builds and deployments. Imagine never having to “check-out” code and jump through those hoops. That’s what Git allows, and it’s really not that hard to accomplish.

GitHub: How Developers Got to Run the World (sic)

27 September 2017|

Of the world’s most visited websites this month, GitHub rates 59 and climbing. Not bad considering that GitHub’s appeal is limited to software developers whereas the other popular sites like Google and Amazon have a planetary audience. Is software becoming as important as the written word?

Why DevOps?

14 September 2017|

In business today, there is a premium on the speed with which IT can deliver software and its reliability – and implementing DevOps is becoming a key competitive differentiator.

Why open source?

5 May 2017|

Technologies based on open source have advanced considerably over the recent years, in all the intricacies of the software development world. Is this just because the licenses are free?

Share your IBM i platform with open source tools

2 May 2017|

IBM continues to encourage greater and more extensive use of open source tools on the IBM i platform. This has helped IBM i become more popular, less “proprietary” and more accessible to young generations of developers. Further, it has opened the platform to a vast software offering produced via the open source model.

DevOps Would Have Saved the Dinosaurs!

21 December 2016|

I have been fortunate to attend many events and conferences throughout the years, several on an annual basis. These gatherings bring together industry leaders from all over the world to share their expertise and knowledge about the IBMi and open source ecosystems.

Relevance of a DevOps strategy

2 November 2016|

When we first heard the term “DevOps” and the buzz it was generating, we asked ourselves whether it was just another case of reinventing the wheel. It’s common in our business that a hot new term signifies an evolution, rather than a revolution. And DevOps is a good example.

RPG Free Form: Why is it so important for you?

2 December 2015|

The biggest concern that IBM i companies are struggling with is finding good RPG resources. For sure, if you look at things from only that angle, you have every chance of being very, very disappointed. The average age is above 50 and you can roughly get only one developer for the cost of two, not very exciting.

Evolution, not revolution

31 March 2015|

Back from a trip in different countries in Asia, I’ve clearly seen that the situation in the IBM i market is rather different from Europe and North America – apart from Japan of course, which definitely resembles these two large areas.

IBM i Trends: Managing application parameters

6 February 2015|

A strong trend is underway and is set to continue: businesses are adopting an increasing number of standard software packages, often in the cloud, into their Information Systems. Today’s period of major technological change fosters this trend.

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