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AS/400 Green Screen Modernization Assessment

Green screen does not automatically mean broken. Many IBM i applications are fast, stable and carry business rules that took decades to refine. The question is whether the interface, the code and the skills around it are still adequate. This assessment gives a structured answer.

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1. How many users depend on the green screen every day?

2. How do users feel about the current interface?

3. How well do you understand the application source?

4. How is the code structured?

5. Do other systems need access to the application data or functions?

6. Do you have RPG or COBOL skills available for the next five years?

7. How closely does the application match how the business now works?

8. How much pressure is there to support mobile, web or customer self-service?

9. What is the state of the IBM i platform and its support?

10. Is there budget and business sponsorship for change?

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How to use the assessment

Answer for the application as it is, not for a hoped-for state. Involve a power user, the developer who knows the source and the person responsible for integrations, because each sees a different part of the picture. The score gives a band and a set of recommendations. The three outcomes are keep and integrate, wrap and modernize in stages, or plan a replacement. None of these is better in general, the right answer depends on your situation.

The options behind the bands

Modernization on IBM i usually falls into four approaches. Screen scraping puts a web face on the 5250 screens with little change, which is quick but limited. Service wrapping exposes existing RPG logic as APIs so new front ends can use it. Refactoring separates display from logic as programs are touched. Replacement moves to another application, with its own conversion cost and process change. Most firms combine more than one, and start with the pieces that cause the most pain.

Screen wrapping: fast, limited gain
API wrapping: reuse logic, new front ends
Refactor: reduce risk over time
Replace: highest change, highest effort

Common mistakes

A common mistake is paying to rewrite screens before understanding which business logic sits behind them. Another is assuming that a new interface will fix process problems, when the real issue is how the business works. Skills are the third trap: modernization projects fail when the one person who understands the source is not part of the plan. Finally, avoid planning for a big bang. Phased delivery lets you prove value and correct course while the existing application keeps running.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does green screen modernization mean?

It means improving how people and systems use a 5250 terminal-based IBM i application. That ranges from adding a web front end over existing programs, to exposing logic as APIs, to replacing the application entirely.

Is RPG a dead language?

No. Modern RPG is actively supported by IBM and is used in free-format syntax. The risk is more about available skills than the language, so plan for training and knowledge transfer.

Should I replace my AS/400 application or modernize it?

If the logic still fits your business and the pain is mainly interface and integration, modernize in stages. If the business has outgrown the application or skills are gone, evaluate replacement. The assessment helps frame that choice.

Does this apply to JD Edwards World?

Yes. World is a green screen application on IBM i, and the same questions apply. Pay particular attention to customizations, DREAM Writer versions and outside interfaces.

If you want to discuss the results or how to expose IBM i data and logic through APIs, Netray can help. The assessment itself is complete and free.

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