Empowering IBM i Based Data Streaming and API Integrations

Event Streaming in Today’s World

At a high level, data streaming enables teams to monitor organizational-wide processes in real-time, unlock valuable insights, and make data-backed decisions with confidence. With many providers offering data streaming capabilities as well as complementing integration services, the question remains which one aligns best with your long-term goals and integrates seamlessly with your pre-existing infrastructure?

An emerging trend in software development is event-based architecture, which is highly complementary to more traditional API integration platforms. Categorized by its consumption and reaction to events, the trend’s popularity can best be summarized by insight into real-time events as they are unfolding. Benefits range from unlocking customer 360 view, event-driven microservices, bridging to the cloud, and several more. One of the leading data streaming platforms is Confluent’s Apache Kafka, a mature tool stack and the ecosystem capable of processing hundreds to millions of data events from multiple sources on a massive scale, and making managing back-end applications less cumbersome. Companies of all sizes and verticals leverage the Kafka platform to solve the most complex data integration and analytics use cases. Businesses that run on legacy platforms, such as IBM i (AS/400, iSeries) are uniquely positioned to benefit from the event stream-based architectures that help preserve and modernize their trusted and secure systems of records.

Legacy modernization difficulties in the modern market

Contrary to modern belief, IBM i (AS/400) environments represent modern, stable, predictable, and secure platforms that can reliably carry diverse workloads and offer one of the lowest TCO compared to other on-prem and cloud architectures. At the same time, companies that run their business on legacy platforms such as IBM i (AS400) face several challenges when architecting the event streaming platforms. Getting the data in and out of these applications and finding experts familiar both with legacy and data streaming stacks are perhaps the biggest factors that slow down modernization initiatives.

Solutions

There are several specialized products that accelerate and simplify the task of plugging legacy application data and business logic to event streaming and API-based integration stacks. The simplest and most straightforward approach is to use the add-ons available for Kafka and some integration platforms, such as Mulesoft Anypoint, that enable development teams to work with IBM i programs, data, and events directly from within the integration stacks. This approach eliminates the need to purchase and operate specialized IBM i based integration component and empowers integration developers to work with back-end services without any specialized knowledge of the IBM i platform or applications.

Infoview Systems infoConnectis made to leverage the use of IBM i (AS/400) seamlessly connecting with Kafka, streamlining processes making it easier for internal teams, and positively affecting ROI’s.

Even with the best tools, legacy modernization is a daunting task. The right operating model, industry-leading event streaming and integration platforms, and a capable cross-platform implementation team are all key factors for a successful modernization journey.

Learn more about Infoview team’s products and unique blend of hands-on experience in IBM i, Kafka, and modern integration and cloud technologies.