Comments on: Converting from System 36 to iSeries V5R4

By: cityborn

cityborn — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 15:20:20 +0000

Thank you very much, indeed that is what I think I need. What we are trying is to migrate our programs in SSP (working on a 9402-436 using RPGII) to an iserver 9406-800 (OS-400). Any information in this regard is really useful for us. Best regards, Jose M.

By: TomLiotta

TomLiotta — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 08:49:23 +0000

do you still have the migration book ... Are you certain that that's what you need? Can you describe what equipment you currently have and what you intend to do? Are you sure that System/36 Migration Planning and System/36 Migration Assistant aren't the appropriate references? Tom

By: cityborn

cityborn — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 08:20:24 +0000

Hi there,
do you still have the migration book SC09-1166-03 SYSTEM/36 to AS/400 Migration Aid User’s guide and Reference or know how to get a copy? I am really interested, need it badly.. THanks!!

By: jlunger1

jlunger1 — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:49:25 +0000

I have the migration book SC09-1166-03 SYSTEM/36 to AS/400 Migration Aid User’s guide and Reference. Let me know if you still want it.

By: bobis311

bobis311 — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:24:57 +0000

Marcelmarcha,

Do you still have the 5727-MG1 diskettes?

By: marcelmarchand

marcelmarchand — Sat, 01 May 2010 19:20:32 +0000

I have the 3 original diskettes (8 inch 2D) for the migration aid
S/36 to AS/400 program 5727-MG1
I might have the book but I have to look for it.
Do not convert because I know from experience that it will take at least a year if
you have a few programmers. Migration is easy and the S36 environment works fine.

By: prbarrett

prbarrett — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:14:54 +0000

Your best bet is to locate a copy of the old S/36 to AS/400 Migration tool. It was a decent roadmap to converting and covered all the steps especially if you are not familiar with the S/36. I would think you could find the documentation but you may be hard pressed to find the actual software.

By: gilly400

gilly400 — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 14:40:12 +0000

Hi,

I went through a similar process with a conversion from S/36 to AS/400 a few years ago. We had a bespoke logistics system which we converted without too many problems, but we also had an accounting package which we didn’t have the source for (and the company no longer existed).

At the time there was a “virtual” system/36 available for the AS/400, we used this for the accounting package and it worked a charm. Everything that ran on the S/36 seemed to run on the virtual machine – even POP and external assembler subroutines. We even managed to configure a DDM link between our software on the virtual S/36 and our software on the AS/400 in the S/36 environment.

Sadly it appears that this option is either no longer available or no longer actively marketed by IBM – the commands for starting and ending the virtual machine have also disappeared from recent versions of OS/400 (STRM36, CRTM36, etc.). At least this option gave our company the breathing space to convert to another accounting package – I believe that some of the other software still runs in the S/36 environment to this day.

Regards,

Martin Gilbert.

By: steven spencer

steven spencer — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:59:43 +0000

Hi,

Please note that there is one element of disk data management that can definitely effect RPG programs. When you have a file doubly-defined for updates in a Sys 36 SSP program this can cause a data error in running the program on the OS/400 if an attempt is made to read a record by one logical file that is currently being held by the other logical file. Disk data management takes over on the OS/400 and gives an error message, while on the loosey-goosey 36 this would be fine, the disk does not have as strict data management.. I found that I had to make small modifications to about five programs, mainly to be sure that the record was released. However this can blindside you at the time of conversion, since it is a run-time error, not a compile error. (We actually put off the conversion about a week, doing a second pass, since there had been no such warning or anticipation of a problem. IBM was helpful, and gave the correct answer in a couple of hours, however it was surprising that we only found out by doing, not by the VAR or any other warnings. Doubly-defined update files can be common in some Sys 36 environments, in others they will be non-existent.

Hope that helps, apologies for the gap-time in posting, I just registered, partly to get this answer in.

Steven Spencer
Queens, NY

By: cjmedina

cjmedina — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 18:53:47 +0000

Hi,
As a previous comments by Unknowingone all their recommendation are rigth, you do not need to convert o make major changes to your old S36 programs, because you can use the S36 environment into the AS/400 and the programs will run Ok.

A long time ago, I made a migration from S36 to AS/400, and IBM provided me with a tool to analize the programs and ocl under the conditions into the AS/400 (running under S36 environment) and produce reports where they showed me the necesary changes and if I can remmenber there are few changes in some procedures or programs (very few), most of then working very fine.
Most of the changes where in the DFU (when I used the Update/Enter/List), created to maintain or print some of the files, so you can be sure that there is no a big deal.

Regards.