Join us in New Orleans, Louisiana for POWERUp 2026, the premier conference for IBM i professionals. Whether you’re an experienced expert or just starting your IBM i journey, this event offers unparalleled education, hands-on workshops, and valuable networking opportunities. Stay ahead of the curve with insights from industry leaders, explore the latest innovations, and connect with a thriving community that shares your passion for IBM i. Don’t miss this opportunity to expand your knowledge, grow your skills, and power up your career!
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Many IBM i teams face a dilemma: decades-old physical files (some internally described, no DDS) are accessed by hundreds of RPG and COBOL programs — many without source. Redesigning files breaks logic. Rewriting programs takes years. But modern apps need clean JSON APIs — now!
This session shows how to expose any legacy file as a full-featured REST/JSON microservice — without changing a single line of existing code. Using IBM Rational Open Access: RPG Edition, we intercept all file I/O (READ, WRITE, UPDATE, CHAIN) and route it through a generic ILE RPG handler layer. One service program handles all operations for all files — supporting: Multi-format logicals Field mapping & validation JSON in/out via noxDB or SQL Integration with modern Frontends, Node.js, or any HTTP client
Live demo includes: A 1970s RPG-II program writing to CUSTMAS. Open Access handler intercepts the WRITE, logs to audit table, validates data, returns JSON response. Call from Postman → POST /api/customer → data lands in legacy file, old program runs unchanged. Auto-generated OpenAPI spec from handler metadata.
You’ll learn: - When Open Access beats file conversion - How to build one reusable microservice for all files - Patterns for gradual modernization: old 5250 + new web apps in parallel - Bonus: auto-API docs + full audit trail from intercepted ops
Result: Immediate API enablement, zero risk, no downtime. Technologies integrated: IBM i, Rational Open Access, ILE RPG, SQL, JSON, REST, OpenAPI — all on your existing system.
Learning Objectives: - Understand how IBM Rational Open Access intercepts file I/O without changing legacy programs. - Build a generic ILE RPG microservice layer to expose any physical file as a REST/JSON API. - Implement automatic API documentation (OpenAPI) and audit trails from intercepted operations. - Apply gradual modernization patterns to run old 5250 apps alongside new web/mobile frontends. - Evaluate when Open Access is superior to file redesign or program rewrites.
