Despite the unstoppable move to the cloud, legacy systems are still frequently the foundation of enterprise data architecture. Many organizations rightly continue to rely on Mainframe and IBM AS/400 systems to run applications and programs that were developed years ago, and which continue to be essential for day-to-day operations. Indeed, according to a report by the IBM Institute for Business Value, 71% of executives say Mainframe-based applications are central to their business strategy.
These IBM systems continue to offer immense value in terms of operational stability and continuity, data management, and in their excellent ability to support huge workloads. But they have challenges when it comes to adapting and integrating into a modern IT stack and ensuring the 24×7 availability, scalability and real-time performance expected of modern digital services.
How then, can organizations whose core operations still rely heavily on these systems benefit from the best of both worlds without replacing their valuable IBM investment: the stability and continuity of existing IBM systems , as well as the agility and responsiveness of modern digital and cloud systems?
In the IBM report mentioned above, 4 out of 5 executives say their organizations need to rapidly transform to keep up with competition, which includes modernizing Mainframe-based apps and adopting a more open approach. Most IT leaders will agree that a ‘rip and replace’ approach is not an option. Fortunately, there is another way.
GigaSpaces and IBM have partnered to offer IBM customers an innovative path to modernization utilizing GigaSpaces’ Smart DIH platform. Smart DIH is an operational data hub that allows organizations to develop modern digital services on top of their IBM AS/400 and Mainframe systems without having to replace or disrupt their operation.
Our partnership with GigaSpaces offers enterprises a truly innovative path to develop modern services over their existing systems – without the business disruption, delays and huge costs typically associated with these projects.
Ronen Siman-Tov
CTO, Call for Code, IBM
Smart DIH decouples digital applications from the underlying IBM systems, abstracting digital apps from the legacy systems and eliminating the direct dependencies between them. This is achieved by replicating data from legacy systems into a highly performant data layer and providing low code and no code tools for exposing data access services to digital apps in real-time.
Smart DIH offers organizations the fastest most efficient way of modernizing over legacy systems. Benefits include:
Decoupled architecture: By abstracting digital applications from legacy systems, Smart DIH untangles the numerous point-to-point application integrations that typically weigh down digital apps. Smart DIH exposes data access services directly to digital apps. As a result apps are no longer dependent on the performance or availability of underlying systems, ensuring 24×7 service and a great end-user experience.
Low code data microservices: Smart DIH offers a low code UI that lets data professionals easily create new digital services without having to rely on Java expertise or adjacent programming teams. This means they can be highly responsive to business needs and develop new services quickly, using their native data environment.
Easy data pipeline setup: Smart DIH, with its pluggable connector framework, provides a broad range of connectors that enable seamless data ingestion from numerous legacy and modern systems. This simplifies setting up event-driven data pipelines from multiple and diverse systems.
Highly performant and scalable: Relying on GigaSpaces extensive expertise in in-memory computing, Smart DIH offers a highly available, highly scalable platform designed to support real-time operational and transactional workloads as well as real-time analytics. Thanks to embedded CDC capabilities, and event-based architecture, data is always fresh ensuring data consistency across all applications and services.
Smart DIH is an ideal solution for strategic modernization initiatives:
- By creating a unified data model and supporting multiple hubs, Smart DIH enables a Data Mesh design that gives LoB domain control to functional teams, allowing them to easily share data products while still maintaining data consistency throughout.
- Smart DIH offers a phased approach to modernization and cloud expansion by letting organizations introduce modern microservices without displacing legacy systems. By doing so, they can evolve their IT environment without disrupting existing business processes.
- Available as-a-service, or deployable in any public or private cloud, Smart DIH gives you the flexibility to jump start your modernization strategy using the delivery model that suits you best.
No matter what segment you’re operating in, be it retail, manufacturing, banking or insurance, the ability to offer a superb 24×7 customer experience and pro-actively launch new digital services is fundamental to remaining competitive. With Smart DIH, you can achieve this goal, while still benefiting from the strengths of your existing IBM systems.
On July 18th, IBM and GigaSpaces will be hosting a joint webinar that will discuss how organizations can quickly start developing modern services over their IBM systems with Smart DIH. Register HERE.
