Preserving the Past, Empowering the Future.
If you are a developer or an IT professional working with AS400 applications, you know how important documentation is for the smooth operation and maintenance of your system. AS400 or iSeries, now known as IBM i, is a robust and reliable platform for running business applications.
However, like any other software system, it requires proper documentation to ensure its sustainability and effectiveness.
In this blog post, we will delve into the significance of documenting your AS400 application and provide you with a comprehensive guide on how to do it effectively.
Why Does Documenting Your AS400 Application Matter?
Documentation is an integral part of software development and maintenance processes. It serves as a reference guide for developers, IT administrators, and other stakeholders involved in managing and maintaining the AS400 application.
Here are some key reasons why documenting your IBM i application is crucial:
Knowledge Transfer
Documenting your AS400 application allows you to transfer knowledge about the system to other team members. It ensures that important information about the system, such as system architecture, data structures, program flow, and business rules, is preserved and shared with others.
This helps in reducing dependency on specific individuals and ensures that the system can be effectively managed and maintained by multiple team members.
System Understanding
Documentation helps in understanding the AS400 application thoroughly. It provides a clear overview of the system’s functionality, processes, and components, making it easier to troubleshoot issues, enhance or modify the system, and optimise its performance.
It also helps in identifying dependencies and relationships among various components of the application, which is crucial for effective system management.
Compliance and Audits
Many industries have strict compliance requirements, such as HIPAA, GDPR, and SOX, which necessitate proper documentation of software systems.
Documentation helps in ensuring that your AS400 application complies with these regulations and enables smooth audits by providing evidence of compliance.
Troubleshooting and Issue Resolution
When issues arise in your AS400 application, documentation can be a valuable resource for troubleshooting and resolving problems.
It provides insights into the system’s inner workings, allowing support teams to quickly identify the root cause of an issue and implement a solution. This helps by minimising downtime and ensuring that the system is up and running efficiently.
System Maintenance
AS400 applications require periodic maintenance activities, such as upgrades, patches, and fixes.
Proper documentation streamlines these activities by providing instructions and guidelines for performing maintenance tasks. It ensures that these activities are carried out smoothly and effectively, without disrupting the system’s stability and performance.
System Migration
When/if you eventually decide to migrate your AS400 application to another system, your application documentation will make the migration process considerably quicker and simpler and will help to ensure data and functionality are correctly scoped when choosing the new system.
Now that we understand the significance of documenting your AS400 application, let’s delve into how you can effectively document your system.
System Overview
Begin by providing a high-level overview of your AS400 application. This should include information about the system’s purpose, scope, and key components. Describe the system architecture, including hardware, software, and network configurations, along with any integration points with other systems.
Business Rules
Document the business rules that govern the AS400 application. This includes rules related to data validation, data processing, error handling, and business logic. Clearly define each rule, its purpose, and how and where it is implemented in the system.
Data Structures
Document the data structures used in your AS400 application, such as files, tables, and databases. Include information about data types, field lengths, and relationships among different data structures. Provide data flow diagrams, entity-relationship diagrams, and a data dictionary, if applicable.
Program Documentation
Document the programs or modules that comprise your AS400 application. This includes program names, descriptions, and program flow. Describe the input and output parameters, along with their meanings and usage.
At KFA, we fully understand the importance of documenting your applications. With our experience of the AS400 and its database, an ability to read all AS400 code and understand business processes, we are extremely proficient in the documenting of AS400 applications.
Finley Austin
KFA Connect – Marketing Assistant
14th April 2023
Want to know more? Get in touch with our team today.
