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Techné Migration Methodology

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FAQ

1. Who is Techné Knowledge Systems?
Since 1995, Techné Knowledge Systems has been focusing on legacy software transformation and modernization, helping organizations solve the business problems that arise from their continued reliance on legacy systems.

The company’s elite team of R&D experts has developed and refined its flagship offering: JConvert/PB—a complete solution to legacy PowerBuilder application modernization. By using JConvert/PB, Techné helps clients preserve the intellectual capital invested in their legacy PowerBuilder applications, transforming them into equivalent Java applications with minimal risk and guaranteed results. As a testament to its success, the company enjoys a rapidly growing roster of satisfied customers.

2. What is the JConvert/PB™?
Techné’s JConvert/PB is a complete solution to legacy modernization. It is comprised of the Techné Migration Methodology—focusing on a formalized process based on the key business drivers, principles and requirements of every specific migration project—and PBT, highly automated transformation technology that converts legacy PowerBuilder applications safely, efficiently, and with significantly reduced risk and cost than any other available alternative.

3. How can Techné help my organization?
Putting its vast knowledge and experience to work for every conversion project, Techné’s aim is to ensure the goals of modernization are achieved for each and every client, ensuring successful results, the preservation of intellectual capital and investments, all with minimal risk. Using its finely tuned and refined formalized process as its cornerstone, the company is able to clearly outline, manage and track the entire transformation process, setting key expectations and managing deliverables to ensure the process is smooth and seamless from start to finish.

4. What do you mean it minimizes risk?
Every development project faces a degree of risk. Part of the risk of any such transformation project is that the business rules will not be replicated in an exact fashion. Without the use of highly automated technology, there is a tremendously high risk that they will not be captured or that they will be captured with a severe level of misinterpretation. The cost of not capturing the business rules exactly is failure of the transformation project and that is an extremely high cost for anyone to endure.

JConvert/PB offers a unique value proposition in that it captures, converts and preserves all of the business rules and logic inherent within the original applications, with an extremely high level of automation, and without any human interpretation. This guarantees the results of the transformation project.

5. What is the PBT?
The PBT is the highly automated, compiler-like translation engine that captures and converts the business rules inherent in legacy applications without any human interpretation, guaranteeing an accurate transformation of all business logic with significantly minimized risk. It produces a Java equivalent of the original PowerBuilder application in terms of look, feel, functionality—right down to the original bugs—and application design.

6. How does Techné ensure the application will perform correctly after conversion?
Techné has gone to great lengths to ensure that JConvert/PB produces a functionally equivalent application in Java. As part of the migration process, Techné ensures that the Java application passes all test suites that were created for the original application. These in fact form the basis of the formal Acceptance Criteria that are part of the contract.

7. How long does a typical conversion of a 100,000-line application take?
The actual automated conversion is measured in minutes. However, there will always be some amount of handwork required and the application must be tested thoroughly before re-deployment. Ideally, one should to allow a minimum of 3-4 months for the entire project from start to re-deployment.

8. How does the conversion actually work?
Every line of user-written PowerScript code and DataWindow specification is automatically translated into corresponding Java code. All PowerBuilder (PB) objects – including DataWindows – are converted into corresponding Java classes. A pure Java library, PBJ™ is supplied by Techné to offer the PowerBuilder features missing in the Java programming language for the converted application.

9. What PB application conventions won’t convert well and what circumstances could lead to problems?
All PB applications that we have tested to date have converted well. We do not expect to find any PowerBuilder applications that we cannot convert. Certain features of PB applications that do not map well to the Java programming language will require workarounds via semi-automated methods or, in some very rare cases, localized application re-design. For example, OLE or DDE-specific functions that have no Java equivalents. In addition, JConvert/PB is being continuously developed and enhanced to deal with these areas as we uncover them, in order to increase the application conversion coverage.

10. Does PBT flag non-translatable items for follow-up?
Yes and Techné’s staff manages the semi-automated transformation of the code. The solution to the previously non-automatically translatable code will be input into the continuing refinement of the JConvert/PB tool.

11. Is the solution pure Java code?
Yes, the solution is pure, well designed, Java code. There is no emulation involved.

12. Is the code readable to humans?
Yes, the original PowerBuilder code structure and design are maintained. All variables, classes, and method names are preserved, as is the entire code structure (organization into classes, control flow, etc.) There are no identifiers with incomprehensible names, like ‘var12764’ or similar. All original comments are preserved in the translated code. Any developer who understands the original PB code will have no problem understanding the translated code. You can also download sample code for your review. Please see Q30 for more information.

13. Will my current maintenance staff programmers be able to maintain the new Java application?
Since the original PowerBuilder code structure and design are maintained, the resulting Java code will be highly recognizable to your current PowerBuilder programmers. And since they retain the in-depth knowledge and intricacies of the original applications, the recognizable code will greatly simplify their Java technology learning curve while they undergo some Java training.

14. How maintainable is the generated code? Will our developers be able to support the converted application easily?
This is a very important question and addresses the core of our philosophy on software transformation. We believe that only developers experienced in the business requirements of an application should modify it. Outsourcing these modifications to developers who are unfamiliar with the intricacies of your business logic and application design would be a very high-risk approach. This would be equivalent to allowing a developer new to your team modify the application with little or no training.

We designed JConvert/PB to address precisely this concern. Our approach differs from all others in that we offer a fully automated conversion of all input source code. The only manual work required is to handle any non-portable features used in the PowerBuilder application (e.g. DLL calls or the use of DDE, etc.). This work is always very well bounded and therefore very limited in scope and is clearly defined through specific APIs. These changes can be safely accomplished without knowledge of the underlying business context.

With this background in mind, we designed PBT, our highly automated conversion engine that produces a highly maintainable application since it preserves the original application design. Developers already familiar with the existing application will be able to move immediately into supporting the new application in Java. By adopting this approach, we guarantee complete and correct migration of all business logic.

Techné’s JConvert/PB service accomplishes this through the use of PBT, our state-of-the-art technology that automatically converts all of the original source code (including DataWindow specifications) into equivalent Java objects. PBT maintains the naming conventions, etc. of the original application and, as stated above, the internal application design. (Please request sample code—see Q30) The application maintenance team then uses an industry-standard Java IDE – for example Eclipse, JBuilder, WSAD and JDeveloper – to visually edit the application, similar to the way they maintained the application in PowerBuilder.

PowerBuilder programmers learning the Java programming language will find that this approach will greatly accelerate their Java training since they will already be intimately familiar with the Java application. In fact, comparing the JConvert/PB approach to any other, we feel that your in-house developers will be in a much better position to continue to maintain the application efficiently and quickly be able to move forward. In sum, JConvert/PB not only preserves the large investment in terms of all the intellectual capital in the application, but also offers an accelerated approach to upgrading your staff’s development capability.

15. How do I maintain the resulting Java code?
The resulting Java code is high quality code that is easily maintained and supported. Your PowerBuilder programmers will move readily to Java technology since the application design is very similar to the original. Developers can do forward development with PB-like abstractions or by using any other standard design patterns deemed suitable.

16. What tools can I use?
Since the application is written solely in the Java programming language, all Java tools will be applicable to the transformed application. In addition, the applications will be editable in industry standard IDEs. Full visual editing is provided for JBuilder, Eclipse, WSAD and JDeveloper.

17. What versions of PowerBuilder do you support?
We support all PowerBuilder versions.

18. What JDK Version do you support?
JDK version1.4

19. What about database migration? What databases are supported?
JConvert/PB™ converts only the client application code. No database changes are required. JConvert/PB supports all databases supported by PowerBuilder.

20. How does the ported application communicate with the database?
The Java application communicates with the database via standard JDBC. Another option is to use a J2EE-based remote connection object which enables clients to centralize all database access in any standard J2EE Application Server.

21. How do you handle application code changes that occur during the conversion period?
We designed our technology and processes to be highly automated and very repeatable. If an application requires specialized handwork we apply these changes to the input PowerBuilder source in the form of specialized instructions to JConvert/PB. These are easily merged into new releases of the application as we receive updates. Because of this the freeze date for an application to be converted can be delayed until just before the final testing phase at Techné, typically 1 month before delivery back to the client. In cases where even this delay is problematic, we will adjust our process to meet the timing needs of Clients.

22. How extensively do you test the application?
Extensive testing is critical to the success of the project. This is why we make a point of insisting on defining extensive and in-depth Acceptance Criteria at the outset of the project. Extensive testing includes pre-delivery testing, system and business-flow testing, automated test scripts and more. Additionally, we work with clients to ensure that their test plans and scripts exercise the target applications sufficiently to ensure there are no surprises once deployed to their user community.

23. Do you need all of the source code to convert the PowerBuilder application?
Yes, in order for to make use of our JConvert/PB service, all source code for an application is required.

24. What information do you need in order to provide a fixed price quotation?
We need the complete application source along with our JConvert/PB Assessment Questionnaire (available online at www.techne.ca/assessment.htm) in order to do an accurate Code Assessment. We can give pricing guidelines upon request.

25. What fees are there after the conversion is completed and successfully running in Java?
There are no continuing fees for the transformed code. It is pure Java code with the necessary run time libraries (PBJ) supplied by Techné as part of the transformation. Maintenance for PBJ for one full year after conversion is included in as part of the transformation contract; afterward, should it be required, a maintenance contract is available on Techné’s standard terms. (Available upon request).

26. What is Techné’s process for developing a fixed price proposal for my application(s)?
Generally speaking, the process for obtaining a fixed price proposal is quite simple.
You just sign an NDA and send us your application. Our developers will review your source code to generate a written, fixed cost proposal that includes any required handwork. Our service is priced based on the number of lines of PowerBuilder code converted, plus a cost for handwork to deal with non-portable features and testing.

The best way to proceed is to contact us directly to discuss your needs. Our transformation experts can help you with all aspects of your modernization project including providing you with an overall assessment, an objective point of view and all the answers you need before you begin. Just give us a call at 613-476-7960 to get a better understanding of our service and methodology

27. Is there any way to get a quick ballpark estimate?
Yes, you can quite easily generate an estimate cost for your review.
To develop an approximate cost:
• Download our line counting Tool from www.techne.ca/pblexport.zip .
• This tool will establish accurately the number of lines of code you have for conversion. Multiply the result by our list price/line as outlined in the attached Cost Estimator Excel sheet.
• The result is your approximate project cost.

28. Can I buy JConvert/PB tool to do the migration myself?
Code transformations of legacy applications are complex. We have chosen to adopt a factory-based service model that we know will safely and accurately transform the PowerBuilder applications in the fastest, most cost-effective and risk-free manner. Experts in transforming PowerBuilder applications into Java applications deal with your applications. You benefit from this focus.

Once all your applications are translated to Java technology, there is no further need for the tool. We deliver the application working correctly in Java, leaving the customer to focus on application maintenance and support going forward. We sincerely believe this approach optimizes results, reduces risk and actually minimizes cost.

29. What support is provided with the converted code and PBJ?
The converted code comes with a six-month warranty. For six months following acceptance Techné will fix (or provide a “work around” for) all bugs in the Converted Application provided that PBJ™ has not been modified (except by Techné). After the warranty time frame elapses, Techné will fix (or provide a “work around”) for all reported bugs in the Converted Application on reasonable terms and conditions to be negotiated.

30. Is it possible to view sample code?
Yes, we have sample code available for you to download and review. Just visit http://www.techne.ca/samplejavacode.zip. The ZIP file you receive contains an explanatory document entitled Code Structure that details the Java code design.

31. Can Jconvert/PB convert my application to Linux?
Yes we can migrate the application to run on a Linux platform, although there may be more handwork involved. Please contact us for details

FAQ

Background

Application Migration Accuracy

Conversion Process

Resulting Java Code

Maintainability and Quality of Output Java Code

Version Support

Database Impact

Code freeze

Testing

Pricing and On-going Fees

Support after Conversion

Miscellaneous