[1]Are you running mission critical application in some legacy environment ? Do you still have to use 4GL environments ? Is it getting more and more expensive to keep the system alive ? Do you need a modern version of that solution, one that integrates into your SOA and B2B infrastructure ?
There are numerous reasons why it is important to modernize existing applications, costs, functionality and people are likely the most important.
When thinking about modernization there are overall three options
- Complete Rewrite
- Automated Rewrite
- Modernized Infrastructure
A complete rewrite is usually the most expensive and critical option, considering aspects like completeness of existing documentation, domain knowledge and migration. These projects also tend to mix modernization, architectural change and functional enhancements which creates a complex mixture of requirements. The good side however is, that beside a modern programming language, state of the art architectures can be used.
Automated rewrite, also called transformation, is a technique where program artifact and domain knowledge are programmatically captured from the existing solution and transformed into a new program. This is a proven and successful technology for certain kinds of source and target languages. The downside is, that architecture transformation, e.g. from client/server to stateless Web, tends to get difficult.
Modernized infrastructure is a new, innovative approach to application modernization. The basic idea is, to leave the business logic and existing programs mainly untouched and to exchange the underlying runtime environment. Obviously there are a couple of advantages to this
- Investments in domain solutions remain
- Changing technology is less critical compared to rewriting a business solution
- A state of the art runtime environment offers state of the art integration and operation environments
MicroDoc has a long-standing expertise in modernizing applications using any of the 3 options mentioned above. Barracuda is our latest product in the area of “infrastructure modernization”.
In a nutshell Barracuda is a framework for creating 4GL runtime environments. As such Barracuda is capable of running programs written in a legacy programming language on a standard J2EE based application server using a browser aware rich thin client.
Barracudas first implementation runs programms written in JPL using the Prolifics Panther 4GL environment giving you tremendous benefits
- Existing programs can run mostly unmodified
- J2EE environment offers state of the art integration options like web services, JDBC connectivity and Web interface.
- Standard J2EE operation environment like your preferred AppServer and your preferred operating systems
- New functions can be implemented using JPL and/or Java
- Rich thin client offers incommensurable ease of use
- Plugin architecture allows integration and development of new functions, like office integration, across the platform
Barracuda consist of 3 main components
- Barracuda Server
- Barracuda Client
- Barracuda IDE
Barracuda Server
The Barracuda Server features a plugin based architecture. Target language capabilities are provided by pluggable server components called SCOMs. As an example the Database SCOM adds new, database and JPL specific APIs to the system while internally using JDBC and DataSource APIs.
In order to achieve the best performance possible, and this is more important on a server than it is on a client, Barracuda implements a highly efficient JIT (just in time compiler) that translates target programs to Java Byte Code on the fly and also applies optimization to the code.
Barracuda client
The Barracuda client can be run as a stand alone application via Java Webstart or in a browser using applet technology. Like the server the Barracuda client is based on a modular architecture the can be extended using plugins. One example of such a plugin is the integration of locally installed Office application.
Unlike standard web application the Barracuda client offers a level of ergonomics comparable to a desktop application.
Since all application logic runs on the server special attention has be paid to the efficiency of the network protocol. But being fast is only one aspect, standards compliant, firewall aware, push capable are other equally important features.
The result is the Barracuda transport protocol, an extremely fast, layered implementation that also supports incremental updates.
Barracuda IDE
Running applications is one thing, developing them is something different. Therefore Barracuda comes with a completely new Eclipse based development environment that contains
- Language sensitive editor
- Wysiwyg screen designer
- Runtime integration
- Source level debugger
Like any othr Eclipse IDE the Barracuda devlopment environment can easily be extended by numerours features.
Customer benefits
Barracuda brings your JPL Panther application in todays infrastructure, opens new interfaces and builds the foundation to successfully enhance your solution in JPL, Java or other JVM compatible languages.
But Barracuda is more than an enhanced version of Panther. If you are interested in running your language on top of a JVM please contact us.
We highly respect the confidentiality needs of our customers in their competitive and partially security sensitive markets.
Further information
- www.prolifics.com [2] and www.prolifics.de [3] - The creator of Panther
- www.eclipse.org [4]
- Smalltalk to Java migration [5]
- Java, all Java related Trademarks and Solaris are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems Inc.