Migrating from PH to Java / RDBMS

[Neil Harvey]

Jon describes an initiative to migrate from PH/Image to JAVA/RDBMS...

Jon

You are certainly right about one thing:-

"There are many questions to be asked when starting such a migration..."

I'd like to ask a few:-

Who took this decision? And what were their "qualifications"?
Were the Heads of Departments and Users polled?
What role did IT play in this decision (apart from defence:))?
Has the business model changed radically over time?
Are the basic transactions the same?
Do your Users deal will characters or graphics?
Have alternatives been considered? Incremental additions to existing
systems? Package(s)?
Has the project been costed?
If so, how do the costs weigh up against the current costs?
What is the average length of stay of IT staff?
How many IT staff do you now have, and how many are envisaged?
What time lines have been put to this project?

And hosts of others.

Be wary of "strategic decisions" to go "Java on Oracle" (or as it used to be
said, "Client/Server").
Usually these decisions are taken inboard rooms, or at the 19th hole on golf
courses, and are "Buzz Word Decisions".

Take a lesson from the automobile and aircraft industries - incrementally
develop and improve what works, until something totally radical and
irresistible comes along.

It's amazing how quickly you can make a legacy application (i.e. one that
works) look sexy and bright without compromising the underlying proven and
test structures.

May I venture to finish off by saying that IMHO you will not find a more
reliable, sustainable and cost effective platform than PH on Image/SQL.

Regards

Neil


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