The uphill struggle IBM never bargained for to persuade System 36 users to upgrade to the AS/400 continues, and its latest offering to ease the strain is MPS/400, a modular but integrated software program providing a conversion environment – but only for RPG II to RPG/400, not for Cobol or Assembler – operating on the AS/400 and when necessary, and only during the preparation phase, on the System/36. The MPS/400 methodology guides users through each phase of the conversion project by using the various MPS/400 modules. These are MPS/Analysis, which analyses the System/36 Library contents, produces a conversion time estimate, and provides problems and performance guidance; MPS/400 Re-Engineer, which generates the AS/400 Database and Data Dictionary, converts RPG II Programs into RPG/400 programs, applies the database to the programs on the AS/400, converts Operations Control Language to Control Language, and gives the user a choice for files in the programs to stay program-described or externally-described; the MPS/Data File Utility, to converts DFU applications into RPG source plus procedures without using DFU source; MPS/400 Utility, which provides pre- and post-conversion support with provision for documentation of cross links in conversion and for normalisation of fields; and MPS/400 Table Generator. It costs $3,275 restricted use, $10,900 multi use, from April 5.
