Legendary, Not Legacy: How Words, Tools, and Culture Shape IBM i’s Next Decade

 ☕ Today’s Coffee: Caribou Coffee Caribou Blend — smooth, bold, and quietly resilient. It’s not the trendy new roast on the shelf, but a classic that’s aged well. Like the IBM i, it’s reliable, layered, and still delivering energy decades later. It doesn’t chase attention — it earns respect through consistency and craft.

Stop Calling It Legacy — Start Calling It Legendary

Every time someone calls IBM i a legacy system, they miss the story entirely. Legacy implies something old, frozen, or fading. But IBM i isn’t fading — it’s thriving, evolving, and powering core business logic the same way it has for decades: efficiently, securely, and without drama.

Legacy suggests the end of a chapter.
Legendary celebrates what’s endured — and why.

The AS/400 was never just a system. It was an architecture decades ahead of its time: object-based design, single-level storage, integrated database, and true compatibility through generations of hardware. That’s not old. That’s timeless engineering.

When we change the label, we change the mindset. Calling it legendary invites respect and curiosity — two ingredients every modernization effort needs.

The Power of Language in Modernization

Modernization begins long before a single line of code changes. It begins with how we describe what we already have.

  • If we call it legacy code, we frame it as a problem.
  • If we call it legendary code, we frame it as an opportunity — proven, battle-tested, still here for a reason.
  • If we say old system, we mentally prepare to replace it.
  • If we say core system, we focus on strengthening it.

Language drives behavior. And when we start talking about the IBM i as something legendary — not outdated — it reframes every conversation with leadership, architects, and new developers.

Tools Don’t Make a System Modern — People Do

We have more tools than ever: RDi, VS Code, GitHub Copilot, SQL Services, APIs, and DevOps pipelines. These are fantastic, but tools alone don’t create modernization.

Real modernization happens when:

  • Developers decide to learn something new.
  • Teams document, refactor, and test intentionally.
  • Leaders give time and permission to explore new approaches.

Tools amplify culture — they don’t replace it.
If your team still thinks like it’s 1998, VS Code won’t save you. But if they think like engineers solving problems for the next decade, even SEU starts to feel modern again.

From Legacy Code to Legendary Architecture

Let’s get specific. Many IBM i databases still rely on old DDS-based physical files created decades ago. They work — but they’re hard to extend.
Expanding a field size or adjusting data definitions often means updating hundreds of programs. The result: change paralysis.

But modernization doesn’t have to mean rewriting everything. Start by layering modern SQL structures on top of what works today.

Example:

Create or replace view CustomerSummary as

   select CustID,

          CustName,

          CustCity,

          sum(OrderTotal) as LifetimeValue

     from Orders

 group by CustID, CustName, CustCity;

That single view transforms a static legacy table into a flexible, reusable data model. Your applications, reports, and analytics can all benefit — without touching the original DDS file.

That’s how legendary systems evolve — quietly, steadily, one improvement at a time.

Culture Is the Real Modernization Engine

Culture, not code, decides whether modernization lasts.
You can buy every new tool on the market, but if your team still says “this is how we’ve always done it,” nothing changes.

Culture shifts when:

  • Leadership tells a new story about the platform.
  • Teams celebrate small wins — like one SQL view or one refactored routine.
  • Developers are encouraged to experiment, learn, and teach.

That’s how legendary systems stay legendary — through people who never stop improving them.

Final Sip

My Caribou Blend reminds me why the word legacy never fit IBM i. This coffee isn’t “old.” It’s refined, dependable, and still relevant. Just like the platform that inspired this piece.

The IBM i isn’t legacy — it’s legendary.
It’s proven, evolving, and still brewing the world’s business logic with quiet precision.

So let’s stop apologizing for its age and start celebrating its endurance.
Because legendary systems aren’t defined by how long they’ve lasted — they’re defined by how well they still perform.

☕ Follow The RPG Blend for real code, real coffee, and no-nonsense conversations about modernization, leadership, and life on the IBM i.

Comments

Post a Comment