Shut down AS400 and keep the data
Continue to understand your data - with AvenDATA.

From RPG to COBOL to CL, we archive IBM i (AS400) systems of all generations and industry solutions,
from banking to manufacturing.

The Challenge

Many companies today face the situation that their AS400 legacy systems continue to generate significant costs even though they no longer play any operational role. The reason is that they must be kept available for compliance purposes. This leads to a number of issues:
  • Outdated hardware with maintenance becoming increasingly expensive and complex
  • Ongoing maintenance contracts that must be continued despite no active usage
  • License costs for software components that are no longer in use
  • Binding of internal IT resources that could be used more productively elsewhere
  • Increasing security risks due to outdated and unsupported system versions
  • High complexity in maintaining and operating historical data environments
The result: Companies pay large sums year after year for systems that deliver no operational value and cause only one thing: unnecessary costs.

Proven archiving solution
based on more than 17 years of project experience

The archiving of AS400 systems has been continuously developed by AvenDATA for more than 17 years and refined in practice through thousands of system decommissioning projects.
Based on our proven approach, we have been able to reliably and transparently answer all professional questions, audit inquiries and legal requests over the years.
The software used for this purpose, ViewBox, has established itself as a reliable research system that works dependably both in daily audit practice and for company wide access.
It is now used by more than 50 percent of DAX companies. This is clear proof of its stability, flexibility and practical suitability at the highest level.
From Europe to Asia to North America and back again, ViewBox is already in use worldwide.

Your AS400 reports live on as analyzable reports
in ViewBox

We not only transfer all data from your AS400 system. We also ensure that you can continue to understand and use this data permanently in our ViewBox software.
This includes:
  • Reproduction of relevant reports and business evaluations
  • Implementation of individual customer specific reports including self developed programs and lists
  • Archiving of all relevant documents required for the traceability of reports such as invoices, orders or postings
Even before the project begins, we work with you to define which reports and evaluations will be required in the future, whether for tax purposes, business analyses or legal requirements. In doing so, you benefit from our many years of experience gained from numerous AS400 decommissioning projects across a wide range of industries and business areas.
In ViewBox you can continue to search, analyze and evaluate these reports even years after the AS400 decommissioning, completely independent of the original system.
Whether for audits, internal reviews or legal inquiries, you always have access to clearly structured and filterable reports without the need for IBM i licenses or original systems.

Fast project execution and significant economic benefits (measurable ROI)
– even for large
AS400 systems

The decommissioning of an AS400 system usually takes between one and six months, depending on system complexity and data volume. With our clearly structured and standardized approach, we can archive even very large systems efficiently and securely.
We have already successfully transferred systems with several terabytes of data into our archiving solution, including reports, individual programs and complete documentation.
Thanks to our established project methodology, our customers benefit from significant savings after only a short time. This applies especially to license costs for IBM i software, databases and operating systems, as well as to maintenance, infrastructure and internal resources.
In the vast majority of our projects, the return on investment is achieved in less than one year due to measurable savings in licenses, infrastructure and internal effort.

AS400
 System analysis

The first step in any AS400 system decommissioning project is a detailed analysis of your existing system. This analysis forms the basis for accurately estimating the project duration and costs involved in archiving your AS400 legacy system.
We assess both technical and business aspects, including:
  • Access options to the AS400 system
  • Type, structure and size of the database, for example DB2/400
  • Scope and relevance of the available reports and applications
  • Individual characteristics such as self developed programs or interfaces
The results are summarized for you in a binding fixed price offer, providing maximum planning and decision making certainty.

AS400
Project archiving

After the system analysis has been completed, the actual project begins. It is structured, efficient and based on clearly defined milestones.
As part of a joint kick off meeting, we clarify all organizational and technical conditions with your team. From this point onward, we take over the majority of the tasks for you:
  • Setting up system access
  • Exporting and transferring the relevant data
  • Reproducing important reports and individual evaluations
  • Documenting all steps to ensure audit compliance
Our experienced project managers accompany you throughout the entire process and ensure a smooth execution with minimal resource requirements on your side.
At the end of the project, we conduct structured testing and acceptance phases together with you to ensure that all data has been archived completely, correctly and in a fully traceable way.

AS400
 Archiving result

After the project is completed, all relevant tables, documents and reports from your AS400 system are transferred into our specially developed software solution ViewBox.
ViewBox is a web based research system that provides you and authorized parties with fast, secure and traceable access to the archived information, even years after the system has been decommissioned.
A particular added value is that we reconstruct all important standard and individual reports, ensuring that business, tax or legal evaluations remain possible without the need for IBM i access.
Once ViewBox has been successfully implemented and accepted, the original system can be completely decommissioned.
At the end of the project, you receive comprehensive project documentation and procedural documentation that transparently presents every step, with a particular focus on:
  • The method of data transfer
  • The structure of the archived content
  • The test and acceptance phases carried out
In addition, we document every single step of the archiving process in our Jira ticket system in an audit proof way, from the data export to the final acceptance and, if required, the later deletion of the source system. This ensures that third parties or auditors can always clearly understand how the archiving was carried out.
Software and research system ViewBox
– making archived AS400 data intelligently usable
With ViewBox, AvenDATA offers a powerful reading and research system that has been developed specifically for accessing data from decommissioned legacy systems.
Through an intuitive web interface, ViewBox enables fast searching, structured analysis and targeted provision of archived information without any need to access the original AS400 system.
ViewBox ensures that your data:
  • Remains understandable and usable even years after decommissioning
  • Is always available in an audit proof way
  • Is structured and ready for internal and external audit processes
A special feature: automated data deletion with ViewBox. Based on defined retention periods, legacy data can be automatically and traceably deleted once legal or internal company requirements have expired. This keeps you compliant with GDPR and GoBD without any manual effort.
The application is based on a certified cloud infrastructure and undergoes regular security and functionality tests. It can also be operated in an on premise environment if required, depending on your individual compliance or IT requirements.
Learn more about ViewBox ...
ViewBox – Ihre Brücke
für alle Ihre AS400 Systeme/Altsysteme in die Vergangenheit
Für Fachabteilungen, Steuerprüfer, Wirtschaftsprüfer, interne Controller oder Rechtsabteilungen: Ihre archivierten AS400-Daten bleiben vollständig durchsuchbar, verständlich und auswertbar – ganz ohne IBM i-Zugang.
Ready for the
next step?
In a one hour expert session, we will review your AS400 system together – whether RPG, COBOL, CL or individual in house developments.
We will show you live how to efficiently decommission your system while keeping the data available for long term analysis. This includes:
  • Alignment on data structure, data transfer and reporting
  • A live demo of our ViewBox solution
  • An explanation of how we replicate reports and individual evaluations
  • A reliable assessment of effort, duration and price
Transparency from the very beginning:
Our project proposals are based on clearly defined fixed prices with no renegotiations. Quality, reliability and a fair price performance ratio are always at the center of what we deliver.
Our project proposals are based on clearly defined fixed prices with no renegotiations. Quality, reliability and a fair price performance ratio are always at the center of what we deliver.
Book your free personal expert consultation now.
Schedule your session & demo ...
Quick Answers to Your Questions –
 Personal and without obligation Regarding
AS400 Archiving

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