Three questions

[gaf at zk3.dec.com (Jerry Feldman)]

> A friend uses an IBM AS400 in his business, which he is not satisfied with.
> While listening to his complaints recently, I suggested he look into linux.
> He explained that there are a number of impediments to such a move.  First,
> he says the AS400 would have to be sold because it can only run under IBM's
> proprietary operating system.  So, my first question is, is this correct?
> 
> Then he explains that the reason he uses this machine is in order to run a
> proprietary IBM relational data base management system called DB2, and final-
> ly he says that he uses software written in RPG which utilizes DB2.  So my
> next two questions are:  a) Is there a linux or unix package which could re-
> place DB2, and b) Is it possible to run software written in RPG on a linux
> system?
I think your friend is SOL. DB2 is IBM proprietary. However, there are several good relational databases with interfaces comparable to DB2. IBM has a history of diverging from standards. I was actually on the ANSI relational Database committee when it adopted SQL. The committee took IBM's specification as the defacto standard. 

WRT: b, I don't know of an RPG compiler or interpreter for Linux, but IBM's RPG is also somewhat non-portable. 

The bottom line is that moving from an AS400 will be very painful. Once removed from the AS400, then he will be in the world of open systems which will give him more flexibility. 
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Jerry Feldman            Digital Unix Development Environment
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