In particular, architectural technical debt – that is, technical debt that arises across applications, system boundaries, dependencies and architectural layers – is increasingly coming into focus.
Listed on Gartner Magic Qadrant®:
Make Technical Debt in Mainframe- und IBM-i-Systemen transparent
Technical debt has long since ceased to arise solely within individual programmes.
Make Architectural Technical Debt visible
Particularly in IBM Z (aka Mainframe) and IBM i (aka AS/400) environments that have evolved over decades, programmes, data, interfaces and business logic are closely intertwined – indeed, they are often seamlessly interwoven (so-called ‘spaghetti code’).
Anyone wishing to modernise such environments, decouple applications or make effective use of AI therefore first needs a clear understanding of these interdependencies.
PKS eXplain has now been positioned as a niche player for precisely these platforms in the first Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Technical Debt Management Tools.
eXplain enables companies not only to take charge of their legacy transformation, but also to keep it under control:
- Understanding complex legacy systems.
- Highlighting architectural dependencies.
- Assessing technical debt thoroughly.And ensuring modernisation is based on a solid factual foundation.
The key question is:
Do you not only understand your code – but can you also use it to draw up a robust transformation roadmap?
What Gartner® highlights about PKS eXplain
Deterministic depth analysis
eXplain analyses complex IBM Z and IBM i applications based on their actual technical structures.
Programmes, dependencies, database accesses and data flows are consolidated into a central system model, where they are summarised and made easy to analyse.
The benefit to you:
You make decisions based on verifiable facts rather than on assumptions, estimates or outdated or incomplete documentation.
A holistic view of legacy systems rather than an isolated focus on code snippets
Gartner® describes eXplain as a platform that enables technical, architectural and business relationships to be visualised and analysed across different levels of abstraction.
This reveals not only how applications are actually structured and interconnected, but also how business domains are (or are not) delineated, how data flows extend beyond variable boundaries, and where dead ends lie.
The benefit to you:
The consequences of changes, dependencies and structural risks can be better assessed – an important foundation for any modernisation and further development, as well as an essential basis for determining the optimal sequence during an application transformation.
Business Capability Clustering
Gartner® highlights eXplain’s business capability clustering as a particular strength.
This involves grouping programmes into meaningful units based on their technical interrelationships. In this way, areas that are functionally and technically related can be identified, even within poorly documented or rapidly expanding applications.
The benefit to you:
Large monolithic systems become manageable. Potential system boundaries, candidates for modernisation and sensible steps for a roadmap can be assessed more thoroughly.
What does the Gartner® positioning mean?
Your technology decision will be subject to an independent market assessment
Gartner® regards technical debt management as a separate software category.
For existing eXplain customers, this means:
Many of the issues for which eXplain is already being used are now part of a market that is recognised internationally and is of strategic importance.
Architectural technical debt is becoming increasingly important
Gartner® anticipates a significant shift from the pure code level to the architectural level.
As a result, skills that are particularly relevant in complex legacy systems are becoming increasingly important:
- Understanding dependencies
- Analysing the impact of changes
- Visualising system structures
- Identifying candidates for modernisation
- Understanding technical and business contexts
This is precisely where eXplain comes in.
Decisions on modernisation can be better justified
Which application should be modernised?
Where is decoupling worthwhile?
Which areas can remain as they are for the time being?
And which dependencies need to be taken into account?
eXplain creates a deterministic factual basis on which technical and business decisions can be prepared in a structured manner.
This not only aids development and architecture, but also facilitates coordination with IT management, business units and senior management.
And with the PKS team of experts, you as a client have a partner at your side who not only provides technological expertise, but also supports you with advice and practical assistance throughout your legacy transformation.
A solid foundation for AI is being laid
AI can assist with the analysis and further development of legacy applications.
However, its results are only as reliable as the context to which it has access.
A structured and deterministic analysis of source code, dependencies, data structures and architecture therefore provides an important foundation for AI-assisted software development and legacy modernisation.
Specialising in complex legacy systems
With eXplain, PKS deliberately avoids a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach.
Our focus lies where standard tools and code snippet analyses do not go deep enough:
in the case of business-critical IBM Z and IBM i systems with complex dependencies that have evolved over many years. That is where the DNA of these companies lies – that is where the real challenges of transformation lie – and, at the same time, where the greatest opportunities and levers for change lie in the age of AI.
Gartner® therefore particularly highlights PKS’s understanding of the market in these environments – where accuracy, determinism and traceability are crucial.
It is precisely this specialisation that is our strength.
Your next steps
Are you already using eXplain?
Let’s then take a look together at where further potential lies in your environment, given the latest release and in the context of your current transformation roadmap.
From architecture visualisation and clustering right through to integration with your AI toolchain.
Would you like to find out more about eXplain?
Whether you are analysing complex IBM Z or IBM i applications, identifying technical debt or preparing for modernisation, we would be happy to show you exactly how eXplain can be used within your system landscape and how it can deliver business value.
During an initial consultation, we will assess your current situation and outline suitable analysis and implementation options.
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eXplain 10: Legacy Analysis as a Fact Base for AI
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