SoftLanding Completes Transition to Eclipse-Based Technology

Published: April 4, 2006

by Dan Burger

"It's clear that all iSeries development will move from PDM to WDSC," says Steve Gapp, CEO of SoftLanding Systems. That's confidence. And that's not in short supply when Gapp is talking about his company's embrace of WebSphere. SoftLanding has just put the wraps on TurnOver Change Management's transition to Eclipse-based technology. The move has put the company and its change management software in a sweet spot if WDSC becomes the development environment of choice for iSeries shops.

For those unfamiliar with change management software, it is used to establish and automate repeatable processes for software development, including issue tracking, project management, development, and deployment.

"Our early experiences with the Eclipse framework proved to us that this technology brings very tangible benefits to iSeries developers," Gapp says. "Now the entire TurnOver solution can be accessed through a stand-alone client or as a plug-in to any Eclipse-based IDE (integrated development environment). The consistency between the two interfaces makes it easier for TurnOver users to move to WDSC (WebSphere Development Studio Client for iSeries) or RAD. They're already familiar with the environment."

The redevelopment of TurnOver, using the Eclipse platform, keeps the change management solution in step with IBM's developmental direction of bringing a more open IDE to the iSeries platform via the Eclipse-based WebSphere Development Studio Client for iSeries. The Eclipse underpinnings were chosen specifically for interoperability reasons. The hooks into WDSC will provide ease of use advantages, simplified setup and maintenance of the change management software, and faster delivery of enhancements as they are introduced.

The decision to follow the Eclipse-based strategy brings certain benefits such as the modern graphical and modeling frameworks inherent in the Eclipse environment. The frameworks are instrumental, SoftLanding officials say, to the process of delivering enhancements, such as the Graphical Application Designer released in April 2005, at a much faster pace.

Other benefits that the folks at SoftLanding are quick to point out include an easier installation and maintenance of the TurnOver Client and the option of having several "roles" available in one user interface. Plug-in technology allows the user to user, in this single-client framework, to choose as few or as many functions as needed. Those functions include helpdesk; project and task management; developer tools such as source/object management, PC version control, worklists, and cross-referencing; automated promotions; reporting; and administration.

The Eclipse environment also offers greater flexibility in how information is presented than do 5250 or client/server technologies. For example, users can customize their workspace by choosing which views are shown, how they are sized, and where they are located. They can also easily rearrange columns of information within views and filter data.

For developers who prefer a 5250 development environment, SoftLanding officials say it is possible to switch between the 5250 and Eclipse interfaces without losing work.

SoftLanding was among the earliest iSeries vendors to participate in open source communities. It joined the Eclipse Foundation after introducing TurnOver for WebSphere Studio, the first set of Eclipse-based software change management plug-ins to support iSeries development, in March 2003.

Since joining the Eclipse Foundation, SoftLanding has made two notable contributions to the open source community. In April 2005 it released the open source version control tool Subversion for OS/400. SoftLanding ported Subversion to the OS/400 platform to form the foundation for a PC-source version-control module called TurnOverSVN. Later that year, the Peterborough, New Hampshire, company contributed an RSE Extensions plug-in. The RSE Extensions plug-in allows users to access spooled files and iSeries messages from within WDSC. It also opens dual-source editing windows. The source and binaries of both contributions are available for download here.

The Eclipse-based TurnOver client is compatible with i5/OS V5R4 and is available now.

SoftLanding has also enhanced the graphical reporting subsystem and auditing capabilities of the TurnOver Change Management product. The enhancements include new reports, a facility to export report data for additional analysis, the capability to audit the data objects used for application testing, and the capability to graphically compare any changes made to the TurnOver settings that govern how software programs and data are managed. These changes should benefit companies that are experiencing an increased number of audits and higher expectations for IT accountability.

"IT managers need flexible reporting and reliable statistics on development processes to satisfy many demands," says Gapp. "With TurnOver, all data covering the full lifecycle is stored in a single iSeries database. Our on-demand reporting capability means that IT management can face audits with confidence and make informed decisions based on their company's IT metrics."

TurnOver's graphical report format contains a drill-down feature that can be used to examine the details behind the summary presentation. For example, the new Task Information report provides a summary of the full lifecycle of a given task. Auditors can click on specific segments of the report to see more details.

TurnOver Change Management ships with a library of more than 30 pre-configured, parameter-driven reports that help measure workload and productivity, benchmark key metrics over time to facilitate a program of continuous improvement, and track adherence to service level agreements.