IBM i Global

 View Only
Expand all | Collapse all

IBM i Modernization Engine for Lifecycle Integration (Merlin) 1.0.1 now available!

  • 1.  IBM i Modernization Engine for Lifecycle Integration (Merlin) 1.0.1 now available!

    Posted Tue July 05, 2022 09:25 AM
    IBM i Modernization Engine for Lifecycle Integration (Merlin) 1.0.1 is now available!

    To see what's new, along with more videos, links on how to request features, and more, please see:
    https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/ibm-i-modernization-engine-lifecycle-integration-merlin-overview

    ------------------------------
    Eric Simpson
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: IBM i Modernization Engine for Lifecycle Integration (Merlin) 1.0.1 now available!

    IBM Champion
    Posted Wed July 06, 2022 12:29 PM
    Where can we find pricing information Eric - it is kinda important.

    ------------------------------
    Jon Paris
    ------------------------------



  • 3.  RE: IBM i Modernization Engine for Lifecycle Integration (Merlin) 1.0.1 now available!

    IBM Champion
    Posted Thu July 07, 2022 03:15 AM
    Alison mentioned $4.5k at the last IBM i monthly meeting Jon - ouch!!

    ------------------------------
    Andy Youens
    IBM Champion & Member of IBM ISV Advisory Council
    ------------------------------



  • 4.  RE: IBM i Modernization Engine for Lifecycle Integration (Merlin) 1.0.1 now available!

    Posted Thu July 07, 2022 03:30 AM
    $4.5 per user?

    ------------------------------
    Paolo Salvatore
    ------------------------------



  • 5.  RE: IBM i Modernization Engine for Lifecycle Integration (Merlin) 1.0.1 now available!

    IBM Champion
    Posted Thu July 07, 2022 03:34 AM
    Thats how I understood it! - Cant get my clients to fork out for RDi, this has got no chance tbh.

    ------------------------------
    Andy Youens
    IBM Champion & Member of IBM ISV Advisory Council
    ------------------------------



  • 6.  RE: IBM i Modernization Engine for Lifecycle Integration (Merlin) 1.0.1 now available!

    Posted Thu July 07, 2022 03:43 AM
    If this is the costs the only solutions is the Liam Barry extension for visual studio code, but now he's IBM employee so what's happen?

    ------------------------------
    Paolo Salvatore
    ------------------------------



  • 7.  RE: IBM i Modernization Engine for Lifecycle Integration (Merlin) 1.0.1 now available!

    Posted Thu July 07, 2022 09:40 AM
    First of all, Merlin is much more than an IDE. And it's not like you
    can get "just the IDE component" of Merlin. So, as a product, it's not
    directly comparable to RDi.

    As for the fate of the VS Code extensions, Liam is actually going to
    be spending at least some of his time working on them in an official
    capacity, not merely in his free time. IBM as a company and Liam as an
    individual are both committed to keeping the VS Code extensions
    available as a free, open source option for IBM i developers.

    As for pricing, I can only conjecture. I personally doubt it would be
    thousands of dollars per user, or even structured in a mainly per-user
    way. By its nature, it strikes me as mainly a per-organization
    product. When shops buy a comprehensive ARCAD solution, how is that
    priced? I would expect Merlin pricing to be more along those lines.
    Because that's the kind of thing that Merlin is.




  • 8.  RE: IBM i Modernization Engine for Lifecycle Integration (Merlin) 1.0.1 now available!

    Posted Thu July 07, 2022 09:36 AM
    Edited by Eric Simpson Thu July 07, 2022 09:37 AM
    I know it is tempting to compare RDi and Merlin but Merlin is more than an IDE.  It has additional capabilities as well as having several ARCAD tools bundled in to help people to develop modern IBM i applications (e.g. Transformer/Observer).

    ------------------------------
    Eric Simpson
    ------------------------------



  • 9.  RE: IBM i Modernization Engine for Lifecycle Integration (Merlin) 1.0.1 now available!

    IBM Champion
    Posted Thu July 07, 2022 09:42 AM
    but doesnt have a debugger??  I find that very strange!

    ------------------------------
    Andy Youens
    IBM Champion & Member of IBM ISV Advisory Council
    ------------------------------



  • 10.  RE: IBM i Modernization Engine for Lifecycle Integration (Merlin) 1.0.1 now available!

    IBM Champion
    Posted Thu July 07, 2022 10:17 AM
    Debugger is coming,  they're working on it.

    ------------------------------
    Jack Woehr
    IBM Champion 2021 -2022
    ------------------------------



  • 11.  RE: IBM i Modernization Engine for Lifecycle Integration (Merlin) 1.0.1 now available!

    Posted Fri July 08, 2022 02:59 AM

    Rational Developer for i and open source options like code for i are IDEs. A client installed development tool for creating and modifying ibm i programs. Users then have the options to build upon these tools to add additional components like impact analysis fixed to free conversion, integration to source control like GIT, and the ability to build and deploy within a CI/CD pipeline.  Each item being separate and requiring some expert (or the user) to integrate these individual components.

    Merlin is an entire integrated and supported  development ecosystem from IBM that is deployed with in a distributed manner accessible from a web browser.  Merlin has built in CI/CD pipeline support built on Jenkins ( either one setup for you by Merlin or one you may already have) it also includes an IDE that is web based ( vscode compatible ) that includes for every developer impact analysis, fixed to free conversion, intelligent build, language support for RPG, SQL (including embedded SQL). Yeah debugger, it is missing from the initial ga delivery, but Merlin is a continually updated project, we will be delivering updates and new function on a very regular cadences. We expect to have debugger available in the near term.  

    RDi is a key strategic tool for our ibm i development community and will continue to be fully supported and updated with new features. 

    IBM is about our IBM i development community moving forward, leveraging modern tools and methodologies to help ensure the success of our IBM i customers. This includes supporting open solutions that can help with this key strategy.



    ------------------------------
    Tim Rowe
    ------------------------------



  • 12.  RE: IBM i Modernization Engine for Lifecycle Integration (Merlin) 1.0.1 now available!

    Posted Fri July 15, 2022 01:29 AM

    Hi Tim,

    can you please provide informations about the next RDi Release? You mention that it will continue to be fully supported but right now we are 18 Versions behind the actual Exclipse Version.
    Two actual Mac OS Versions are not supported, Java 1.7 is still included and so on.

    I read an interview with Steve Ferell from February where he says the next version is coming soon. Now we have 5 months later. Soon is relative I know but it would be really a good idea to bring that new version now.

    MERLIN is not the way for the most customers and to me it is not the way at all because I don't understand why IBM I needs Red Hat OpenShift. We do RPG Microservices in a real fast way and integrate them with Kubernetes in all forms. IBM should be aware about the strengths of native IBM I and the Power of RPG. In times of cyber war everywhere a secure system which is also fast and has the lowest TCO in the market seems to be the best choice for everybody - isn't it?

    Why open it to stuff that is not that secure?

    Don't misunderstand me. I am working with .Net 6 and Node.js in many projects and I love these Environments. But we need to focus on the important things for the customers and with Node.js and .Net (as well as any other "modern" environment) we have a lot of work for securing it and can't focus on our work which is developing applications that do stuff.

    Therefore we need modern IDE. We use Visual Studio and VS Code a lot in many projects and the approach of adding IBM i to this is great. But it should be done in the way of Open Source like Halcyon did it (and hopefully do it further) but this should come from IBM or should be supported by IBM.
    A new RDi with actual Eclipse and bug fixing all the VPN trouble we have would also help a lot.

    I train a lot of young people - also for IBM I and RPG. ALL of them (really all) tell me the same. The OS and RPG is not the problem.
    The tools are.
    Not only RDi. Also IBM ACS which is still developed in Java and had a lot of problems that go away with each version but it takes to long and for young people Java is legacy. 
    If we really want to get more young developers to the system (and we really need to because all over the world the RPG developers are not only retiring they also die...) we need real modern and open Tools.

    MERLIN is nothing of that. It is a bundle of ARCAD solutions which uses Open Source Stuff that we can also use without them. Some of us use Git and Jenkins with RPG for many years... that was possible but not supported by IBM. Now it is supported by ARCAD and many IBM Partners are not happy with that. So that is another problem with MERLIN.

    But sorry - I go far to far here.... 

    I only wanted to ask for the release date of the new RDi :-)

    My Team and me has no time to talk to everybody on all channels and to visit all the nice events because we have more work than ever. IBM I customers wake up and finally want (and need) to modernize. So I hire and hire people but the work is getting more and more.

    And the frustration in my Team and me is also growing because we don't have the right tools for doing what is needed to be done.

    I hope you understand what I mean. Not only because of my English (I need to practice it more - sorry...) but also with my content.

    We all love IBM I and also RPG and I see a bright future for both. Not only in mainting old stud. With our ILE (RPG) Microservice Architecture we have a great base for new applications and this server is the best for it.

    Now have a great day and weekend!

    Kind regards
    Markus



    ------------------------------
    Markus Litters
    ------------------------------



  • 13.  RE: IBM i Modernization Engine for Lifecycle Integration (Merlin) 1.0.1 now available!

    IBM Champion
    Posted Fri July 08, 2022 10:46 AM
    Edited by GAJENDER TYAGI Fri July 08, 2022 10:47 AM
    Will there be an additional cost for the ARCAD bundles?

    ------------------------------
    GAJENDER TYAGI
    ------------------------------



  • 14.  RE: IBM i Modernization Engine for Lifecycle Integration (Merlin) 1.0.1 now available!

    Posted Sat July 09, 2022 03:56 AM
    Merlin is a single cost integrated development environment provided by IBM.   So while there is ARCAD technology integrated (not added on…or things you can add…integrated) that technology is all part of the Merlin delivery.   Merlin runs on an open shift cluster which can be any openshift environment, on Prem, or cloud based.  This is not included as part of Merlin to insure the user the most flexibility.  We are continuing to look at ways to improve Merlin both new technical features for the product, as well as how to simplify and streamline the environment it runs on.

    ------------------------------
    Tim Rowe
    ------------------------------



  • 15.  RE: IBM i Modernization Engine for Lifecycle Integration (Merlin) 1.0.1 now available!

    IBM Champion
    Posted Sat July 09, 2022 09:45 AM

    So Merlin is "available" and at a "single cost" ...

    So why will no one tell us what the beep the cost is!




    ------------------------------
    Jon Paris
    ------------------------------



  • 16.  RE: IBM i Modernization Engine for Lifecycle Integration (Merlin) 1.0.1 now available!

    Posted Fri July 08, 2022 09:32 AM
    Can we please get all the costs, especially the infrastructure "costs" (requirements) in one location, so that we know the exact requirements?

    From what we have been able to glean, the software costs seems to be the least of our concerns.

    It is important that we understand exactly who the solution are targeted at, as currently it seems as if the SME faithful will unlikely be potential users.

    ------------------------------
    Marinus Van Sandwyk
    ------------------------------