IBM AS/400 Integration: Where Celigo Falls Short and Stacksync Delivers

For enterprises running mission-critical applications on IBM AS/400 systems (now IBM i on Power Systems), integrating these legacy platforms with modern cloud environments presents significant challenges. While these midrange servers continue to power essential operations in manufacturing, finance, healthcare, and logistics, their proprietary architecture creates substantial integration hurdles for data engineering teams.

Today, we'll explore how Stacksync provides comprehensive AS/400 integration capabilities that Celigo simply doesn't offer, enabling organizations to preserve their legacy investments while unlocking modern data capabilities.

The AS/400 Integration Challenge

Despite being decades old, IBM AS/400 systems remain the backbone of operations for many enterprises. These systems house mission-critical applications developed in RPG, COBOL, and CL that continue to run essential business processes. However, integrating these legacy systems with modern platforms presents unique challenges:

• Proprietary architecture requiring specialized connection methods
• Terminal-based interfaces for many legacy applications
• Limited native API exposure compared to modern systems
• Complex data structures optimized for transactional workloads
• Security considerations for systems containing decades of business data

Organizations attempting to integrate AS/400 systems often resort to fragmented approaches that create technical debt, introduce reliability issues, and require substantial maintenance overhead.

Celigo's AS/400 Integration Limitations

Celigo, while offering strong capabilities for modern cloud systems, lacks native IBM AS/400 support. This critical gap forces organizations to implement complex workarounds:

Database-Level Access Only

When using Celigo with AS/400 systems, organizations are limited to database-level access, facing several constraints:

• Must rely on JDBC/ODBC drivers to connect to Db2 for i
• Limited to data-level integration without application logic access
• Performance bottlenecks with large datasets
• Security challenges with database credential management

No Direct Program Access

Celigo provides no direct access to RPG, COBOL, or CL programs on AS/400 systems:

• Requires custom middleware or IBM-provided web services
• Forces organizations to expose AS/400 business logic through custom-built APIs
• Creates additional infrastructure and maintenance overhead
• Introduces potential data transformation inconsistencies

No Terminal Emulation Support

Celigo lacks terminal emulation capabilities for AS/400:

• Requires third-party emulation services for screen-based interfaces
• Creates brittle integrations prone to failure with system updates
• Demands significant development effort to expose legacy program functionality
• Results in high maintenance overhead with terminal interface changes

These limitations force organizations using Celigo to build complex workarounds that require specialized expertise, create ongoing maintenance burdens, and introduce reliability risks to mission-critical operations.

Stacksync's Enterprise Approach to AS/400 Integration

Unlike Celigo, Stacksync's architecture offers native support for IBM AS/400/IBM i systems, providing comprehensive connectivity that eliminates the need for custom middleware or extensive modernization efforts.

Real-Time Bi-Directional Synchronization

Stacksync enables true real-time data consistency between AS/400 and modern systems:

• Sub-second propagation of changes between environments
• Field-level change detection for granular data updates
• Built-in conflict resolution for simultaneous modifications
• Consistent data across operational and analytical platforms

Comprehensive Connectivity Methods

While Celigo offers only limited database-level access, Stacksync provides complete integration capabilities:

• Direct database connections to Db2 for i
• API-based integration with IBM i web services
• Direct integration with non-database programs (RPG, CL, COBOL) without requiring APIs
• Native program call capabilities for legacy application access
• Support for message queues and data areas
• Integration with IFS (Integrated File System)

Direct Legacy Program Integration

A key differentiator between Stacksync and Celigo is Stacksync's ability to directly interact with non-database programs without requiring API development. This capability:

• Eliminates the need for middleware development or modernization
• Allows direct integration with decades-old business logic
• Preserves investments in proven COBOL, RPG, and CL applications
• Reduces integration complexity by avoiding API translation layers
• Maintains the integrity of business logic without reimplementation

For organizations with significant investments in custom AS/400 applications, this capability dramatically reduces integration timelines and maintenance overhead while increasing reliability—something simply not possible with Celigo's limited approach.

Enterprise-Grade Security and Compliance

Stacksync addresses the critical security requirements for AS/400 integration:

• Secure connection methods including VPN and VPC peering
• SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA, and ISO 27001 compliance
• Fine-grained access controls for sensitive legacy data
• Comprehensive audit logging for compliance requirements

Celigo vs. Stacksync: Implementation Reality

When comparing Celigo and Stacksync for AS/400 integration, the differences are stark:

Connection Methods:

• Celigo: Limited to database access through JDBC/ODBC
• Stacksync: Comprehensive support for database, direct program access, messaging, and file systems

Real-Time Capability:

• Celigo: Primarily batch-oriented for AS/400 connections
• Stacksync: Real-time, sub-second synchronization

Legacy Program Access:

• Celigo: No direct access to RPG, COBOL, or CL programs
• Stacksync: Direct program call capabilities without API requirements

Implementation Time:

• Celigo: Weeks to months with custom components and middleware
• Stacksync: Days to weeks with pre-built, native components

Maintenance Overhead:

• Celigo: High due to custom integration components
• Stacksync: Low with managed platform approach

Case Study: Manufacturing Company Transformation

A manufacturing enterprise with 30+ years of AS/400 data initially attempted integration using Celigo, resulting in:

1. Months spent building custom middleware to expose AS/400 business logic
2. Complex error handling for batch processes
3. Dedicated development resources for monitoring integration failures
4. Multiple integration paths for different data types

After switching to Stacksync, they achieved:

• 95% reduction in integration development time
• Real-time synchronization between AS/400 and cloud systems
• Elimination of custom middleware components
• Comprehensive monitoring and error handling
• Simplified disaster recovery planning

"We spent years trying to build reliable integrations between our AS/400 systems and modern platforms using Celigo and custom development," said the company's CIO. "Stacksync accomplished in weeks what we couldn't achieve in months, while delivering better reliability and real-time performance."

Simplified Implementation and Maintenance

Stacksync dramatically reduces the complexity of AS/400 integration compared to Celigo's approach:

• No-code configuration for rapid deployment
• Automatic schema handling for complex AS/400 data structures
• Sophisticated error handling with retry mechanisms
• Monitoring and alerting for synchronization issues

This approach enables organizations to implement AS/400 integration without specialized expertise, reducing both implementation timelines and ongoing maintenance requirements.

Conclusion: Why Stacksync Succeeds Where Celigo Falls Short

For data engineering and technology leaders managing IBM AS/400/IBM i environments, the choice between Celigo and Stacksync is clear. While Celigo offers strong capabilities for modern systems, its lack of native AS/400 support creates substantial technical debt through complex workarounds and custom development.

Stacksync's enterprise-ready platform provides comprehensive connectivity to all AS/400 components—databases, APIs, and direct access to non-database programs without requiring APIs. This complete integration capability, combined with real-time synchronization and robust security, enables mission-critical AS/400 integration while preserving investments in proven legacy systems and eliminating the need for extensive middleware development.

By choosing Stacksync over Celigo for AS/400 integration, organizations can extend the value of their legacy investments while unlocking the capabilities of modern cloud platforms without the complexity, cost, and risk of fragmented integration approaches.

Ready to transform your AS/400 integration strategy? Explore how Stacksync can help your organization overcome the limitations of Celigo, eliminate custom middleware, reduce maintenance overhead, and deliver real-time data consistency across your technology ecosystem.

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