Appeon's route from a desktop PowerBuilder application to an installable cloud application on .NET Core — and an honest view of whether you need it.
Request a free application review +44 (0)1293 562730PowerServer is Appeon's route from a desktop PowerBuilder application to an installable cloud application on .NET Core, without rewriting the application. Appeon states that it converts almost every existing PowerBuilder feature automatically, including the PFC framework.
Those are Appeon's claims about their product and we have quoted them as such. What we bring is the judgement about whether they apply to your estate, and the work of getting you into a position where they can.
Because there is a prerequisite that catches people out: PowerServer needs PowerBuilder 2021 CloudPro or newer. If you are sitting on PB12.5, the cloud conversation is really a migration conversation with a cloud conversation behind it.
"Do we actually need this?" We will answer it honestly. Sometimes the right answer is a version migration and an interface refresh, and the cloud can wait a year. The free analysis exists so you can make that call on facts rather than a vendor deck.
A cloud-native design rather than traditional client/server. The middle tier runs on ASP.NET Core with a predominantly stateless design and is REST API enabled, with data access executing on that tier using C# and ADO.NET.
End users no longer have direct access to the database. For regulated organisations — insurance, financial services, local government — that single change is frequently the entire business case.
To a cloud platform such as Azure Web Service, or to your own on-premise servers. Users run the application from Windows devices over an internet connection.
Licensed by Appeon, separately for development and production, with subscription and perpetual options. We will help you size it properly before you talk commercials rather than quote you someone else's price list.
Free analysis against PowerServer's requirements: current version, database access patterns, third-party controls, external dependencies.
Migration to a supported release if you are not on one, with 32-bit to 64-bit and database work folded in.
The conversion itself, with the data access layer, security model and deployment target worked through and tested before anyone commits.
Controlled rollout, documented handover and an SLA backed support agreement afterwards.
Each stage is a fixed price against agreed scope, so you can stop between phases if the business case moves.
PowerServer is Appeon's technology for turning an existing PowerBuilder application into an installable cloud application running on .NET Core, without rewriting it. Appeon states that it automatically converts almost every existing PowerBuilder feature, including the PFC framework.
PowerServer requires PowerBuilder 2021 CloudPro or newer. If you are on an older release, the version migration has to happen first.
The middle tier runs on ASP.NET Core with a predominantly stateless, REST API enabled design, and data access logic executes on that middle tier using C# and ADO.NET. The practical consequence is that end users no longer have direct access to the database, and the application can be deployed to a cloud platform or to your own servers.
No, and we will tell you if yours is not a good candidate. It suits organisations that need remote or cloud access, or that need to remove direct database access from end users. If neither of those is a live requirement, a version migration and an interface refresh may serve you better for less.
Tell us the PowerBuilder version you are on, the database behind it and what is worrying you. We will give you an honest read on your options, including whether the answer is to do nothing for now. The initial review of your application is free, and we are close enough to come and see you.
Telephone: +44 (0)1293 562730
