Legacy Modernization · API Development

Unlock your legacy data without replacing the system.

Q: Can this work with AS/400 (IBM i)?

Yes. We build APIs on top of AS/400 using ODBC/JDBC connections to DB2/400, data queues, program calls, and IFS file interfaces. Your AS/400 data becomes accessible via standard REST APIs.

Q: Is this a permanent solution or just a bridge?

It can be either. Some organizations use the API layer as a permanent integration strategy. Others use it as a bridge during phased migration -- decoupling consumers from the legacy system so it can be replaced without disrupting integrations.

Q: What about write operations back to the legacy system?

We support both read and write APIs. Write operations use the legacy system's own transaction mechanisms (stored procedures, program calls) to ensure data integrity and business rule enforcement.

Your legacy system holds critical data that modern applications need -- but it has no APIs, no webhooks, and no modern integration points. We build a REST/GraphQL API layer on top of your legacy system so new applications can access data without touching the core.

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The Problem

Legacy Systems Are Data Prisons

The problem is not one broken tool. It is an operating gap between who owns the work, which record can be trusted, and how exceptions move through the business.

What leaders see

Work keeps moving, but only because people fill the gaps.

Teams rely on manual checks, side files, rekeying, status meetings, and individual knowledge to keep the process alive.

What is actually happening

The workflow has no clean source of truth.

Records, rules, approvals, and handoffs are split across systems, so each step introduces delay or reconciliation.

What gets worse

Automation amplifies the weak spots.

The faster the business moves, the more bad data, exception work, and decision ambiguity compound across the operation.

What Changes

What this work should improve.

RESTful API Design

Clean, documented REST APIs that expose legacy data and operations. Standard HTTP methods, JSON responses, and OpenAPI/Swagger documentation.

Data Abstraction

Abstract legacy data models into modern, clean interfaces. Consumers see logical business objects, not cryptic legacy table structures.

Real-Time & Batch

Real-time APIs for transactional operations plus batch endpoints for bulk data extraction. Match the integration pattern to the use case.

Authentication & Authorization

OAuth 2.0, API keys, and role-based access control. Secure access to legacy data with modern security standards.

Rate Limiting & Caching

Protect legacy systems from being overwhelmed by API traffic. Intelligent caching reduces load on the legacy system while keeping data fresh.

Monitoring & Logging

API usage dashboards, error tracking, and performance monitoring. Know who's calling what, how often, and whether it's working.

How It Fits Your Operations

Where this work touches your business.

Operations layerWhich manual workflow is costing the most time, rework, or decision delay.

Governance dependencyThe workflow needs clear ownership, trusted data, and exception rules before automation is worth building.

Operating data involved

orders

approvals

documents

exceptions

reporting handoffs

What Launchpad captures before Metrotechs scopes delivery

Which system owns the record of truth.
Where manual work or reconciliation enters the workflow.
Which integrations, rules, or data cleanup have to come first.

Bring the problem into Launchpad

Build the Roadmap before you build the solution.

Launchpad documents what is wrong, captures what your team knows, and connects this service to the business outcome it needs to improve.

Talk through this problem Talk with Metrotechs

Built around the people, processes, records, and decisions that make the business work.

Measured by what becomes easier, clearer, safer, or more reliable after launch.

Delivery sequence

How the work moves from problem to measurable change.

Your legacy system holds critical data that modern applications need -- but it has no APIs, no webhooks, and no modern integration points. We build a REST/GraphQL API layer on.

API Requirements

Define which data and operations need to be exposed. Prioritize by business value -- what integrations are blocked today?

Legacy System Analysis

Analyze how to extract data from the legacy system -- direct database, stored procedures, file interfaces, or screen automation.

API Design & Build

Design API contracts, build the middleware layer, and implement data mapping between legacy formats and modern JSON/REST.

Testing & Security

Load testing to ensure legacy system stability, security testing, and integration testing with consuming applications.

Documentation & Onboarding

Publish API documentation, developer guides, and sample code. Onboard internal teams and third-party integrators.

FAQ

Questions that usually decide the scope.

Straight answers to what operators ask before committing budget to this work.

Will the API layer slow down our legacy system?

We design the API layer to minimize impact -- read replicas for queries, connection pooling, caching, and rate limiting. Most legacy systems handle API traffic with no noticeable performance impact.

Can this work with AS/400 (IBM i)?

Is this a permanent solution or just a bridge?

What about write operations back to the legacy system?