PHP is the world’s most popular programming language for web and mobile applications and has been available on the IBM i for a number of years, along with a whole host of other open-source languages.
It is a language that is increasing in popularity across the UK, Ireland and Europe for developing modern web and mobile applications on the IBM i, particularly for organisations looking to develop and modernise their existing green screen applications.
IBM and Zend, the leading provider of enterprise-level applications for PHP have published a new white paper, exploring the subject (and benefits) of developing enterprise PHP applications on the IBM Power Systems servers using Zend.
Whether it is for the IBM i or AIX, organisations are using Zend and IBM to develop modern, high performance web and mobile applications that leverage existing infrastructure and systems to modernise business-critical PHP applications.
The solutions brief says:
“Enterprises around the world and across industries are tapping into web and mobile applications to accelerate their pace of innovation and unlock new operational efficiencies”.
When you look at the highlights in the briefing, the combined solution from IBM and Zend is certainly a compelling one:
- Leverages existing infrastructures and systems to modernise business-critical applications
- Supports rapid PHP application release with web API and a continuous delivery platform
- Delivers unprecedented visibility into the application stack to help improve code quality
- Enhances application speed and performance with caching and queuing capabilities
- Supports ongoing security and compliance efforts through monitoring and auditing features
- Provides robust performance with IBM Power Systems servers and IBM POWER8 processors
Zend Server is available in three different versions on the IBM:
- Zend Server Basic: Shipped with any new IBM i, Zend Server Basic edition is also available as a free download. Basic edition has a minimal feature set for running PHP applications on the IBM i (and it does not include Z-Ray), but it does come with 12-months of free support
- Zend Server Professional: Aimed, as the name suggests at professional developers working on the development of web and mobile applications. Developers enjoy the entire Zend Server stack on IBM i/AIX, over 80 PHP extensions and sample apps, support for MongoDB, Redis and all popular SQL databases, integration with Zend Studio, web-based support (two business days) and Zend’s Z-Ray
- Zend Server Enterprise: Aimed at developers working on scalable, business-critical web and mobile apps, Zend Server Enterprise comes with the additional advantage of an SLA, multi-server support for both development and live environments, LDAP integration, Z-Ray for IBM i toolkit, Java connector and unlimited data retention. The level of support is also enhanced with one business day phone support.
Have a look at the detailed features comparison chart for Zend Server Professional and Enterprise versions.
The benefits detailed in the briefing for IBM and Zend for PHP application development are:
Reliable support and security
As we’ll touch on in the point below, having real visibility into the underlying PHP code and its performance, plus enhanced monitoring and alerts functionality gives PHP on i developers the tools to keep applications safe and secure (we are all aware of the already inherent high levels of security on the IBM i). If you are interested in this particular aspect, please download the free guide ‘Deploy secure and safe web applications’ from our resources page.
If you get either the Professional or Enterprise licences, Zend’s quick-response support will also help to deliver patches and fixes to help minimise exposure to risk should issues arise. IBM and Zend’s solution also provides audit trails and audit notifications that support ongoing compliance.
Increased productivity
PHP on i with Zend gives developers unrivalled insight into code quality and performance, meaning they can identify and solve issues faster, improve code quality and spend more time innovating rather than debugging. Features like Z-Ray offer developers the ultimate PHP productivity and debugging solution, helping them quickly identify and correct errors or performance issues before applications move to production. And that’s before we even mention Zend’s continuous delivery platform and support for API plugins.
Agile performance, powerful scalability
Anybody connected with the IBM i community understands (and greatly appreciates) the reliability and performance levels of Power Systems servers and the POWER8 processors. Running PHP applications on the IBM i means the can handle applications’ most demanding workloads and can scale up as needed.
Regardless of where you currently are in your PHP on IBM i development journey, as both BCD Software (now known as Fresche Solutions) and Zend business partners, Proximity is able to bring together the best possible tools and services to help your organisation quickly develop, deploy and manage modern web and mobile applications on the IBM i.
Jumpstart PHP on i bundles offer significant discounts to help you maximise your investment in the IBM i.
Posted by Paul on 4th December 2015.