CAST Imaging 2.18.0-Funcrel Release

Release Date: 09 Oct 2023
A new Funcrel version Imaging - 2.18.0 is available with some new features and enhancements.

We look forward to your insightful feedback and suggestions for the e as they will enable us to offer a better customer experience.

Please share your feedback here: Feedback

New Features:

Imaging Advisor
The CAST Imaging Advisor provides valuable guidance for your application, whether you aim to modernize, sustain, or migrate to the cloud. When you articulate a particular objective, the CAST Imaging Advisor initiates an organized, step-by-step advisory process that automatically produces customized recommendations. Instead of manually sorting through your application, you gain immediate access to a concise list of tasks, accompanied by relevant points of interest and predefined corrective measures, making your workflow more efficient and simplifying your decision-making process.

Get Guidance for:

• AWS Mainframe Modernization
  • AWS Mainframe Modernization with Automated Refactor
    To prep your Mainframe app for AWS code refactor (like AWS Blue Age), we analyze dependencies, data access, and essentials to provide valuable recommendations which will then facilitate the tools to auto-adapt code for cloud and AWS, potentially converting legacy elements to cloud-native formats.

• AWS Mainframe Modernization rehost/re-platform on EC2
  Mainframe apps migrate to AWS EC2 via Middleware Emulation, demanding legacy expertise and aligning mainframe functions with modern cloud services. Imaging Advisor provides recommendations on vital cloud protocol compatibility before migration.

• Database Migration using AWS Services
  AWS offers a comprehensive suite of data services that enable the seamless transfer of mainframe data to flexible AWS data storage solutions. Imaging advisor provides recommendations on compatibility with cloud data services that can be used and adapted.

• Database Migration
  • SQL Server DB to PostgreSQL
    Recommendations to migrate SQL server database  to PostgreSQL that will require data type remediation/object type and syntax type remediation.
    
    
  • Oracle DB to PostgreSQL
    Recommendations to migrate Oracle database to PostgreSQL that will require data type remediation/object type and syntax type remediation.
  • DB2 to PostgreSQL
    Recommendations to DB2 database to PostgreSQL that will require data type remediation/object type and syntax type remediation.

• Oracle Cloud Migration
  • Oracle database to Oracle Cloud
    Recommendations to re-platform Oracle Database to Oracle Cloud Database that will require data type/syntax type/object type remediation.

Imaging Guided Search:
CAST Imaging introduces guided search, which functions as a knowledge base. As an Imaging user, you can choose to navigate through various use cases based on which relevant information is displayed for the users. For example, as a developer working on maintenance task, if you are looking for valuable insights to understand the impact of your changes, choosing appropriate options will help you utilize the features of imaging that can serve your purpose.

Imaging Investigation – Multiple Views Accessibility

CAST Imaging now supports displaying multiple views. This improvement makes it easier for Imaging users to follow their investigation without losing track of earlier views. Some of the features automatically open a new tab, although the user has the option to do so whenever necessary.

OpenAI Integration (Azure OpenAI)

CAST Imaging allows users to obtain code snippet explanations through OpenAI integration. You can now customize the configuration to use either ChatGPT by OpenAI or Azure OpenAI, depending on your organization's subscription. Once the configuration is successfully set up, Imaging users can request explanations for any part of their code.

By default, we offer a concise summary of the code explanation. However, users have the flexibility to opt for a more detailed explanation if needed, and they can even save it for future reference.

Link Properties
It is made simpler to comprehend the links that exist between object nodes. The "Link" tab is a new addition to the right panel and displays details about the chosen link on the canvas. This is applicable to App-to-App view as well.

Belongs To (Parent/Child) Relationship

As an Imaging user, you can view the "Belongs To" link within the Imaging. This feature allows you to visualize all the relationships between parent and child objects within the view. You have the flexibility to toggle the "Belongs To" link on or off based on your specific requirements.

Object Properties - Associated Projects
Associated projects dropdown in object properties that shows a list of projects the selected object is associated with. On selecting a project name from the dropdown user would be navigated to the project view.

NLP Modules (Beta Feature)
A Module extension is available for CAST Imaging to generate an automated functional breakdown of the application.
This breakdown is based on natural language processing understanding the application code and detecting identifiers like variables, code comments, etc., and correlated to the adherence of elements associated with them. 
This will facilitate functional aspects of the application supporting easier investigation down to the technical elements. Imaging users also have the flexibility to further enhance this information and create custom views on which the team can collaborate.
Note: NLP Modules extension is in beta phase and is currently experimental. We encourage you to use it firsthand and provide us your feedbacks.

Feature Enhancements:

Color Gradients for Object Nodes
A colour gradient is added for nodes (object nodes) to help users distinguish between the nodes in the graph.

Global Search
To do a global search, you must enter a keyword with a minimum of two characters. This helps you handle faster search with smaller keywords.

Source code View
The existing source code view icons were updated and re-designed. A toggle button was introduced for 'Dark/Light mode'. ChatGPT icon pops up when the user selects a piece of code for explanation. Expand source code icon will expand the entire source code. Open in new window icon will open the source code for a selected code in a new window.

Renamed Applications in Imaging
If the Application is re-uploaded to CAST Imaging:
when using CAST Console ≥ 2.9 and CAST Imaging ≥ 2.18 , the existing application in CAST Imaging will be overwritten and will use the new application name.
when using other releases of CAST Console/Imaging, a new application is created in CAST Imaging and the existing application with the existing name will be retained.

Structural Flaws (View in Source Code)
Multiple bookmarks are displayed in the source code for specific objects based on selected Structural flaw rules.

Select Multiple Tags
In the right panel, tags are separated into two categories: custom tags and property tags and multiple tags can be selected at once now for highlighting nodes and clicking back on a selected tag results in tag deselection and removal of highlight from the associated nodes.

Login and App Selection
New login page design along with new application selection page providing list of applications with some additional details about each application like lines of code, number of objects, number of relationships.

Investigate Menu
The Investigate Menu in the left panel's user interface has been improved providing all the options been categorized under different panels as per applicable.

Installation Update:

A structural change is implemented in this release of CAST Imaging to the Neo4j database in which the CAST Imaging data is stored, primarily to improve performance. This change requires that any existing data in the Neo4j database (i.e., applications imported in previous releases) is migrated to ensure that it matches the new storage structure.

Upgrading from the previous version:
This migration process is applied automatically when running an in-place upgrade to this release of CAST Imaging (whether using a traditional Microsoft Windows install or an installation on Docker (Microsoft Windows or Linux) and you do not need to do anything.

New Installation with retained Neo4j data
If you uninstalled a previous release of CAST Imaging and retained the existing data to use with this release (or any future release of CAST Imaging) you must manually run the data storage migration process following the installation of the new release of CAST Imaging to ensure the existing data is correctly migrated. For details https://doc.castsoftware.com/display/IMAGING/CAST+Imaging+installation+using+existing+data.

ExtendURL - https://extend.castsoftware.com/#/extension?id=com.castsoftware.imaging&version=2.18.0-funcrel

DocLink - https://doc.castsoftware.com/display/IMAGING/2.18

Docker Images - https://hub.docker.com/u/castimaging (Tag - 2.18.0)