In the modern age, isn’t it true to say we are completely surrounded and immersed in the technology of diverse forms? Much of it now is entirely cloud-based, but there’s still a substantial proportion that employs a mix of both cloud and more physical hardware computing resources. However, the common thread among all of these technologies, even the most recent ones, is the certainty of them becoming obsolete. After all, even though all technologies evolve rapidly, they are eventually replaced by something which is either an evolutionary step thanks to advances in technological offerings or because new and more potent ways of providing a service or solving a problem emerge.

To save a technology or application from fading into oblivion, its makers consistently upgrade it with new features and prepare it in anticipation of future trends and ways of doing things. As simple as this may seem, such a task can become arduous, especially if the application is complex and has a wider codebase. Additionally, many of the libraries and frameworks on which the application is built can go out of service or are superseded and need updates.

To tackle the challenge of upgrading and modernizing an application, robust development studio solutions like Windows Apps Studio have powerful methods that streamline the process. Such methods help you gain a sense of the kind of changes you will have to implement. Additionally, they also guide you through the modernization tasks themselves.

This article dives into what the modernization journey with RAD Server looks like and why it can be essential for applications in the first place.

Why Would You Need To Modernize Your Applications?

The field of software development has a radically different landscape today to that of even five years ago. Applications now use their hardware resources much more efficiently thanks to advances in operating system abstraction and support. The wide range of programming languages enables you to create applications which perform complex tasks better than before and with optimizations in the code creation process thanks to a maturing of the development industry’s tooling providers and the supporting component eco-system. If your application is to survive in such a landscape, it will have to modernize and offer more than before.

When it comes to web applications, advancements in what we have come to expect from a web browser and the rendering scaffolding which supports that have come by making them much more dynamic and robust. Developers can now create web applications at remarkable development velocity and, when done right, the same codebase can work on all kinds of devices thanks to the invention of techniques like adaptive rendering of user interfaces and virtualization of hardware differences to provide a generic API or set of properties and methods which address the lowest common denominator of hardware sensors and functionality . Modularity has also been achieved through microservices, and operations have become as serverless as feasible.

The question of security and scalability has also become an integral part of the conversation around application development. With a rise in cybersecurity concerns, applications need to be secure throughout and use the best practices. Additionally, the applications also need to be scalable to accommodate a wider user base and deployment when necessary. Without these abilities, your application can lose its competitive edge and be eventually forgotten.

What Is RAD Server And What Is It Used For?

One of the leading back-end development applications in the field currently, RAD Server provides you a platform to build and deploy application services. Among its many significant advantages is its ready-to-use nature that enables you to start using it to create a preferred back-end for you in no time. Most of its functionalities are ready to develop APIs and services for your applications instead of setting up a whole new back-end server from scratch.

Through RAD Server, you can easily connect to external servers or services for your needs. You can use it to connect to almost all popular enterprise databases technologies like MySQL, SQL Server, and Interbase. RAD Server can be used to readily set up important back-end features like user management services and directory services. It can become a most helpful tool for software manufacturers regularly developing re-deployable solutions.

RAD Server also helps you quickly manufacture, publish, and manage REST APIs and their endpoints. Furthermore, you can benefit from the built-in API analytics functionality and monitor the performance and any issues incurred. RAD Server can also come in handy for managing users, groups, and access control via its management portal.

How Does RAD Server Help Modernize Applications?

Besides providing you with an intuitive back-end development and monitoring platform right out of the box, RAD Server also helps modernize your Delphi and C++ Builder client/server business logic. With RAD Server, you can easily migrate your existing application logic to a secure and scalable services-based architecture. Such an architecture is focused on supplying essential services to application components necessary for their smooth functioning.

Once your application is modernized by shifting to RAD Server, it can enjoy many advantages and deliver much more than before. Perks like a dedicated management console, easy deployment, and built-in statistics console make RAD Server a compelling option. It can also generate and manage REST endpoints for your migrated business logic.

Some of the more modern capabilities you can use after modernizing with RAD server are as below:

• Integrating Cloud Services: The future is rapidly advancing towards integrating cloud computing into almost every kind of technology. With RAD Server, you can involve REST cloud services from leading platforms like Google, Amazon, and many more.

• Robust Docker Support: Container technology has been one of the biggest revolutions within the software development industry in recent years. Docker is the leading container service used almost everywhere. With RAD Server, you can provide custom-built Docker images and make them available on Docker Hub. From there, deployment onto Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, or AWS is just a few steps away.

• IoT Smart Device Connectivity: IoT is an exciting new technology made possible by powerful networks and rapid data transfers. IoT-supported devices can be connected and run with relevant applications. With RAD Server, your application services could easily integrate IoT devices.

The above functionalities feature some of the most cutting-edge technologies of our modern digital age. Your application can possess these features and maintain its edge by migrating to RAD Server and opting for a services-based approach.

What Are Some Examples Of The Power Of RAD Server?

RAD Server was not the first ready-to-use back-end development platform, but it set the standard through its services and features. Many enterprises and individuals have utilized RAD Server to create robust applications with a dependable back-end serving the desired business logic. By looking into a few projects made using RAD Server, you can get a good idea of how your desired application would look.

Discussed below are some samples available in RAD Studio that displays how RAD Server brings your application to life:

• RAD Server Multi-Tenancy Sample: This sample demonstrates a general retail store use case. It has an enterprise management system (EMS) and uses FireDAC components to access the relevant database. You can view the different statistics associated with the sample within the RAD Server console, like the numbers behind endpoint calls and their frequency.  

• RAD Server FireDAC Resource Sample: A set of data access components for Delphi applications, FireDAC helps access enterprise databases at fast speeds. This sample creates a demo for a server-client EMS and uses FireDAC components to access an SQLite database. Apart from the RAD Server console, the RAD Server Engine serves the EMS server, which you can host on the cloud or on-premise. 

Apart from the samples, there are templates of everyday use cases that similarly utilize RAD Server to a great degree. For example, the RAD Server Nurses Station template shows an automated patient data collection scenario in a hospital or clinic. RAD Server handles fundamental tasks like user management, data collection and distribution, and notifications within this template. It also enables REST HIPAA connectivity to other systems involved.

Are you ready to migrate and modernize your Delphi applications? Head over to RAD Server and see how it can help you with this aim.