How Reliable Parts Replaced JetForm with a Cloud-Ready Document Solution on AWS

A cross-border JetForm-to-DocPath migration running on AWS, with AS400 integration, 500+ printers, and zero application changes.

For companies still running JetForm or Adobe Central Server, the question is no longer whether to migrate, but how to do it without disrupting the business applications that depend on it.

Reliable Parts, a major parts distribution company operating across the United States and Canada, faced exactly this challenge. Their JetForm-based document generation environment was embedded deep into daily operations, tightly coupled with an AS400 ERP, and responsible for printing, emailing, faxing, and storing thousands of documents every day across approximately 500 printers.

This is the story of how DocPath replaced that legacy environment with a modern, cloud-hosted solution on Amazon Web Services (AWS), without requiring Reliable Parts to change a single line of their existing business applications.

The challenge: a legacy document engine at the center of everything

JetForm was once the standard for enterprise document generation. But like many legacy platforms, it reached a point where it could no longer keep up with modern infrastructure requirements, distribution demands, and the operational flexibility that growing companies need.

Reliable Parts depended on JetForm to handle a wide range of document workflows. Orders, invoices, shipping labels, packing slips, and internal reports all flowed through the same system. The ERP running on AS400 generated spool files, which JetForm consumed, merged with form templates, and distributed to printers, email addresses, fax services, and network storage.

The problems were familiar to any IT leader managing a legacy document stack:

• JetForm was no longer receiving meaningful updates or investment from its vendor, leaving Reliable Parts without a clear technology roadmap.
• Scaling the infrastructure to handle growing volumes and new distribution channels was increasingly difficult.
• The system lacked centralized monitoring, making it hard to detect errors, track job statuses, or troubleshoot failures across a fleet of 500+ printers.
• Deploying changes or onboarding new forms required specialized knowledge that was becoming harder to find and retain.

The business needed a modern replacement that could handle the same data formats, integrate with the same AS400 environment, and support all existing distribution channels, while also introducing the monitoring, scalability, and cloud-readiness that JetForm could not provide.

Why DocPath: native JetForm compatibility without application changes

One of the most critical requirements for Reliable Parts was that the migration could not require changes to the upstream ERP or business applications. The AS400 system generates spool files in a specific format (Field Nominated File, or FNF), and those data streams needed to continue flowing exactly as they always had.

DocPath was selected precisely because of its native compatibility with JetForm data formats. Unlike other migration paths, where templates must be manually redesigned from scratch, DocPath accepts the same data streams that JetForm uses. This meant Reliable Parts could migrate their existing form designs with a high degree of automation, preserving both the visual layout and the logical structure of each template.

For companies evaluating JetForm migration options, this distinction matters. Adobe AEM, for example, can only import JetForm IFD files as PDF form layouts or images, not as functional templates. That means a full redesign. DocPath, by contrast, natively converts JetForm templates into production-ready DocPath templates, preserving both the visual and logical layers. This is a significant time and cost advantage, especially for organizations with hundreds of active forms.

The architecture: six AWS servers, one AS400, and 500 printers

The production environment that DocPath built for Reliable Parts reflects the kind of enterprise-grade architecture that a cross-border, high-volume operation demands.

Infrastructure overview

The solution runs on six Linux servers hosted on AWS, three dedicated to the Canadian branch and three to the U.S. branch. These servers are integrated with the customer's on-premises AS400 system, which continues to run the ERP and generate the spool files that feed the entire document pipeline.

How the document flow works

The document pipeline follows a clear sequence from data generation on the AS400 through to final delivery:

1. DocPath InputAgent for iSeries is installed on the AS400 itself. It continuously scans six output queues (OutQs), where the ERP deposits spool files. Each OutQ is mapped to a specific server node, distributing the workload equally across all six servers.

2. DocPath DGE (Document Generation Engine) runs on each Linux server. It preprocesses the incoming spool files, applies data grouping rules, and then merges the data with the appropriate form templates. Each job has its own configuration, and forms typically use multiple PCF (Process Control File) profiles depending on the required output:

• PCL output for printing only.
• PDF and PCL generation with both printing and emailing.
• PDF generation with emailing only.
• PDF generation with storage to a network folder.
• PDF generation triggering a fax service (Metrofax) via email.

3. DocPath ActiveSpooler Enterprise handles the entire distribution layer. It is installed on each server and uses a shared MySQL database hosted on Amazon RDS. This shared database is what enables the multi-instance architecture: all six servers operate as a single logical distribution system, balancing load dynamically and providing a unified dashboard for monitoring all jobs.

For printing, Reliable Parts has approximately 500 printers defined in the ActiveSpooler baseboard. The system uses socket printing to communicate directly with each printer, eliminating the need for a print server. Socket printing also gives operators the ability to track job statuses in real time, resend jobs to alternative printers if one is unavailable, and identify inactive or errored printers across both countries.

For emailing, the system routes through Reliable Parts' own SMTP server, using different sender addresses depending on whether the request originates from the Canadian or U.S. branch.

Access and identity management

DocPath Access and Identity Management (AIM) runs on a separate server with its own AWS RDS database. It provides centralized authentication and authorization across all ActiveSpooler instances, ensuring that user access is controlled and consistent across the entire multi-server deployment.

Key results: what the migration delivered

The migration from JetForm to DocPath delivered several tangible outcomes for Reliable Parts:

• Zero application changes: The AS400 ERP and all upstream business applications continued to operate exactly as before. No code modifications, no data format changes, no integration rewrites.
• Cross-border consistency: A single architectural pattern serves both the U.S. and Canadian operations, with branch-level configuration for email routing and printer assignments.
• Cloud-native infrastructure on AWS: All six Linux servers and the shared databases run on AWS, providing the scalability, redundancy, and operational flexibility that on-premises JetForm deployments could not match.
• Multi-channel document distribution: Print, email, fax, and network storage are all handled through a unified distribution engine with centralized monitoring.
• Real-time printer management: Socket printing across 500+ devices with status tracking, failover capabilities, and the ability to reroute jobs on the fly.
• Unified monitoring dashboard: The shared-database, multi-instance architecture gives operations teams a single view into all document generation and distribution activity across both countries.

What's next: monitoring and alerting capabilities ready to activate

During the initial implementation, DocPath also installed its Sinclair and Sinclair Index monitoring modules. These were not activated for the first production rollout, as Reliable Parts chose to go live before enabling this layer. However, discussions are underway to implement these modules, which would provide automated error detection and alerting throughout the production process.

This is a common pattern in enterprise migrations: get the core document engine running and stable first, then layer on operational monitoring and analytics as the team builds confidence with the new platform.

Lessons for IT leaders evaluating JetForm migration

The Reliable Parts project illustrates several principles that apply broadly to any organization considering a move away from JetForm, Adobe Central Server, or similar legacy document platforms:

Start from data compatibility, not features. The most important question is whether the new platform can consume your existing data streams without requiring changes to upstream applications. If it can't, the migration scope and cost multiply dramatically.

Don't underestimate distribution complexity. Document generation is only half the story. The distribution layer, including printers, email routing, fax, storage, and the monitoring of all of it, is often where the real operational complexity lives. A solution that handles both generation and distribution as an integrated pipeline is far more manageable than stitching together separate tools.

Cloud readiness is not optional. Running document infrastructure on AWS (or any major cloud provider) provides immediate benefits in scalability, disaster recovery, and operational cost management. For cross-border operations, cloud hosting also simplifies the networking and server management that would otherwise require maintaining physical infrastructure in multiple locations.

Plan for phased activation. Not every module needs to go live on day one. The Reliable Parts approach of getting core document generation and distribution running first, then planning to activate advanced monitoring, is pragmatic and reduces migration risk.

Where DocPath fits in the legacy migration landscape

DocPath has built a track record in replacing legacy document platforms for organizations that cannot afford to disrupt their existing application environments. Reliable Parts is one example. Others include major insurers like QBE, Zurich, and Chubb, all of which migrated thousands of business-critical forms from IBM InfoPrint Designer to DocPath without modifying their core applications.

What ties these cases together is a consistent approach: native compatibility with legacy data formats, automated form conversion, enterprise-grade distribution, and the ability to run on modern cloud infrastructure while respecting the constraints of legacy cores like AS400 and mainframe systems.

For organizations still running JetForm, the window to modernize is narrowing. The talent pool for JetForm-specific skills is shrinking, vendor support is limited, and the infrastructure demands of cloud, multichannel delivery, and real-time monitoring are only increasing. The Reliable Parts project shows that migration does not have to mean disruption, provided you choose a platform built for exactly this kind of transition.

Is your organization still running JetForm or another legacy document platform?

DocPath offers a proven migration path that preserves your existing applications and data formats while modernizing your document infrastructure for the cloud. Contact us to discuss your environment and see how a migration could work for your organization.