Is the new WebFacing tool the first step to Web enablement?

Is the new WebFacing tool the first step to Web enablement?

Hi Nathan, To answer some of your questions (as I see them, not speaking for IBM, of course) - I think WF is a stopgap measure, unless people want to continue to pay the 'green screen tax'. It's also a work-in-progress at this point. You feed it source (DDS), and it creates 2-3 JSPs and Java Beans per screen. These interact with a servlet from IBM that feeds them data from the application program. Nothing needs to be modified, unless you want to make it look better. It requires WebSphere to be running. You can tweak the beans and JSPs to customize look and behavior. This implies that you can also disconnect them from the original servlet, thereby giving people a path towards eliminating the green-screen tax. I see it as a way for software vendors (ISVs) with huge 5250 applications to migrate them to the web, yet continue to make sales during the transition. Companies can get a web interface very quickly, and then take the time to disconnect the beans/JSPs from the IBM-supplied servlet, thereby removing the interactive charge. This is very welcome news for ISVs watching sales decline because they are 'stuck' with a 5250 interface. We can argue the merits of 5250 all we want, but IBM has made it clear that it's not their interface of choice. They aren't abandoning it, but they are certainly encouraging people to move through financial disincentives for staying there. Brian Singleton Midrange Computing

Is the new WebFacing tool the first step to Web enablement?

The Webfacing tool runs under interactive mode. Cha-ching! Brian

[David Abramowitz]

Is the new WebFacing tool the first step to Web enablement?

This is an interesting paper, and answers a lot of questions. Noted by absence is the mention of the "system" models. Except for some 170 stats at the tail end, there is nothing to indicate that these models exist. The difficulty I have is not with the different models, but the fact that IBM knowingly sold "server" models to shops who needed interactive performance. IBM was trying to push the new concepts, and new pricing, and should have known better. Dave

Is the new WebFacing tool the first step to Web enablement?

Nathan, Here is IBM's document on the subject of Server Model Behavior: http://as400service.rochester.ibm.co...ecf0688625680b 00020388/a15fc571478b82018625676900555dc1?OpenDocument&Highlight=2,cpw,interacti ve,batch Here is a related section of this document:

 5250-based interactive work (hereafter called interactive) is defined as any job doing 5250 display device I/O. This includes: o All 5250 sessions o Any green screen interface o Telnet or 5250 DSPT workstations o 5250/HTML workstation gateway o PCs using 5250 emulation o Interactive program debugging o PC Support/400 work station function o RUMBA/400 o Screen scrapers o Interactive subsystems o Twinax printer jobs o BSC 3270 emulation o 5250 emulation 

Bill

[michaelr@railcarmgt.com]

Is the new WebFacing tool the first step to Web enablement?

According to a recent demo held for the AMCU/AIM users group it will run under interactive.

Is the new WebFacing tool the first step to Web enablement?

These are the same questions that I have been looking for answers to. Thanks Nathan!

One more question.  This issue was never raised by Dave Slater.  But it's in inline with the current discussion of interactive CPW.  Do the converted 5250 host applications run under batch, or interactive?

Thanks,

Nathan.