iSeries Access for Web

by Shannon O'Donnell

A few years ago, the folks at IBM Rochester gave us a new product for Web-based access to the iSeries called iSeries Access for Web. This product promised to be a unique lightweight tool for getting to your iSeries. But the first incarnation of the product relied on the very buggy WebSphere Application Server 3.5 and was therefore very hard to configure and use. With OS/00 V5R2, IBM has finally gotten it right and has given us a great tool for Web-based access to the iSeries.

What It Is

The iSeries Access for Web is a browser-based client, served via a Web application server from an iSeries, that allows you to perform a variety of iSeries-related tasks. It runs as a series of Java servlets, served by your choice of either WebSphere Application Server 4.0 (advanced and single editions), WebSphere Application Server 5.0, WebSphere Application Server Express 5.0, or Apache Tomcat. Older versions of iSeries Access will run on WebSphere Application Server 3.5 (standard and advanced) but do not migrate to the newer versions of WebSphere.

What It Can Do

Using iSeries Access, your users can perform the following tasks from a browser, straight out of the box, with no client software installed on their PCs:

• 5250 emulation
• Display and work with spool file output
• Display and work with messages
• Display and query DB2/400 databases
• Display, edit, and manage OS/400 IFS files and directories
• Display, edit, and manage QDLS folders and documents
• Run, store, and recall OS/400 commands
• Add custom commands, menu options and program calls

I've only had iSeries Access for Web installed for a short time, but I like it a lot already. If this product sounds like something you'd like to try, read on.

Installation

First, I will assume you are on OS/400 V5R2. While iSeries Access also works on V5R1, it appears to work better and is easier to install and configure on V5R2 systems.

The iSeries Access for Web comes as a free product (5722XH2) with OS/400 V5R1 and V5R2. It was probably installed automatically when your system was loaded and configured; if not, you can easily install it from your OS/400 Operating System Licensed Program CDs, from the GO LICPGM menu on your iSeries.

You will also need a Web application server such as WebSphere 4.0, WebSphere 5.0, or WebSphere 5.0 Express or Apache Tomcat. If you are at V5R2, you will already have the latest version of the IBM HTTP Server and Tomcat, so you should be set. If you want to learn how to use this product with WebSphere, refer to the iSeries Access for Web online manual (PDF format); this article only covers how to use iSeries Access for Web with Tomcat.

The software requirements for Tomcat are outlined in Figure 1. For complete details, refer to the iSeries Access for Web manual.

Figure 1: Software requirements for Tomcat

Finally, make sure you order and apply the latest cumulative tape and the latest PTFs and Hiper PTFs for your OS/400 version and release.

Creating an HTTP Server

Because iSeries Access for Web is browser-based, you must configure an HTTP Server Powered by Apache for your iSeries. If you already have one configured, and it is HTTP Server powered by Apache, you can probably use it. However, when using a new product such as this, you may be better off creating a brand new HTTP Server. That way you can learn the whole process as you go along.

These are the minimum steps you will need to follow to create a new HTTP Server powered by Apache:

1. From an OS/400 command line, enter the command STRTCPSVR HTTP HTTPSVR(*ADMIN) and press the Enter key.
2. From a Web browser on a PC that has access to your iSeries, enter the address http://YourAS400:2001. You will be prompted to log in using your AS/400 user ID and password and will need at least security administrator (*SECADM) to modify the HTTP configuration.
3. Click the IBM HTTP Server for iSeries link.
4. Click the Setup tab.
5. Expand Tasks and Wizards.
6. Click the Create HTTP Server link.
7. Select the HTTP Server powered by Apache radio button, and click Next.
8. Take all the defaults except for the name and the port Number. Change the name to something descriptive, and change the port number to something not being used on your system. Port 2016 is a good one for this exercise.
9. Click the Finish button, and you will be the proud owner of a newly configured HTTP Server powered by Apache.

Click the Manage Server tab (or link) and start a new HTTP Server instance. Give it a few minutes to start, then, in your browser, type the address http://YourAS400:2016 and press Enter. You should see the default HTTP Server Index.htm page for that HTTP instance. If you don't, you may want to go back and review your choices in the *ADMIN setup for this server instance to make sure you did it all correctly.

The next step is to configure this HTTP Server instance to use Tomcat and servlets:

1. From Manage HTTP Servers, for your newly created HTTP Server instance, click the Server Properties link and select Tomcat Settings.
2. Select the Enable servlets for this HTTP Server box.
3. Deselect the In-process servlet engine checkbox.
4. Select the Out of Process servlet engine checkbox.
5. Click the Add button to add a new out-of-process worker.
6. Change the default port to 2017.
7. Enter /webaccess/* in the URL field.
8. Click the Continue button, and ignore any error messages you may have gotten.

The last step is to configure a new Tomcat server.

1. Click the Setup tab on the HTTP Server page you were on when configuring your new HTTP Server.
2. Expand Tasks and Wizards.
3. Click the Create ASF Tomcat Server link.
4. Enter a name for your new Tomcat server. (I use the same name as the HTTP Server I created above.)
5. Make a note of the user ID and the Tomcat home directory. You'll need this information later.
6. Click the Next button.
7. Change the port number to 2017.
8. Click the Next button.
9. Click the Add button under the Application Contexts box.
10. Enter /webaccess for the URL path. Enter webapps/webaccess for the application base directory.
11. Click the Continue button, and ignore any error messages you may have gotten.
12. Click the Finish button.

Now jump back to the AS/400 to a green-screen command line and enter the following command:

QIWA2/CFGACCWEB2 APPSRVTYPE(*ASFTOMCAT) TCSVRNAME(serverName)
   TCHOMEDIR('homeDir') TCUSRPRF(userProfile)

The serverName is the name you used when configuring the Tomcat server. The homeDir and userProfile values were recorded in step 5 above.

Assuming you used a server name of IACCESS, your command should look like the following:

QIWA2/CFGACCWEB2 APPSRVTYPE(*ASFTOMCAT) TCSVRNAME(IACCESS) 
   TCHOMEDIR('/ASFTomcat/iaccess') TCUSRPRF(QTMHHTTP)

The final steps are to start the HTTP Server instance you created above and to start the Tomcat server.

From an AS/400 command line, enter this command:

STRTCPSVR *HTTP HTTPSVR(yourHTTPServerName)

Then enter this command:

STRTCPSVR *ASFTOMCAT  TOMCATSVR(yourTOMCATServerName)

You can verify that both the HTTP Server and the Tomcat server are running by looking in Work with Active Jobs (WRKACTJOB) and in the QHTTPSVR and QSYSWRK subsystems for entries of the names of your servers.

Using iSeries Access for Web

Once you have the software installed and have the HTTP Server and Tomcat server configured and running, you should be able to log in to iSeries Access for Web by entering the following IP address in your Web browser:

http://YourAS400:2016/webaccess/iWAHome  

Change port 2016 to whatever port you used when configuring your servers. You should see a page welcoming you to iSeries Access for Web.

From here you can do all sort of things, like working with spool file output, starting a 5250 session, changing your user preferences, and much more.

Where to Go from Here

You can start playing with this tool and see just what it is really capable of doing. You can customize it by user profile, group profile, and at the system level, so everyone sees only the information you want them to see. In addition, you can add your own custom commands, HTML pages, and links, so the interface is truly customized for your company. The iSeries Access for Web is a very nice tool that finally works the way you always thought one of these products should work: It's easy to install, easy to configure, and easy to manage and use.

This article has been corrected since it was first published. In the set of directions describing how to configure a new Tomcat server, under the section "Creating an HTTP Server," step 7 incorrectly stated that the default port should be changed "to 2016 (or whatever port you used in the previous steps for your HTTP Server)." In fact, the default port should be changed to 2017. (Note that while any port can be used, according to IBM the HTTP server and the out-of-process Tomcat server can't be running on the same port.) Guild Companies regrets the error. [Correction made 10/06/03.]

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