| Editors: | Timothy Prickett Morgan | Managing Editor: | Shannon Pastore | |
| Joe Hertvik | ||||
| Alex Woodie |
|
Bugs In OfficeVision And Linux Are Found by Timothy Prickett Morgan
If you're trying to sort out what's going on with IBM's PTF bug
fixes for OS/400 this week, DLB Associates has already taken
the time to figure it out for you. To that end, you can examine Volume 3
Number 36 of the OS/400 PTF Guide, which is available to readers of
The Four Hundred for free, at
http://www.itjungle.com/ptf/DLB-PTF_092201_V3N35.htm
This week, there are new HIPER, Backup/Recovery, and HTTP Server
PTFs for both OS/400 V5R1 and V4R5. DB2/400 and Java have been
tweaked for OS/400 V4R5.
Some other interesting bits. A reader of The Four Hundred emailed
me last week to say that a particular PTF--SF66064 when applied to
OS/400 V4R5--will cause crashes for people accessing OfficeVision
documents. The job log will show an internal system error, and our reader
says that the PTF seems to prohibit the creation of tables within other
documents. He said that IBM had a test PTF fix available, which he had
not tried yet, and that his own workaround involved simply removing the
offending PTF, which made its debut among the HIPERs announced on
September 11.
Here’s another one. According to IBM sources, there is a bug in the Linux
support on the iSeries servers. When users configure Linux to run within a
fractional partition on an iSeries server, those partitions can lock up. IBM
says that the partition eventually frees itself up and resumes normal
operations, but the Linux hang can last for anywhere from five to ten
minutes. IBM suggests that customers use whole, dedicated processors
for Linux partitions to avoid the problem if they see a Linux partition
hanging about doing no useful work for long periods. IBM is apparently
working on a PTF to correct this problem right now.
I'd like to pass on a reminder: DLB Associates is launching a
comprehensive PTF-tracking news service called PTF News,
which will be distributed through Guild Companies. It will provide
more in-depth details on PTFs relating to the OS/400 platform. You can
subscribe to it at http://www.itjungle.com/sub/subscribe.html, and
I think you should do just that.
BCD Adds Security, File Transfer Updates To WebSmart by Joe Hertvik
Business Computer Design (BCD) last week announced several
updates to its iSeries Web and wireless application development tool,
ProGen WebSmart V2.2. These updates are intended to increase security
and reduce the need to use FTP for file transfer to a WebSmart Web
server. With V2.2, BCD adds the following features to ProGen WebSmart:
* Direct Integrated File System (IFS) access--Allows developers to read
and write stream files directly to the AS/400 IFS from outside the network
rather than use FTP or Windows Explorer for file transfer.
* Server-side cookies--The cookies can be stored on your WebSmart
server rather than on the visiting user's machine. These cookies, called
smurfs, increase security by using centralized server storage. Smurfs can
also increase application performance by allowing developers to retrieve
user information directly from the server rather than from the user's
machine, from an HTML form, or by embedding information within an
incoming URL.
* Direct file uploading--Allows authorized Website users to post updates
or files directly to the server without using FTP.
The new V2.2 updates are scheduled to soon be available on the BCD
Website at http://www.bcdsoftware.com (click on the Tech Support button
and follow the links). In addition to these updates, BCD is also including
support for the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) with this new
version of WebSmart (see the September 10 edition of The Four
Hundred for the complete story). ProGen WebSmart's Interactive
Development Environment (IDE) for unlimited developer use is priced
from $6,000 to $9,000. Its accompanying Web Application Server that
runs WebSmart applications is priced from $4,500 to $9,500, based on
model and processor pricing (the Web Application Server is licensed for
unlimited users). The company is also offering a fully functioning trial version
of WebSmart.
GO Software, an ROI company
A leading provider of iSeries/AS400
CREDIT CARD PROCESSING software
* 24-HOUR, 365-DAY toll-free support
GO JavaCard:
* Processes all credit, debit, gift/loyalty/stored value and private label cards
GO Software, an ROI company
800-725-9264
SoftLanding Adds WebSphere, Project Support To TurnOver V5.3 by Joe Hertvik
Recently, iSeries software management vendor SoftLanding
announced the general availability of TurnOver V5.3, the newest version
of its iSeries and AS/400 change management software. With the new
release, SoftLanding adds the following capabilities to the TurnOver change
management environment:
* IBM WebSphere development support--Because TurnOver
manages non-traditional objects, SoftLanding provided additional
WebSphere support to synchronize the promotion, deployment, and
recovery of any part of a WebSphere application. This release also
incorporates SoftLanding's open source 5250 WebSphere commands that
I wrote about in the September 10 edition of The Four Hundred.
In fact, the 5250 commands were originally developed for TurnOver so
the company could automate promotions in the WebSphere environment,
and SoftLanding later decided to release them to the open source
community. The 5250 WebSphere commands allow TurnOver to perform
specific functions in batch--such as stopping and restarting a WebSphere
Application Server in order to recognize a changed object--that IBM
traditionally manages through WebSphere's interactive GUI Administration
console.
* Microsoft Project Interface (optional)--This new interface
allows administrators to link several TurnOver projects to an existing
Microsoft project. By doing this, SoftLanding says you can import, export,
or update project information between the two programs at any time, thus
providing synchronization for items such as actual start date, actual end
date, and actual duration for projects that are tracked in both systems.
* FTP distribution capabilities--This features allows developers to build
and test Web pages on an iSeries or AS/400 and then deploy those changes
to remote Web servers on different platforms.
SoftLanding offers additional features, such as new user-defined objects
for handling non-native iSeries and AS/400 objects during promotion
(including editing, moving, deleting, and archiving); enhanced timesheet
management and new filtering capabilities for tasks, subtasks, and
requesters; and enhancements to the promotion form approval process.
SoftLanding sells TurnOver V5.3 on a tiered pricing plan according to
processor group, and it starts at $11,500. The Microsoft Project Interface
is licensed separately for $1,295 regardless of which processor group the
package is running on. The company is also providing free upgrades for
existing customers. For more information about SoftLanding and TurnOver
V5.3 software, see the company's Website at http://www.softlanding.com.
RJS Software Systems, Inc. - http://www.rjssoft.com
Delivering AS/400 reports via email, web, Lotus Notes, Domino or CD.
Whether it's Native AS/400 or PC-based, we have the solution.
* WinSpool/400 report download and conversion
For a FREE FULLY FUNCTIONAL DEMO CD, please visit our Web
site at http://www.rjssoft.com.
Contact us at 888-RJS-SOFT or email us at sales@rjssoft.com
Shield Announces UTL/400 V2R1 High Availability Tools by Timothy Prickett Morgan
Shield Advanced Solutions, a relatively new OS/400 application
vendor based in Toronto, Ontario, has announced that it is shipping the
second generation of its Utilities/400 object and password replication tool
for AS/400 and iSeries servers.
UTL/400 is a collection of tools--which were originally developed by
Shield for a number of other products--that are bundled together in a single
package. The first version of UTL/400, V1R1, was available about nine
months ago. The idea behind the UTL/400 tools was to take elements of
other Shield applications--Software Packaging Manager/400, JobQGenie,
and CD Generator--that were useful for helping companies manage
multiple AS/400 and iSeries servers and put them all in one integrated
collection of tools. The new version, UTL/400 V2R1, includes
enhancements that Shield says its customers were asking for to make the
tools more useful.
Shield says that the profile management features of UTL/400 have been
significantly improved with V2R1, making it easier to work with remote
profiles, to view remote profiles through a single signon, and to replicate
profiles across multiple machines. Shield says that the profile management
screens in UTL/400 are better than the Work With User Profiles
(WRKUSRPRF) commands in OS/400.
Object mirroring support in UTL/400 has been improved as well, with the
ability to now create a remote library on up to 50 AS/400 or iSeries
machines that are networked together and then copy files to those remote
libraries with a single command.
Shield has also embedded the entire CD Generation program in UTL/400
with V2R1. The full CD Generation application provides support for the
generation of multi-volume CD sets. The company says that other CD
burner applications have to move and convert OS/400 files to a PC
before burning them onto a CD. But UTL/400 V2R1 understands how to
map files stored in OS/400's Integrated File System (IFS) directly to the
CD burner through IBM's Client Access program or NetServer
file serving features in OS/400.
Additionally, UTL/400 includes a new feature to all companies to analyze
the bandwidth required to support high availability applications from
DataMirror, Lakeview Technology, or Vision
Solutions. This analysis program uses the journaling APIs within
OS/400 and provides a bits-per-second data rate for information that
would pass between mirrored systems using high availability (HA) software.
This last feature--and indeed the whole feature set of UTL/400--shows the
target that Shield is trying to hit with this set of tools. On the one hand,
Shield realizes that companies will want to mirror their core production
machines with programs from the big-three HA vendors. But these
companies also usually have secondary machines that are scattered around
their site or in different geographies that do other work and that require
users to have access to them and require data files and programs to be
updated and kept in synchronization on a regular basis. Shield wants to
automate these jobs.
UTL/400 is available on AS/400 and iSeries machines running OS/400
V4R2 and higher. The tools cost from $2,500 to $5,000, depending on
the number of processors in the AS/400 or iSeries server. Shield is offering
a 30-day free trial version of the program at
http://www.shield.on.ca/RLKey.htm.
Join thousands and receive the iSeries IT education you need at the
COMMON User Group's Fall 2001 Conference October 21-25 in
Minneapolis. Complete information is available at
http://www.common.org/Conferences/conf.html
Right now, read what a $995 registration gives you:
You'll choose from over 800 session hours that cover such vital topics as
Web development, Java, VPN, WebSphere, Client Access, RPG IV, and
Linux. Select the exact education you need and make yourself the problem
solver in your organization.
Also, because we'll only be 1 1/2 hours from Rochester, Minnesota, you'll
learn more than ever before about the iSeries. More IBMers will be in
attendance, and this is a golden opportunity to share ideas with them.
In addition, you'll network with top iSeries professionals and exchange
e-mail addresses. This connects you with the people who can help you
accomplish more for your company.
To register online and/or become a member go to
http://www.common.org/Conferences/confnew.html
Most important: Take action now. Register for the COMMON IT
Education Conference, because there's no faster way to increase your
value to your organization.
Hummingbird V7.1 Adds Security, Section 508 Compliance by Joe Hertvik
Last week, Hummingbird updated its Host Access and Network
Connectivity software families--the Exceed, NFS Maestro, and Host
Explorer product lines--by releasing Version 7.1 of these products.
Consisting of several different packages, these software lines are intended
to provide Windows and Web-based users with secure access to
information and resources residing on midrange and mainframe systems.
The new V7.1 features include updated Windows 2000 capabilities;
compliance with section 508 of the United States Federal Rehabilitation
Act (which requires that U.S. Federal agencies' electronic and information
technology be accessible to people with disabilities); and a new
Connectivity Security Pack that provides a Secure Shell TCP tunnel for
communications between clients and hosts on a network. The new V7.1
capabilities that Hummingbird released in these products include the
following:
* The Exceed V7.1 software provides Windows and browser-based
users access to X Window applications. Its new features include
Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) support,
Xconfig Management Console, enhanced support for Pseudo Color
Emulation, and enhanced fonts.
* The HostExplorer V7.1 software uses Hummingbird's Windows-based
Host Access, Web-to-Host, Host Publishing, and Host Printing solutions
to provide access from the desktop to enterprise hosts, including iSeries
and AS/400, IBM mainframes, and UNIX and Linux systems.
New features include a single code stream that is used for both
Windows-based desktop and Web-to-Host clients. In addition, the V7.1
HostExplorer Deployment Wizard now includes fault-tolerance support;
support for HLLAPI, EHLLAPI, WINHLLAPI, OLE automation, 3270,
and 5250 printing; Secure Shell support for VT and FTP; and
development kit samples and source code.
* The Connectivity Security Pack is an add-on for Hummingbird's Exceed
and HostExplorer V7.1 products. The security pack provides secure TCP
tunnels for client-to-host communication with these packages, allowing
users to log in to another computer through a secure channel over the
network.
* The NFS Maestro line allows users to access and shares file and print
services across the network. V7.1 features include Windows 2000
Kerberos server support in the NFS Maestro Solo and NFS Maestro
Client offerings; Kerberos/GSS and DES encryption; native Windows
2000 file system support; and POSIX support for case-sensitive file and
directory names in the NFS Maestro Server software.
All Hummingbird V7.1 Host Access and Network Connectivity solutions
are now shipping. For more information and pricing, go to the
Hummingbird Website at http://www.hummingbird.com.
From Nate Viall and Associates, the premier source of continuous
AS/400 salary reporting and analysis since 1988.
Are you part of the salary surge of the last 120 days? While
corporate budget allocations for IT department salary increases for
2001 were typically 4% to 6%, the actual iSeries salary increases
were much higher. Salaries for managers are up 7.9% over mid-2000.
Salaries for technical staff are up 8.7%. Our analysis includes:
* Why are exceptions for key staff double or triple the
department increase? Be proactive! Now is the time to start your salary
planning for 2002.
To receive a one-page fax with details about our salary report
services and the order form, send us an email with your name, title,
phone number, fax number and targeted state to NateV@CompuServe.com with
this subject line: SALARY REPORT INFO
GO Offers Stand-Alone Gift Card Solution by Joe Hertvik
The GO Software subsidiary of Return on Investment
Corporation introduced its PCCharge Perks software for processing
Stored Value Card transactions. PCCharge Perks enables merchants to
offer gift card and loyalty programs to their customers, even if the
customer's existing POS systems don't' support these capabilities. GO
also says that this solution can be used if a merchant doesn't need or use a
full-service credit card processing solution. In addition, GO has partnered
with leading gift card companies, and it will allow Perks to be used in a
co-branded solution for GO business partners.
The PCCharge Perks solution is set up for a growing gift card marketplace
that GO says is expected to grow from $20 billion in revenue during 2000
to $32 billion in 2001. To service this market, the Perks program is
certified with several gift card processors, including Givex, Paymentech,
ValueLink, and Valutec. Perks features TCP/IP or dial-up connectivity, it
can be integrated with POS systems, and it operates in a touch-screen
environment.
PCCharge Perks can run as a standalone solution or work in cooperation
with existing Windows-based POS systems. For more information, go to
the GO Software Web site at http://www.pccharge.com.
|  |
|
WebSphere Development Studio Being Split In Two by Shannon O'Donnell
Up until about a year ago, if you were a traditional iSeries or AS/400
developer, you were probably very familiar and comfortable with
programming in RPG, COBOL, or both. In fact, up until then, you were
probably quite satisfied with your technical abilities. Since then,
programmers have been hearing in no uncertain terms that they need to
stop being complacent about their skills and start learning to program for
the Web.
Despite the burden this places on traditional iSeries and AS/400
programmers, the need to learn to program for the Web is a good thing.
After all, if midrange programmers are to move the iSeries and AS/400 to
the forefront of the public's mind, they must place applications where
everyone can access them. In doing so, programmers will help to position
the iSeries and AS/400 as a Web server, which can successfully compete
with all of the Unix and Windows boxes that provide the majority of Web
serving for the Internet.
IBM is helping programmers to learn a new way of programming
by providing the needed tools: the WebSphere Development Studio, which
IBM made available free (for those who bought software under its
Software Subscription maintenance program) on May 25 with the release
of OS/400 V5R1. By virtually giving away WebSphere Development
Studio and the previously expensive development languages that are now
bundled with it, IBM has provided iSeries and AS/400 developers with the
tools needed to write professional-quality software designed to put iSeries
and AS/400 data onto the Web.
However, now that programmers have had these tools for a few months
and are just starting to get familiar with them, things are changing again.
Now it's time to learn how to use yet another set of development tools.
One major component of the WebSphere Development Studio tools is a
product known as WebSphere Studio 3.5. Version 3.5 (along with the
built-in Affinity/400 toolkit) is the iSeries-centric version of IBM's
WebSphere Development Studio product and is used by Web-based
developers working on a variety of operating systems. WebSphere
Studio 3.5 is a relatively easy-to-use product that allows programmers to
rapidly build true cross-platform applications using JavaServer Pages
(JSPs) and Enterprise JavaBeans (EJBs). Programmers can then use
newly created JSPs and EJBs to present iSeries and AS/400 data to users
via a Web browser.
WebSphere Studio 3.5 and the JSPs and EJBs it generates are best used
with IBM's WebSphere Application Server running on the host box,
regardless of the operating system. WebSphere Studio 3.5 only works
best with WebSphere 3.5; it will not work well with the recently released
WebSphere Application Server 4.0.
To get around the incompatibility problem and to address a variety of
other issues related to WebSphere 4.0, IBM is rewriting WebSphere
Studio 3.5. In fact, a single product is about to become two beta releases
later this year: WebSphere Studio Site Developer and WebSphere Studio
Application Developer. WebSphere Studio Site Developer will offer brand
new tooling for non-EJB Java, Websites, Web Services, XML, and
databases. WebSphere Studio Application Developer will add support for
EJBs and some advanced runtime and tracing tools. Stay tuned to The
Four Hundred for additional, detailed information on both of these
new tools, as well as the latest version of VisualAge for Java, which is
being completely rewritten and redesigned for WebSphere 4.0 using the
Eclipse Project as its development base (see the September 17 edition of
The Four Hundred for more on that).
IBM Toronto is working very hard to redefine the way iSeries and
AS/400 developers do their jobs while at the same time allowing them to
build on existing skills. IBM is also helping to position the iSeries and
AS/400 machines and developers so that they will be recognized as not
only equals on the Web, but also be seen as leaders in all aspects of Web
serving and development by their peers in the industry.
Converts spooled reports to PDF and delivers by e-mail.
Compatible with all LAN, Internet, & wireless addresses
through interactive screens, command line interface and programming
API.
Great OV/400 JustMail migration tools.
**Net400 SOCKETS SOFTWARE enables RPG, COBOL, and CL programmers
to communicate over standard TCP/IP sockets with any system. Monitor
and control materials handling systems, conveyors, pick-to-lights,
anything!
No low level programming required.
**Net400 SERIAL SOFTWARE enables the AS/400 to communicate with
any asynch ASCII serial device supporting RS232. Monitor
fixed-position laser bar code scanners, in-line scales, anything!
CALL Net400 at 888-8-NET400 or go to http://www.net400.com/400news/
BlueNote Connects AS/400s To Cell Phones by Alex Woodie
Agent Data ApS, a Danish company that writes communications
software and development utilities for the OS/400 platform, has delivered
the latest version of SMS BlueNote, a middleware program that connects
AS/400 and iSeries servers and PC clients to mobile phones, pagers, and
other wireless devices.
With SMS BlueNote, employees can use their mobile phones to send and
receive messages from AS/400 and iSeries servers. The software makes
use of the Short Messaging Service (SMS), an instantaneous text-base
communications standard that is available with all mobile phones designed
to work with the Global Systems for Mobile Communications (GSM)
cellular network. The deluxe version of the software allows for two-way
communication, while the basic version allows mobile phones to receive
messages but not to send them.
Agent Data says SMS BlueNote has two practical functions in an
enterprise: as a system monitor for system administrators, and as a real-time
messaging system for traveling employees and salespeople. Both the deluxe
and the basic versions of the software can be set up to serve either of these
functions.
When set up as a system monitor, SMS BlueNote watches the OS/400
message queues and automatically forwards any pertinent messages to the
system administrator, via SMS messaging on his or her GSM phone.
Administrators can manually set the priority level for certain messages to
be forwarded, giving them the ability to separate the noise from more
important developments, such as power outages, disk crashes, or any other
pre-set event (e.g., log-on attempts or changes to user profile settings). The
product can also send a range of audio alerts to a GSM phone, which
should clue the administrator to activate SMS messaging for a more
detailed report. If equipped with the deluxe version, SMS BlueNote also
allows the system administrator to respond to these messages and to tell
the server to execute any pre-programmed command or function, all from
the relative comfort of the system administrator's home or favorite tavern.
When used as a mobile extension to email, SMS BlueNote enables
executives and employees to keep each other apprised of the latest
developments via instant SMS messages. Employees can send SMS
messages to mobile colleagues using the Windows-based SMS BlueNote
client that comes with the software or through Lotus Notes email. The
application even gives users the option to toggle back and forth between
receiving the messages via regular email or mobile phone, a handy function
for employees on the go. Again, the deluxe version is required to allow
messages to be sent from a mobile phone back to the AS/400 or iSeries,
where messages are then forwarded to the proper recipients.
Programmers can customize SMS BlueNote by integrating it into a
company's existing applications by using the application programming
interfaces (APIs) that Agent Data makes available. This give the mobile
employee the ability to immediately start an invoice process on the AS/400
by pressing a few keys on the mobile phone rather than waiting to do
it manually.
Both versions of SMS BlueNote require OS/400 V3R7 or higher and
work with a standard asynchronous modem or the feature 2772 internal
modem (the one that ships with the iSeries and AS/400). It also requires a
telephone connection to your local GSM service provider. By using the
GSM carrier's infrastructure, you will avoid the delays that affect many
Internet-based SMS providers, Agent Data says.
In addition to the basic BlueNote version's modem requirements, the
deluxe version requires a little extra hardware, such as a GSM antenna,
certain SIM cards, and the Siemens M20 cellular engine. The M20 and its
successor are required to use the deluxe version of SMS BlueNote. Check
with Siemens on the availability of its cellular engines in your area.
The client component of the product comes standard with both versions
and installs on Windows 95/98/NT/2000-based PCs; it must be attached
to the AS/400 or iSeries using TCP/IP.
SMS BlueNote is distributed in the United States by Kisco
Information Systems of Mount Kisco, New York. For more
information, call Kisco at 914-241-7233, or go to http://www.kisco.com
or http://www.agentdata.com.
LANSA Debuts SMARTweb V2.0 For BPCS Users
by Timothy Prickett Morgan
LANSA last week announced that it has begun shipping
Version 2.0 of its SMARTweb B2B middleware for customers using
System Software Associates' Business Planning and Control
System (BPCS) ERP suite on AS/400 and iSeries servers.
LANSA first unveiled the SMARTweb e-commerce extensions to the
BPCS Century Date (CD) edition of SSA's software back in October
1999. The SMARTweb software was actually developed in conjunction
with the Asia/Pacific subsidiary of SSA. SSA was subsequently acquired
by a Los Angeles-based holding company, Gores Technology
and is now known as SSA-Global Technologies. The
SMARTweb B2B software, which was developed using LANSA's
eponymous development tools, was extended to support both BPCS CD
and the more current eBPCS 6.01 releases in August 2000. As we go to
press, it is unclear if LANSA's SMARTweb extensions to BPCS are
supported on the most recent BPCS suite, Version 8, which was
announced in early June for the OS/400 platform running the DB2/400
database and for the HP-UX Unix and Windows NT/2K platform running
the Oracle 8.1.7.
SMARTweb allows internal users or external customers, suppliers, or
other kinds of partners to access selected parts of the BPCS ERP suite
via the Internet and a Web browser. Specifically, users can go to customer
information files, check product inventories, look up prices on products,
or process actual transactions over the Web.
As part of the Version 2.0 update, SMARTweb now includes a new look
and feel. Specifically, it has a new Framework Wizard that runs on top of
SMARTweb that allows companies to change more easily the look, color,
or style of the SMARTweb application than was possible with Version 1.0.
Most of the enhancements with SMARTweb 2.0 are related to
sophisticated transaction processing. Customers can now do saved orders,
which is useful for companies that process similar orders repeatedly. A
saved order can be used as a skeleton for a subsequent order a month or
week later, for instance. The SMARTweb suite also includes a super-user,
sub-user permission structure, which allows companies running the BPCS
suite and using SMARTweb as their B2B or e-commerce front end to
designate some users as super users, who in turn have the right to
administer sub-users in a group of users. This means that the Web site
manager and BPCS administrator does not have to be involved in each
supplier, partner, or customer change within a group. The SMARTweb
software now supports pending orders, which means that if a customer is in
the middle of booking an order and gets distracted or disconnected, that
partially completed order is stored in SMARTweb and that customer is
notified the next time she returns to the application that an incomplete
order is pending and can be completed.
Finally, SMARTweb 2.0 includes support for third-party HTML
development tools that allow companies to create Web pages for
promotions or new products and services and integrate these pages with
the SMARTweb B2B application.
The SMARTweb B2B extension to BPCS from LANSA sells
for between $30,000 and $80,000 per AS/400 or iSeries server; the price
depends on particular features and the processing power of the AS/400 or
iSeries server running SMARTweb. You can contact LANSA at
http://www.lansa.com for details.
Do you want to be a High Availability Accredited Service Provider
in your territory?
*Nomax is a leading data mirroring product for the iSeries
and AS/400 from Maximum Availability Ltd. As well as
delivering startling performance, it can be installed and
operational in a matter of hours thanks to its revolutionary
architecture designed around OS/400's remote journaling
functionality.
Visit our website at http://www.maximumavailability.com
to find out about the massive advantages in performance, usability,
speed and cost of implementation delivered by *Nomax for
replicating database changes, locally or remotely, for availability
and hot back up.
Through late October, early November we will be offering *Nomax
Certification Courses for experienced iSeries specialists across the
United States, Europe and Asia.
These courses take only 1 day. They are available to all
qualified iSeries specialists and are a prerequisite for joining our
Accredited Service Provider Network - the independent experts we
call on to provide support to customers needing installation
assistance and availability services.
For more information on certification courses and becoming an
Accredited Service Provider visit our Web site at http://www.maximumavailability.com/nomax_certification.htm
Linoma Software Starts Selling RPG Toolbox
by Timothy Prickett Morgan
Linoma Software, an OS/400 tools vendor located in Omaha, Nebraska,
has just announced a new set of tools for RPG developers called RPG
Toolbox. This new program is an enhanced version of the CVTILERPG
product that Linoma has been selling since 1996. The original Linoma tool
was designed to convert the System/38's RPG III and the early AS/400's
RPG/400 source code to RPG IV syntax. The new RPG Toolbox kicker
to the CVTILERPG program not only has a better name, but has more
features that will make it even more valuable to organizations that continue
to develop and maintain RPG applications on their AS/400 and iSeries
machines.
Like CVTILERPG, the RPG Toolbox from Linoma converts RPG III and
RPG/400 to RPG IV syntax. But the process it uses to do this is a little
more sophisticated. The RPG Toolbox will examine which OS/400
software release you are running on and will convert old RPG III, RPG/400,
and, if necessary, prior generations of RPG IV code to the latest RPG IV
syntax that your version of OS/400 supports. If you are on OS/400 V5R1,
RPG Toolbox can convert fixed-format C specifications in RPG
applications to the free-form syntax supported in the latest OS/400 release.
The RPG Toolbox also includes what Linoma calls SEU Plus, which is an
add-on for OS/400's Screen Entry Utility (SEU) that has over 70 line
commands to beef up SEU. SEU Plus allows programmers to launch
OS/400 commands, cut and paste source code, use a pop-up calculator,
edit free-form operations and long expressions, and do all kinds of things
with source code lines such as change their color or case. The SEU Plus
feature comes with 140 useful source code snippets and allows companies
to create their own SEU commands and add their own snippets to improve
programmer productivity.
The RPG Toolbox sells for $995 per iSeries or AS/400 processor and it is
available now. Linoma is offering a 30-day, free trial on the RPG Toolbox
at http://www.linomasoftware.com/download/index.html
In a separate announcement, Linoma has announced that it will be the
exclusive North American distributor of the OS/400-specific products
from ASNA. These
products include the Active8 performance tuner; the Extermin8 Plus
interactive source code debugger for COBOL, RPG, and CL programs; and the
ProStart SSP-to-OS/400 conversion tool. ASNA has been branching out into
the cross-platform market, with a keen eye on Windows .NET in particular,
with its Visual RPG and Caviar development tools, the Acceler8 database,
and its DataGate/400 gateway to connect Windows-based PCs and servers to
OS/400 databases. ASNA asked Linoma to sell its OS/400 products because it
felt that it needed an OS/400-specific partner to peddle them while it
concentrated on marketing to a broader Windows clientele with its new
products.
General Computer
Consulting, Inc. specializes in iSeries and AS/400 application
development and program modification and maintenance in northeast
Mississippi and southwestern Tennessee.
Contact GCCI at bantyrooster@bigfoot.com.
|
