Software AG Delivers iPad Client for webMethods JIS

February 12, 2013 Alex Woodie

Software AG has just put the finishing touches on a major new release of webMethods JIS, the Web-enablement solution for IBM i and z/OS servers that was formerly owned by Jacada. Version 9.2 brings the first taste of mobility with a new iPad client. It also introduces a new 64-bit Java runtime, simplified installation, and various other enhancements and fixes.

In 2007, Software AG spent about $26 million to acquire three products–Jacada Interface Server (JIS), Jacada Integrator, and a terminal emulator–from Atlanta, Georgia-based Jacada. Today, Jacada retains rights to some of these products only for use in its call-center modernization solutions, while the German software powerhouse continues to develop the products.

Web enablement is still important for many IBM i and mainframe shops, but generating mobile interfaces is arguably a bigger priority. To that end, Software AG has made a big move with the launch of webMethods JIS version 9.2, which the company made available to about 250 existing JIS customers early this year.

The new iOS client in webMethods JIS 9.2 enables workers to access IBM i and mainframe servers using the Safari Web browser on iPads. The iPad client is an HTML5 application, and the JIS software automatically generates touch-enabled interfaces from 5250 and 3270 datastreams.

The JIS developers wrote the product to support specific elements of iOS on iPad, such as the capability to simulate right-click actions of a mouse using touch-screen functions, and the capability to scroll within tables using touch. The developers also replaced the calendar component of JIS with the native iPad calendar widget.

The iPad client is the first step Software AG is making in the mobile world with the JIS product. It’s not a bad place to start, considering the huge popularity of the Apple device in the consumer and business worlds.

But you can expect to see Software AG support other mobile platforms. Last year, company officials told IT Jungle that it already had an Android client working in the lab. Apparently it wasn’t ready to go when version 9.2 shipped. And even the iPad client is a work in progress; there are considerable limitations, including no support for function keys. Software AG will continue to develop mobile features in future releases.

Another major feature in version 9.2 is the 64-bit Java runtime and the scalability improvements it will bring. With version 9.2, Software AG has completed the migration to Java for the JIS server component, and has eliminated all remaining code written in C, which was not compatible with 64-bit operating systems. Software AG will still ship the 32-bit Java server in JIS, but only for testing purposes. For production applications, it recommends that all customers use the 64-bit environment due to the better performance.

In its version 9.2 release notes, Software AG explains that the 2 GB memory limitation of 32-bit environments put a cap on the number of sessions (per processor thread) that the JIS server can support simultaneously. With the 32-bit runtime, each processor thread could support 200 sessions, whereas the 64-bit runtime can support 500 to 800 sessions per processor thread.

Due to the architectural change, Software AG recommends that customers run the Verifier Utility to make sure that the Screen Interpreter component of JIS 9.2 is producing the exact output as it previously did.

Software AG also streamlined the configuration of the JIS servers with this release. Previously, customers had to deploy a separate “common installation” component to the application server (either WebSphere or Tomcat), and then configure the application server to work with the common installation component, which the company says was difficult and error prone. With this release, the only thing that customers have to install is the Java file for the runtime.

IBM i shops will need to change their deployments with version 9.2 if they ran JIS on their IBM i servers. With this release, Software AG has retired the standalone server on IBM i. Instead, users will need to run the JIS stack on a Windows, Unix, or Linux server, although DDS converting components still reside on IBM i. It has also retired other old Jacada components, including: Innovator; Jacada Connects; application clustering; the common installation for application servers; and the standalone Java client proxy servlet.

Version 9.2 also brings support for generating IBM i device names. Software AG says that this “enables associating an AS/400 device name with the workstation from which the connection originated, thus enabling better trace-ability for the host administrator.” It also enhances support for keyboard buffering (It’s now integral to the product instead of requiring a separate license.) and an upgrade to the internal Jetty Web server to version 8.1.5.

Software AG will be hosting a webinar on the enhancements in version 9.2 on February 19. For more information, see www.softwareag.com.

Jacada Refreshes Web-Enablement Software for IBM i and z/OS

Software AG Buys Jacada’s Legacy App Modernization Biz

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Do the Math When Looking at IBM i Hosting for Cost Savings

COVID-19 has accelerated certain business trends that were already gaining strength prior to the start of the pandemic. E-commerce, telehealth, and video conferencing are some of the most obvious examples. One example that may not be as obvious to the general public but has a profound impact on business is the shift in strategy of IBM i infrastructure from traditional, on-premises environments to some form of remote configuration. These remote configurations and all of their variations are broadly referred to in the community as IBM i hosting.

“Hosting” in this context can mean different things to different people, and in general, hosting refers to one of two scenarios. In the first scenario, hosting can refer to a client owned machine that is housed in a co-location facility (commonly called a co-lo for short) where the data center provides traditional system administrator services, relieving the client of administrative and operational responsibilities. In the second scenario, hosting can refer to an MSP owned machine in which partition resources are provided to the client in an on-demand capacity. This scenario allows the client to completely outsource all aspects of Power Systems hardware and the IBM i operating system and database.

The scenario that is best for each business depends on a number of factors and is largely up for debate. In most cases, pursuing hosting purely as a cost saving strategy is a dead end. Furthermore, when you consider all of the costs associated with maintaining and IBM i environment, it is typically not a cost-effective option for the small to midsize market. The most cost-effective approach for these organizations is often a combination of a client owned and maintained system (either on-prem or in a co-lo) with cloud backup and disaster-recovery-as-a-service. Only in some cases of larger enterprise companies can a hosting strategy start to become a potentially cost-effective option.

However, cost savings is just one part of the story. As IBM i expertise becomes scarce and IT resources run tight, the only option for some firms may be to pursue hosting in some capacity. Whatever the driving force for pursing hosting may be, the key point is that it is not just simply an option for running your workload in a different location. There are many details to consider and it is to the best interest of the client to work with an experienced MSP in weighing the benefits and drawbacks of each option. As COVID-19 rolls on, time will tell if IBM i hosting strategies will follow the other strong business trends of the pandemic.

When we say do the math in the title above, it literally means that you need to do the math for your particular scenario. It is not about us doing the math for you, making a case for either staying on premises or for moving to the cloud. There is not one answer, but just different levels of cost to be reckoned which yield different answers. Most IBM i shops have fairly static workloads, at least measured against the larger mix of stuff on the public clouds of the world. How do you measure the value of controlling your own IT fate? That will only be fully recognized at the moment when it is sorely missed the most.

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