Building Multi-Platform Applications With AllFusion Plex Roger Griffith – Vice President Computer Arts, Inc. Boise, Idaho Session 1C

Session Abstract This presentation will give an overview of how Computer Arts uses All Fusion Plex to build multiple platform client server applications, from a single design, running in the native environments. The true power of AllFusion Plex is enables you to build an application at a high level of abstraction, and generate that application in a variety of languages, for a variety of platforms. How CAI has leveraged AllFusion Plex to deliver their entire suite of applications for the iSeries as well as for Windows Servers (BackOffice), and achieve 100% parity of these platforms.

Speaker Bio Roger Griffith has been developing applications with AllFusion Plex since version 2.0. He has been instrumental in the development of CAIs suite of products, which are deployed on the IBM iSeries, as well as the Windows Application Server platforms.

What is Backoffice? A confusing name for a generator that should have been called CS/Windows A generator that allows you to build robust, 3- tier, n-Tier, applications that run in their native environment, on Windows Servers.

Our Mission at Computer Arts Deliver high performance, scalable, reliable, enterprise applications to our customers for both the IBM iSeries, as well as Windows Server platforms. Build the applications once, deploy in native environment for both platforms. Our solution, All Fusion Plex, using the CS/400 Generator for the iSeries, and Backoffice Generator for Windows Servers.

Components of Backoffice 32 Bit C++ Client Software (DLLs) Running on Desktop Dispatch Manager Service running on Server 32 Bit C++ Server Software (DLLs) installed on server. SQL Database (SQL Server, Oracle, Sybase, etc)

Install Dispatch Manager Install on Server from Plex CD

Configure Dispatch Manager Configure Service to Your Liking… From Start Menu, Select Computer Associates…Dispatch Server Manager

Configure Environments N-Tiers To Other Application Environments

What is an Environment Settings Stored in Registry Identify location of your Server Programs Identify Data Source (DSN) used to access Data More…

Environment Example Identify the folder where your Server Programs (DLLs) are located

Environments Continued… Name of DSN used to Access Data

Building Backoffice Applications Set your Variants

Point Server Functions To Environment

Tell it where to put the DLLs

Gen and Build Client DLL Table and Views Server DLL

Plex Builds Your Database Generates SQL Schema Creates your Tables Creates your Views Creates your Indexes Can Create Triggers, Stored Procedures, and more…

From Triples To Tables in 3 Seconds!

Setup Environments in INI File Located On Name Server Name Environment Name Add section for each Application being accessed

Run Your Application

3 Tier Client-Server Environment Advantage Plex for Windows NT and Microsoft BackOffice allows you to create client- server applications without having to consider communications issues. The following illustration represents the Advantage Plex for Windows NT and Microsoft BackOffice client- server environment.

Remote Procedure Calls (RPC) Client-server communication is handled by Microsoft Remote Procedure Calls (RPC), which is supplied with the Windows NT and Microsoft BackOffice generator. RPC is a programming interface that makes remote procedure calls resemble standard local procedure calls. This makes client-server communications invisible to the developer. When designing applications, you specify calls to server functions the same way you specify calls to client functions. Advantage Plex automatically implements server function calls as remote procedure calls (RPCs), which makes the remote calls look like local ones.

N-Tier Environment Client Workstation Application Servers Payroll Financial Property

N-Tier Example 2 Client Workstation Application Server Payroll Financial iSeries Server DB2/400

Altering Tables and Views ALTER TABLE [dbo].[PRODUCTP] ALTER COLUMN PRNAME CHAR(40) GO ALTER TABLE [dbo].[PRODUCTP] ADD[PRSIZE] [char] (6) GO UPDATE PRODUCTP SET PRSIZE = ' ' GO

Altering Live Data! BeforeAfter Increase PRNAME FROM 30 TO 40 Add PRSIZE Column

CS/400 Backoffice Comparing Clients (CS/400 with Backoffice)

Comparing Server Programs (CS/400 with Backoffice) CS/400 Backoffice

Comparing Databases iSeries / SQL Server iSeries DB2/400SQL Server Same Tables/Views on iSeries as in SQL Server (100% Parity)

Comparing Dispatchers CS/400 Backoffice

Comparing What is Installed on CS/400 with Server CS/400 Plex510 LibraryBackoffice Dispatch Manager

Some Of Our Applications Payroll Clerks Financial Treasurers Financial Voter Jury Indigent Recording Rural Addressing LID Records Management Jail Management Civil Process CAD (911 Dispatch) County GovernmentLaw Enforcement Commercial Trucking Repair Order Purchase Order Inventory Mechanic Tracking Leasing

Comparing Message Logs CS/400 - Message Log Backoffice – Event Log

Migrate Data Between Platforms with DTS

CAI Product Deployment CS/ Customers Backoffice - 39 Customers

One Design, Many Flavors Build In Advantage Plex Once Deploy In RPG C++ Java

Session Summary Plex, with its patterns, and generators has enabled CAI to build once, and deploy their applications on multiple platforms, each running in their native environment Plex enables you to build n-tier enterprise level client server applications for a variety of target platforms. Plex can product applications, for multiple platforms, with 100% parity between these platforms

Questions & Answers