RE: Communicating with COM objects from iSeries via Java?

I don't know if I would go the route of Java talking COM if it is already a
batch process (meaning it doesn't have to be synchronous communication).  I
would get a .NET programmer to access an iSeries table (using DB2.NET)
storing the fax records waiting to be sent and then create a "web service"
on the iSeries that will stream to you the appropriate files needing to be
faxed. This web service could be an RPG CGI program that all it does is
reads a url variable named 'filename' and streams back the file specified.
You could also map a drive to an IFS folder, but those only seem to work
about half the time for me.

With the above approach there is a clean separation of responsibility and it
will be easier to debug/test (IMO). And actually, if you wanted to go
completely web service centric you could make an RPG web service to return
an xml list of documents needing to be faxed instead of making a database
call, though there will be some bloat to that with XML in the mix and all.
.NET likes web services :-)

HTH,
Aaron Bartell
http://mowyourlawn.com

-----Original Message-----
From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of johnking@xxxxxxx
Sent: Monday, December 12, 2005 5:42 PM
To: rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Communicating with COM objects from iSeries via Java?

Hello all,

 We have a requirement to fax certain documents to users who do not have
email. The iSeries fax products I've seen so far are primarily designed to
translate and deliver spool files. We, on the other hand, need to push PDF
and Excel files that happen to be stored on the IFS.

  I'd like to investigate the feasibility of submitting documents to an
existing WinFax server from the iSeries.
1) WinFax provides an SDK that describes how to submit faxes via its COM
interface.
2) IBM Alphaworks has a "Development Tool for Java-COM Bridge" project that
allows Java to manipulate COM objects. See:
http://www.alphaworks.ibm.com/tech/dtjcb. The IBM website says this product
falls under certain export-control rules, and I'm waiting to be "approved"
before I can even view the FAQ.
3) This would be a batch process so there is no need for real-time
interaction between the iSeries and WinFax - we just want to submit data
from the iSeries to the WinFax process on the PC.
4) I have some small experience calling Java from RPG and on the surface it
seems like this ought to work, but I lack all knowledge of PC-ish things
like COM and am totally lost in Eclipse. There was a thread on Java400-L
that referred to jintegra, jacob and jwin but that was in 2003 - aeons ago.

 If anyone has had experience with this, or can even tell me whether the
project is feasible, your comments are welcome.

 Note: If this discussions happens to get technical I suppose it should be
moved to Java400-L or PCTECH, but at this point I hope it is still
appropriate for Midrange-L.

 Many thanks, JK

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