Re: iSeries applications deployed as portlets

We did get the BCD/Excel portal when we got Websmart. If everything we
wanted to do was iSeries based (I wish I could) it would be a good
choice. It worked or has some nice features, but plugging in 3rd party
portlets built for Websphere (JSR168) or Sharepoint (.net) was not
possible and understandably so. 

Had not thought about the active X 5250 emulator. We already have the
Mochasoft .exe emulator for programming students to use
I also found this
http://download.microsoft.com/download/5/e/a/5eafa861-895a-4ba3-b5eb-6db901402cce/HIS2004_Reviewers_Guide.doc
 

>>> tomjedrz@xxxxxxxxx 2/24/2006 3:36:35 PM >>>

On 2/24/06, Mike Cunningham <MCUNNING@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> We are looking at installing a portal and are evaluating Websphere
> Portal (running on either iSeries or Windows) against Microsoft
> Sharepoint.
...
> As with many iSeries shops we are moving from green-screen
> to browser application development and are using RPG CGI and
Websmart
> initially and starting down the Java path. My biggest concern with
> installing a portal is how do our iSeries applications get deployed
as
> portlets.

Does BCD / Excel Systems have anything to say on the matter?  I am
pretty sure that they have a portal solution, and that it is a lot
less expensive than either of the solutions you are discussing.

> In the Websphere demo we were shown iSeries apps running as
> portlets, and a 5250 emulation portlet that would run any
green-screen
> application. In the Sharepoint demo we were told we could either use
> .net and do odbc connections to get at the iSeries data or use .net
to
> create the portlet code that referenced the url of the iSeries
browser
> application. No real world demo.

Sharepoint isn't going to do much for the existing green screen apps. 
As I understand it, getting an app on another web server to be a
portlet in Sharepoint isn't particularly tough.

If you need/want the green screen, there are ActiveX emulators out
there; you might even be able to use the same one that Websphere uses.
I don't know about java emulators.
--> Mochasoft -- $350 site license --
http://www.mochasoft.dk/tn5250activex.htm
--> Seagull --
http://www.seagullsoftware.com/products/bluezone/terminal-emulation.html
--> Zephyr -- http://www.zephyrcorp.com/5250-emulation-as400.htm

> Is there anyone who has developed iSeries apps deployed as portlets
to
> either of these portals and if so how difficult is it to learn and do
?
> Are there any issues related to portal development that you would do
> different if you could go back in time ?

I am surprised that we haven't heard from Mr. Pluta yet.

--
Tom Jedrzejewicz
tomjedrz@xxxxxxxxx