RE: Java versus RPG on iSeries

["David Morris" <David.Morris@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Joe,

Yes, Oracle handles the bulk of the MRP process. There are not that
many raw materials involved, but lots of potential products coming
out. The finished products have a fairly short shelf life so most of
the work involves matching up orders and scheduling to avoiding
inventory, under utilization of machinery, and waste. In this case,
the user interface does not lend itself to green screens.

You are right that it is difficult to do some of the necessary
coding for an MRP system in SQL. We used stored where possible
to encapsulate the data access. Oracle's SQL implementation has
a connect by clause that is very helpful in building hierarchical views

that are needed in an MRP system. IBM one upped Oracle on
V5R2 and now SQL on the iSeries supports table based functions
that are perfect for this sort of processing.

David Morris

>>> joepluta@PlutaBrothers.com 09/17/02 04:03PM >>>
> From: David Morris
>
> We support one of our manufacturing plants with a
> Java/RSSQL/SQL Server/Oracle/iSeries based system. The iSeries
> system collects orders and manages finished good inventory.
> The Oracle database handles raw materials, scheduling, and
> reporting, RSSQL supports about 300 PLC devices that provide process
> feedback, and SQL Server is used by some of the materials handing
> equipment. All of this runs 24/7 363 days a year. Java was
> used because it integrates better than anything else we could
> find.
>
> Response is good, but this doesn't quite meet your criteria because
> none of the database tables involved in this process have more than
> about 2 million records.

Still, that's a healthy database, David.  Is the Oracle system doing
the
actual material requirements planning?  This is the part that's always
struck me as difficult to handle in SQL.

Joe