Performance problems with Java SOAP client

["Andres D'Aquila" <ad476@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello !

Some of our customers want to use webservices on their ISeries (V5R2) machines
We have made a Java SOAP client, but they say that the performance is 
unacceptable.
The program is very simple:  it receives some data, calls some COBOL program, 
and 
returns some data.

We are exploring some ideas, and we would like to get some feedback of this 
forum:

a)  Tuning Java:  Besides using OPTIMIZE(40), what else can we do ?

b)  Rewrite the program in some native language ( ILE C or ILE RPG):
     we know that there is a XML parser for procedural languages, but we have 
not found
    a SOAP library.   Would it be complex to write our own SOAP routines ?
    We have some experience writing TCP programs, but not HTTP or SOAP programs
    in these languages.

c) Get the Java client out of the Iseries:  the program still will handle SOAP 
messages, 
   but it will use TCP and plain messages to communicate with a ILE C program 
   in the Iseries.    

I would appreciate your opinions and suggestions.

Thank you, 


         Andy D'Aquila