design question, how to handle this project

Hi
We have about 30 AS400 system in USA and around the
world running one home developed software, we need to
develop a project which will get data from all AS400
and display them on a website or some report.
Here are some more details.
1. Each AS400 may be running different version of this
software, so the file and tables may be different, so
this project has to handle this.
2. Each AS400 may or may not want to participate in
this project, so have to some how give funtion like to
register
3. The data extraction has to happen in real time, and
not create a pool of data in batch some where and then
display it.

I was thinking of following design options
1. A common database where the system ip address and
the version it is running registered, so a java
program will go to each system and extract data when
required
2. Webservice, each AS400 system running tomcat or
websphere and webservices, then register these
webservices to UDDI server, and then call these to
extract data. 
(some machines may not have sufficient hardware to run
tomcat or websphere)

What may be different approcahes for this kind of
system, and what may be the best approach. and what
you will do if you have to desing this kind of sytem.

Ashish

 

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A$HI$H


        
                
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