Interaction between .Net and the IBM I

Has anyone had to run a .Net program from an IBM I program? We are
using the RUNRMTCMD to call a generic "C" program in the IFS and passing
it parms to call specific methods thru service functions with key data
on our .Net system and updating files on the IBM I using ASNA's Visual
RPG called from "C" methods.

This works fine if the IBM I program does not have to wait for response,
but in instances where we'd like to pass back data or wait for something
to complete it is cumbersome. Mainly because we have to pass the data
back by writing a temp file and write records into a logging file that
job steps have started and ended so that jobs can wait and loop till a
step is done before continuing.

I was wondering if anyone would have a better approach to doing this
sort of thing? It would be nice to be able to call something directly
without having to use the RUNRMTCMD so that data could be passed back.
I know that the .Net Object passed back would have to be changed into
something that the RPG or COBOL program on the IBM I side could deal
with.

Just looking for a better approach, if there is one.

TIA,

-- Jim