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Building Multi-Platform Applications With AllFusion Plex
Roger Griffith – Vice PresidentComputer Arts, Inc.
Boise, Idaho Session 1C
Session Abstract
This presentation will give an overview of how Computer Arts uses All Fusion Plex to build multiple platform client server applications, from a single design, running in the native environments. The true power of AllFusion Plex is enables you to build an application at a high level of abstraction, and generate that application in a variety of languages, for a variety of platforms. How CAI has leveraged AllFusion Plex to deliver their entire suite of applications for the iSeries as well as for Windows Servers (BackOffice), and achieve 100% parity of these platforms.
Speaker Bio
Roger Griffith has been developing applications with AllFusion Plex since version 2.0. He has been instrumental in the development of CAI’s suite of products, which are deployed on the IBM iSeries, as well as the Windows Application Server platforms.
What is Backoffice?
A confusing name for a generator that should have been called “CS/Windows”
A generator that allows you to build robust, 3-tier, n-Tier, applications that run in their native environment, on Windows Servers.
Our Mission at Computer Arts
Deliver high performance, scalable, reliable, enterprise applications to our customers for both the IBM iSeries, as well as Windows Server platforms.
Build the applications once, deploy in native environment for both platforms.
Our solution, All Fusion Plex, using the CS/400 Generator for the iSeries, and Backoffice Generator for Windows Servers.
Components of Backoffice
32 Bit C++ Client Software (DLL’s) Running on Desktop
Dispatch Manager Service running on Server
32 Bit C++ Server Software (DLL’s) installed on server.
SQL Database (SQL Server, Oracle, Sybase, etc)
Install Dispatch Manager
Install on Server from Plex CD
Configure Dispatch Manager
Configure Service to Your Liking…
From Start Menu, Select Computer Associates…Dispatch Server Manager
Configure “Environments”
N-Tiers To Other Application Environments
What is an “Environment”
Settings Stored in Registry
Identify location of your Server Programs
Identify Data Source (DSN) used to access Data
More…
Environment Example
Identify the folder where your Server Programs (DLL’s) are located
Environments Continued…
Name of DSN used to Access Data
Building Backoffice Applications
Set your Variants
Point Server Functions To Environment
Tell it where to put the DLL’s
Gen and Build
Client DLL
Table and View’sServer DLL
Plex Builds Your Database
Generates SQL Schema
Creates your Tables
Creates your Views
Creates your Indexes
Can Create Triggers, Stored Procedures, and more…
From Triples To Tables in 3 Seconds!
Setup Environments in INI File
Located On Name Server Name
Environment Name
Add section for each Application being accessed
Run Your Application
3 Tier Client-Server Environment
Advantage Plex for Windows NT and Microsoft BackOffice allows you to create client-server applications without having to consider communications issues. The following illustration represents the Advantage Plex for Windows NT and Microsoft BackOffice client-server environment.
Remote Procedure Calls (RPC)
Client-server communication is handled by Microsoft Remote Procedure Calls (RPC), which is supplied with the Windows NT and Microsoft BackOffice generator. RPC is a programming interface that makes remote procedure calls resemble standard local procedure calls. This makes client-server communications invisible to the developer.
When designing applications, you specify calls to server functions the same way you specify calls to client functions. Advantage Plex automatically implements server function calls as remote procedure calls (RPCs), which makes the remote calls look like local ones.
N-Tier Environment
Client Workstation
Application Servers
Payroll
Financial
Property
N-Tier Example 2
Client Workstation
Application Server
Payroll
Financial
iSeries Server
DB2/400
Altering Tables and Views
ALTER TABLE [dbo].[PRODUCTP]
ALTER COLUMN PRNAME CHAR(40)
GO
ALTER TABLE [dbo].[PRODUCTP]
ADD [PRSIZE] [char] (6)
GO
UPDATE PRODUCTP SET PRSIZE = ' '
GO
Altering Live Data!
Before
After
Increase PRNAME FROM 30 TO 40
Add PRSIZE Column
CS/400 Backoffice
Comparing Clients (CS/400 with Backoffice)
Comparing Server Programs (CS/400 with Backoffice)
CS/400 Backoffice
Comparing Databases iSeries / SQL Server
iSeries DB2/400
SQL Server
Same Tables/Views on iSeries as in SQL Server (100% Parity)
Comparing Dispatchers
CS/400
Backoffice
Comparing What is Installed on CS/400 with Server
CS/400 Plex510 Library
Backoffice Dispatch Manager
Some Of Our Applications
Payroll Clerks Financial Treasurers Financial Voter Jury Indigent Recording Rural Addressing LID
Records Management
Jail Management
Civil Process
CAD (911 Dispatch)
County Government Law Enforcement
Commercial Trucking Repair Order Purchase Order Inventory Mechanic Tracking Leasing
Comparing Message Logs
CS/400 - Message Log
Backoffice – Event Log
Migrate Data Between Platforms with DTS
CAI Product Deployment
CS/400 - 21 Customers
Backoffice - 39 Customers
One Design, Many Flavors
Build In Advantage Plex Once
Deploy In RPG
C++Java
Session Summary
Plex, with it’s patterns, and generators has enabled CAI to “build once”, and deploy their applications on multiple platforms, each running in their native environment
Plex enables you to build n-tier enterprise level client server applications for a variety of target platforms.
Plex can product applications, for multiple platforms, with 100% parity between these platforms
Questions & Answers