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