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Introduction

What is the OnDemand for OS/390 Internet Access Feature?

The OnDemand/390 Internet Access feature permits access to the OD/390 Archive from a common Web browser. The major functions of OD/390 - report and document search and retrieval operations, are now available to users via Internet and Intranet connections.

A full function user dialog is implemented using HTTP Browser requests and HTML responses from the OD/390 Internet Access Feature. The dialog supports the creation and viewing of user Annotations. Local and host-deferred Printing operations are also supported.

Users may select their choice of workstation program for viewing documents. Line Print documents and reports in the OD/390 archive are converted, at retrieval, to ASCII Text files for viewing within the Browser. Users may, however, select a viewer of choice, such as PC word processors and editors, as alternatives to the Browser. A data mining application may be selected when extensive report analysis and reformatting capabilities are needed.

Proprietary and architectured document formats stored in the Archive, such as AFP, PDF, TIFF, DJDE and Meta-code, will require supplementing the Browser capabilities. This may be accomplished via Browser Plug-ins - common available viewers that run within the Browser environment, or through the use of independent handlers - the users' PC applications automatically initiated in a separate Window.

The OD/390 Internet Access feature uses the CICS Web Interface, a standard feature of CICS V4R1 and above. The CWI is specifically designed to allow Web access to the functions and features of an enterprise's existing CICS legacy applications.

Browsers can send HTTP requests through TCP/IP to the CICS Web Interface. The CICS Web Interface uses OD/390 Internet Access CICS programs to call OD/390 API processing services and sends back HTTP/HTML responses.

A connection manager transaction is used to enable and disable the CICS Web Interface. A server controller transaction receives an HTTP request and starts an alias transaction to run a CICS program. An OD/390 analyzer program maps the incoming HTTP request to the needed OD/390 API processors. The results from the API calls are transformed into an HTTP/HTML output response.

Summary:

The OnDemand for OS/390 Internet Access Feature now enables a Web Browser to particpate as a client interface to the OD/390 Archive. The Workstation Environment may consist of no more than a simple Browser configuration, or may deploy the enterprise's standard PC software configuration.

The CICS Web Interface

The CICS Web Interface allows web browsers to call programs in a CICS system using the hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP).

A web browser is an HTTP client. The web browser constructs an HTTP request, which is passed across the network to TCP/IP for MVS in the server. TCP/IP for MVS relays the request to the CICS Web Interface, which calls a CICS program to service the request. The output from the CICS program is sent back to the web browser in an HTTP response.

The flexible use of CICS programs to supply transaction processing services to different types of requestors depends on a two-tier programming model for CICS applications. In a two-tier design, an application's presentation logic is separated from its business logic. The presentation logic is found in such commands as EXEC CICS RECEIVE MAP and EXEC CICS SEND MAP, while the business logic is found in commands like EXEC CICS READ FILE UPDATE, EXEC CICS REWRITE FILE, and in the commands that modify data in databases. By packaging the presentation logic and business logic in separate programs, and using EXEC CICS LINK and a communication area interface to the business logic, the business logic can be made available to a wide range of requestors. In the CICS Web Interface, the presentation logic is packaged in user-replaceable programs called converters.

About This Guide

This book is intended to serve as a guide for the various tasks required to install and customize the OD/390 Internet Access feature. The guide contains step-by-step instructions as well as prerequisite planning information for the installation. Customizing tasks are optional and are only required to handle processing that is unique for your implementation. Examples are included where appropriate.

Summary of Changes to this Book

Specific changes to this publication are summarized below.

Internet Access Feature V2R1MC

The OD/390 Internet Access Feature now includes an option to automatically start the the CICS Web Interface (CWBC) transaction. A CICS PLT definition and a sample COBOL program (IODICWBC) are provided to facilitate the automatic CWBC startup.

Internet Access Feature V2R1MB

The OD/390 Internet Access Feature URL has changed to the following value: http://host ip address:CWI port number/iodwwbcv/wb01/iodwwb01. The iodwwbcv directory has replaced the cics directory that was used in prior modification levels.


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