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This is a wonderfully inspiring case study on how standard Java-based Web-to-Host technology can be easily leveraged through macros, scripts and auxiliary Java servlets to totally alter the complexion, flow and scope of an existing mainframe application.

In this instance the application was Bank of America's in-house supplies ordering application - which is CICS based and is known as OEXR. The Java technology to streamline and enhance this application was provided by user-interface rejuvenation champs ResQNet - and was centered around a variant of the standard applet they use to 'face-lift' IBM's Host On-Demand.

The overall architecture of the ResQNet solution and the data-flows involved are shown in the figure 2. Note the SmartStream database system from Sybase running on an IBM RS/6000. Being able to readily access data from this database to complement the information available through the CICS OEXR application is a key feature of this solution.

Figure 1 - Rejuvenation was but one facet of this project that totally streamlined and automated the in-house supply order process using Java.

ResQNet developed a servlet to work in conjunction with its client-side applet to realize this data augmentation function. This servlet also produces an HTML version of the order being placed so that it can be presented, electronically, in browser-viewable form to a designated manager. The Figure 3 shows a representative order, in standard Web page format, as created by the ResQNet servlet. The servlet as shown in the figure below runs on another RS/6000 system; the same one that hosts the Lotus Domino GO Web Server being used by Bank of America for this nationwide intranet application.

OEXR in effect is an electronic, on-line supplies cupboard. Using OEXR, authorized Bank of America employees, around the country, can requisition supplies they require - including commodity hardware and networking products. OEXR at present lists about 4,000 individual items which include obvious staples such as pens, staplers, 3-ring punches, as well as certain capital-cost items such as PCs.

OEXR, being a normal mainframe resident CICS application, needs to be accessed using SNA/3270. Bank of America uses the Host On-Demand Java applet, downloaded from the Lotus Domino GO Web Server [and subsequently cached], to achieve this connectivity across their intranet - using a mainframe resident tn3270(E) Server.

Figure 2 - The architecture and general data flow of the automated and streamlined Bank of America in-house supplies ordering system made possible with ResQNet applet and servlet technology.

Rejuvenation was but one facet

One of the goals in updating, streamlining and enhancing the OEXR order processing scheme was to provide the users with a contemporary, mouse navigable, point-and-click GUI in place of the dated, 'green-and-black' 3270 screens. Dramatically rejuvenating the 3270 interface, without obviously requiring any changes to the application, was a piece-of-cake for ResQNet - given that this so to speak is their bread-and-butter.

The before and after screen shots in Figure 1 and the 'Start Order' screen shown in Figure 4, as supplied by Bank of America, amply and graphically illustrate vibrant new look-and-feel imparted by the ResQNet user interface rejuvenation process.

ResQNet, as most of you will recall, does all of its rejuvenation magic at the client using a Java applet. The AutoGUI, or default transformations, are built into this relatively small [i.e. < 500K] applet.

Figure 3

Custom changes, including screen consolidation scenarios, developed using ResQNet's Customization Studio are defined and downloaded to the client, for execution by the standard ResQNet applet, in the form of an XML (Extensible Markup Language) file - q.v. Page 13, 8/21/98; Page 10, 10/26/98, and the RVOS case study in the 7/15/1999 newsletter.

Rejuvenating the user interface to meet the Bank of America requirements using standard ResQNet technology was not an issue or challenge - and in reality proved to be a relatively small component of the overall solution.

The novel and exemplary aspect of this solution was the extension of the standard ResQNet applet, in conjunction with a servlet, to augment the CICS application via data that was only available on the SmartStream database system from Sybase.

Figure 4

Adding a servlet to extend the application's flow and scope

The two primary enhancements sought by Bank of America, in excess of just rejuvenating the 3270 user interface, for this in-house supply ordering system were:

1. automating and expediting the order approval and processing cycle by converting the order for supplies made by a Bank of America user into a properly formatted and printable purchase order document which can then be routed to a designated manager who is authorized to approve such an order.
2. enabling users to check the status of previously placed orders for supplies - online.

The only way that these enhancements could be realized was to combine information from the OEXR CICS application with data found in the SmartStream database. ResQNet developed a servlet, as shown in Figure 2, to retrieve the pertinent information from SmartStream using JDBC (Java Database Connectivity).

The ResQNet applet that does on-the-fly rejuvenation for the Host On-Demand applet [via the Host On-Demand Host Access Class Library (HACL) interface] was modified to talk to the ResQNet servlet - in addition to performing the rejuvenation functions required by Bank of America.

HTTP is used for all of the communications between the ResQNet applet and the servlet. HTTP's standard GET and PUT requests are used to achieve the requisite data transfers between these two Java-based components.

Placing and checking the status of orders

A Bank of America employee would set about placing an order for supplies by invoking the CICS OXER application. This is now done using Host On-Demand connectivity coupled to ResQNet's rejuvenation function. The user will then set about selecting the items required from the list of over 4,000 products maintained by OEXR. Given the size of this list a user will typically have to navigate through multiple screens to locate all of the necessary items. During this item selection process a custom script running on the ResQNet applet will automatically collect information on the items being ordered - in parallel to and independent of the OEXR data transfers to and from the mainframe.

Once the user has completed the order, the ResQNet applet will contact the ResQNet servlet, via HTTP, and convey to it the list of items ordered. The servlet accepts this list and constructs an order form in the form of an HTML Web page à la that shown in Figure 3.

The order form in HTML format is then stored on the Web server. The HTML Web page will contain information from the OEXR system as well as data culled from the SmartStream database. The OEXR does not contain the actual ship to address. Instead it has a ship to code. The servlet uses the OEXR code as the JDBC key to retrieve the ship to address from SmartStream.

Designated managers can retrieve and view the HTML based order forms (and any subsequent changes made to an order) stored at the Web server using a standard Web browser.

Users can also check the status of previously placed orders using this system. The user will first retrieve the order number from OEXR. The ResQNet applet takes this order number and passes it to the ResQNet servlet. It also opens up another browser window for the eventual display of the order status - in the form of a Web page.

The up to-date status of orders are maintained on the SmartStream database. The ResQNet servlet uses JDBC, with the order number as the key, to obtain the order status information from SmartStream. The information obtained is then formatted by the servlet to create a Web page. This Web page is then forwarded to the user to be displayed within the previously opened browser window.

The Bottom Line

This ResQNet solution is currently being actively used by around 600 Bank of America employees around the country. The system, according to Bank of America, is working flawlessly and moreover meets, or exceeds, both their requirements and expectations. Needless to say, they are thus very happy and impressed with this solution - with its innovative synthesis of standard and custom components and the technical prowess of ResQNet that made it all possible. It was also an extremely economical solution which did not take long to design and implement.

Matthew Steed, the Senior Systems Analyst who was instrumental in making this project a success by coordinating the technical efforts at the bank had this to say: "At the completion of the proof-of-concept phase of the WebOEXR project, the project team sponsored a working demo of the proposed solution and published the URL for accessing it. To everyone's amazement the remote participants from the West coast were easily able to follow the hands-on live demo without any need for installation support whatsoever. This had a great impact on everyone in the approval process."

From the early days of Web-to-Host we have talked about how this technology, particularly Java, could be gainfully leveraged, with little effort, to enhance, extend and modernize aging mainframe applications. This Blue Chip case study proves, conclusively, that this, far from being just idle theory, is indeed the case and furthermore that the technology is reliable, stable and readily extensible.

This case study also demonstrates that significant new functionality, including JDBC-based database access, can be achieved just using servlets without recourse to an Application Server [à la Inprise, 5/25/1999] or a Host Integration Server [à la IBM's Host Publisher V2, 8/16/1999]. This is gratifying since it obviously reduces overall costs, complexity and implementation effort - most likely, quite considerably in many instances.

While I have little doubt that Application Servers will thrive during the early part of thest century we should keep this case study in mind as to what can still be effectively achieved with the creative synthesis of applets and servlets without recourse to additional server (EJBs). But just stop for a second and think of the possibilities while this case study is still fresh in your mind … We have just started to scratch the surface.

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