🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <D6H5wL.276@world.std.com> pang@world.std.com writes:

[Please don't shotgun messages.  Followups redirected to (just) comp.
client-server.]

>   I was wondering if anyone has tried using the mainframe as a client to a 
>unix box?

We've done this in testing -- see below.

>the idea is that the unix box will be the funationality/database 
>server and the mainframe will be the client hosting the user interface. this 
>approach will make use of many existing 3270 terminals and requires minimal
>user re-training. is there a pacakge similar to OEC's encompass that can make
>this happen? ideally, i should be able to use REXX/COBOL on the mainframe
>to code the user interface. any idea regarding feasibility of this approach
>and existing tools/packages that can make this possible is welcome.

(begin plug)

It's not entirely clear what you want in an existing tool, but our
AAI (Application to Application Interface) middleware product allows
REXX/COBOL (or other language) host apps to invoke and exchange data
with servers on other platforms, including Unix.  AAI is a general-
purpose cooperative processing subsystem that provides things like
multiple programming models, name and location transparency, multiple
protocol support and protocol switching, etc.  Host OSes include CICS,
MVS / batch, TSO.  Unix flavors supported include AIX, Solaris, Pyramid,
HP-UX, possibly others.

Contact your local Micro Focus representative for details.

(end plug)

There are other solutions -- eg. you can call TCP/IP on the host in
a COBOL program (I think), though you may have to go through assembler
in the process.  You could always write APPC or CPI-C code, too.

Michael Wojcik
Transaction Services Product Group, Micro Focus Inc.
Department of English, Miami University