RE: Sharepoint...

We are doing development for Sharepoint 2010 (we also did for 2007) but we are not showing data coming from the IBMi DB2, those are two different projects in our shop.

But, if one would want to show data from the IBMi DB2 into Sharepoint, it would require to create either custom web parts using .NET (C# mostly) or custom web applications, then you can make C# to connect to any database having the appropriate drivers installed on the Windows Server.

As far as front end goes, an option is Telerik Controls, or something nicer than the native .NET framework; there is free alternatives for .NET controls somewhere on the web. Web services are not required since once the web browser makes the call to the server, the server does the job and returns HTML/JS/CSS to be rendered by the web browser itself.

Then you have Silverlight as another alternative for Front end, you have to use web services since this is a plugin for the browser, there is no way to talk with the DB directly.

You can also use WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation) to create custom web applications, but not custom web parts, the advantage is that you can also create desktop apps talking with the Sharepoint site using Web services -and- to talk directly with the database using .NET framework.

Custom web parts are easier to create on SharePoint 2010 than SharePoint 2007 where there were no native wizards on Visual Studio.

If you want to live with the out of the box power of Sharepoint Libraries and avoid hassle of the native Sharepoint Libraries UI, another option would be to synchronize between DB2 and the Sharepoint library, but personally, I wouldn't go this route, it would give more problems than solutions in the long term.

Other technologies required: Visual Studio, PowerShell to "automate" deployments, and TFS for versioning control.

jmerinoh

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Wyatt, Chris (FGWA-IL)
Sent: Thursday, September 01, 2011 8:07 AM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: Sharepoint...

This is a question that was asked in the LinkedIn AS400 group. I'm curious to hear your input.

Is anyone using Sharepoint as a front end for the System i? If so, what products and etc. are you using to do it?

Thank you.

Chris Wyatt
ERP Developer/Analyst
FleetwoodGoldcoWyard
A Barry-Wehmiller Company
(630) 759-6800 x301