RE: [WEB400] New System Development

[Buck Calabro <Buck.Calabro@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>I am going to develop a new application on
>the AS400 v5r1. I want to keep my business
>logic completely in RPGLE using DB2/400
>as the database. My problem is that I
>need browser based screens and I am not
>able to decide whether I should use Java
>or CGI to handle browser requests.

One question you need to answer is: will the same iSeries be running
green-screen applications at the same time it will be serving servlets?
Think of the cost to buy iSeries hardware that will run WebSphere AND have
sufficient interactive features to continue the green screen applications.

I posted a question last week regarding real experience with replacing a
thick client with a browser based client and go no responses except for
vendors trying to help out.  I may be in a peculiar situation working for a
software vendor, but we are having difficulty convincing potential customers
to spend money to upgrade a 720 to a new 820 with L2 cache.  IBM says that
WAS requires L2 cache to run well and I believe them.

Don't think that Tomcat will be a cheap alternative.  I found no more than a
15% difference in performance between WAS 3.5.4 and Tomcat on a 620, and
maybe 10% on an 820 running WAS 4.0.2 and Tomcat.  (Tomcat is a bit faster)
Basically, Tomcat needs the same hardware that WAS does.  This may turn out
to be a tuning issue (which can be addressed in another thread).

Do consider the cost of upgrading your iSeries in the calculation of what
technology to employ.
  --buck