Re: Getting started with Net.data -was-I'dbetterdomorethan talk -- WEB400

You are switching terms from what you originally stated, which is fine, but
it changes my stance. Now, the following might just be my perception of the
state of technology...

SOA <> Web Services

SOA = Service Oriented Architecture, and when RPG PGM1 calls RPG PGM2 you
have just done some sort of an SOA. On that note, SOA wasn't popularize
until XML and web services came about, but it is definitely not a new
concept.

If you have ever glued a TMS solution like LogPro into an ERP like say

JDEdwards, then you know how painful an experience that can be.

I agree, this changes the game a little, and is why I tried not to stick my
foot completely in my mouth with the other email :-) But I have to imagine
that many vendors that have web service entry/exit points also have a more
"native" approach; after all, those web services are front ending some sort
of existing API.

I love the IBMi, but have given up on believing it will be the ONLY

machine in the house :-)

I agree, it would be very hard to make that happen in todays world and have
it be cost effective. The part I struggle with is how the math adds up in
moving to other platforms or introducing a new language to modernize an
interface. I think PHP is a swell language for very easy web page
development, but for an RPG shop I would always recommend they stick with
RPG (i.e. CGI) before jumping ship to another entirely new language (even if
it is just front ending existing business logic). I would say the same
thing to a .NET shop considering Java or vice versa. In the end it all
comes down to short and long term gains, but often the short is what people
latch on to.

Aaron Bartell
http://mowyourlawn.com

On Mon, Aug 18, 2008 at 11:38 AM, Mike Pavlak <Mike.Pavlak@xxxxxxxx> wrote:

Regarding the point about why I would advocate SOA layers between
applications on a single machine...

Just to be clear, I would NEVER try to dictate what internal developers
are using, as long as it's PHP :-P

What I was really fishing for was from a Vendor perspective. If you
have ever glued a TMS solution like LogPro into an ERP like say JD
Edwards, then you know how painful an experience that can be. That
coupled with the fact that as transportation requirements change yearly
you may want to stay current with the transportation solution, even if
you haven't taken an upgrade of your ERP in 10 years! An SOA method of
gluing provides a more resilient integration layer that could provide
faster upgrades and implementations. And, yes, I have no problem
talking to a WS on another platform. I love the IBMi, but have given up
on believing it will be the ONLY machine in the house :-)

Regards,

Mike

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