I would advocate training existing staff.
SQL Server and a web server can live nicely on the same machine. However for iSeries shops, there's no reason for SQL Server if all the data is in DB2.
The Windows machine can live inside the firewall just like the iSeries and expose ports as needed. In fact IBM has always proposed a 2 iSeries scenario when going to the web, so the 2 box scenario doesn't necessarily go away with iSeries unless your LPAR (Vmwareize)
You can also use Apache to host .Net just as easily as PHP, JSP, etc.
You can also use and take advantage of CGIDEV2/IWS and I imagine RPG-XML services from ASP.Net so really all the service communications can be done via ASP.Net or by calling into the i.
I've found that Client Access/400 or our .Netified version of JT400 works pretty well as the driver of choice. Seems a simple choice.
Most ASP.Net apps only take a few megs of disk on the IIS-Apache box so the machine setup is not very complicated.
A VMware is just an LPAR in sheeps clothing :-)
ASP.Net scales probably just as well as the other methods you guys have been throwing about. However I haven't done any millisecond thread clocking :-)
More and more of our customers are using at least 1 or more Windows appliances to front end the iSeries, so I think the Modern iSeries shop usually already have a combination of Windows and iSeries and this trend will continue as will VMware adoption.
By disadvocating (Is that a word :-) ) Windows you're really setting people up to try and live in a bubble that no longer exists, which is the iSeries all by itself.
Interesting enough EXTJS works just as well and simply with RPG, PHP, JSP and ASP.Net. Keep evangelizing that because EXTJS is a cool framework.
Just a few counterpoints to the anti .Net for iSeries sentiment. Have to try to keep things balanced :-)
Regards,
Richard Schoen
RJS Software Systems Inc.
Where Information Meets Innovation
Document Management, Workflow, Report Delivery, Forms and Business Intelligence
Email: richard@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Web Site:
http://www.rjssoftware.com
Tel: (952) 736-5800
Fax: (952) 736-5801
Toll Free: (888) RJSSOFT
------------------------------
message: 6
date: Thu, 7 Oct 2010 16:42:56 -0500
from: Aaron Bartell <aaronbartell@xxxxxxxxx>
subject: Re: [WEB400] Which scales better? J2EE, PHP, or CGIDEV2?
Aaron, do you really find ASP.Net that complicated ? :-)
The language/syntax itself? I haven't touched it in awhile. I am
more talking about a fairly common approach to "modernization" that I
see in IBMi shops which is generally as follows:
- Hire a .NET developer or train existing staff
- Setup an initial/new Windows server to sit outside the firewall, and
maintain that machine with patches.
- Setup IIS on that machine and maintain it with patches.
- Setup a separate Windows server to host MSSQL and maintain machine
with patches.
- Work through many iterations of determining the best way to
communicate with the IBMi/DB2/RPG. Usually a mix is decided on.
- Setup ODBC for SQL to DB2 and SQL to RPG communication or spend time
researching what other type of DB connection should be made (what's
the latest and greatest this year?)
- Setup web services on IBM i using CGIDEV2/RPG-XML Suite/IWS
- Setup Apache or IWS (Websphere) to facilitate previous point and
maintain with patches.
At this point you have tripled your servers (2 windows, 1 IBM i),
double or tripled your development staff, double or tripled your
maintenance of machines, have extra licensing to be concerned about,
have two sets of knowledge to maintain (Microsoft and IBMi) and send
people to conferences for, etc.
Will many shops get a solution working with Microsoft front-ending
IBMi? Yes. Will they be paying much more in the long run - most
definitely. Will they have troubles maintaining a large solution when
fixes/features need to go out? Without a doubt. Will they move
slower than their competitors in the long run because their
"modernization" solution is too complex? Yes.
I look forward to seeing you at the next QUSER meeting
(
http://www.quser.org/) by Minneapolis where I will be speaking about
a simpler stack (i.e. OpenRPGUI + ExtJS).[grin] The stack I am going
to be teaching on isn't perfect, but in the long run it is a heck of a
lot less complex than significant adoption of Microsoft front ending
IBMi.
Microsoft is brilliant at making at making smaller projects simple.
But then you need to grow the project and everything just keeps
getting bigger and more complex vs. simply scaling well. Before you
know it you have hired somebody just to keep track of VMWare
instances.
Aaron Bartell
http://mowyourlawn.com
http://mowyourlawn.com/blog/
midrange.com
