HTTP Serving
There
are many HTTP servers in the marketplace. But ADVANCED
BusinessLink has built the world's only 400-specific
HTTP server. This design approach allowed Strategi to
have a more natural and efficient server than any other
iSeries HTTP server. It serves HTML, WML, XML etc. to
the client device. Strategi’s HTTP server can run
alongside the IBM HTTP server supplied with the iSeries.
While the user will simply see web
pages being served, the system administrators and
programmers will immediately recognize that they were
not forced to learn a whole new environment. Instead
they will feel right at home working with Strategi. By
designing to the strengths of the iSeries,
Strategi provides both an efficient, highly scalable
environment, as well as an easily deployed and managed
infrastructure that takes advantage of your existing
architecture and skill base.
PushFeed Technology
This powerful and easy to use component is unique to the
Strategi product. It allows any iSeries file to be sent
to a Strategi user or group of users, interactively or
in batch mode. The following file types are supported:
DB2 file (with field processing); DB2 file (as a stream
file); IFS stream file; Spool file.
Files are delivered to the user in one of the following
formats: xbase (.dbf), RTF (Rich text format),
HTML, ascii text, XML, HPT (Host Print Transform)
When a Strategi user signs on then the applet will open
a window listing the files which have been sent to them.
If the user is already signed on then the window will
open whenever a new file is received. Pushed files can
also be retrieved via a web page.
Web based Printing
Through the use of Strategi's unique “PushFeed”
technology, iSeries reports can be easily distributed
and managed. As each Strategi user is defined, a unique
'mailbox' is created for that user that reports will be
sent to. Designated reports can be delivered immediately
to the user or delivered in an overnight batch.
File Transfer
Strategi delivers files to any authorized users. The
file may be an iSeries file that can be downloaded
immediately into an application such as Excel or ACT. At
other times the file to be delivered will be a PC file
such as a PowerPoint presentation. Delivery of the file
is through the unique ADVANCED BusinessLink’s “PushFeed”
architecture. This allows delivery to occur on demand of
the user or at off peak times in order to enable
balanced use of system resources. Any files not
delivered immediately will be 'mailboxed' until the user
returns.
Administration &
Tools
Strategi will deliver an applet to the user and
establish an iSeries session with that user. The system
administrator then manages the web based users as any
other user. For example some users, such as a sales
force or customer base, might have very restrictive
profiles while other groups, such as support personnel,
might have more extensive resources. This ensures that
both the deployment and management of users is very
natural to iSeries administrators and thus does not
cause unnecessary delays due to extensive learning
curves.
Also a tool is included which allow the administrators
to monitor the connections to the HTTP server to see how
many people are accessing the site, who they are, who is
accessing the authenticated zones etc.
Finally, “Webmaster” is a tool that allows Web site
developers to work on a local PC rather than with the
iSeries IFS. The tool is a Java application which needs
to be downloaded once only to the PC.
Summary of
Strategi’s Benefits
IBM’s
Alternatives to Strategi
A
direct comparison between the IBM and ABL offerings is
difficult because the two suppliers do not have
equivalent products. To duplicate the complete
functionality of Strategi would require Host On-Demand
and Host Publisher (including WebSphere Application
Server). Aside from the cost of the software products
themselves the time and services required to develop and
implement the solutions would be considerably greater
than with the Strategi product.
There is no IBM product that performs the function of
the Strategi PushFeed, and this is a very strong point
in favor of the Strategi product. The functionality
could possibly be reproduced but would require
significant amounts of bespoke and expensive development
to achieve.
Tests have shown that the ABL HTTP server is up to 10
times faster than the IBM HTTP server on an iSeries when
retrieving static pages for the first time. Once the
pages are cached the two servers obviously perform the
same.
