Front cover IBM System i Application Modernization Building a New Interface to Legacy Applications Comparison of the different ways to access the IBM System i platform Discussion of JSFs, HATS, Web services, portlets, IBM WebFacing Tool, and rich client Examples of building different client interfaces Guenther Hartung Rolf Andre Klaedtke Elena Lowery Estela McCarty Els Motmans Aleksandr Nartovich ibm.com/redbooks International Technical Support Organization IBM System i Application Modernization: Building a New Interface to Legacy Applications September 2006 SG24-6671-00 Note: Before using this information and the product it supports, read the information in “Notices” on page vii. First Edition (September 2006) This edition applies to IBM OS/400 V5R3 and IBM i5/OS V5R4. © Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 2006. All rights reserved. Note to U.S. Government Users Restricted Rights -- Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp. Contents Notices . vii Trademarks . viii Preface . ix The team that wrote this redbook. ix Become a published author . xi Comments welcome. xi Part 1. Looking at the alternatives . 1 Chapter 1. Why you should consider new application interfaces . 3 1.1 Reasons for a change . 4 1.2 Up-front considerations and prerequisites . 5 1.3 IBM System i Developer Roadmap . 5 1.4 How to read this book . 6 Chapter 2. Modernizing System i legacy applications: Common business scenarios 7 2.1 Considerations for the scenarios and possible solutions . 8 2.2 Overview of the scenarios. 8 2.2.1 Scenario 1: Add a Web front end to a monolithic iSeries application . 8 2.2.2 Scenario 2: Add a portal front end to a monolithic iSeries application . 9 2.2.3 Scenario 3: Build a Web front end for a modular RPG application . 9 2.2.4 Scenario 4: Build a portal front end for a modular RPG application . 10 2.2.5 Scenario 5: Build a rich-client front end for a modular RPG application . 10 2.2.6 Scenario 6: Expose modular RPG applications as Web services. 10 2.3 Overview of basic solutions. 11 2.3.1 IBM WebFacing Tool . 11 2.3.2 Host Access Transformation Services . 14 2.4 Overview of advanced solutions . 16 2.4.1 JavaServer Faces technology. 16 2.4.2 Rich client . 19 2.4.3 PHP. 20 Part 2. Using IBM solutions . 23 Chapter 3. Host Access Transformation Services . 25 3.1 Requirements to prepare for a HATS implementation . 26 3.1.1 Hardware and software requirements. 26 3.1.2 Project implementation requirements . 28 3.1.3 Project implementation strategy . 30 3.1.4 Typical case studies . 32 3.2 IBM WebFacing Deployment Tool for WebSphere Development Studio V6.0.1 with HATS Technology. 34 3.2.1 Benefits to iSeries customers . 34 3.2.2 Components in the IBM WebFacing Deployment Tool for WebSphere Development Studio V6.0.1 with HATS Technology package . 35 3.2.3 Additional PTFs to enable IBM WebFacing Deployment Tool for WebSphere Development Studio V6.0.1 with HATS Technology . 36 3.2.4 Purchasing scenarios . 36 © Copyright IBM Corp. 2006. All rights reserved. iii 3.2.5 Purchasing IBM WebFacing Deployment Tool for WebSphere Development Studio V6.0.1 with HATS Technology . 37 3.3 Installing and configuring HATS . 37 3.3.1 Installing HATS . 37 3.3.2 Upgrading the HATS Studio with the latest available refresh pack. 39 3.3.3 Upgrading the HATS Trial Toolkit . 44 3.4 New features in HATS V6.0 and the refresh packs. 45 3.4.1 HATS V6.0 . 45 3.4.2 HATS V6.0.1 (refresh pack level 1). 47 3.4.3 HATS V6.0.2 (refresh pack level 2). 47 3.4.4 HATS V6.0.3 (refresh pack level 3). 47 3.4.5 HATS V6.0.4 (IBM WebFacing Deployment Tool for WebSphere Development Studio V6.0.1 with HATS Technology V6.0.1) . 48 3.5 Sample HATS application using default rules . 48 3.5.1 Developing a HATS application . 48 3.5.2 Preparing the HATS application for production. 59 3.6 Deploying the HATS application to the iSeries server . 61 3.6.1 Enabling HATS runtime . 61 3.6.2 Packaging the HATS application . 63 3.6.3 Installing the application on WebSphere Application Server V6.0 . 64 Chapter 4. The IBM WebFacing Tool . 67 4.1 WebFacing versus screen scrapers . 68 4.2 Requriements to prepare for a WebFacing implementation . 69 4.2.1 Hardware and software requirements. 69 4.2.2 Recommended skills. 73 4.2.3 Project implementation strategy . 73 4.3 Installing and configuring WebSphere Development Studio Client V6.0. 76 4.3.1 Installing WebSphere Development Studio Client V6.0 . 77 4.3.2 Upgrading WebSphere Development Studio Client V6.0 with the latest available fix pack . 80 4.3.3 Checking for new program temporary fixes . 81 4.3.4 New features of the IBM WebFacing Tool . 83 4.4 Sample WebFacing application. 86 4.4.1 iSeries servers that should be started for the IBM WebFacing Tool. 86 4.4.2 Starting WebSphere Development Studio Client . 88 4.4.3 Creating a WebFacing project. 88 4.4.4 Converting the WebFacing project . 95 4.4.5 Deploying the WebFacing application to the iSeries. 101 Part 3. Designing a new user interface . 107 Chapter 5. Before you create a new user interface . 109 5.1 Modularizing an existing iSeries application . 110 5.1.1 OPM versus ILE RPG . 110 5.1.2 Modernizing OPM programs . ..