We have EntireX installed on a separate UNIX box which currently is not doing anything. We are running Natural 5.1.1 with ADABAS C (Version 3.22) on UNIX, separate from the box where EntireX is running. What I want to know is the following;
How must EntireX be configured to communicate with the UNIX box where Natural is running?
Is it possible to use Java (via EntireX) to communicate with the Natural box, executing a subprogram in order to manipulate ABADAS data? This means using the DCOM wrapper included with the EntireX software.
Is it at all possible to develop such an interface without using other software but utilizing what we already have? This means that no 3rd party database driver needs to be installed, no other brokers or add-on software, apart from a web-server (Apache will be used as it is approved by the company). No additional purchasing will be approved at all since it is a consideration from the company to move away from Natural and ADABS.
Any help or advice will be greatly appreciated.
Anthonie
Hi Anthonie,
Let me see whether I understand what you are asking; you want to use a front-end (either DCOM based or Java) to communicate with a Natural application running on UNIX? If this is the case, then I would assume a 3-tier approach:
Machine 1 (Client) → Machine 2 (EntireX Unix Server) → Machine 3 (Nat/Ada Unix Server)
You can do this in various ways. First of all you should be running Natural RPC Servers, which must be registered to the Broker running on Machine 2. You can address the Broker by using the physical machine?s IP address + TCP Port number, or you could ensure that the Broker name is properly resolved by the DNS Server.
Once the Natural RPC Server is successfully registered to the Broker you are ready to create your client components. On the Client side (Machine 1) you will create an IDL file and from this IDL file either generate a DCOM component or Java Client Classes, you could also use the XML Wrapper to expose your Natural application as XML documents or SOAP.
When generating the client components ensure that you specify the proper Broker address (Broker name or IP address + TCP Port, for example ETB172:5172 or 10.148.1.1:5172), as well as the proper RPC Service information (Server Class, Server Name, Service, for example Server Class=RPC, Server Name=SRV1, Service=CALLNAT).
After you generated the client components you should be able to test. An easy test to do before generating your own clients would be to use some of the examples provided with EntireX. Have a look in the ?C:\Program Files\Software AG\EntireX\Examples\Java ACI? directory. There are 2 classes, client.java and server.java. You could run the server class on Machine 3 and the client on Machine 1 and run a simple test to verify the connectivity between the respective machines. Refer to the README.TXT for information on how to run this little test.
You could also use the Broker Control Center to verify whether the Server programs/class has successfully registered to the Broker.
I hope this answers your question. If it is too vague please let me know and I will try to be more specific.
Regards
Theo
I just noticed that this posting is under the Mediator category. Is your question related to EntireX Communicator or EntireX Mediator?
Regards
Theo
Hi Theo,
Thanks for the response and the advice. Although we are busy with a migration to Oracle and my time is not my own I am going to set up the configuration over the weekend. The most important query was answered regarding the connection between the Client, the Server and the Broker. The end-user will be using a browser as his/her front-end.
The wrapper that is shipped with EntireX (DCOM) will be called by a Java applet from the browser; the DCOM component will then execute the Natural subprogram. This is my own understanding of the process of communication, I am correct in my approach?
Once again, thank you for the advice and help. I will let you know what is happening and where I am in the process of things.
Hi Anthonie,
if you want to call an EntireX Wrapper from a Java applet you should use the Java Wrapper and not the DCOM Wrapper.
You will find a simple examples (“myClient”) in the folder EntireX\Examples\Java Wrapper.
Kind regards,
Rolf
Rolf Bahlke
Software AG Research and Development.