FINDING A FAST and secure way to extend access to legacy systems via the Internet should be a priority for any e-business initiative, especially when you consider that a reported 70 percent of all business data and applications still reside on mainframes and other host syste
ms.
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Host On-Demand Version 5.0
BUSINESS CASE
Companies looking to leverage legacy systems rather than replace them would do well by IBM's Host On-Demand. This Web-to-host solution provides a cost-effective approach to accessing legacy applications and data in a highly controllable and configurable fashion.
TECHNOLOGY CASE
Thanks to Host On-Demand's component-based architecture, administrators can roll out only the functionality that users need. A large number of deployment and emulation options means chances of making a perfect match are extremely high.
PROS
+ Enterprise-level platform support
+ Excellent use of wizards
+ Efficient component-based architecture
+ Easy to deploy and administer
+ Cost-effective
CONS
- None significant
COST
$299 per user (includes Host On-Demand, Personal Communications, and Screen Customizer)
PLATFORMS
Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows Terminal Server, OS/2, OS/390, OS/400, NetWare, Solaris, AIX, HP-UX, Linux
IBM Corp., Armonk, N.Y.; (800) 426-3333; www.ibm.com/software/webservers/hostondemand
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With capitalizing on host systems in mind, IS managers would do well to look into the latest version of Host On-Demand from IBM. Host On-Demand already reigns as the Web-to-host champion against rivals from vendors such as Attachmate, NetManage (Wall Data), and Seagull Software, and this latest edition, Version 5.0, raises the bar even higher.
Providing a cost-effective way to access and use existing business systems, Host On-Demand supports a multitude of operating platforms and emulation types, including TN3270, TN3270E, TN5250, VT100, VT220, as well as a host of printers. Furthermore, Host On-Demand allows administrators to quickly and easily define and deploy connectivity without requiring changes to either the desktop or the target application.
For those concerned with enterprise deployment, IBM has gone the distance to ensure that integration into almost any environment is possible. In fact, with support for OS/390, OS/400, Solaris, HP-UX, and numerous flavors and distributions of Linux, chances are high that you'll find just what you're looking for. If you intend to run Host On-Demand on Linux, however, note that it will not work with tthe Gnome 1.0 desktop; you'll need to upgrade to Gnome 1.2.
This latest version of Host On-Demand comes replete with many new functions and enhancements, including a component-based architecture that allows administrators to deploy custom-configured clients and automate the distribution of updates according to the organization's administration policies. In all, we found Host On-Demand 5.0 to be a stellar product and worthy of a score of Excellent. Its ease of use, flexibility, and high ROI will keep even the most aggressive and forward-moving companies in touch with their legacy data.
What's new?
Of course, one of the bigger changes in this release is the flexible component-based architecture. Now, users can choose to deploy clients with only the features needed by end-users. Aside from a better architecture, the net result of this is a dramatically faster download time thanks to the smaller file sizes.
Another notable new feature is Express Logon, which uses digital certificates to streamline end-user log-ins. When used in concert with IBM's Communications Server, Express Logon allows a user running a 3270 client session to log on to a host system without entering a user ID or password, not only making host access easier for the user but also significantly reducing the amount of time administrators must spend maintaining host user IDs and passwords.
Working hand in hand with Express Logon is a feature called the Smart Cache, which enables updates to the components used by the cached clients in the background; it also offers a component-level check and update mechanism that automates code distribution based on your shop's administration policies.
In addition to the other significant features, this release boasts a Host On-Demand Configuration Servlet, which, when used with a Web application server such as WebSphere Application Server, allows Host On-Demand to use the HTTP or HTTPS ports exclusively for configuration traffic. Although a telnet port is still required for host connectivity, thanks to the Configuration Servlet administrators can now easily deploy Host On-Demand across the extranet with no firewall restrictions.
Rounding out the solution is a new Policy Management and Feature Disable function that allows administrators to control exactly which features are made available to each user via a highly intuitive graphical user interface.
Choose your client
Like other host access solutions, Host On-Demand provides a range of choices for deploying clients. The Download and Function On-Demand clients are downloaded from the server each time they are used, a logical choice for users for whom download time is not a factor and connectivity is predictable, such as users connected via a LAN. The On-Demand client has the additional advantage of downloading basic functionality initially, with other features downloaded only as needed.
For low-bandwidth users, such as those relying on dial-up connections, Host On-Demand provides a Cached client as well as a client that can be installed locally. The Cached client is downloaded the first time it is run; after that, the client checks the server for updated components each time its is run and downloads updates in the background.
IBM also includes an impressive toolkit for easily creating Host Access applications on the platform of your choice. Made up of the Host Access Class Library API (a collection of classes and methods for accessing host data at the stream level) and the Host Access Beans for Java and ActiveX (a set of JavaBeans and ActiveX controls for providing emulator functions), IBM has truly set the standard for extensibility.
Although Host On-Demand was available as a stand-alone product in previous releases, IBM has strengthened the offering by combining it with the Personal Communications terminal emulator package and the Screen Customizer. The new bundle goes by the name of the IBM Hoost Access Client Package Version 1.0 and costs $299 per user -- only $100 more than what IBM used to charge for the stand-alone version of Host On-Demand. For your extra $100 you get a complete emulation package containing traditional emulation, thin client emulation, and screen customization -- a much bigger bang for a little more buck.
