ISU Statistics

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Using WebSphere, Java and COBOL to Implement a
Business Application
Iowa State University Ames, Iowa Enrollment
26,800 Public Land Grant University
Larry Newhouse Information Systems Leader Iowa
State University ADP Center 2nd Floor ASB Ames,
IA 50011 [phone] [phone]
(Fax) ldnewho_at_iastate.edu
Andy Terry Systems Analyst II Iowa State
University ADP Center 2nd Floor ASB Ames, IA
50011 [phone] [phone]
(Fax) aterry_at_iastate.edu
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Major Points

• ISU and the ADP Center
• Architecture Goals
• Existing New Architectural Model
• Trials and Tribulations
• Demo

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ISU Statistics

• Established 1858 - 1st Land-Grant College
• Fall 2000 Enrollment 26,800
• Total Faculty Staff 6,200
• Number of Colleges 9
• 00-01 Revenues 690,000,000
• Campus Acres 2,000

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ADP Center

• Staff - 82 PS, 14 Merit, 25 students
• Support - 43 Networks, 2730 PCs
• 120,000,000 records
• 10,000 programs
• Process daily
• 250,000 On-line transaction
• 300 Batch jobs
• 100 Help Center Calls

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Audience Quiz
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Architecture/Technology Goals

• Hardware independence
• OS/390, Unix, Wintel(NT)
• Access to data at its source
• Application code on appropriate platform
• Leverage/reuse
• Staff experience
• Existing business logic
• ADP Strategic directions

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• Integrate in-house and vendor solutions
• DATA different platforms, different databases
  (DB2, SQL, Access, etc.)
• Program development COBOL on OS/390, Java on
  Unix
• Leverage existing staff expertise, proven
  business logic, large scale system development
• Make this an evolutionary processnot
  revolutionary.

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Architecture

• Data Access / Application Model
• Next Generation Criteria
• New Model

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Data Access Model
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• TN3270 1800 clients, mature environment
• Unix/CGI Started in 1995, 25,000 clients,
  maturing, Vendor middleware.
• NT/IIS Active Server Pages Started in 1997,
  100 clients, maturing, vendor product interface.

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Web Applications

• Financial Aid
• Award Offer, Status, E-award, Loan History, Job
  Board
• Registrar
• Class Registration, Schedule, Transcript, General
  Info
• Resident Hall Dining Services
• Contract, Room Roommate Signup, Select Dining
  Service Options
• University Bill
• Advisee Information
• Voting
• Address Change
• Benefits Sign-up

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• AccessPlus Applications (summary list)
• Visit accessplus.iastate.edu and click on demo
  to take a closer look at our available
  applications.

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Web Information Requests

• Delivered content is escalating each fiscal year

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• Doubling/Tripling every year
• Measuring delivered content pages

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Architecture/Project Initiative

• Web System Development
• Legacy System
• Personal Web
• Business Web
• Interface with other legacy application processes
• Upgrade Existing Legacy System
• Mainframe terminal Web support
• Use / Integrate with Existing Web Architecture

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• Business/Finance Initiative
• Enhance architecture
• Implement web business application
• Separated business logic from CICS application
  code so both CICS and WEB transaction use the
  same logic.
• Integrate new business application processes
  into existing web access model for personal
  applications

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Next Generation Platform Criteria

• Who/where are the clients
• Maintain transactional integrity
• Interface requirements
• Strengths
• staff
• application systems
• standards
• vendor relationships
• Training
• Desktop requirements

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• Clients personal to business more complex
• Business process - transaction integrity
• TN3270 Web applications in same window
• Integration of in-house and vendor solutions
• Work with your strengths
• Work on your weaknesses
• Additional formal training,
• Higher end desktop hardware required.

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Mindsets

• Staff Mindset
• Analyst
• Designer
• Client
• Application Mindset
• TN3270 Business Applications
• Web Request/View Applications
• Web Business Applications

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• Analyst Understand new design and integration
  issues and opportunities
• Designer New design/presentation skills required
• Client fully develop application solutions
• TN3270 development world for complex business
  transactions
• Web App Our initial experience with the web has
  been for request/view transactions
• Web Business asked to provide solutions for
  complex and integrated business solutions

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Where do all the pieces fit?
Object-Oriented Design (OO)
Java Database Connectivity (JDBC)
Java Beans
Java Applets
Java Server Pages (JSPs)
Java Servlets
Enterprise Java Beans (EJBs)
CICS/COBOL
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• Challenges
• Understanding the terminology
• Deciding which technology to work with now and
  which to work with later
• Understanding the fit and process involved with
  this technology

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The decisions were made!

• WebServer
• WebSphere Application Server
• Desktop
• VisualAge for Java WebSphere Studio
• HomeSite/FrontPage 2000
• Business logic on the central system
• Upgrade desktops as needed
• Identify/develop training
• Enhance support areas
• Servers, desktop software, help desk, client

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• Given Follow ISU/ADP strategic directions
• WebSphere implemented on Unix, OS/390 later
• Tool functionality will overlap
• Business logic will remain in COBOL/CICS
• Faster PCs with more memory to support new
  development efforts taken on at the desktop
• Training included languages, tools, and concepts

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Architecture Model
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Model Impact Areas

• ADP Center
• ADP Staff
• Administrative Clients

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Impact-ADP Center-Standards

• History of Standards at the ADP Center
• Balancing Resources / Requirements
• Application Environments
• Procedural Processes
• Source Control

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• Processing resources used vs. Client desires
• Environments Production, training, test
• Application development processes
• Application integration (legacy / web)
• Check-in/Check-out
• Change tracking

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Impact-ADP Center-Security

• How to integrate with existing security on
  central system
• Access to CICS programs.
• Access to CICS systems.
• Access to functions within CICS systems.
• How to integrate with security process used in
  existing web model

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• Security databases and procedures existed
• First layer uses University ID/SSN and PIN for
  identification
• Internally translated to alternate IDs if
  required
• Security bean created for use by JSPs
• Modular design to accommodate single sign-on or
  use of other identification information

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Impact-Staff-Strengths

• Assessed Strengths
• Analytical / Business Logic
• Integrated TN3270 Applications
• Cobol / CICS / DB2 / ODBC
• Complex Batch Processes
• Host Centric
• Editors, Debugging and control processes
• Additional Skill Sets Required
• Graphic Designers
• Component / Object designers
• Languages
• Toolsets

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• Language
• Object Oriented/Pattern Design
• HTML / Java Server Pages
• Java, Java script, Java Bean/EJB
• JDBC
• Servlets
• XML
• Tools
• Java Development Software
• Web Page Development Software
• Modeling
• Wizards

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Impact-Staff-Growth

• Object Design
• Legacy Mindset
• Legacy/Web system integration
• Refreshing Skills

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Impact-Staff-Wizards

• Why use code generators?
• Pre-defined standards
• Rapid application development
• Shorter learning curve for staff
• History of in-house developed code generators and
  standards
• Our code generator
• Input COBOL copybook
• Generates XML or RecordBean
• Generates JSP
• Publishes generated code to work area.

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Wizards JSP/XML/Record Bean Generator
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Wizards JSP Code
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Impact-Staff-Testing Debugging

• Server / Model
• Site / Activity Analyzer
• Bottlenecks in model
• The Pounder (site stress testing tool)
• Application
• Understanding debugging points
• End to end debugging

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• Looking at site and activity analyzers to assist
  analysis of new applications and their impact
• Need ability to identify potential bottlenecks
• Stress tool helped pinpoint potential funneling
  points in early design models
• Debugging points include COBOL business logic
  testing, data interchanged between central server
  and webserver, desktop testing of jsps results

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Architecture Model
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Impact-Client

• History with clients
• Long-term
• Positive
• Committed
• History of Initiative
• Requisitioning design phase
• Directors retreat initiative

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• 25 years
• Regular communication
• Ongoing changes
• Focus group in 1998 of 8 departments
• Directors retreat in late 1999
• Routing components removed from Req
• Existing routing modified

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Impact-Client

• Expectations
• Functionality
• More intuitive, more options, more access
• Costs
• Lower

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• Improved process flow
• More display area for text
• Additional presentation options
• Greater access
• Lower costs

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Impact-Client

• Outcome
• Functionality
• More intuitive, more options, more access
• Costs
• Not lower

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• Field checking vs. screen checking
• Additional features
• Scroll bars
• Users more stratified
• Use of TN3270 and Web
•  Additional costs - H, S, and M
• Longer Design Phase
• More client training needed

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Results

• Success!
• Positive
• Satisfied
• Excited

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• Positive experience w/initial applications
• Satisfied clients
• Satisfied performance
• Excited future opportunities
• Applications
• Functionality
• Technology

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Today

• What we learned
• Complex
• Commitment
• Standardization
• Modularization
• Flexible

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• More complex than expected
• More cooperation and commitment
• More Standardization, Web related issues
• More formal Modularization
• More Flexibility

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Future

• Whats next?
• Continue learning
• Expand staff training
• Add Web applications
• Personalize Web experience
• Include Wireless Technology

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• Positive experience w/initial applications
• More complex than expected
• More cooperation and commitment
• Standardization, modularization, Flexibility
• Learn, train, add applications
• Personalization of web experience
• Wireless technology

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Application Demonstration
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• Existing Front Door to Administrative Systems
• Mature environment
• User of SSN or Univ. ID w/Pin
• Ported to the WebSphere Application Server

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Application Demonstration
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• Derived dynamically based on Login
• Four potential columns of functions
• ADIN Administrative Information
• Students
• Faculty
• General Maintenance

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Application Demonstration
Access Plus Navigation
Key Fields
Data Entry
Reference
Menu
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• 5 Screen Areas
• AccessPlus Navigation
• Key Fields
• Menu
• Data Entry
• Reference

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Application Demonstration
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• Simple Display/Update function
• System menu always present
• Pull down selection boxes
• Key fields populated as appropriate
• Missing or incorrect data fields turn red.
• Additional browser windows opened

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Application Demonstration
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• Browse Screen
• Unlimited display area
• Better display options (colors, fonts,etc.)
• Easier navigation to detail screens

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Application Demonstration
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• Routing Screen
• Removes from users Queue
• Sends e-mail to recipient(s)
• Updates action table

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• DEMONSTRATION

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• Questions?