This white paper aids Mainframe Programmers, AS/400 Administrators, and Microsoft Host Integration Server (HIS) administrators in configuring IP-DLC (Internet Protocol – Data Link Control) link service which ships with HIS.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=86d6011a-3396-4c36-b4b1-af7f4d80a099&displaylang=en&tm
Thanks Charles Ezzell (Escalation Engineer on the Host Integration Server Team) for writing the whitepaper entitled Creating a Self-Running BizTalk Stress Application using the BizTalk Adapter for DB2 which can be found here.
Most daily operational data resides in host files systems, such as mainframe VSAM and the AS/400 physical files. Often, legacy programs written in COBOL and RPG control access to these data sources. To improve your processes, you need to collect and analyze this vital information with up-to-date business intelligence tools in Microsoft SQL Server 2005. Integrating host-based data sources demands attention to issues such as security access, network deployment, and data conversion of complex data elements into SQL-accessible tables. This webcast shows how SQL Server can efficiently integrate legacy data sources using data and application technologies in Microsoft Host Integration Server.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032278607&EventCategory=5&culture=en-US&CountryCode=US
Much mission-critical data resides in file systems, such as IBM mainframe Virtual Storage Access Method (VSAM) data sets and AS/400 physical files. To reliably read and write to these data stores, enterprise developers––working with IBM host systems–must write custom COBOL or RPG programs. Yet, this development time can hamper enterprise IT rollout of new solutions. In this webcast, we examine Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 and Microsoft Host Integration Server 2006 (including the new Microsoft .NET Framework Data Provider for Host Files) technologies that allow enterprise developers to quickly and efficiently build new .NET Framework applications based on industry-standard XML Web Services.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032330318&EventCategory=5&culture=en-US&CountryCode=US
Yes, you read it right! The Host Integration Server Team is going to Disneyland! Ok, not the entire team and it's definitely not on vacations! And we are not going to Disneyland exactly...
On the first two weeks of June we head over Orlando to participate on Tech*Ed. You will have the chance to meet individuals from the product team on both weeks: DEV and ITPRO.
Besides the usual booth duty, we will present the following sessions:
DEV Week:
- Delivering Enterprise Solutions Using Microsoft BizTalk Adapters for Host Systems
- Publishing and Extending Business Rules in Mainframe (CICS and IMS) and AS/400 Programs Using Microsoft Host Integration Server
ITPRO Week:
- SOA352 - Enabling Knowledge Workers to Access Mainframe Programs and Data
- SOA358 - Publishing and Extending Business Rules in Mainframe (CICS and IMS) and AS/400 Programs Using Microsoft Host Integration Server
- SOA56 TLC - Building Customer Care Solutions Using Microsoft Host Integration Server 2006 and BizTalk Adapters for Host Systems
Please join us for these sessions! It would be great to meet you folks in person!
Cheers,
Ricardo
Cross Posted from http://blogs.msdn.com/ricardom
Organizations are using Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006 to integrate and orchestrate composite solutions that span multiple systems and applications. Key assets in most enterprise solutions are the line-of-business (LOB) data stores on heritage IBM host systems. These data stores include IBM mainframe zSeries Sequential Access Method (SAM), Virtual Sequential Access Method (VSAM), and Partitioned Data Set (PDS) data sets, in addition to IBM midrange iSeries or i5 (AS/400) physical files and members. Records within these files are often program-described, redefined, or recurring, making it difficult to read and write without complex data mapping and conversion. In this webcast, learn how to apply the tools and capabilities of the BizTalk Adapters for Host Systems (including BizTalk Adapter for DB2 and BizTalk Adapter for Host Files) to efficiently access existing LOB information. Based on underlying Microsoft .NET data providers for DB2 and host files, these adapters offer flexible configuration tools, send and receive port capability, and a solution that requires no programming for integrating BizTalk Server with existing heritage data stores.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032329834&EventCategory=5&culture=en-US&CountryCode=US
Enterprise computing is based on high-volume transaction and batch processing systems, such as IBM mainframe and midrange host computers. To modernize these heritage systems, organizations are using business process orchestration in Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006. Join this webcast to learn how the new BizTalk Adapter for Host Applications allows enterprises to connect BizTalk Server solutions to existing IBM mainframe zSeries (CICS and IMS) or midrange iSeries (AS/400) server programs. Based on technology from the Microsoft Transaction Integrator (TI), this adapter offers an intuitive Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 designer, including host COBOL and RPG source code import wizards for generating XML Schema (XSD) for BizTalk Server projects. We explain how the administration tools are integrated with the BizTalk Server port configuration and deployment tools. Attend this session to see how you can use the BizTalk Adapter for Host Applications to efficiently extend host programs with new solutions based on BizTalk Server 2006.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032330320&EventCategory=5&culture=en-US&CountryCode=US
Many enterprise organizations rely on IBM DB2 relational database servers to store their vital line-of-business (LOB) information. Enterprise developers must continually deliver new applications that require real-time access to these DB2 information stores, without compromising security or run time efficiency. In this webcast, we examine methods for direct data access to DB2, including industry-standard XML-based data integration services. Join us to learn how you can intelligently design and securely deliver scalable DB2 integration solutions using Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 and Microsoft Host Integration Server 2006, including the new Microsoft .NET Framework Data Provider for DB2.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032330316&EventCategory=5&culture=en-US&CountryCode=US
After completing this lab, you will be able to create a new BizTalk project, create an XML schema by using the BizTalk Editor, promote a schema property, create a flat file schema by using the BizTalk Editor, validate a schema and generate a sample instance message, create a strong name and assign it to an assembly, and build a schema project.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032371228&EventCategory=3&culture=en-US&CountryCode=US
After completing this lab, you will be better able to create a Transaction Integrator (TI) WIP assembly and a XSD representation using the TI designer, use TI manager to setup the remote environment and deploy and configure the assembly created by the TI designer, create a BizTalk application that uses ports, filters and the host application adapter, and administer the host application adapter.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032369523&EventCategory=3&culture=en-US&CountryCode=US
After completing this lab, you will be able to use Transaction Integrator (TI) to create a web service, configure IIS to host the TI web service, and create a C# application to call the web service.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032369524&EventCategory=3&culture=en-US&CountryCode=US
After completing this lab, you will be able to configure a connection to a DB2 database, build a simple XML web service to expose DB2 tables data using ASP.NET, retrieve a recordset of information from a DB2 table and return that recordset as a .NET DataSet via an XML web service, configure a connection to a host file dataset, build a simple XML web service to expose host files data using ASP.NET, and retrieve a recordset of information from a Host File and return that recordset as a .NET dataSet via an XML web service.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032369522&EventCategory=3&culture=en-US&CountryCode=US
Host Integration Server 2006 can now connect to IBM iSeries Systems using the HPR protocol. This will allow customers to support existing SNA applications in an all TCP/IP network. With the release of IBM OS/400 version 5 release 4, Host Integration Server can now establish a connection to an iSeries system using our IP-DLC link service. On the iSeries system we had to create a Controller Description of Link type *HPRIP and with 'Remote Internet Address' set to the IP address of the Host Integration Server. Our system also had the network attribute 'APPN Node Type' set to *BEXNODE, which is branch network node. This may vary depending on your APPN topology.
What does the Customer Experience Program mean to Host Integration Server? In the 2006 release, we included technologies which allow customers to participate in the Host Integration Server Customer Experience Program. The Customer Experience Program allows for direct feedback between the customer and the product team.
What is the Customer Experience Program?
Microsoft has a page dedicated to the Customer Experience Program located at http://www.microsoft.com/products/ceip/. It goes into the details of what the program is and how it works.
How does Host Integration Server implement the Customer Experience Program?
Host Integration implemented the Customer Experience Program (CEIP) to gather information in this release around setup and configuration technologies. The CEIP program refers to the information sent back from customers as datapoints. In Host Integration Server 2006, we collect datapoints around platform (including things like MMC version, OS Version, MSI version), features installed, and product edition installed just to name a few.
What we do with the information from the Customer Experience Program?
The datapoints we gather alone in the Host Integration Server 2006 release is giving us information on "how" customers are setting up our product. The information feeds directly into the specification process for the setup and configuration process for the next release as well as our testing matrix.
How has the data already helped the product team? We believed when we shipped the product that the feature tree structure and selections were very close to the default install most customers use. What has the data told us? In the top three installation scenarios, we were correct but there are a number of other scenarios that we didn't foresee.
How can you help?
Please consider opting into the Customer Experience Program during the Setup process for both the BizTalk Adapters for Host Systems and Host Integration Server products. We include in the unattended install a way to opt into the program. The information that you send to us is really helping make a difference in the way we approach product design.
