Hi All,

The release of the Universal Driver has prompted me to seek a better solution for a procedure that some of my clients are required to run each day. The procedure requires them to connect to a mainframe, log in, check for the existence of a file, download it if it exists and log out. They then run an OI routine that unzips the file and processes it, which in turn creates 3 zipped files. They must then reconnect to the mainframe, log in, upload the 3 zipped files and log out. I have written scripts in PcAnywhere v8.0 on a Windows 98 workstation to handle the first and last steps (downloading and uploading), but that version of PcAnywhere does not run on Windows XP and the new version that does (v10.5) no longer supports this type of scripting, so we can't upgrade to the Universal Driver. Sigh. I'm sure that a much more elegant solution can be created totally in OI, probably using an OCX control???, but I have not had any experience with them and I'm not really sure where to begin.

Has anyone already handled a similar situation? Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Gray Cunningham

We have automated this procedure before using FTP - is this an option for you?

The Sprezzatura Group

World Leaders in all things RevSoft

Unfortunately, FTP is not an option…it would have made my life alot easier if it had been.

Gray,

What type of mainframe, what mainframe OS, and what mainframe software comms products are available to you? Are there scripting tools on the mainframe that might support comms ? (like Perl does?)

If you can open a socket to a port on the mainframe (and you must be able to because PCA has worked historically, and presumably terminal emulators work) then you can move files to and fro.

I have a library of TCP/IP programs which offer comms direct from OI32. They use calls direct to Winsock.

As I have said before, it depends on what your target will support, and also if authentication can be automated.

Steve

steve@state-of-the-art.com.au

I did this with ftp too.

ftp from OI tp the mainframe was verboten by the security,

so I had the mainframe use ftp to send the files to a secure location on my server.

I have also done something similar by scripting the 3270 emulator.

search for 3270 emulation scripting OCX, there are lots of links like

this] for futuresoft. You should be able to use their OCX on an OI page. Actuate corp is another big player in the emulation market.

HTH

Bob

Steve,

I'm not sure what kind of mainframe, or anything about it for that matter…it is actully more like a proprietary mailbox system where messages (with attached files) are retrieved and sent. It was offered in the form of "take it or leave it", so they are not open to discussion regarding comm programs, etc…and the user's guide is a joke. It is amazing that in this day and age, a company like Bell Canada would use such a prehistoric messaging system…but I digress.

It is a relatively straightforward process…dial the number, wait for connection, respond to the username & password prompts, wait for the successful authentication messase, issue a "read new messages" command, answer the "do you want to download the attached file" question, start the zmodem download, save the downloaded file & disconnect…you get the picture. It is easy to describe it but I don't know how to make it happen in OI. If I felt that the users were capable of handling it, I would have them do it themselves manually with a terminal emulator; but they constantly amaze me in their inability to follow basic step-by-step instructions, which often results in my being called in to diagnose the problem and bail them out of the mess they have made – usually much more complicated than doing it right the first time.

Your TCP/IP library sounds interesting…is it a collection of subroutines that would be called from OI, or is that over-simplifying it? Do you feel that this would be the best and simplest solution for me?

Thanks,

Gray

Gray,

I guess you probably need something more akin to a zmodem transfer program.

Steve

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