Web Enabling Your HP 3000
Using ODBCLink/SE to Webify HP e3000
ODBCLink/SE is an implementation of Microsoft’s Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) interface
that enables Microsoft Windows based applications and tools to access IMAGE/SQL on the
HP e3000 and ALLBASE/SQL on the HP e3000 and HP 9000, in a client/server environment. In this
environment, application developers and end-users can take advantage of the PC’s graphical user
interface (GUI) and processing power, while relying on the security, integrity, and database man-
agement capabilities of ALLBASE/SQL and IMAGE/SQL.
For users who need access to other file types — MPE, KSAM, Oracle and self describing file for-
mats like DataExpress subfiles, Cognos’ Powerhouse subfiles, or Query SD files see
http://www.MBFoster.com/DataExpress.
By using a three-tier architecture with an NT server in the mid-tier, a browser can access data via
ODBCLink/SE. The NT server acts as a client to the HP e3000 server. Access security can be man-
aged through the login security on the HP e3000 server or using facilities on the NT server.
Using Web toolkits such as MicroSoft’s Internet Information Server or Allaire’s Cold Fusion —- a
website can be rapidly set up to access data on an HP e3000.
Design considerations
First, remember the speed of the web page will depend on the amount of time spent getting the
records back to the user. When designing the web page start by “story boarding” it. Look at the
data requirements for the following aspects:
34
Security
• Who should be allowed to use
these web pages?
• How will you validate the user?
• Is there any data that needs
security?
• Should the server put any
pages into Secure Sockets
Mode or is it OK for everyone to
read the data?
Performance
• How many records need to
be read to satisfy the request?
• How many records will be
selected by the largest query?
• How will the selection be done?
Do any of the queries span mul-
tiple databases?
• Does your web server allow
connection pooling?
Simplicity
• How will we avoid supplying
more data than the user
wants?
• Is there a need to require
selection criteria to reduce
the information retrieved?
8 Steps for Setting up a web server with ODBCLink/SE
1. Create the data source on the NT server.
2. Configure the MS-IIS server to use the data source.
3. Build a basic web page.
4. Configure the ODBCLink/SE server on the HP e3000.
5. Start the server (or make it permanent by adding it to
SYSStart).
6. Populate the web page with data from the HP e3000
Image/SQL server.
7. Design Considerations.
8. Monitoring the listener.
For an illustrated detailed version of this step by step method
see http://www.MBFoster.com/whitepapers/ODBCLinkSE.
There are some settings for
ODBC as well as for the web-
server that will need to be
selected and configured in.
The concepts of pooling,
threads, and concurrency as
well as database isolation lev-
els need to be understood
before implementing a web-
site. Depending on your envi-
ronment your settings will be
different. See the above web-
site for more information.