Submitted by Bent Rønne on Thu, 12/07/2006 - 00:00
Forums
IceBreak

Hey there

We are going to release a free Web Query/400 software shortly for the System i, iSeries and as400. Therefore we need your help to test the product prior to the release. The product will be called “IceBreak Inspire” and it is a free tool for Query/400 requests.

Existing queries can be imported into a spreadsheet, or presented in an internet or intranet browser.

You can organize and structure your queries in groups, and they can be accessed through an OS/400 web log-on.

I hope that you will help us testing the free software by download it from http://icebreak.org/dwnllimit.asp.

You can find installation description on the following link:

http://icebreak.org/InstallTxt.htm

Find “Getting started with IceBreak Inspireâ€:

http://icebreak.org/InspireStart.htm


All the source are included - located in the IFS at ‘/www/Inspire’.


Regards,

Bent

Jamie,

It is NOT necessarily for you to be QSECOFR, but you must have some appropriated rights to the iSeries. You should be able to install with *PGM or *SYSADM rights as well. Please let me know if you have problems with what.

Have a good time at the .net class - You can of cause reuse your new knowledge in a IceBreak server 


Bent

Andrew,


No problems for the Apache server at all – The IceBreak server uses the only os400 native Web Application Server on the marked - called IceBreak  . This means that Apache not even know the existing of IceBreak on the same box… The only problem can be if you configure IceBreak to use the same TCP/IP port as used by Apache or any other TCP/IP products for that matter.

By default the IceBreak ADMIN server uses port 7000 and the Inspire server uses port 7080. Both ports can be adjusted while installing.

For the 8 days of demo – all you need to do is to order the TOTAL FREE license for the IceBreak Inspire and you will receive a License Key code by e-mail within 24 hour (Monday- Friday). To order press the “Order License code” from the “License key code information for IceBreak” panel in the ADMIN server (e.g. http://myiseries:7000).


Bent

We have now made a test page where you can run some of our OS400 Queries for fun.

Visit http://demo.icebreak.org/inspire/ and try it.

User ID = DEMO
Password = DEMO

When you enter the menu you must select the “folder” at the top left corner. From there you can select a group of queries. Try to select “Demo Reports” and a list of queries will be shown. From there you can select a query and press “Run as HTML” or “Run as XML”.

If you have Microsoft Excel 2003 you can right click in the data and select “Export to Microsoft Excel” and all the data will be exported for you.

Since the User profile DEMO has only the authorization USER you will not be able to select other things from the Inspire menu.


I hope you like it

Bent

Hi littlepd,

I can answer your question that Bent did not answer:


 Originally Posted by littlepd: 
"So, is WebSphere Application Server not an "OS/400 native Web Application Server"?"

YES it is! Websphere Application Server on i5/OS (OS/400) is a native application server, and so is Apache!

I think that Bent is causing confusing when he states that IceBreak is the only native application server. Here is a better explanation:


"IceBreak has an i5/OS (OS/400) integrated HTTP server that runs natively just as Websphere Application Server and Apache HTTP Server. With IceBreak you can create RPG and Cobol native applications that can serve web-pages. The main difference is that normally with Websphere you create Java applications (there are also other languages to choose from). With Apache HTTP Server you can run CGI or PHP (or others), and with IceBreak you run RPG or Cobol applications.

You do not need either Websphere Application Server nor Apache HTTP server to use IceBreak. But it is my oppinion that you normally will use at lease an Apache HTTP Server in front of IceBreak to have support for Virtual Servers or Hosts. An example: You have a couple of different applications running in separate instances of an IceBreak server. They all listens for request on a specified port (8080, 8081 etc.). If are like me you will never deploy applications to either employees or customers that use nothing else but port 80. With Apache you can listen for connections on port 80 and with some rules you can forward requests to either of your "internal" ports (8080 or 8081 etc.) based on fx. the hostname. Now you can send out links like https://applicationA.yourhostname.com and http://applicationB.yourhostname.com"
 

Hope this helps to clarify all the sales and marketing confusions comming around.

Best regards,

John Foldager
www.izone.dk

John,

What I’m trying to say is that OS/400 is the original operation system for the AS/400 – and from my point of view this is what OS/400 Native means! You are talking about AIX or PASE applications running on the same box, but NOT in the original OS/400 environment. It is true that you from AIX and PASE can make “bridges” to the OS/400 – but this is NOT the “real” thing – sorry! E.g. If you need to call a RPGLE program using WebSphere you have to go through the following layers:

• TCP/IP
• Apache Server
• Java Run time
• WebSphere Application Server
• J2EE/Beans/JSP
• JNI
• Your OS400 RPGLE program

And then back again!

If I’m wrong please correct me.

For the IceBreak Web Application server all you need to go through is:

• TCP/IP
• IceBreak Server
• Your OS400 RPGLE program

And then back again!


Originally Posted by John:

"But it is my oppinion that you normally will use at lease an Apache HTTP Server in front of IceBreak to have support for Virtual Servers or Hosts….â€"


It is okay to do so - but please have in mind that you will reduce the performance by at least 50%. We have customers running Web-Shops on old 170’s (os400 V5R1) – and it runs nice – without the Apache Server slowing us down.

Bent

Hi Bent,

I knew my answer could make you comment on it 


 Originally Posted by Bent: 
"What I’m trying to say is that OS/400 is the original operation system for the AS/400 – and from my point of view this is what OS/400 Native means! You are talking about AIX or PASE applications running on the same box, but NOT in the original OS/400 environment."


I'm defently not talking about either AIX nor PASE!

I'm talking about Websphere Application Server and Apache HTTP Server which both are created using portable C code, and which both have been ported to the i5/OS (OS/400) and extended to take advantage of core i5/OS APIs! That is what I'm talking about... and that is native!


 Originally Posted by Bent: 
"It is true that you from AIX and PASE can make “bridges” to the OS/400 – but this is NOT the “real” thing – sorry! E.g. If you need to call a RPGLE program using WebSphere you have to go through the following layers:

•TCP/IP
•Apache Server
•Java Run time
•WebSphere Application Server
•J2EE/Beans/JSP
•JNI
•Your OS400 RPGLE program
And then back again!

If I’m wrong please correct me."


I think that you have been talking to much with the marketing and sale people in your organization  First of all it is not necessary to go through all these layers. Secondly Websphere is primarily for Java programming so you might not need to call an i5/OS application. If you use SQL etc. then you can do so. This is the "real" thing. If you [or your organization] keeps saying that this is not the real thing and that you always have to go through all these layers, then just wait for my comments when you launch IceBreak with support for JavaScript, VBScript or VisualBasic syntax!!!

You just have to admit that there is a world outside IceBreak. At least until you implement some of the features that is really needed in the IceBreak core to make it really easy to use for the applications of tomorrow!


 Originally Posted by Bent: 
"For the IceBreak Web Application server all you need to go through is:

•TCP/IP
•IceBreak Server
•Your OS400 RPGLE program
And then back again!"


This might be true if you want a single IceBreak instance running on port 80, but if you want to deploy websites and internal applications in IceBreak then you'll have to use Apache or the like to get URL's that do not need to have a port specified.

I can easily make Java applications that only have to go through the following layers:

•TCP/IP
•Apache HTTP Server
•Apache Tomcat Server
•Java Run time
•Your Java program

and if you want the same functionality with IceBreak (keeping the ports in mind) you will do the following:

•TCP/IP
•Apache HTTP Server
•IceBreak Server
•Your OS400 RPGLE program


 Originally Posted by Bent: 
"It is okay to do so - but please have in mind that you will reduce the performance by at least 50%. We have customers running Web-Shops on old 170’s (os400 V5R1) – and it runs nice – without the Apache Server slowing us down."


I agree with you that IceBreak is especially perfect for low-end setups. I would never deploy Java applications on Websphere on an old 170. It is just the marketing hypes that I disagree on!

Furthermore, IceBreak hasn't been on the market as long as Apache HTTP, so it might have some of the security flaws that Apache has got rid of many years ago. Apache HTTP also has a whole lot more programmers dedicated to it all around the world. You might comment on this with your concerns of open source software, but for now it has proved reliable.... you can't compete with that.

Regarding security and hacker intrusion in IceBreak I have previously send the IceBreak Development Team some of my points of view for improving the product. I'm still waiting for functionality and/or documentation for some of this before I trust IceBreak enough to remove the Apache HTTP server in front of it. I'm NOT saying that it is not secure... just that there is some issues that I do not like.

Best regards,

John Foldager
www.izone.dk
www.icebreakforum.org

 Originally Posted by Andrew K:
"Thanks Bent for your reply!

Sorry if I am missing something but...OK so I get an 8 day free trial period, but what are the costs after that?"

Free is free !! You have 8 days to enter the production code, which you gets for free.

Niels

 Originally Posted by littlepd: 
"So, is WebSphere Application Server not an "OS/400 native Web Application Server"?"


WebSphere is native, even some might argue that java is native on system i. Bent just missed a single word: ILE

IceBreak is the only native application server for ILE

 Originally Posted by Andrew K:
"Does 'Inspire' give any interface to a user to change the selection of records before launching the query (equivalent of "Select records" screen) ? I am thinking of date ranges, for example.

Thanks"


Hi Andrew


For the time being we are working on a new version including the following new stuff (called Radar):

• Record selection when running the query
• Automatically sending a query to a email recipient in XML or HTML format
• Queue up queries so it is possible to run “work” queries with working output files and when the “work” query ends the next query will then be able to proceed with the work file just created.

I have NO estimated time ready for you today, but I’ll let you all know when I have.

Thanks for your interest in IceBreak Inspire  I’m looking forward to hear your comments of the product.


Regards,

Bent Rønne

Hi Andrew;

The free-ware version 'Inspire' does not have the records selection feature. However, we are working on a more sophisticated version called 'Radar' which has that + batch scheduling of queries / and sequence of queries to run and mailing the result to recipients and groups.

On the other hand, Inspire is shipped with all the source, so you can modify the "runqry.asp" if you like to.

Regards

Niels