Re: Development tool recommendations sought

> hp <tic.ab.ca> writes: > I work for a medium sized corporation in western Canada. My company is > currently looking to migrate its 'big' applications (warehousing > management, head office systems, etc.) from the proprietary Honeywell-Bull > mainframe database, TPS, and its COBOL 'development tool' ;) > The corporate direction is to migrate to a new tool set that is able to > access many databases on a broad range of platforms. > We currently have 6 BullDPS6000's running GCOS6 rev H, several high > performance (dual pentium) NT servers at each sight, 1 AS/400 running > version 3.1 and 2 SMP Escala running AIX. > The network glue that allows these systems to communicate with each > other and the 250 WFWG311/WIN95 clients is TCP/IP. The mainframes, servers > and hosts communicate predominately through custom socket applications. At your current size (250 clients), and given that you are looking to migrate operational systems, my opinion is that whatever tools you pick you should be aiming at a 3-tier architecture. Your current TCP/IP network, in place and accessing all the boxes, gives you a good start. You may well want to preserve the current custom socket libraries and use them to enable 3-tier. But consider if the tools you pick will support them and if you want to continue the homebrew approach (versus going with purchased middleware that runs in the same environment). > We are looking at several development tools including VisualAge, > PowerBuilder, Progress and Acess/VB. The primary database may be > proprietary to the tool but it must also interface with our existing > databases; MSSQLServer, AS400/DB2, Access and, with luck, TPS. Also, the > tool must generate windows forms for clients to access multiple databases > across the WAN through socket services. IMHO, you should shoot for a standard (commercial) DBMS, that complies with the SQL Standard, and use it just as an "engine". This gives you the future ability for "plug and play", and access to best-of-breed tools. I would also choose my GUI Builder, my service implementation language and my middleware independently of each other. Yes, you might (or might not) have some integration work to do, but being able to pick the highest-quality tools freely more than makes up for it. > Any and all suggestions and/or recommendations as to databases and tools > would be welcome. > Thank you in advance, Tim. Since you asked... I think you should consider the MAGNA X Application Generator from Magna Software. It fits your staffs' existing skillset, builds 3-tier applications, and lets you use the GUI Builder of your choice (Visual Basic, Power Builder and others). I hesitate to say much more here, as I don't want to be flamed! If you'd like to know more send e-mail to "info@magna.com". > > hp@tic.ab.ca > >>>> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gary Long glong@magna.com Vice President, Product Development Magna Software Corporation Phone: 703/222-3500 12450 Fair Lakes Circle Fax: 703/222-8433 Fairfax, Virginia 22033 Technical data on "MAGNA X" CS/TP Application Generator info@magna.com