Components and the ways of using the CTG facilities

The CICS Transaction Gateway contains the following components:· A Java gateway application that resides on a web server. On non-S/390 platforms, itcommunicates with CICS applications through facilities provided by the CICS Universal Client. OnS/390 systems, it communicates inbetween virtual memory spaces with CICS applications via theCICS External Communication Interface (EXCI).· A CICS Universal Client that provides the External Call Interface (ECI) and External PresentationInterface (EPI), as well as a terminal emulation function. The ECI interface enables a non-CICSclient application to call a CICS program as a subroutine using distributed program link calls. TheEPI interface enables a non-CICS client application to act as a logical 3270 terminal and socontrol a CICS 3270-based application. It uses transaction routing. The CICS Universal Client isthe same program that is used on workstations to access CICS. It runs only on non-S/390platforms.· A CICS Java class library that provides an API for communication between the Java gatewayapplication and a user-written Java application, either applet or servlet. The class JavaGateway isused to establish communication with the gateway process. The ECIRequest class is used tospecify ECI calls and the EPIRequest class for EPI calls (through the CICS Universal Client).· A set of Java EPI beans for creating Java front-ends to existing CICS 3270-based applications.· A terminal servlet that allows to use a web browser as an emulator for a 3270 CICS application.There are 5 alternative ways to use the CICS Transaction Gateway facilities:· Writing servlets (Java web server programs): The CICS Transaction Gateway supplies Javaclasses and Java beans that allows to write Java web server code to handle a browser requestthat requires services from CICS. They may be used to provide access to existing CICSapplications, to entirely new function, or a combination of both. They include all of the dataconversion and manipulation functions that are ordinarily needed to invoke S/390 CICStransactions with a 3270 or COMMAREA interface, and to communicate with the browser.· Writing applets: The same facilities may be used to code an applet. An applet has the samefunction as a servlet, but executes on the end-user workstation after download by a server. Itrequires a Java-enabled browser on the workstation.· Turnkey access to 3270 transactions: The CICS Transaction Gateway supplies one pre-codedservlet, called the "terminal servlet", that provides turnkey browser access to CICS 3270-interfacetransactions. The servlet translates browser requests to CICS interactions on a on a one-for-onebasis, so that the user sees the browser equivalent of the "green" 24x80 screens that wouldappear on a real 3270 terminal. It uses the Java classes and beans described above to convertURL-encoded HTTP browser input to 3270-format data inbound, and to convert 3270-formattransaction output to HMTL for return to the browser.· Tailored access to 3270 transactions: These facilities permit modifying, without reprogramming,the green-screen interface produced by the terminal servlet. You can change the HTML on ascreen-for-screen basis with CICS facilities, and you can use variable substitution with web serverserver-side includes to map one browser request to several 3270 interactions, or to invoke a 3270transaction and extract data from the returned screen.· CORBA client support: ORB-enabled browsers can run Java beans which interoperate withserver-side Java beans running in a CORBA server (such as WebSphere Application Server) viathe CORBA IIOP protocol. The server-side beans can then invoke CICS Transaction GatewayJava methods to execute 3270- or COMMAREA-based CICS applications.

(1) User-written servlet on a S/390 web server invoking multiple COMMAREA-based transactions forone browser request;(2) turnkey 3270 access through the Terminal Servlet;(3) a user-written servlet on a non-S/390 web server invoking multiple transactions (3270 orCOMMAREA) for one browser request;(4) applet counterpart for (3).The CICS Transaction Gateway permits to drive existing or new applications from a set of providedJava classes. The interface could be a workstation, web browser or NC. The classes (which arerepresentations of the ECI and EPI APIs) communicate with a Java application named the "CICS JavaGateway" that is part of CICS TG. In a middle tier configuration it uses the CICS Universal Client tocommunicate with the CICS server. If CICS TG and its Java Gateway runs directly on OS/390, it usesthe EXCI (External CICS Interface) to communicate with CICS. The EXCI is an OS/390 cross-memoryinterface packaged with CICS/390. It allows an OS/390 application to call a CICS program in an RPCstyle. SSL security is supported for this interface.3. e-business connectorsAssume a company has existing CICS applications written in COBOL, which are to be leveraged in amodern Web environment. The end-user GUI may be implemented via a Java Applet or a Java Servletand HTML. In all cases, there is a requirement to efficiently access CICS applications, which providethe core business logic, from the Java code, which provides the user interface. Assume the CICSapplications are callable using the CICS External Call Interface (ECI). This may be done using theCICS Transaction Gateway (CICS TG).The need to access existing logic and data from Java is not unique to CICS. Companies often havevaluable applications that exist in other enterprise servers such as IMS or which can be accessed viaMQSeries. Rather than accessing these resources using disparate APIs, a common technology hasbeen adopted by several IBM products. Called the Common Connector Framework (CCF), it providesa consistent means of connecting to, and interacting with, enterprise resources from any Javaexecution environment.A set of IBM e-business Connectors have been written to fit into the CCF model. A CICS Connector isincluded as part of the CICS Transaction Gateway. Connectors also exist for IMS, MQSeries andEncina/DCE.The CCF provides consistency in two ways :· It provides a consistent client-application view of enterprise resources, whatever Connector isbeing used. This consistent view also makes it easier for AD tools such as VisualAge for Java togenerate client code to use the CCF.· It provides a consistent run-time view to a Connector, so that the Connector can be hosted in anyrun-time environment that supports CCF. As a result, any client code that uses the Connectorsshould be applicable anywhere that supports CCF.The CCF is currently key in providing access to enterprise resources from within VisualAge for Java,WebSphere and IBM's Enterprise Server for Java implementations.

Purpose of CICS Transaction Gateway (CTG)

IBM CICS Transaction Gateway provides secure access to CICS from Java applications, using Internet protocols (for example TCP/IP). CICS TG has an API to allow programmers to use the features of a J2EE-compliant runtime environment.
The CICS Transaction Gateway is available in two differnt flavours. The Unix or NT version runs on amiddle tier computer. The OS/390 version runs on the same computer as CICS, however in a separatevirtual address space, or on a separate S/390 computer within a Sysplex. It is also included as a partof the CICS Transaction Server (for OS/390 and VSE), WebSphere, VisualAge for Java and otherapplication servers. It contains the CICS Universal Client and a range of technologies that provideJava and web interfaces into CICS.CICS Transaction Gateway provides a set of Java-based web server facilities for access to CICSapplications from a web browser. These include Java classes and Java beans for writing applicationspecificserver programs (servlets) and browser programs (applets). There are classes for access toboth traditional and object-oriented CICS applications. It provides an API for programming thepresentation interface for new applications (or new front-ends to old ones). No programming isrequired for unmodified ("green screen") access to 3270-interface CICS transactions with the CICSTransaction Gateway terminal servlet. All other uses of the CICS Transaction Gateway requireprogramming in Java, using the classes and beans provided.

AS/400 and its future

AS/400 is a mid-range computer. A Midrange computer, or midrange system, is a designation used mainly by IBM for a class of computer systems which fall in between mainframe computers and microcomputers. The range was developed in 1960s and more generally known at the time as minicomputers (a term obsolete since 1990s). Popular makers of such computer lines included for example Digital Equipment Corporation (PDP line), Data General, Hewlett-Packard (HP3000 line), and Sun Microsystems.IBM has made several models of midrange computers over these years: the System/3, System/34, System/32, System/36, System/38, and AS/400, which was recently rebranded to System i.Historically, midrange computers have been sold to small to medium-sized businesses as their main computer, and to larger enterprises for branch- or department-level operations.Since 1980s, when the client-server computing architecture became predominant, computers of the comparable class are instead universally known as servers to recognize that they "serve" end users at their "client" computers. Since the client-server model was developed in Unix-like operating systems, using this term vaguely implies support of standard—rather than proprietary—protocols and programming interfaces.

AS/400 is the base machine ie hardware - it runs an OS called Os/400. This has all the programming languages ie RPG, Cobol, C, C++ , Java etc.. It also comes with Apache web server built in and all the CGI api's that you need to web development.but the AS/400 also runs Unix, Linux.It can run virtual partitions, these can be OS/400 or any other os. You can also put in an intel card so it will run windows. Memory and disk cab be moved between the partitions dynamically.It is also very scalable ranging from 1 to 32 CPUs that can service thousands of users.The AS/400 is built round the power PC chip and uses common parts with the IBM unix server - they are basically the same hardware.It is IBM's biggest selling computer but unfortunaatly IBM does not tell the world about it. The figure here represents an IBM AS/400 server.

This figure shows the AS/400 server room in the IBM office.

AS/400 was the original name; it was replaced by iSeries when IBM began consolidating their servers under the eServer umbrella. There is a subset of iSeries known as i5 -- these have very specific hardware definitions.Note that an iSeries box is a physically different system from an AS/400 -- new processors, new all kinds of stuff.However, as the title of this topic indicates, _everybody_ except IBM still says "AS/400". That's something of an image problem because it helps perpetuate the "old, legacy, dinosaur, etc." image that you're going to run into over and over. You'll also run into programmers who couldn't care less about that image problem because they've discovered what AS/400s (iSeries) can do and have worked on enough alternative platforms to know the real story.

When IBM named the "iSeries", they chose the letter "i" to emphasize the point of "integration". E.g., the database is is "DB2 UDB for iSeries" and every program you write is aware of the database. If you reference a file in your program source, the compiler knows all about that file -- it knows what fields are in the records, what the data types the fields are, etc. Note that this is relevant to what's called "native I/O" and _not_ appropriate for SQL statements -- SQL has it's own way of determining data types, etc., and SQL is defined by independent standards, not by IBM.Likewise, security is integrated. Whether you make any explicit effort or not, every action you take, every object you create or access, everything is _always_ authorized by the security of the system. Some of this security is tied to the hardware and the hardware is also part of "integrated". This level of integration is why you never see security alerts that claim you can have a buffer overflow under OS/400 that lets you "run arbitrary code". (Although buffer overflows are just as possible, you can't get that overflow garbage actually to result in executeable code.)Likewise, and very important, work management is superbly integrated. This one is often forgotten because so few of us need to pay any attention to it; most of the defaults work for most environments. But if you start bringing someone in from Unix and start them learning what can be done with subsystems and routing and scheduling and all of its capabilities, they won't be able to demonstrate anything that comes close. Especially when it's so neatly integrated with security and communications and database and...Other things are integrated as well. With support for C/C++, Java, perl, COBOL, SQL, and plenty of other elements, there will be a career for a long time to come.

Where else one can find a platform that has you learning advanced server technologies, relational database, object-based programming, security, communications, Java, Unix APIs, etc., _AND_ can let you use COBOL too? From a solid foundation and understanding of OS/400, there's no place you can't go. (And few places you'll want to by then.)

Fifty common questions that an interviewer may ask for the Entry level freshers

1.Tell me about yourself.
2.What do you want to do with your life?
3.Do you have any actual work experience?
4.How would you describe your ideal job?
5.Why did you choose this career?
6.When did you decide on this career?
7.What goals do you have in your career?
8.How do you plan to achieve these goals?
9.How do you evaluate success?
10.Describe a situation in which you were successful.
11.What do you think it takes to be successful in thiscareer?
12.What accomplishments have given you the mostsatisfaction in your life?
13.If you had to live your life over again, what wouldyou change?
14.Would your rather work with information or withpeople?
15.Are you a team player?
16.What motivates you?
17.Why should I hire you?
18.Are you a goal-oriented person?
19.Tell me about some of your recent goals and whatyou did to achieve them.
20.What are your short-term goals?
21.What is your long-range objective?
22.What do you see yourself doing five years from now?
23.Where do you want to be ten years from now?
24.Do you handle conflict well?
25.Have you ever had a conflict with a boss or professor? How did you resolve it?
26.What major problem have you had to deal withrecently?
27.Do you handle pressure well?
28.What is your greatest strength?
29.What is your greatest weakness?
30.If I were to ask one of your professors to describeyou, what would he or she say?
31.Why did you choose to attend your college?
32.What changes would you make at your college?
33.How has your education prepared you for yourcareer?
34.What were your favorite classes? Why?
35.Do you enjoy doing independent research?
36.Who were your favorite professors? Why?
37.Why is your GPA/Percentage not higher?
38.Do you have any plans for further education?
39.How much training do you think you'll need tobecome a productive employee?
40.What qualities do you feel a successful managershould have?
41.Why do you want to work in the _____ industry?
42.What do you know about our company?
43.Why are you interested in our company?
44.Do you have any location preferences?
45.How familiar are you with the community that we'relocated in?
46.Will you relocate? In the future?
47.Are you willing to travel? How much?
48.Is money important to you?
49.How much money do you need to make to be happy?
50.What kind of salary are you looking for?

Remote Infrastructure Management (RIM)

RIM (Remote Infrastructure Management) - Servers around the globe

It's one thing to deploy IT Infrastructure, it's quite another to maintain and run it smoothly, efficiently, and proactively manage it to improve performance. Companies are increasingly looking at external service providers to reduce expenses related with managing their IT infrastructure. ProVal offers you a wide array of services that address issues related to your IT Infrastructure performance. We offer customers the promise of higher reliability, reduced risk, and lower IT costs through one-stop management for the entire IT infrastructure.

Website monitoring services usually have a number of servers around the globe - for example in America, Europe, Asia, Australia and other locations. By having multiple servers in different geographic locations, a monitoring service can determine if a Web server is available across different Networks worldwide. The more locations used, the more complete is the picture on website availability.
Remote infrastructure management (RIM) is being called the next “mega” IT trend by industry analysts and gurus. However, what is not being talked about enough is the exciting career opportunities offered by this industry which are unique not only in its growth opportunities, but also in the challenging mission-critical work environment that it offers.
To define remote infrastructure management in the simplest terms, let us take a typical corporate that invests in computing infrastructure starting from desktops, storage, networks, desktop applications, security infrastructure, etc. The activity of managing and keeping these systems running with appropriate uptimes and in line with benchmarked quality processes, aligned to the business objective of the firm, is called infrastructure management services. The word “remote” simply shows that these services are delivered from a remote location. In comparison to the operations of a BPO which handles business processes related to finance, HR, transactions, etc, remote IT infrastructure management services is a highly technical activity carried out by people with a technical diploma or a graduate engineering education as a basic qualification.
One of the important drivers that make RIM an attractive career is the exciting and challenging environment it offers to employees. The turf is mission critical environment of some of the world biggest and most complex IT infrastructures. For instance, if you are running the system of a bank, every second of downtime can mean loss of millions of dollars, thereby making the operations mission critical.

The area is technically more challenging than software development or any other IT track, because of the scale and size of the learning environment it offers due to its focus on Fortune/Global 500 firms which companies like HCL have as their clients. If you look at large scale Indian corporate, for example, the largest technical environment here would be 300-500 servers, which is equable to what a global mid-size bank would have. But if you are talking about a top-notch bank in the world, there are 10,000-20,000 servers making the scale and complexity so much different and magnified. Managing such a scale, can be a huge learning experience for IT professionals. Further, it gives a graduate engineer or a technical diploma holder the opportunity to earn well and grow to the level of a manager or consultant in a very short span of five years through focused growth programs. For experienced professionals the pay scales are of course even more attractive and the growth opportunities include leading worldwide projects and technology practices.
While hiring people in the IMS space, service providers like HCL who provide Remote IMS services to Fortune/Global 500 clients, look for two qualifications in their prospective employees. Firstly, a basic technical knowledge in terms of engineering at the graduate level, a technical diploma or certifications like NIIT’s GNIIT, which means that they have done anything between two years to four years of pure technical training in terms of academics. Secondly, specialized certifications like MCSE (Microsoft Certified Software Engineering) or CCNP or CCIE, which are Cisco certifications for networks and similar specialized certifications provided in various technical fields. These specializations, which may be done by full-time engineers or any other graduate, are instrumental in helping decide the tracks one could specialize in.
The growth opportunities in RIM are fast and rewarding. It offers a complete career that traces the path from a fresh engineer to a global practice director. In HCL Comnet, this entire path is mapped on a nine-grade programmer with a T0-T9 kind of a rating for technical skills. An engineer can go from T0-T5 within a span of three-five years and build up from there and then from T5, move into a further track to consulting and management. In his initial stages, a fresh recruit works on basic operations, monitoring, first level of work, basic escalations and account management. Starting as an engineer trainee, he can go on to be an analyst within 24 months depending on his capability. The next stage is where he specializes in a particular technology track like UNIX, Windows, Messaging or Storage Apps where he spends the next three-four years of his career. At this stage, he also has an option to become a team lead, where he starts managing a team and look after operations. Further ahead, he can become a consultant in about five years.
A career in the remote infrastructure industry is also exciting because it offers a continuous learning curve to its practitioners. Being responsible for 24/7 monitoring and management of IT infrastructures of global enterprises service providers have to consistently upgrade their knowledge and grasp of new technologies entering the IT infrastructure space. So as manufacturers launch new products and software every other day, we have to ensure we have capabilities to handle the current as well as build people skill sets for taking care of the new technologies that keep getting inducted into the IT environment. Unlike the software development industry where old technology/language is virtually discarded as soon as a new one hits the marquee, in RIM, we cannot forget the old technologies/protocols, because you never know when you will have to manage old databases for a client. So, our employees have to keep themselves abreast of the new as well as legacy technologies, thus ensuring a continuous process of learning and growth inside the system.
There are many such unique aspects of this industry which translates into a ‘hot’ career aspect for IT professionals. So if you think a career in IT had to be fit within the spectrum of software on one side and BPO on the other, you are in for a sweet surprise in the form of RIM which is soon slated to become the largest employer of hardware professionals in India.
The Nasscom-McKinsey India Report 2006 also vouches: “Going forward, the more traditional IT outsourcing service lines such as hardware and software maintenance, network administration and help desk services will account for 45 percent of the total addressable market for off shoring and are likely to drive the next wave of growth.”