HP 3000’s Open Environment

Examples of open system technologies available on the HP 3000.

FOS refers to the Fundamental Operating System that comes with every HP 3000. A FOS capability means that the feature is universally available on every supported HP 3000 at no additional charge to the customer.

Client - Server

ODBC (see the ODBC section)

QSDK from QSS. A subroutine library for HP3000 programmers for quickly developing network applications for their HP 3000. QSDK, a HP 3000 language compiler such as COBOL or FORTRAN, and a client-server language such as Visual Basic is all the software you need to develop client server applications on the HP 3000. QSDK is sold for a very modest cost.

QSDK includes:

Over 25 subroutines which encapsulate NetIPC and common MPE/iX intrinsics for building listeners, servers, clients, and creating complete networked applications. •Full encryption support for establishing secure communications over the network. •Advanced features for implementing deferred connections, client IP address identification and nowait socket I/O operations. •File transfer subroutine for easy transfer of data from the HP 3000. •VB functions for converting HP data types into common VB types. •Complete source code to sample listener and servers. •Reference manual which describes the basics of TCP programming on the HP3000 and how to call the QSDK subroutines.

StarVision from StarVision. StarVision is a joint enterprise of Lee Tech and Bradmark.

MiddleMan from Minisoft.

Web Access

Javelin from MiniSoft. A HP 3000 terminal emulator written in JAVA. Javelin connects users to HP 3000s and HP 9000s over the net.

Opal from Infresco. Interfaces to legacy applications using "screen scrapping" technology as well as ODBC. . On the user interface end this multi-media capable client server application development system supports both standard, Windows based clients and web browsers via plug-ins. (A fully JAVA based client is under development).
At the MK Group's instigation Infresco gave Opal the capability to directly read HP 700 terminal protocols. Opal also understand IBM and DEC VAX terminal protocals as well as MS Windows screens.

GUI Interface

The NewFACE/3000, FrontMan, and Opal products automatically add a simple client-server ‘front end’ to existing VPLUS programs. The front ends can then be modified to include additional GUI features - all without changing the program on the HP 3000. Not fancy perhaps, but it works.

NewFACE/3000 from M.B. Foster Associates Limited. Adds a GUI front end to VPLUS-based applications. The VPLUS application source code requires no changes and works normally for users with NewFACE capability. NewFACE/3000 automatically splits an application into a front-end section to handle the user interface and a back-end section containing the original VPLUS code. A special library is linked to the application and intercepts interface-related VPLUS calls to route them to the front end for further processing. The front end automatically maps VPLUS screen elements to appropriate graphical user interface elements.
Once the new font end has been created then VPLUS text and fields can be replaced with GUI style pop-up menus, list boxes, multiple-line text boxes, radio buttons, check boxes, icons, etc. Enhancements made to the user interface are transparent to the HP 3000 based application

FrontMan from MiniSoft. Features similar to NewFACE/3000. In addition, FrontMan applications generated from VPUS screens can be modified to directly access IMAGE databases in parallel with the host application.

See also Opal.

Communications

The HP 3000 supports most of the data communication standards expected of an open system.

Protocols available on the Fundamental Operating System include:

FTP, Berkley Sockets, DCE, Internet, 32 bit ODBC, ARPA Services, TELNET

Databases on the HP 3000

Oracle. HP’s ODBC can access Oracle databases and Oracle’s SQL can access IMAGE databases.

ALLBase/SQL offers relational capability at a modest cost – cheap when compared to Oracle.

Database searching, indexing and management technologies first developed by DISC and Bradmark Technologies for the HP 3000 are now supporting Oracle, Sybase, and NT database clients.

IMAGE, found on all HP 3000s, is a high volume, fast, efficient, and reliable DBMS. Features added to IMAGE in the last few years include: 32 bit SQL/ODBC, Dynamic Rollback, Jumbo Datasets (table limits of 40,000,000 records), automatic detail dataset expansion. Announced features include: ‘B-tree’ (partial key) search capability, automatic master dataset expansion, and Multiple-database Dynamic Rollback.

Data Warehousing / Data Extraction Tools

Warehouse from Taurus Software. MANMAN templates available?

DBGeneral from Bradmark. MANMAN templates available?

ITS/3000 from Quantum Software. An interesting set of tools for extracting and converting data from IMAGE databases and copying it to a relational database. Generates the FORTRAN source code for programs that extract and convert data from IMAGE databases. Creates SQL scripts to replicate the structure of IMAGE databases on relational databases systems (Oracle, Sybase, Allbase, SQL Server).

CS/Analysis from Quantum Software. A bundled data analysis tool that includes a MANMAN specific version of ITS/3000.

See also Electronic Report Distribution / Data Mining

Editors

The Facade and Winedit editors offer the power of PC based editors for HP 3000 files. Only Facade is currently available. Both vendors are months late on their latest release. Once you have used one of these editor you will not want to go back.

Facade from PSG. In my opinion a ‘must have’ tool for HP 3000 programmers. Facade is a true Windows client-server GUI (graphical user interface) editor for the HP3000. Facade can be used on almost any kind of HP3000 file and works without constantly having to up and download files.
Version 1.0 and 1.1 works over DTC and modem connections. Version 1.2 will also connect directly to networks. (As of April 1997 I am waiting for the beta of version 1.2). Facade has been on the market for about a year. I have been using Facade for about 9 months and, even with it’s current limitations, I wouldn’t want to program without it. Facade has plans to integrate the FORTRAN compiler and error messages into the editor. Single copy price - $950

Winedit (Announced) from Robelle. WinEdit will require a network connection. Currently projected to be available in July or August, 1997. Call Robelle for a quote.

Freeware editors: QUAD, Wedit

Multi-platform Editors (HP 3000 & HP 9000 UX & others): QEDIT, Speedware

SAMBA - using the freeware SAMBA server, files residing on the HP 3000 can be edited from a PC as a NT network shared file.

Electronic Report Distribution / Data Mining

Most of the electronic report distribution products have the ability to extract and combine data from several reports. Monarch can convert any report into a database on the PC. From there users can massage the report, and create their own customized versions with data extracted from the existing report – a potentially quick path to basic data mining. I believe Reveal has similar capabilities. Effectively you get network and/or email report distribution with data extraction to PC databases with end user reporting thrown in as a bonus.

Advantages: A number of reporting tools allow you to report and/or download data from the HP 3000 but you have to figure out how to extract the data and write the report. This usually means, in effect, that you reverse engineer part of MANMAN. These electronic report distribution tools eliminates most of the reverse engineering work.

Monarch. Genesee Software (GSi) integrates Monarch -- a popular PC Windows based e-mail report viewing/report mining tool -- with a HP 3000 using GSi’s MailEmpower product.

Reveal from O’Pin

Neerd from NSD

EMAIL (Internet)

A number of systems support sending and receiving Email directly from your HP 3000.

Primer: The MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) protocol allows compatible mail systems to mail documents or files of any type. MIME enabled email readers can attach word processing documents, spreadsheets, graphics, video, and executables to messages and automatically extract them upon receipt.

As of MPE/iX 5.0 FTP is included as part of FOS.

NetMail/3000 from 3k Associates. NetMail/3000 allows an HP3000 (with no special hardware) to exchange electronic information with any Internet-compatible (SMTP) mail system. Can be used with a dial-on-demand modem link to the Internet. Features: MIME protocol; custom scripts for mailboxes to run your own applications automatically upon receipt of a message, message-filtering, list server.
FREE version. 3k offers a free version of NetMail/3000 which supports 2 interactive-access mailboxes per system. This software is completely free-of-charge and does not expire.

DeskLink from 3k Associates. A high-performance native mode SMTP/MIME gateway that works with firewalls, cc:Mail, Microsoft Mail, and HP Opendesk clients

POP Server from 3k Associates

Gopher Server from 3k Associates

Office Extend FTP from 3k Associates. Anonymous FTP client/server system for HP 3000 MPE/V or MPE/iX (release 4.0 or higher) systems.

PostHaste, MailEmpower, MailMessenger from Genesee Software

HP Opendesk from HP.

For Internet Web see Web

File Sharing

Samba/iX - freeware from HP. Samba is the freely-redistributable Microsoft Network server software that supports file sharing. Samba/iX allows HP 3000 resident files to be accessed by PCs over an NT network. HP engineer Lars Appel ported Samba to MPE/iX in order to use the CD-ROM drive on the HP 3000 as a central HP LaserROM server.

Languages

Industry standard languages supported on the HP 3000:

COBOL. Including 2 versions which also run on multiple platforms. A COBOL SIG co-chair recently predicted there was about a 50-50 change that Fujitsu would port their market leading Object Oriented COBOL would be ported to the HP-3000.

Multi-Platform Operations

HP’s OpenView & LAN Manager software

Manages HP 3000, HP 9000 UX & PC networks. Well regarded in industry.

tbop from Toolbox

Integrates system consoles, jobs, sessions, processes, printers, spool files for HP 3000, 9000 & PC networks.

ODBC

ODBCLink (limited version) - HP soon will be part of FOS for IMAGE/SQL users. This version only accesses IMAGE datasets. HP licenses a limited version of the complete version of this product from M.B. Foster.

ODBCLink from M.B. Foster Associates. The complete version accesses KSAM and sequential (flat) files, Oracle databases, and user written triggered procedures.

ORACLE Database

Oracle RDBMS. The current version of the Oracle relational DBMS runs on the HP 3000. Compared on a dollar for dollar basis, the HP 3000 is a very fast Oracle server.

Oracle’s SQL language can access data on IMAGE databases. This means any system running Oracle should be able to access IMAGE databases hosted on HP 3000 platforms and HP 3000 software can access Oracle databases running on UNIX platforms.

Third party database indexing technologies first developed by DISC (OMIDEX) on the HP 3000 are now selling successfully for Oracle databases.

WEB, JAVA

A number of sites are using their HP 3000 as their web server giving fast web access to HP 3000 resident data and giving their web site a high availability host.

Apache Web Server - freeware

NCSA Web Server - freeware

Pearl - freeware port from GNU

CC - freeware port from GNU

Open Market Secure Web Server from HP.

AutoBahn from Speedware.

QWEB from QSS. The developer of QWEB delights in announcing that this web server is written (mostly) in COBOL! QWEB gives QSS’s COBOL applications a straightforward and familiar interface to the web, all without having to charging their school system clients additional licensing fees. QWEB is available for a modest fee.

A freeware JAVA server is available from HP. The software was ported from the publicly available JAVA source code to run on the MPE/iX POSIX environment If JAVA on the HP 3000 takes off expect a commercial version to follow.