Lement of the AS/400 and DB2

[Zandura]

Here's my problem. We are designing a B2B web sight, simple enough. The problem we're having is this. We have an AS/400 running DB2 that we need to get a file from. We have to get this file on a nightly basis, it would also have to be an automatic process.

We need to know if anyone has ever done this from a Visual Basic writen service.

Thanks,
Zan

[kgersbach]

Is the AS/400 running FTP services? If it is then the process is made relatively simple. I ran into a similar problem when working for a university. A bunch of programmers were trying to tell me what software that I needed so I could transfer files to and from the server, but when I talked with a system administrator he pointed me to the ftp server that was running on the AS/400.

There are tons of ways to automate FTP retrieval with scripts or components.

[Zandura]

Unfortunatly, no, the AS/400 is not running FTP. I just got off the phone with our client, so that much is confirmed. I wish it were going to be that easy...hehehe...but of course, if it were that easy they wouldn't have hired us to create thier sights.

By the way, if anyone is interested in any of the sights that the company I work for have created, a good one to look at is http://www.treasuredexpressions.com

Thanks, I look forward to any of your ideas on this 400 thing.

Zan

[kgersbach]

There is a company that provides a vb control to access AS/400 database files, I don't know if it suits your needs or not.

http://www.missystems.com/ace400vb.htm

[Zandura]

I'm not sure if this is exactly what I need, but we're reviewing it now. From what I've seen at the glance all I can say is...."This is really cool".

Thanks a bundle.

Zan

What type of database will be driving your web site

[Zandura]

BG,

We are running an Oracle Database to run the site. However, we are using COM or more specifically a service written in VB 6 to access the AS/400. Once I have the data in the service, there is no problem putting the data into the Oracle.

If there is a way to connect the 400 with the Oracle directly that would be way cool. Let me know what you have in mind.

Thanks,
Zan

sorry i donn't really know a whole lot about oracle. In sql7 there is a data transformation service that i'm using to import as400 data. it uses oledb and can be run on a set schedule. super fast. Is there a service in oracle similar to this?

[Zandura]

Oh, if only we were on SQL7...DTS, that is probably one of my biggest areas of expertise. If you are ever in a situation where you need to set up DTS objects dynamically, so that they can run off of the same tables, while getting differant data everytime, and then giving every resulting file it's own name so that there is no conflict, AND then emailing out the resulting files all with out ever having to actually do any of the DTS package creating yourself, give me a call...it's a bear to figure out but once you have it it's not that difficult.

Anyway, as far as I know Oracle doesn't have something else. I'm not really working the oracle side of the project just the COM side. It would be nice if oracle did have something like it though.

Thanks,
Zandura

zandura@iwon.com