1. IBM Innovate 2012
Modernizing Host Applications for Mobile
Devices
Matthew Hardin
Strongback Consulting
mhardin@strongback.us
PWR-1382

2. The Premier Event for Software and Systems Innovation
Strongback Consulting
 IBM Advanced Business Partner
– Rational, WebSphere, Lotus, Information Management certified
– Strongly focused on Enterprise Modernization and application lifecycle management
– Key Industries Served: Finance, Insurance, Healthcare, Manufacturing
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The Solution: Rational Host Access Transformation Services
 Rules based engine to transform your existing, proven applications to a modern UI.
 Quickly transform your 3270 and 5250 green screen applications to intuitive Web, portlet, rich
client or mobile device user interfaces.
 Extend 3270, 5250, and VT green screens as standard Web services.
 Broadens the reach of System z and iSeries applications with support for mobile web access
from devices such as smartphones, tablets, and handheld computers.
 Provides standard JSR 286 and JSR 168 portlet support, including built-in inter-portlet
communication.
 New in V8: Dojo support, for richer, extensible user interface transformation.
 New in V8: RESTful web services, for simpler, lightweight service enablement.
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Crawl, Walk, Run: Evolution of a HATS application
 Crawl: Default rendering sets allow for out of the box transformations to quickly deliver a
mobile solution.
 Walk: Using customized screen transformations you can provider a richer UI with only minimal
effort.
 Run: Extend your host applications to mobile devices via web services. This allows for native
application development for mobile devices.
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Out of the box
 The process for developing a HATS mobile application is the same as developing a HATS
web application; with some considerations given for mobile devices.
 Differences for mobile devices:
– Screen real estate is smaller
– Input methods: Smaller keypads, touchscreens
– Less processing power
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Add some flair
 Using customized screen transformations you can:
– Give the GUI a customized interface that is easier for your users.
– Tailor the way you display data.
– Convert text and data to different strings
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Steps to create a transformation style project
 Enable the option to ‘Optimize for mobile devices’
 Edit default rendering rules to work for your environment
 Add a few global rules as needed (i.e. calendar popups
 Deploy to WAS
 Solicit feedback from your user audience
 Create transformations, Macros, business logic as needed
 Deploy to WAS
 Solicit feedback from your user audience
 Wash…Rinse..repeat
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Extend as web services
 RESTful web services support in V8
 Also support for SOAP based services
 Allows for native mobile application development
Delivering your services
to native applications
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Creating a web service to consume via mobile
 Create a standard HATS project
 Create macros
 Create Integration Objects
 Create Web Services (REST or SOAP)
 Deploy to WAS
 Create mobile application
 Add any toolkits needed to consume the
service
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Building your web service
 All wizard driven!
 Create web service files from the Integration Object
 Generate web service from web service support files
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Advantages of HATS for mobile devices
 Speed to market!
– Easy development
– Easy deployment
 More ROI on those existing applications!
 Easy integration with other systems
 Deliver and enhance at your own pace
 Increased productivity by delivering your terminal applications to any device, without rewriting
or reinventing your application!
 No more excuses! If your sales execs can play Angry Birds on the crapper, they can check in
on their orders too!
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Lessons learned, recommendations, tips and techniques
 No direct to native application support
 Cannot convert a HATS web project to a mobile project
 Target specific needs for screen customizations
 Devices are different, experience is different
 Depending on the target device, you may not want to use the HATS mobile project. iPad and
Android tablets are better suited to a traditional HATS web project
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For more information on how we can help you improve your interfaces, increase
user productivity, and accelerate your SOA, contact us at sales@strongback.us,
or call us at 904.351.6658.
Subscribe to our blog at
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Email: info@strongback.us
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www.strongback.us
© Copyright IBM Corporation 2012. All rights reserved. The information contained in these materials is provided for informational purposes only, and is provided AS IS without warranty of any kind,
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