Client Server
ICOBOL Client/Server File Access
Shared file access support for Interactive COBOL applications in a client/server environment is provided via ICOBOL Client/Server File Access (ICNETD), an optional ICOBOL product that works in conjunction with the standard Runtime System. Requests are managed between the clients and the UNIX or Windows NT/2000 based server via a TCP/IP-based private protocol, so it is possible to install a client/server solution supporting a large number of different physical locations. ICOBOL Client/Server File Access is required for server environments where UNIX files are being shared, as well as in environments where UNIX and Windows NT/2000 file-sharing needs to exist. The product is not required for file-sharing in a Windows-only environment, but has the potential to dramatically improve performance, depending on the nature of the file access activity. Pricing for ICOBOL Client/Server File Access is determined by the maximum number of simultaneous clients connected to the server.
Currently, clients can be enabled via any one of the following methods:
- The ICOBOL Runtime System itself
- Applications built using the optional User Library product
- The ODBC Driver product
ICOBOL Thin Client Runtimes
An additional service that is provided by ICNETD is the support of the Client/Server Runtime, also referred to as the Thin Client Runtimes. There are two versions of the thin-client runtime. The first is icrunrc, which is a remote client that provides the same character-oriented interface as the standard Windows runtime, icrunw. In many applications it can be used as an alternative to a telnet session or a terminal emulator. The second is icthinc, which is a remote client for applications that are using the sp2 GUI interface. In either case, the client is very small because the application is running on the server. In either case, the server side runtimes can be based on either a Windows server or a UNIX server. The client does not require a license;,however, the server side runtime does require the appropriate licenses.