ADVANCED BusinessLink Corporation, developers of the AS/400 industry's first Java client applet (BusinessLink for JAVA in mid 1996) will release its revolutionary third generation Java product at the upcoming Spring Common Expo in New Orleans.
With a number of new first generation Java 'emulator' solutions now entering the market, BusinessLink again clearly differentiates.
It provides full AS/400 client functionality including 5250/3270 emulation with on-the-fly GUI, printing and file transfer using an in-built Push Technology engine, data queue API's for client/server application development, industrial strength cryptography and comprehensive, AS/400-centric user and security management. All of this in a tiny applet (typically under 70k). Some of the emerging Java emulators and GUI conversion applets are around 1Mb making them impractical for browser users over the Internet.
As a result, many sites are moving from Client Access and other well-established fat clients to this Java based browser-server strategy.
BusinessLink CEO and Founder Chris Lategan comments "During development, this product carried the internal code name 'Javalin'. We had the opportunity to go back to a whiteboard and redesign from scratch, pinpoint focusing all we had learned in our past 10 years of intensive R&D. This is truly groundbreaking technology and an outstanding effort from our team. We're proud to again be bringing so many 'firsts' to the AS/400 community".
SECURITY (Digital Certificates authentication, Smartcards, 128bit SSL, Provider certificates)
Host clients traditionally rely on user and password entry to determine client identity. BusinessLink brings Digital Certificate based client authentication to the AS/400. Host administrators can require that users obtain client certificates signed by certificate issuing authorities such as Versign Inc. No log in screen would be offered to users unless they matched the required certificate level and identification details. Even then, users can be required to log in with profiles that specifically match their certificate details.
Through the use of SmartCards with later version browsers such as Netscape 4.0, host administrators can require that users insert Smartcards containing their private key to obtain host access. The system can be configured to allow direct access to the host without the need to sign on by relating AS/400 user profiles to Digital ID's and performing automatic sign on behalf of the user after establishing their authenticity digitally.
To ensure privacy of data sent and received, the applet uses a 128bit SSL key exchange with a licensed RSA/RC4-128 cryptography engine. (Non US versions may be limited to RC4-40 or RC4-56 to comply with US D.O.C. restrictions on cryptography).
Reports and files transferred are also SSL secured. Given that the AS/400 has no support for secure FTP, it provides the only way to securely transfer AS/400 files and reports across the Internet.
Finally, the applet is digitally signed, authenticating it as the trusted, original copy supplied by ADVANCED BusinessLink. Signing guarantees against a counterfeit applet being substituted in its place by a hacker, etc. This commonly overlooked risk is important since a false applet could be introduced to capture passwords and other critical data before being discovered.
NO TELNET OR FTP NEEDED
You need only read the volumes of industry press relating to the securing of Telnet and FTP servers on the AS/400 to appreciate that it is considered a serious risk for AS/400's on the Internet. Telnet passes all 5250 data in clear across the Internet and gives a sign on screen to almost every generic client. FTP has serious exposure to brute force attack and if needed to author web sites from external locations for example, creates a big security hole.
BusinessLink does not require the use of either Telnet or FTP. Even though it runs native on the AS/400, much like PASSTHRU it obtains and manages it sessions directly with OS/400 and adds a sophisticated management infrastructure to deal with the delivery of AS/400 sessions.
BUILT-IN WEBSERVER, DATA QUEUE ACCESS, HSM & GROWTH STRATEGY
The system contains a native AS/400 (no box in the middle) version of BusinessLink's high performance web server BusinessLink/WEB. As well as serving the applet, it provides an extremely fast HTTP serving environment, including SSL 3.0 and client digital certificate authentication.
It is template based so that server uses data queues and BusinessLink's HIGH SPEED MESSAGING (HSM) technology to populate HTML template pages rather than the traditional overheads associated with CGI-BIN. The result is much faster performance and greater scalability than existing AS/400 web serving alternatives, particularly for interactive applications.
HSM also provides managed data queue access to BusinessLink and other client Java applets within the one solution, giving users a growth path from legacy 5250 session based applications to session-less, stateless, browser/server applications in either Java or HTML.
This is particularly attractive to ISV's looking for both an immediate GUI Java thin client solution for their legacy applications, plus a strategy to grow to native Java session-less clients.
HSM servers on the AS/400 can be written in Java, RPG, C or any other host development environment. These servers receive data queue requests from clients and respond, remaining stateless so that a one to many relationship can be maintained.
PREREQUISITES
It runs on OS/400 V3R7M0 or above with TCP/IP. No prerequisite software is required. Users need only load the software and run a Java capable browser on an Internet or Intranet connected PC.
Media Contact:
Paige Longdon
Phone (425) 602 4777 Fax (425) 602 4789
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