Support for platform-independent browser clients using IBM Web Services

With more than 1200 installations, the Bäurer "b2" product family (b2industry, b2trade, b2wincarat and b2power) is one of the leading Enterprise Resource Planning solutions for mid-size industries in Central Europe.

The Bäurer ERP solution was based on a fat-client type 4GL programming tool called "Panther". When their product line needed updating, Bäurer asked MicroDoc to help them develop an architecture that would allow their programmers to work in their usual programming language and still provide the end-user with a flexible browser based client.
The new architecture split the Panther system into two components:

• the "runtime server", responsible for executing the JPL programs and accessing the database
• the "client", responsible for drawing the UI and handling user interaction.

MicroDoc implemented the "client" in Java as generic Swing UI. Bäurer wanted to improve not only the technical infrastructure, but also the user experience and invested considerably to develop a unique look and feel for the new product, which sets their solution apart from other ERP solutions.
A third part of the architecture is a new mid-tier application server, written in Java and using IBMs WebSphere Application Server 5.1. The application server manages communications between the browser-based clients and the Panther runtime server(s) via Web Services.

Requirements for the communications layer were: programming language independence (C, Java), support for open standards (HTML) and platform independence to couple with any kind of third party system. Web Services provides all the required features.
For software development MicroDoc used WSAD and Eclipse.
Bäurer had the new software in production with just under 10 months development time.

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This successful MicroDoc project is featured in the IBM jStart technology portfolio.

jStart is an IBM initiative to help customers gain from early adaptor experience.

Read the full report on the IBM jStart web site
Read the Bäurer press release (PDF 104KB)