Denise LutherSenior IT Consultant

denise.luther@cistech.net

Connect MAPICS to Anything Connect MAPICS to Anything with System Link with System Link

(CISTECH R7.8 series)(CISTECH R7.8 series)

Agenda

• What is System-Link

• Methods to connect

• Managing System-Link

• Simulator

• LPI

• Web portal

• Web services

What is System-Link

• Bridge between XA and other systems– Inquiry – Maintenance

• XML – Standard interface– Other ERP systems and other platforms– Request/Response

• Part of IDF– CSM, PM, OBPM, EPDM, MM…– CO’s, PO’s, MO’s, Engineering…

• Universal Off-Line Load• Build websites for customers,

vendors and partners that links directly to the XA database

• Web Services – industry standard way to run programs over the web

Why use System-Link

System-Link handles:Database files and fields (objects, attributes)Logical fieldsBusiness rulesEditingDefault generationUser ExitsSecurityAttachmentsHost jobs and reportsLogical and object transactions

Why use System-Link

• System-Link Simulator– Use for testing/troubleshooting

• Directly to System-Link via LPI– Call an RPG program with parameters

• To web server via XML– Web pages – Java/HTML

• Web Services– Anything Microsoft-enabled– Requires Enterprise Integrator

• IBM’s WebSphere MQ– Global enterprises– Requires IBM products

Methods to Connect

• System-Link User Guide – Release 7.7– Download from Infor support website

- Documentation- Product Manuals

- Miscellaneous - SYSL

• System-Link Installation Instructions R7

System-Link References

• Use Link Manager to manage System-Link processes

By environmentBy machine

Distribute server load across resources

Managing System-Link

Link Manager 7.8

Managing System-Link

• System-Link processes must be started on auxiliary • Autostart System-Link with environment• Right click or toolbar to start/stop/restart/Move• View Logs and diagnostics

Managing System-Link

URL points to your host server

System-Link Simulator

Navigation/System-Link requestNot required to create System-Link requests

but it makes the job easyDisplay PO’s for vendor 100 – Restricted List,

navigate from Vendor object or subset

System-Link Simulator

System-Link Request

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Paste from clipboard

System-Link Request

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Variables

System-Link Request

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Check the response

System-Link Response

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System-Link Response

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Request has errors – Check the response

System-Link Response - Error

System-Link Request

Requesting System-Link from Card File

System-Link Request

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WRKODBCJOB command will allow you to manage System-Link jobs.

System-Link Sessions

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• IP address of auxiliary server will be System-Linksessions

• View job log (Option 10) for troubleshooting

• Link Manager 7.8

• Errors from associated Integrator user exits will be in QSYSOPR message queue

System-Link Sessions

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• RPG program you call from anywhere– PSVPSR1R in AMALIBx

• Parameters for the XML to send and receive– Send an inquiry

•Receive the results– Send an update

•Receive confirmation

Local Program Interface

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Parm Description Use Size Type

P#XREQ XML Request I 65,535 A

P#XRSP XML Response O 65,535 A

P#MRQR More records? *YES if more records to return

O 8 A

P#ERFD Internal Errors*YES if response contains errors

O 8 A

P#MSID External ErrorsPSX0122 – System-Link not startedPSX0130 – Response > 65K

O 7 A

LPI Parameters

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• Available as a download– SH14873

• Illustrate one way of using System-Link with your RPG programs– Send a request - Send XML request to LPI– Parse the response - Receive and parse

XML response from LPI • Create a report of PO’s for a vendor• Only change required – Supply data for

login substitutions

LPI Sample

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Constructing a Request• Write a service program with functions• for sections, tags and actions

• XML header• Login • Request• Property path wrapper based on type:

alpha, numeric• Common actions

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• Sample parsing program USRLPI1R is written generically– Can be used for just about any object (use it

for yours)– V5R4 New XML functions for parsing

%XML, XML-INTO, %HANDLER, XML-SAX

• Sample print program calls the parser field-by-field– You can use this technique in your programs

Parsing Response

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<<Response_sessionHandle='1a5f739:fc75bbe92b:_7aef‘_wResponse_sessionHandle='1a5f739:fc75bbe92b:_7aef‘_workHanorkHan

<QueryListResponse_name='queryList_PurchaseOrderGe<QueryListResponse_name='queryList_PurchaseOrderGeneral‘_rneral‘_r

<DomainEntity_domainClass='com.mapics.pm.PurchaseO<DomainEntity_domainClass='com.mapics.pm.PurchaseOrder'rder'

<Key><Key><Property_path='order'><Property_path='order'>

<Value><![CDATA[P000349]]></Value><Value><![CDATA[P000349]]></Value></Property></Property>

</Key></Key><Property_path_='order'><Property_path_='order'>

<Value><![CDATA[P000349]]></Value><Value><![CDATA[P000349]]></Value></Property></Property><Property_path='vendor'><Property_path='vendor'>

<Value><![CDATA[100]]></Value><Value><![CDATA[100]]></Value></Property></Property><Property_path='vendorName'><Property_path='vendorName'>

<Value><![CDATA[Hi_Tech_Corp]]></Value><Value><![CDATA[Hi_Tech_Corp]]></Value></Property></Property><Property_path='orderStatus'><Property_path='orderStatus'>

<Value><![CDATA[20]]></Value><Value><![CDATA[20]]></Value>

Starts a new recordStarts a new record

Field valuesField values

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• Don’t ask for too many records at once.– You set the limit with MaxReturned

• LPI tells you if there are more.• ‘FetchNext’ is the way to get more.

– Our sample programs shows you how.– Create loop that processes until P#MRQR

= *NO

Fetch Next

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Transaction GroupStartTransactionGroup tag StartTransactionGroup tag

A StartTransactionGroup tag is used to group all subsequent maintenance actions in a request document as a single transaction.

Normally, most maintenance actions are “auto-commit”: each maintenance action commits prior to the next action being run.

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Transaction Group<Request sessionHandle='*current' workHandle='*new' broker='EJB' maxIdle='1000'> <Request sessionHandle='*current' workHandle='*new' broker='EJB' maxIdle='1000'> <Update name='<Update name='updateObject_Vendor1' domainClass='com.mapics.pm.Vendor'> updateObject_Vendor1' domainClass='com.mapics.pm.Vendor'> ... ... </Update></Update>

<<StartTransactionGroup /> StartTransactionGroup /> <Create name='createObject_PurchaseOrder' <Create name='createObject_PurchaseOrder' domainClass='com.mapics.pm.PurchaseOrder'>……..domainClass='com.mapics.pm.PurchaseOrder'>……..</Create> </Create> <Create name='createObject_PurchaseOrderItem1' <Create name='createObject_PurchaseOrderItem1' domainClass='com.mapics.pm.PoItem'> ………domainClass='com.mapics.pm.PoItem'> ………</Create> </Create> <Create name='createObject_PurchaseOrderItem2' <Create name='createObject_PurchaseOrderItem2' domainClass='com.mapics.pm.PoItem'> ………domainClass='com.mapics.pm.PoItem'> ………

<Create name='createObject_PurchaseOrderItem3' <Create name='createObject_PurchaseOrderItem3' domainClass='com.mapics.pm.PoItem'> ……….domainClass='com.mapics.pm.PoItem'> ……….</Create> </Create>

<Update name='<Update name='updateObject_Vendor2' domainClass='com.mapics.pm.Vendor'>updateObject_Vendor2' domainClass='com.mapics.pm.Vendor'>............. ............. </Update> </Update> </Request> </Request>

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•HTTP Post interfaces with System-Link servlet •Login information used to construct Login tag •System-Link request to retrieve P.O. lines•Auto content security determines what rows to return•Deployment profile provides “firewall”

Supplier Portal – Web application

Style sheet used to present the XML data

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Supplier Portal – Web application

Upload shipping documents to host server Create PowerLink attachment via System-Link request

Supplier Portal – Web application

• Events on the web page are used to construct a System-Link request to create records in a custom transaction file. Transactions can be viewed in Power Link

• Custom transaction file is a business object with Integrator user exits.

• User exits are used to perform work on the host (update flags, dates, perform edits, default data generation)

• Integrator user exits execute if object is being maintained via PowerLink, System-Link or NetLink

• Ability to update Purchase orders directly

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Power Link transactions

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Power Link transactions

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Custom objects can be used with System-Link (EI)

Custom objects

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Web ServicesUse RPG, HTML, Java, PHP, MS Office,

anything that can communicate with a web server

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Web Services

•Create a deployment profileInclude the object(s) you wantSpecify the attributesSpecify the actions

•Generate the web service (URL)WSDL – Web services description languageIdentifies information required for Request Type of Response that will be received

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Web Services

•Web service provider WSDL information

•Tools for analyzing WSDL

• WDSc's Web Services Explorer• SQLData System's Generic SOAP Client • WebserviceX.NET's WSDL Analyzer

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Web Services – Price Book MS Excel Worksheet containing pricing dataA button on the worksheet sends data to an XA PricebookXA edits the data

Accepts someRejects some

Error messages are returned

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Web Services – Price Book On the server…•Enterprise Integrator•System-Link

On the client…•Microsoft Office•Microsoft Office XP Web Services Toolkit 2.0

• PriceBookExample.xls provided– Enable macros, if necessary– Change price book, etc. to match your environment

• Search for web services– Tools => Macros => Visual Basic Editor => Web Service

References– Enter the URL from the deployment profile

• Add two services– PriceBookBasePriceSvc– SystemOperations

• Import sample code (File => Import File)– ExamplesCode.bas– MAPICSLogonPrompt.frm

Web Services – Price Book

Web Services – Price Book

Web Services – Price Book

Host edits, subscriptions…everything works

Web Services – Price Book

Thank You!

Technical InformationDenise.Lutherdenise.luther@cistech.net704-814-0017

Sales InformationBen McCormickben.mccormick@cistech.net704-814-0016