News from Micro Focus SupportLine

What's new at Micro Focus

March 2002

NEW RELEASE OF THE MICRO FOCUS ENTERPRISELINK® 5.0

If you are a SupportLine customer, you can receive your FREE upgrade by clicking on the "Product Updates" option on the SupportLine home page, or by emailing to upgrade@microfocus.com. You will need to provide your Name, Company, Phone and Fax numbers, email address, shipping address, number of users and your current product serial number(s).

THE COBOL PORTAL

Have you visited the new COBOL Portal lately?

Many changes and enhancements have been made to the COBOL Portal recently to make it 'the' web site for the COBOL developer.
http://www.cobolportal.com

PRESS RELEASES

MICRO FOCUS TO PROVIDE COBOL SUPPORT FOR IBM eSERVER zSERIES OFFERING FOR LINUX
Micro Focus International Ltd. (Micro Focus®), has announced that it will provide COBOL support for IBM's recently released IBM eServer zSeries Linux-only mainframe. With this agreement, Micro Focus will build and market COBOL for Linux on zSeries, using its Server Express™ product as the basis for the first version to be available in September 2002.
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DEPAUL UNIVERSITY STUDY FINDS THAT MICRO FOCUS® ENABLES LEGACY TRANSFORMATION AS MUCH AS 25 TIMES FASTER THAN OTHER METHODS
Results of a study conducted by DePaul University's Institute for Software Metrics reveal that Micro Focus' leading global enterprise development solutions are up to 25 times faster than traditional methods of Web-enablement. The researchers used model applications with independent software consultants to study various approaches for moving mission-critical legacy applications to the Web.
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MICRO FOCUS AND NOVARRA TEAM UP TO PROVIDE WIRELESS ACCESS TO LEGACY SYSTEMS
Micro Focus International Ltd and Novarra, Inc., the innovator of instant wireless software, have partnered to extend legacy assets beyond the desktop to wireless handheld devices. This collaboration allows organizations to leverage their existing mainframe applications while enhancing productivity by enabling employees to access critical business information in real-time, no matter where they are.
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White Papers

Controlling Desktop Applications from Micro Focus COBOL Using Automation
This white paper shows how you can use the Net Express support for Microsoft Component Object Model (COM) to enable you to integrate the functionality of common desktop applications into your own development. By using the existing functionality of applications already on your users desktops, you can reduce the amount of development effort needed to implement new functionality, as well as bring enhancements to your users faster.
whitepapers

Customer News

Building Web Applications with Net Express and .NET
Read about how Syspro remains on the cutting edge of creating Business-to-Business Web Applications with Micro Focus Net Express
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Using Net Express to Migrate Mainframe Applications
Read how the St. Louis Public Schools Retirement System used Net Express to migrate their Mainframe based legacy system to a server based environment
more>

PRODUCT UPDATES

AutoUpdate
AutoUpdate is a web-based mechanism which will help you select WebSync packs (FixPacks, AddPacks and Service Packs) for a single 'download and install' product update. It enables you to determine which WebSync packs are currently installed on a machine, and which WebSync packs are not installed, but are available to download and install. These lists relate to all Micro Focus products that are installed on the Windows machine on which you run the AutoUpdate. Currently, this AutoUpdate mechanism is only available for the PC product WebSync updates. A UNIX version is being evaluated for future release.
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Mainframe Express

The Mainframe Express 2.5 WebSync has been updated with the latest versions of the following items:

SQL Option Fixpack
CICS Option Fixpack
Compiler Fixpack
File Handler Fixpack
Run-Time System Fixpack
JCL Fixpack
IDE Fixpack
Assembler Option Fixpack
Common Communications Interface Fixpack
REXX Fixpack
IMS Option Fixpack
HCO Fixpack
PL/I Option Documentation Fixpack
PL/I Option Fixpack
Data Tools Fixpack
TSO Fixpack
Mainframe Access Suite Fixpack
Documentation Fixpack
LE Callable Services FixPack

This FixPack can be downloaded from the SupportLine Web site at more>

Net Express
The Net Express 3.1 WebSync has been updated with the latest version of the following item:

* Documentation Fixpack

This Fixpack can be downloaded from the SupportLine Web site at more>

Server Express
Service Pack 1 for Server Express 2.0.11 for HP/UX, Compaq, AIX (32-bit), and Solaris Sparc is now available on CD only (not for download). To order your CD of Service Pack 1, go to the Request a Product Upgrade page on the SupportLine Web site or send an e-mail message containing your company and contact information and your Server Express product serial number to Upgrade@Microfocus.com to request a copy of the Service Pack 1 CD.

Please note that a SupportNet ID is now required to access the SupportNet pages. To register for a SupportNet ID, please fill out the form at more>

Technical Articles

Articles and demos to inform you about functions and features of your Micro Focus products

NET EXPRESS

Forcing SQL Server to be Case Sensitive in Query Results
Want to know how to force case sensitivity in SQL Server query results? This article will show you two ways of accomplishing this task.
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What are the table size limitations on the SQL Option Server?
This article discusses the table size limitations and ramifications of the SQL Option Server (XDB).
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Net Express with MQSeries solutions
To ease the use of MQSeries with Net Express, this article shows two methods of handling the interfacing with MQSeries.
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Using License Server 4.0 with Net Express versions 3.0 and 3.1
Unsure how to Install, Configure, or Trouble Shoot License Server 4.0 with Net Express? This article will provide vital information in all of these areas.
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Changing the location of backup files for License Server 4.0
With License Server 4.0, it can be tricky to change the location of its backup files. This article will show the processes that need to take place to change the backup file location.
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MAINFRAME EXPRESS

CICS Multi Tasking under Mainframe Express
This article demonstrates how to set up Distributed Program Linking between two CICS regions running under Mainframe Express running on the same system.
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Why can't I drag and drop a file named AUX to the workstation?
There are several system names that can be used within file names on the mainframe, but which will cause problems when you use Mainframe Access to drag and drop those files from the mainframe to the PC. This article will discuss this issue and identify those system related names that cannot be used.
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APS for MVS

APS for MVS: Setting up APS DB2 Subschema utilities in a new DB2 subsystem.
If you are installing a new release of IBM's DB2 and plan to do parallel testing in a new subsystem, here are some tips for working with APS for MVS.
more>

Planned Product Withdrawals

Are you aware of the Product Withdrawal Schedule Information within the Micro Focus Product Advisory pages? This schedule shows the planned (or past) withdrawal dates of Micro Focus products and their successor products. It is advisable for you to check this schedule from time to time, so you can stay up to date on the plans near term plans for the Micro Focus products that you are using.

A reminder: All Object COBOL Developer Suite v4.1.30 products on all UNIX platforms other than NCR will be withdrawn as of May 31, 2002. All withdrawn releases are, or have been, replaced by either the Object COBOL Developer Suite v4.1.40 or by a Server Express release. If you are still operating on v4.1.30, you should be planning on upgrading your release to correspond to this schedule.

The full Product Withdrawal Schedule can be found on the Micro Focus web site at:
withdrawal

SupportLine Website

Have you visited the Micro Focus Support website? Have you registered for access?
If you haven't you should!

By accessing the Support website, you can:

Submit issues directly to our support operation just as you would over the telephone. Issues submitted through the website given the same priority as telephone inquiries.
View the status of the cases you have submitted to Support, whether you opened them through the web or through a telephone call to us. You may also update the information on your open cases to provide additional information.
You can view the status of any product defect reports you have submitted to us.

There are self-help services available on the Support website that will allow you to find answers to a variety of product questions, provide you with a concentrated sub-site for Net Express information and examples, and give you access to our AnswerLab user community messaging area.

If you haven't registered and visited our Support website, you owe it to yourself to see what you have been missing. Click on the following links to register (all you need is your personal information and your product serial numbers) to access the Support website and start benefiting from these services.

Access the SupportLine website

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