If you didn’t know already, HP is transitioning their sales and support of Micro Focus products back to Micro Focus. The good news is Micro Focus will continue to offer award-winning support for these enterprise software solutions. The bad news is our exclusive transition program ends December 31, 2006, so there’s little time to waste.

Transition and Enjoy: 

Migration of support contracts
Upgrading from OCDS to Server Express at special pricing 
Worldwide 24x7x365 technical support  

Act now to begin the transition! Not ready yet? Learn more

Sun Transition Program reaches milestone in October

Sun will cease support for Micro Focus Server Express on October 14, 2006.  Micro Focus is ready to transition and renew support for your Sun-purchased licenses immediately, with no interruption of support.  

Find out more.

Have you missed some of the Webcasts?

Micro Focus provides several Webcasts during the year. These include those from the First Friday and Third Thursday presentations, as well as special event Webcasts. Most of these Webcasts have been recorded so they can be viewed at a time convenient to our customers. If there was a Webcast you meant to join and missed, you can still get the value of it by viewing it from the Webcast Archives.
 View the Webcast Archives

Along with the other recent changes, the address to use to request new license keys has changed. License Keys for AAI, EnterpriseLink, Mainframe Express, Mainframe Manager, Net Express, and Revolve products should now be requested in one of two ways. They can be requested through the Request/Obtain License link, located on the SupportLine web page Self Service menu, or directly by using this link: http://supportline.microfocus.com/licensing/index.asp

In the more recent releases of the Net Express, Mainframe Express Enterprise Edition, and Revolve products, you can obtain a license Response Key for the product via the internet by using the License Management System. The LMS can be accessed via Start/Programs/<Micro Focus product name>/Configuration/License Management System. Select the product and optional extensions you want. Then click Generate Key to change the Request Key. Click the Internet button, fill in the details required in the dialog box that appears, and click Connect. This will submit your request and initiate the return message with the Response Key. When the Micro Focus Web server responds with a message saying your request key has been processed, click OK to complete the process.

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If you are a Micro Focus customer, you can request updates to your current product version to the latest product version on CD by sending an email to Update@microfocus.com. You will need to provide your Name, Company, Phone, and Fax numbers, email address, shipping address, number of users, your current product serial number(s), and to which product or release you wish to Update.

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You might already have received formal notification from Micro Focus SupportLine regarding the proposed retirement of some older Micro Focus products. The text below is taken from this formal notification. Please take time to read it if you use any of our APS, AppMaster Builder or COBOL Workbench product families.

“In 1997 we launched Net Express®, and in 1998 we launched Mainframe Express® as successor products to COBOL Workbench for the development of distributed and mainframe systems. In 2004 we launched Mainframe Express Enterprise Edition to incorporate mainframe application generation. Since the predecessor products will no longer support the latest platforms and industry standards, this information gives notice of their retirement and withdrawal from support as specified below. A copy of the notification letter is being sent as formal notification to all existing clients.

PRODUCT BEING WITHDRAWN	SUCCESSOR PRODUCT
Mainframe application development COBOL Workbench (including all options e.g. IMS,CICS,SQL) APS for MVS, APS for z/OS (including Customizer, Generators and Importers) AppMaster Builder (including Customizer, Generators and Importers)	Mainframe Express® Enterprise Edition Notes During 2002, we wrote to you to share our vision of the future of mainframe application development. This vision was based around a new product, which combined the power of APS with other enterprise-strength Micro Focus technology. This product is Mainframe Express® Enterprise Edition, launched in May 2004.[1]  Mainframe Express Enterprise Edition supports your existing development paradigm and reduces mainframe CPU utilization costs by allowing analysis, compilation, debugging and testing of mainframe applications on Windows™. It also enables you to fast-track to a Service Orientated Architecture by exposing existing business transactions as Enterprise JavaBeans or Web Services. It is certified on the latest IBM releases of z/OS, Enterprise COBOL, CICS, IMS, DB2 and other major subsystems.
Distributed application development COBOL Workbench (including all options) OSX / Application Server for COBOL Workbench	Net Express® and Application Server Notes Net Express provides a powerful Micro Focus IDE for the development and extension of COBOL applications for deployment on Windows, UNIX and Linux. Integration of COBOL with Microsoft Visual Studio provides support for development and extension into the .NET Framework. In addition to traditional COBOL deployment, COBOL applications can be extended to a Service Orientated Architecture utilizing Web services, COBOL/J2EE, .NET and XML. Applications can be deployed on the latest Windows platforms and can include character, graphical or web user interfaces.

The notice period is 12 months from the date of the formal notification you should already have received. During this notice period we recommend that you transition to the appropriate successor product, either Mainframe Express Enterprise Edition (for mainframe application development) or Net Express (for distributed application development).

To ensure a smooth upgrade, some planning will be required, so we urge clients to act as soon as possible. You will receive a follow-up call from Micro Focus to discuss options, but in the meantime if you wish to contact Micro Focus please call us, especially if you have not received formal notification from Micro Focus. We thank you for your continued business and look forward to speaking with you.”

---

[1] http://www.microfocus.com/AboutMicroFocus/pressroom/releases/pr200406081315000.asp

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Tell us what you need -take our new z/Series survey!

Whether you are currently using Mainframe Express Enterprise Edition or not, here's a great chance to have your say. 

We are actively seeking input that will be used to help formulate the Micro Focus strategy for future products and services. 

Please take a few minutes to tell us about your mainframe environment and experiences.
Launch our zSeries survey by clicking here.

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New updates made available during the past month. (To access these updates, login to the SupportLine sites, http://supportline.microfocus.com/, select Selt Service, followed by Product Updateds from the left hand menu.)

Mainframe Access 3.0

    mfd02all.exe -  Mainframe Access Suite FixPack: This FixPack now updates all versions of the Mainframe Access client that you have installed for Mainframe Access, Mainframe Express and Revolve. Previously, you needed to install individual Mainframe Access FixPacks for each of these products.

Mainframe Express Enterprise Edition 3.0

    all09m30.exe - All WebSync WrapPack. This WrapPack will install all available FixPacks for Mainframe Express 3.0 and Mainframe Express Enterprise Edition 3.0

Micro Focus Server - Enterprise Server for Windows

    eas08a40.exe -  Enterprise Server Service Pack 1: This Service Pack can be used to update an existing Enterprise Server for Windows installation to the same functional level as the current FixPacks for Net Express 4.0

Net Express 4.0 / Net Express with .NET / Mainframe Transaction Option

    all08n40.exe -  All WebSync WrapPack. This WrapPack will install all available FixPacks for Net Express 4.0

    net91n40.exe -  .NET overlay. Net Express with .NET requires version 4.0.008 or later of the Net Express 4.0 WrapPack.

   mto03n40.exe – Mainframe Transaction Option: MTO is an add-on to Net Express that enables you to maintain and run CICS applications.

Application Server for Net Express 4.0 / Application Server for Net Express with .NET

    Srn91n40.exe – Application Server for Net Express with .NET (this requires Application Server for Net Express 4.0 to be installed).

    aps10a40.exe– Application Server Service Pack 10: this Service Pack can be used to update an existing Net Express 4.0 Application Server installation to the same functional level as the WrapPack 4.0.008 (all08n40.exe) for Net Express 4.0. 

Revolve 7.0

    (Hot Fix) - This patch resolves licensing issues for Revolve 7.0.

For your guidance:Wintel FixPacks are standard 32-bit executables. UNIX and Linux FixPacks are supplied as encrypted (.encr) files. A .encr file is an executable which should be run where the appropriate COBDIR can be accessed; this will generate a conventional .tar file which can then be processed in the normal way.

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

-- Net Express and Server Express --

How to diagnose compilation errors in SQL applications

This article describes how to achieve this on both Wintel and UNIX/Linux platforms.  More

-- Net Express with .NET--

Calling COM Servers from an ASP.NET Application

This article describes how to overcome problems with this process.  More

-- Server Express --

Increasing file sizes from within a COBOL program

How to do this from within the program rather than using rebuild.  More

Debugging with Server Express 4.0

A discussion of the various options open to you.  More

Setting up a Java environment

How to set up a Java environment successfully.  More

Problems with a Java environment

The above process may not always work successfully – here we discuss how to solve common problems.  More

Sample application: Single threaded socket application

This set of demo programs illustrates this programming scenario.  More

Sample application: Single- and   multi-threaded socket application

This set of demo programs illustrates this programming scenario.  More

-- Mainframe Express --

Interpreting Sever Errors and Suppressing Flag Messages

A discussion on these important topics.  More

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Join us every Third Thursday of the month for a free, one hour Webcast on special interest topics related to your Micro Focus products. The training consists of instruction and demonstration of tasks, followed by Q&A.

Third Thursday Webcast Archives 

Did you miss a Third Thursday Webcast you were interested in attending? If so, you can still attend the presentation by viewing the recorded presentations within the Third Thursday Webcast Archives  

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First Friday Webcasts are held the first Friday of each month and focus on topics of critical concern to enterprise IT directors and managers. Professionals in organizations that depend on legacy systems should not miss these important events. The 1-hour, “from your desk” sessions are free and convenient.

First Friday Webcast Archives 

Did you miss a First Friday Webcast you were interested in attending? If so, you can still attend the presentation by viewing the recorded presentations within the First Friday Archive  

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Accelerate with Micro Focus Training!

Take your COBOL skills to new levels with our hands-on training. Let Micro Focus expert instructors guide you on how to use the latest tools to take the legacy applications you work on, into the exciting worlds of .NET, XML and Web services. For more information and to register, visit us at any of the following regions:

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Events and Trade Shows
Micro Focus produces and participates in events all around the world. Whether you join an on-line Webcast, attend a conference, or visit a business show, you can gain insight into how Micro Focus products can help you solve today's business challenges and prepare you for continued success in the future.

For more information, visit: Micro Focus Events

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Micro Focus Forum
If you haven't visited the new Micro Focus Forum, you should check out what other users of the products are doing there.
http://www.cobolportal.com/microfocusforum/

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/

Have you visited the Micro Focus SupportLine web page? Have you registered for access?

If you haven't you should!

There are self-help services available on the SupportLine web page 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 the Micro Focus Forum user community messaging area on the COBOL Portal.

Click on the following links to register (all you need is your personal information and your product serial numbers) to access the SupportLine web page and start benefiting from these services.

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(c) Micro Focus.
SupportLine Newsletter is a free, monthly email publication for the developer community. Email all correspondence to the editor via SupportLine.Newsletter@microfocus.com