Conversion questions (from Powerhouse to ?????)

[Glenn Waters]

Having read the threads through the list-serv I came across a number of conversion questions, the majority were answered with (and I paraphrase a bit) "don't do it", "it's more trouble then it was worth","plan for it taking a lot longer" and many other variations on these. Pretty much across the board negative! Well we are in the un-enviable position of maybe having to convert systems, perhaps away from Powerhouse totally. Explanation follows...

We are running 7.33 Powerhouse on a DG Unix platform using Interbase. The system that has been built up through the years is a heavily customized, very specialized system, that runs this place pretty well. We received notice from Cognos that Interbase support is being dropped at the end of the year (because its going open source!?!), so naturally the alarm bells have gone off and we are starting to see what we might be able to do. Well if it were only that simple we might be ok, but there is more. They developed and have considerable interfaces built using Powerhouse PC! Which for any of you not aware is also sort of on the "fringe" of support (and still uses 16 bit drivers...). In addition to all of this, this is an educational institution and funding is always an issue.

So we are exploring alternatives right now. I'll list them below, and I'd be very interested in any input from you folks on our ideas, and any other ideas you may have.
1. Set up Oracle on the DG box. This solves the Interbase problem, and should involve only a minimal amount of pain. Keep running our current applications, converted as needed for Oracle.It doesn't solve our Powerhouse PC problem, but will buy us some time.
2. Oracle on a Sun box. Similar to the idea above. Again still running our Powerhouse applications.The main push for this idea is the university has standardized on Sun (we could get them "cheaper"), and would solve some non powerhouse related issues.
3. Convert our applications to Java. A total conversion off Powerhouse. Probably to Oracle DB, on a Sun box. Yes I understand how tough it would be :-) Advantages of Java (in a University setting) is that any workstation we have could (in theory) run the programs. Currently only Windows boxes have access to the applications because of the Powerhouse PC front end. This would solve the DB issue, and the Powerhouse PC issue, but the "cost" would be the highest.
4. Finally some "creative" ideas were brought up, like putting a Java "wrapper" around the current applications, that sort of thing.

We've started looking at what Cognos has to offer and the costs (Axient etc..) are a bit high. Powerhouse "web" is currently questionable etc.. And we would still have a conversion effort if we went to one of their other platforms. Any suggestions you might have to offer, ideas, shared pain are welcome.

Thanks!

Glenn Waters
North Carolina State University 
College of Veterinary Medicine 
4700 Hillsborough St., Box 8401 
Raleigh, NC 27695-8401 
Phone: (919) 513-6652
Fax: (919) 513-6452 
Email: Glenn_Waters@ncsu.edu


= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Subscribe: "subscribe powerh-l" in message body to majordomo@lists.swau.edu
Unsubscribe: "unsubscribe powerh-l" in message to majordomo@lists.swau.edu
This list is closed, thus to post to the list, you must be a subscriber.