Enterprise Office
Desktop Usage

Ing. Peter-Paul Witta

paul.witta@CUBiT.at

http://www.cubit.at/lw04

Desktop Linux

Linux on the Desktop is easy

Office Programs are matured

OpenOffice, abiword, gnumeric, Koffice

stand alone Desktop can easily be migrated

Large corporations keen to migrate due to cost
saving opportunity!

Large corporations feature a complex IT
infrastrcuture

Linux Message: Migration is easy!

what to do with the connected Office Desktop in
large corporations?

Enterprise Environment

many Data Stores

many Application Services

accessed by a Terminal

one Terminal per Server Type: 3270, 5250,
vt100, X

1990-2000: Integration in GUI on M$ Windows

1990-2000: Implementing Middleware Platforms

1990-2000: Access by ODBC

2000: tight binding between
Enterprise Systems and the Access Terminal,
the Windows Desktop

Key Systems and
Scenarios

IBM Mainframes in the core: 3270 Terminal

x3270 is not sufficent, Java Solutions are slow

IBM Midrange: iSERIES: 5250 Terminal

x5250 is not sufficent (NLS Support,...)

File Transfer problematic

Unix: SSH is not available on the Servers

Unix: Termcap problems between Linux and
XXX

TCP/IP is good; Many Systems cannot talk
TCP/IP

Office Software Environment

Enterprise Desktop >= Calctool+Writer

Microsoft provides Infrastructure:

Single Driver for database access

Single Driver for printing & archiving

Single Drivers to access the Enterprise IT

empowering the end user

networking and connectivity

Hiding the Enterprise: Most users don't know
what systems they are using; they think the
client PC does all the work

Components, Usage

commercial Office Systems utilize

Host: LU6.2 APPC/APPN

3270 Terminal

3270/GUI Gateway

Unix Tools

GUI Clients for ODBC

MS VBA Connectors to Middleware:

Access Enterprise Ressources in VBA :-(

-> Enterprise Utilities use VBA

-> memleaks, slow performance, low stability

Integration in Enterprise
Architecture

Enterprise Communications Architecture

Message Passing (MQSeries
Java Message Broker)

ODBC Gateway

Excel-Plug Ins connect to Enterprise Data Stores

Excel was not made for this! Documents are
limited; they need access to the Data Store to
work

custom Gateways; many customers do their own
middleware; major investments in the Desktop;
how to motivate migration?

Using Office as a Frontend

Seamless Enterprise

Excel: custom data analysis tool for mainframe
based data

Word: replaces terminal printer; personal printer
for mainframe applications or other data

Access: GUI for Enterprise DB

massive VBA usage and Windows integration

Office Tools to Access the Enterprise

Changing Office means Changing the
Enterprise Infrastructure Edge

The Desktop Service

Desktop Service:

single Sign-On w/ Smartcard: often the
screensaver is the Single SignOn tool

different Platforms integrate in the Desktop

Desktop connects to different Environment

connectors to Enterprise Systems
(not only Terminal) needed

Workers used to post-process Enterprise Data;
need Outputs from the Enterprise that match
with Office Tools

Office and Desktop
Infrastructure

typical Desktop

Single SignOn

Mainframe connectivity

Unix Connectivity

ODBC/Oracle Connectivity

many GUI Tools

Internet (=WWW)

Email

Word Processor, Spread Sheet

most Users use “simple” WP and SS tools only
a few times a week

Migrating Step-by-Step

Migrate slowly

provider terminal access to midrange and
mainframe servers: x5250,x3270

where is the Enter Key?

Unix Access: solve the terminfo/termcap problem

Use OpenOffice

How to connect Open Office with the Enterprise?

third party vendors should be motivated
(e.g.Applix)

and Problems

x3270,x5250

Keyboard semantics in X: Enter Key <=> Control

Keyboard Mapping insufficient

NLS on EBCDIC Systems not present(?)

Intranet Problem: many Intranet Webpages only
work with special Browsers

ODBC Problem: How to access Databases

thru OpenOffice?

Spreadsheet and Word Processor Integration:

No API in x3270, x5250

StarBasic is not a Part of X, but of OpenOffice

How to cope with
Integration

x3270,x5250

use the source, Luke!

find special mappings

patch X Keyboard: “,”->”.” for numerical data

integrate different Tools

implement custom Clients

make the Linux Desktop a Enterprise Client

-> This is not a M$ Office -> OpenOffice problem!

it is a platform problem

How to migrate
integrated services

Integrate Support for the Linux Client in the
middleware

Java Middleware and IBM products partly
supported

limited to none community support:

proprietary Software confidential

in-house systems very closed

no GPL-compliant company culture

Analyze the compound application

change it

work with the Application/Middleware vendor

Free the mind:
Spreadsheet, not Excel!

motivate people to take a technical-only
approach

most managers like cost savings more than Excel

promote the Interface (GUI)

make the Desktop work first: Umlauts, Fonts
Printers, Keypads

Then bring in the Enterprise connectivity

Most People don't know where the Desktop
interface with the Enterprise: Analyze it!

Migration by Upgrade

Upgrade to next Version of M$ Infrastructure
(Platform + Office) is complex

Migration might be as easy as

Vendors need to support migration

Motivate Vendors to do Linux! (how?)

Desktop Support Staff needs Know-How

End-User gets little to no changes

move to open protocols as fast as possible

try to make Changes to the infastructure subtile
and easy!

Providing Tools and
Infrastructure

Linux Desktop Environments are
Community-powered

Most Community-members are no “pro Desktop
users”

many tools seem “unfinished” for End-User-usage

very small and easy changes can improve a lot

don't try to change to much, but adapt

Community&Business

Business Integrators have only limited access
to community authors

Need different skills: e.g. x5250 and X, or
OpenOffice and x3270/LU6.2

different Languages spoken: communicate

Heterogenous platforms need heterogenous people
if the machines communicate, so do we!

Talk to middleware vendors; Linux is like Unix :-)

Use Wine: many Windows Apps can be ported to
Wine (use only Wine-supported API) easily

Unite! Bring People together!

Desktop migration is Business

but Business means talk to people

Involve Experts regardless where they come from

be open-minded!

Thank you!

2004-05-06T15:50:46