PO WEEHNAPPLIGATION DEVELOPMENT. — |

JUY 31, 1989

This is part 4
of a series of
articles on
IBM's Systems
Application Ar-
chiteciure

(SAA). The in-
troduction of in-
ing environ-
ments such as

SAA will have a

major impact

on the software
technologies of
the '90s.

A major strategic objective for organi-

zations in the '90s will be to replace cen-

tralized computer facilities wlth distrib-
uted computing systems made up of
multiple cooperating processors.

in a distributed-processing environ-
ment, each element of the computing

to do what it does best. User interfaces
and local processing are supported on
desktop workstations. Mainframes and
midrange computers are used to store
central data files and share processing
functions.

Integrated computing environments

port the distributed computer architec-
tures needed for the '90s. As I said in

managers to wejgh the strategic
strength of these architectures and lay
the groundwork for their introduction.
strengths and limitations to illustrate
the issues that need to be hddressed in
evaluating integrated environments.
ed to its goal of delivering cooperative

grow more important in any organiza-

straightforward as SAA matures,

different platforms in SAA-compliant
environmenis. A

network is interconnected and optimized

sučh as IBMs SAA are designed to sup-

earlier articles in this series, it's vital for

TI discuss here some of SAA's major

The primary strengih of SAA is relat-
applications. Cooperative processing will
tion that is using more than a single. PC.
What is now an extremely difficult pro-

: Bramming task will become much more
Applications will be easler to port to

pricing module can run
on the System/370, AS/400 or PS/2 and

SAA Has Strengths, Limits in Integrated Environments

ers to move easily from one application
to another since they will all use the
same interface conventions. The user in-
terfaces will be easy lo use and will
take advantage of the programmable
workstations' graphical features.

New user-interface technology will
soon be incorporated into SAA with the
next release of CUA. The use of more
graphic interfaces on the programmable
workstations will be encouraged. Using
the highest-level Dialog Interface of
SAA, advanced user-interface features
can be implemented automatically.

For example, the programmer might
specify that, the user select one item
from a list. The Dialog Manager compo-

SAA: A Promlse Only Partly Fulilled

However, SAA locks in IBM as a ven:
dor. If SAA becomes the standard for an
organization, then IBM or IBM compati-
ble hardware nud software will be pre-
ferred (n that, environment.

Conipeting vendors are forced either
to necept. the SAA standard or develop
their own. Customers are forced either
to accept SAA as the standard or forgo
lis benefitg.

IBM Is responsive to the demands of
the marketplace for an open arehitec-
ture, na can bo scen in the case of the
Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) com-
munlcatlona standards. SAA had origi-

unily used IDM's proprietary Systems
Network Architecture (SNA) for com-
tuunicatlong, but many customers asked
for Rupport of (ho Internatlona] OSI
olatularad, "ha support has been nn-
nounced and prrtlally huplemented,

In ndditlon, much of the market place
prefera Unfx ns the environment. for
progra minable workstations, IBM is re-
sponding to this demand with (ts ver-
slon of Unix, AlX, which is evolving to
malntaln compllance with the communi-
entloti and programming interfaces of
BAA, 'This will allow IBM customers to
use ellher Unlx or OS/2.

Difficulties in Choosing

SUH, difficultles remain, because the
programer must choose between using
We SNA or OSI communications inter-
face, ''he SAA Common Communication
Services luterface will resolve this issue
by providing common communication
programining services that allow users
to network bolh SAA and non-SAA
machines,

imi l The same problems will exist with the
databioi programtning Interfaces, database ser-

s Vices and user interface. IBM Is sensitive
to language stundards and will most
likely continue to Support international
language stuulards. The database stan-
dards will be driven by its own prod-
ltcts, ns will the user-Interface
Slmulnrda,

Au important current limitation is
nek oč SAAe, »mpllant. components. se
Mauy of AA" gonls are not, renlized
kir Anka — wlih current products. For example, the

cations purchased from third:-party ven-
dors will follow the same comiunica-
tion, database and user-interface stan:
dards of in-house applicatlonis,

SAA will push IBM Into provlding su-
perior systems-software producis. The
old piecemeal products will glve way to
a well-integrated set of applicalion-en-
abling and system-support tools.

One of the major limitatlons of inte:
grated environments Is thelr proprietary |
nature. SAA is a proprletary product
from IBM, not the restilt of n conaor-
tium. Managers need lo aaHess how open |
SAA really is.

SAA is open in that, |t spocifiva n com:
mon set of software Interfnces nerosa

Ommon g,

Comm une eh brogr,
Interiacga otlon šnoa
"Applicaljgn..
to boost pr eMabli
st g to |

H Suppon b ji fammer Produkil
Comimunji Mernationgj vy

Catlon Standargi,

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personal data c i gole VA Come (Pe mrena RAM a oma at Na refer. The James Martin Producttvity Serii
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ni don standar mol catjone will greš a RNI or Stenta: Monica, Calif. 90402 (, St.,
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An organization. Appli Meet that need, : me šti (era Joria ZE jasonx
JE : : niled Kingdom (0524) 73, 505.