Metafile Adds Internet Client Interface
Building upon its Java 5250 screen application, Metafile Information Systems Inc. now offers a new Java-based retrieval option for remote access to AS/400 printed output reports through the Internet or a corporate intranet.
MVR.net is a new component of MetaFile’s overall MetaViewer solution, providing remote users access to a host system without the need to implement a WAN, according to Nick Sprau, VP of marketing for Metafile (Rochester, Minn.).
Through MVR.net, network administrators have the ability to establish two different types of Java-based interfaces for their users, Sprau says. The first is a browser-based interface that provides many of the same capabilities as Windows. The second interface is an API-based interface that offers a higher level of data security, since not all users are entitled to the same level of access.
The Java-based MVR.net can be integrated with CGI, ASP, Servlets or HTML documents to create an interface to specific MetaViewer information. MVR.net is designed to provide all the same capabilities as MetaViewer client software.
MetaViewer client software combines full-text search, COLD (Computer Output to Laser Disc) and document imaging technology. One of the motivations driving the use of MetaViewer is the elimination of paper- and microfilm-based storage.
MetaViewer creates a warehouse of full-text indexed reports linked with documents captured through MetaView FOLDERS Document Capture. This combination provides a warehousing system encompassing the initial source documents as well as the final accounting records. MetaView FOLDERS uses the Microsoft Windows environment to add document imaging capabilities to existing applications on AS/400, LAN and mainframe platforms.
Report pages can be viewed, printed or faxed with a form overlay, providing a replica of the original, printed report page. Indexed reports can be viewed on PCs, 5250 or 3270 workstations, or across the Internet using the Web-enabled interface.
Pricing for MVR.net is based on Metafile’s existing concurrent user system. The product also requires Metafile’s $10,000 Internet server for fielding browser requests.