How does HostBridge fit in with IBMs connector “generations”?
IBM has recently republished the document OS/390 Guide to eBusiness Connectors: Third Edition (October 2000). In this document, IBM uses a generational paradigm to classify connectors to applications running in an OS/390 environment. To some IBM customers, this document has been quite confusing. Here’s the paradigm introduced by this document (verbatim): First Generation (API) connectors, which have been available for some time, are characterized as being very quick to implement with existing programming skills. These include the API-based connections using CICS Web Support (CWS), IMS TCP/IP OTMA Connection (IMS TOC), Net.Data, and CWS with 3270 Bridge and Templates. API connectors tend to have less standard tooling, less portability and typically better performance than server-side Java connectors. They are less focused on application re-engineering or technology upgrade and more on optimizing Web enablement to their existing application and data. Second Generation (Java) connectors a
