SEQUEL Web Interface

The SEQUEL Web Interface (SWI) is perhaps the easiest and most cost-effective way to bring your System i data to a Web browser. As soon as the SWI is installed, you can display any of your existing Query/400 or SEQUEL objects at a browser with just a mouse click. You may also use the SWI to manage spooled files at a browser, selecting from a list by user ID or output queue.

That's just the beginning. When you combine the power of SEQUEL and the SWI together, you can start with simple queries, then develop comprehensive, browser-based business intelligence systems with run-time prompts, drill-down hyperlinks, and graphics. You may even reformat your DB2 data as XML/XSL output to incorporate advanced formatting capabilities in your results. In addition, when the SWI is combined with SEQUEL or the Esend product additional functionality is available for distributing spooled files by e-mail from a browser interface.

The SWI may be licensed at one low price for all System i model numbers. It's a great way to provide better end user access to information at any location without the time and money costs associated with other solutions.

See also:

Security

Summary of Features / Real-time Examples

The following links show you the kind of results you will see with the SEQUEL Web Interface. These are static screen shots.

1. See an example of a SEQUEL View, Report or Query/400
2. Here is a series of SEQUEL views that let you drill-down from high level summary information to detailed data.
   
   

   Click to view examples: Region Summary, Customer Summary, Order Summary, and Line Items.

3. SEQUEL views can include graphical images within query results.
   

   Click to view examples: Customer Inquiry - with sample pictures, Display Photo Images from Catalog

4. You can run SEQUEL views and reports interactively and e-mail results to recipients.

5. SEQUEL lets you convert System i or AS/400 data into XML.
   Use the SWI to run interactive SEQUEL views using XML/XSL
   

   Click to view example: Customer Totals for California
   (Internet Explorer 5.0 or later is required in order to view XML content.)

6. Record level security lets you control who has access to different subsets of data. This lets you provide the latest information over the Web to a remote sales force or customer with assurances that they see only what they're supposed to see.

   Click to view example: Record Level Security

7. You may sort results at the browser using dynamic data binding. Run the example, then click on one of the column headings to sort the results. (Internet Explorer is required.

   Click to view example: Customer Summary - Region 010

   This function may also included with results containing hyperlinks that "drill-down" to other views.

8. UPDATE, DELETE, or INSERT records in a physical file on the System i or AS/400. Using i5/OS and / or record level security (above) you can limit who has access to different subsets of data. This example lets you UPDATE records in a file. Click on any of the hyperlinked customer numbers to select a record to update.

   Click to view example: Update Example

9. Display a list of existing SEQUEL and QRY objects within a library (this option may be restricted). The SWI builds the list dynamically. You can then click on an object name to run a request.
   

   Click to view example: Work with SEQUEL Objects

10. Manage spooled files by user profile or by output queue.

    The SWI lets you display, copy, move, delete, hold or release spooled files such as reports or job logs within a selected output queue or user profile.

    When the SWI is combined with our Esend product, you have the added ability to convert spooled files to PDF (or other popular formats) and send either to individual e-mail recipients or to burst and distribute to multiple recipients in an e-mail distribution list.

    Click to view example: List Spooled Files. Note: in this example only the Display, Display Attributes and E-mail options are fully enabled.

    The table below shows what spooled file management functions are available when using the SWI as a standalone product or when it's combined with SEQUEL or Esend.

    Function	SWI Standalone	SWI with Esend
    Display	X	X
    Copy	X	X
    Move	X	X
    Delete	X	X
    Hold / Release	X	X
    Display Attributes	X	X
    E-Mail		X
    Burst & Distribute by E-mail		X
    Convert to PDF		X
    Copy to IFS		X

    
    

Security

The System i (and AS/400) HTTP server enacts user profile and password security to limit access from the Internet or an intranet. User profile and password validation are specified with the UserID and PasswdFile configuration directives.

The SWI works as a Common Gateway Interface (CGI) program that is run by the System i HTTP server program. All SWI requests are run under a user profile named QTMHHTP1. If user/password validation is not implemented, users can prohibit access to queries, views, files, and libraries by revoking authority to the QTMHHTP1 user profile. The HTTP configuration directives for user/password security (PASS and EXEC) that are added to the configuration file are specific to the SWI. No other programs or directories will be served as a result of enabling the SWI. A firewall should be used to limit access from external (Internet) users.

There is no delete or update risk to System i data or objects. The System i HTTP server is a read-only server. It does not support the HTML PUT or DELETE methods. The SWI does not expose UPDATE or DELETE commands.

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