About NetDynamics

NetDynamics delivers the solution for developing Web-centric enterprise applications. Companies looking to implement applications on the World Wide Web which serve broad-based strategic and enterprise-wide roles such as supply chain management, enterprise resources planning, and human resources now have an easy-to-use, extensible and scalable solution - NetDynamics.

Gone are the days of handcoded database connectivity or manually configured session and state management with CGI, PERL or C++ executables. With NetDynamics, developers can concentrate on the business logic requirements of a Web application rather than on coding. Automatic Java code generation, built-in database connectivity, session, state and security management make NetDynamics the ideal development environment for building enterprise-scale Web database applications. NetDynamics also provides a scalable, high-performance architecture for deploying applications on the Web. The NetDynamics application server scales to meet the constantly growing needs of internal or external Web sites, maintaining the fastest response times even for large numbers of users around the world.

Version 3 of the award-winning NetDynamics system takes Web application development to the next level of power and simplicity. NetDynamics 3 introduces new easy-to-use features for shorter development cycles, point-and-click access to client/server and existing core enterprise applications such as PeopleSoft and SAP using WebEXTEND technology, and greater performance for increased responsiveness to end users. NetDynamics quickly powers companies planning to extend their businesses onto the Web.

Web/Data Development Made Easy

In the past, developers building data-driven Web applications had to maintain session, security and database connectivity manually. NetDynamics simplifies this process. It provides optimized access to relational databases, whether directly or via ODBC. The NetDynamics application server includes automatic session management, allowing developers to track and control personalized information. And using the security Wizard, developers can create their own security mechanisms or interface with existing Web and database server security controls. For added security, NetDynamics also integrates with Gradient's WebCrusader security infrastructure to provide controlled, secure access to an entire Web-centric application system.

Should the developer need to perform more detailed customization, a built-in Java code editor, a comprehensive application programming interface (API) and pre-built objects are available as part of NetDynamics. Building and customizing enterprise Web database applications has never been easier!

Equipping the Web-centric Enterprise

For example, companies desiring to enable PeopleSoft client/server applications on the Web can now build custom Web interfaces to PeopleSoft panels using NetDynamics and WebEXTEND. Business logic stored in these panels (forms) can be quickly recast for the Web without a complete and expensive re-write of the existing application. NetDynamics enables PeopleSoft customers to cost-effectively deliver new services on the Web. Developers can use NetDynamics to architect their applications for the Web module by module, protecting technology investments while integrating Web-native technologies for optimized Web deployment.

Successful Applications that Scale on the Web

NetDynamics' built-in session management system lets developers track thousands of users concurrently and individually. Each user has personalized information delivered to his or her Web browser, any where in the world. Through the NetDynamics application programming interface (API), developers control the information they need to maintain about each individual user.

With enhanced application and database connection caching, NetDynamics now processes requests and serves pages faster than ever! A new visual system management tool lets administrators monitor their running NetDynamics system, starting and stopping servers, and performing other tasks with the touch of a button. NetDynamics makes administering and scaling Intranet and Internet-wide applications a snap!

An Open Environment for the Web

From Oracle7 to Microsoft Access, NetDynamics automatically manages all database links. Developers have the choice of native or ODBC connections to the database. The NetDynamics application server caches the database connections to minimize the performance overhead involved in initiating such connections for each user. Users are guaranteed the fastest possible data access regardless of the type of database.

NetDynamics works seamlessly with complementary Web technologies like ActiveX, Java applets, JavaScript, VB Script and plug-ins. Developers can link a charting applet to data from the NetDynamics application server, or connect an ActiveX grid control to display numerical data. Or use a client-side scripting language like JavaScript to manipulate the display of HTML data. With NetDynamics, developers leverage the power and scalability of a high-performance application server with today's and tomorrow's Web technologies.

NetDynamics Product Family

NetDynamics Studio is a visual application development tool that leverages on the knowledge-base and skill set of the existing developer community. Through NetDynamics Studio, developers are provided with a drag-and-drop programming environment that automatically generates server-side Java, HTML and SQL. Built on Java, the NetDynamics application server can be distributed for scalability and handles complexities that are specific to the Web such as session management. Also provided by the server are automatic queuing, scheduling and load balancing. The WebEXTEND product line provides integration with existing core business applications and enterprise infrastructure. Through the WebEXTEND products, NetDynamics applications can be seamlessly integrated into PeopleSoft and SAP environments and utilize existing middleware such as CICS.

NetDynamics Studio

Visual Development

• Point-and-click visual development environment
• Automatic Java code generation
• Page Wizards - master-detail, master-detail-detail, search, drilldown, others (new!)
• Display Wizards - hyperlinks, buttons, radio buttons, list boxes, combo boxes (new!)
• Built-in interface to access PeopleSoft panels and data via Message Agent (new!)
• Auto-populate list boxes, combo boxes, radio buttons with data (new!)
• Automatic links to other NetDynamics pages, external URLs, e-mail (new!)
• Sophisticated multiple parameter passing with HREFs and buttons (new!)
• Hierarchical object viewer
• Dockable object inspector
• Save As, entire projects (new!)

Customizable Data Displays

• Formatted default HTML page layouts (new!)
• HTML templates easily viewed and modified by WYSIWYG HTML editor
• HTML page re-generation on demand (new!)
• Currency, text, date, regular expression formatting (new!)
• Input validation (new!)
• One-click conversion of display types, e.g. from text box to list box (new!)

Secure, Personalized Applications

• Security Wizards - use database, Web server security
• Integration with Gradient DCE security mechanisms (new!)
• Built-in session and state management using encrypted session ID
• Developer-defined page navigation and access control

Powerful Database-driven Actions

• Query-By-Example (QBE) using input fields, list box, check box, radio button criteria (new!)
• Selectively edit sections of SQL statements for finer control (new!)
• Multiple SQL action Data Objects (new!)
• Display tables, synonyms, system tables and views as data sources (new!)
• Integration with best-of-breed HTML editor, Web browser, ActiveX Control Pad (new!)

Application Extensibility

• Pre-defined and developer-defined event triggers (new!)
• Automatic migration from NetDynamics 2.0 or 2.1 (new!)
• Integrate applications with external Java and C++ objects
• Comprehensive API contains over 200 classes and 2,500 methods for custom development (new!)
• Java classes for database access
• Java classes for session and security management
• Built-in Java code editor

Application Server

Scalable Architecture

• Distributed application server architecture
• Automatic load balancing and queuing of requests using built-in request brokers
• Multiple database connections per data server request broker (new!)

High Speed Performance

• Highly optimized CGI, NSAPI and ISAPI interfaces for best performance (new!)
• Cached database links for faster connection times
• Cached application objects for faster response times
• Native database connectivity to Oracle, Informix, Sybase

Enhanced System Administration

• Integrated, graphical application server system manager (new!)
• Automatic testing of application server system (new!)
• One-click starting and stopping of application server system (new!)
• Automatic detection of Web servers (new!)
• Built-in system monitors
• Customizable application server error messages (new!)
• Customizable logging for better application tracking (new!)
• Standalone application server executable for Windows 95 (new!)

WebEXTEND

• Optimized, native access to PeopleSoft business logic via Message Agent API
• Optimized, native access to SAP R/3 applications via BAPI and remote function calls (RFCs). Available January '97
• Visual development - view and bind remote application objects to code in NetDynamics Studio
• Perform full data manipulation, including queries, updates, inserts and deletes
• Coming soon: WebEXTEND for CICS

WebEXTEND for PeopleSoft

• Support for PeopleSoft version 5 and 6
• Run multiple Message Agent interfaces simultaneously on the same server. Exclusive feature: WebEXTEND delivers multi-threading capabilities with Message Agent version 5
• Cached connections to the Message Agent for faster performance
• Smart caching of PeopleSoft panel schema. No reloading of panels during application execution results in faster performance

Other

Documentation and Samples

• Extensive online help (new!)
• Programmer's and reference guides (new!)
• Installation and configuration guide (new!)
• Sample applications and tutorials - including frames, Java applet, JavaScript, ActiveX support (new!)
• Online forum and sample library at www.netdynamics.com (new!)

Supported Hardware and Software

Supported Platforms

• Windows NT 3.51 and 4.0
• Windows 95
• Sun Solaris 2.3 or higher
• SGI Irix 5.3 or higher
• HP-UX 9.05 or higher
• IBM AIX (January '97)

Supported Databases

• Oracle7 with native connectivity
• Informix 6.0 or higher with native connectivity
• Sybase 10 or higher with native connectivity
• SQL Server 6.0 or higher via ODBC
• Other ODBC-compliant databases

Supported Web Servers

• Any CGI-compliant Web server
• Netscape NSAPI 2.0-enabled Web servers
• Microsoft ISAPI-enabled Web servers

Supported Java Virtual Machines

• Javasoft Java Developers Kit (bundled with NetDynamics)
• Symantec Café
• Others