To Prepare Your Application for Use in a Distributed Environment

1. Identify the files or processes that you want to distribute onto the server. Distributing files involves the use of AcuServer, Acucorp's file server. Distributing processes involves the use of AcuConnect, Acucorp's application server.

2. Code your application as usual, or review your existing code for usefulness in the distributed plug-in environment. If desired, include some of the plug-in specific library routines or fields described in "Coding for the Plug-in.". Be sure to refer to the special coding considerations listed at the end of that section. If you plan to distribute processes, you may need to make some programming changes as described in the AcuConnect section of this book.

3. Compile your initial program using ACUCOBOL-GT Version 4.0 or later. When you compile with ACUCOBOL-GT Version 4.0 or later, the resulting object file is capable of being executed from within a browser on any Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT machine that has the plug-in installed.

4. Create client/server configuration files as described in the AcuServer and AcuConnect User's Guides. Minimally, the client configuration file should contain the path of the server files or processes. This is achieved using the FILE-PREFIX or CODE-PREFIX configuration variables.

5. Configure the plug-in runtime, if desired. Click here for more information.

6. Link external C routines into the plug-in if desired. This procedure is described in "Linking C Routines into the Plug-in Runtime."

7. Move all programs except the initial program onto the server.

8. Set up and run AcuServer and/or AcuConnect on the server machine.

9. Include the initial object file in your Web site. Click here for more information.