PowerObjects' smlPortal is a tool designed to help PowerBuilder shops move their DataWindows to the Web quickly and easily without creating, securing, and extending a Web application.

Built to run on Sybase's EAServer, smlPortal manages all the security and personalization for an online system and allows a company to deploy their existing PB forms and reports to a browser environment in as little as two weeks.

CHS Cooperatives, the company I work for, purchased smlPortal to facilitate the rapid deployment of our DataWindow reports to the Web. From the beginning we've been very impressed with this product's ability to do what it says it will do. The ease with which we migrate our forms and reports is a testament to the thought put into the product's design. For example, we don't have to modify JSP pages or change components when we deploy a report. We simply log into the smlPortal Administration Tool (a client/server tool), set the attributes, security rights, and database source for the report, then save this "report definition." With the report now deployed, we can run it from anywhere by logging into our smlPortal Web site. All the deployment work is handled behind the scenes by the application.

This product allowed us to be successful with several Web initiatives at a fraction of the cost it would take to develop separate custom Web applications for each business need. In one case we had two data-entry functions that needed to be accessed remotely. It would have been difficult and impractical to develop and deploy custom applications for each of these, but with smlPortal we were able to create and deploy secure forms quickly and at a minimal cost.

Reports
Reports deployed to smlPortal run on the server as PowerBuilder PBDs in the PBVM. Completed reports can be returned to users several ways - via e-mail and the Web are our most common distribution methods. Reports returned via the Web are not delivered directly to the screen; they're stored in a database and a pointer to the report document is displayed on the user's smlPortal inbox page. Reports can be viewed in a number of formats: PDF, Text, Excel, or XML. The format depends on how the report is deployed to the server. Users have the option to add new formats at any time and apply them to any report in the system.

Deploying existing reports is straightforward. Developers simply code two NVOs in the report PBL. The first NVO is the criteria object. For this we just inherit our criteria object from the smlPortal NVO and add our own validation logic. The rest of the code is inherited from the smlPortal NVO.

The second NVO is the report NVO that must also be inherited from the smlPortal report NVO. Here we associate our existing client/server DataWindow with the report object and then code the Retrieve event. The retrieval is based on the number and type of parameters collected with the criteria object. In the case of our reports, this was logic we already coded, so most reports could be deployed in a matter of minutes. After creating the report and criteria objects, the user runs the Administration Tool and deploys the report to the online system. The Administration Tool asks the user which database to use for the report, what resource is required to run the report, and which output formats will be available for viewing the report (XLS, PDF, etc.).

Forms
Forms are deployed through the Administration Tool in much the same way as reports. Each form is a DataWindow that shows data in your tables. smlPortal uses four types of forms: List, Search, Record, and Lookup. Search forms are used to filter a list of records so users can quickly find the records they want to work with. A list form shows a list of records and, depending on how it's set up, will allow users to either edit records directly from the list screen or will require drilling down to an individual record form. Lookup forms allow the user to create pop-up windows that can be used to gather user input for populating fields on a parent form or for use as a retrieval argument. Think of them as dropdown DataWindows for the Web.

The most powerful feature of smlPortal forms is that they make it possible to deploy DataWindows that incorporate a master-detail relationship. A user can link one form to another based on key fields supplied when the form is deployed. smlPortal provides the navigation links between forms and leaves a snail trail as a user drills down into the data. The smlPortal framework also takes care of little things like click-to-sort column headings.

Security
smlPortal comes with its own security framework built in. Its security is based on resources; this means an item, such as a report, is assigned a resource and a user must have rights to that resource to act upon the item. There are also roles, which are a collection of resources that are used to ease system administration.

If you decide to implement your own security schema, smlPortal allows you to do so. At CHS we use LDAP to access our own security schema. With the help of a PowerObjects consultant, it was a straightforward process to replace the smlPortal security component. The smlPortal architecture uses an abstraction layer that made this change easy to implement. We now use our own component to reference the security system and authenticate users. Needless to say, it was reassuring to be able to maintain our existing security schema when deploying smlPortal.

Database
A database schema is provided, but licensing is not. It's expected that clients will use their existing database and set up the tables there. There are schemas for Sybase ASA, ASE, Oracle, and MS SQL Server. We use MS SQL Server 2000 as our portal database. If you can set up a connection cache to a database, you can create an online report to use in smlPortal. It's that simple.

Administration
The Administration Tool is used to deploy reports and forms and to manage users and permissions (see Figures 1 and 2). The tool is easy to use and offers views into existing and scheduled reports, and the security associated with each report. For developers, the Administration Tool is an integral piece of smlPortal; they will need to access it each time they deploy a report to the smlPortal system.

User Interface
The smlPortal Interface is easy to navigate. It currently uses traditional navigation with menu items on the left side of the page and content displayed on the right (see Figures 3 and 4). The only criticism here is that some useful functionality is buried in the Properties page. Fortunately, the upcoming release promises a portal-like look with more content at-a-glance (see Figure 5). Despite the new look, functionality will remain the same.

smlPortal pages are JSPs and closely tied to the framework's components. The current graphics aren't flashy but are easy to replace if you can't wait for the next release. CHS Cooperatives has a large number of users in the installation and there's some difficulty in working with large user lists from the Web interface. This problem is apparent when a user tries to forward a report or a document, or send an e-mail message to another user. This issue can be resolved by setting up additional domains and limiting the number of users a given user can see. Managing this large list is easy via the Administration Tool.

Folders
Users have control over the creation and management of their own folders. This enables them to personalize the organization of their documents and reports. If there are certain documents or reports users wish to share, they can do so. This is a great feature when working collaboratively on a project. smlPortal allows the user to set access rights at the document level rather than at the folder level. These features provide a significant amount of control to the users.

Report Scheduling
smlPortal allows users to schedule reports to run at regular intervals and delivers them to users' smlPortal inboxes or to their e-mail accounts. Our biggest use of the system is for scheduling daily reports. Once a report is scheduled, it can be delivered to a user's inbox and/or e-mail each morning. The system allows a user to check the status of all reports in the queue, a handy feature if you want to view pending reports and possible error messages.

Document Management
Another useful feature allows users to upload documents from their desktop into the database. Once in the database, documents can be secured, managed, and distributed in smlPortal the same way reports are. Documents can be checked in and out (locking), updated, and shared. The document management capabilities are an efficient means of personalizing content and limiting who can see and do what in the online environment.

Other Features
smlPortal's other features include Links, Surveys, Messages, and a Calendar. None of these are central to the system but all are useful. The Messages and Surveys functions have been particularly useful to our organization. They're well thought-out and we plan to make greater use of these features as we move forward with the system. Messages offer an easy way to distribute information within a company. Messages can be made active or inactive and scheduled to display at a given time. The Survey feature offers a fast and easy way to create and distribute surveys to employees or customers. Links are kind of a "favorites" page with the additional enhancement of having links that are added to the page according to your job function.

Documentation
The documentation is sufficient but not outstanding. While the tutorials on how to create reports and forms are very good, there needs to be more substantial documentation of all the methods that report and form objects have available so that it's easier to think outside the box and take advantage of the source code. PowerObjects has indicated that this is coming.

If all you need is the ability to run your existing client/server reports in the standard smlPortal architecture, then the documentation is fine. If you need to extend the architecture, the extra documentation would be helpful. Remember, unlike most applications, smlPortal comes with source code, making it highly configurable.

Licensing
smlPortal can be licensed by the server, site, or full enterprise license. All versions come with full source code. A demo version is not available, but it is possible to arrange for a proof of concept to be set up using your code to demonstrate the feasibility of smlPortal as a solution.

smlPortal is a J2EE EAServer application and requires EAServer to be licensed separately for production. Installation instructions are easy to follow - deploy a Web application to EAServer, set up a couple of property files, and deploy a client/server application. At this time there's no Unix support.

Summary
If you need a secure, effective, and feature-rich application for moving your company's forms and reports to the Web quickly, smlPortal should be at the top of your list. More than just a framework, smlPortal is a robust application that's ready to deploy out of the box. This product is powerful and customizable so it can grow as your organization grows. If your company is making a move to the Web, don't leap before checking out smlPortal.

PowerObjects
401 Second Avenue South
Suite 843
Minneapolis, MN 55401
Phone: 612 339-3355
Web: www.powerobjects.com
E-mail: sales@powerobjects.com

Specifications:
Supports PowerBuilder 7 and 8; can be deployed to EAServer versions 3.6.1 and higher.

Licensing Costs:
$10,000 per server; $25,000 per site;
$35,000 per enterprise license. Price includes code updates for one year. Code updates for subsequent years are 20% of license price; phone support is 15%.
For more licensing information contact PowerObjects.