Banner Health Cures Complex Host Access Problems with PASSPORT WEB TO HOST for Application Integration
Creates enterprise portal for accessing multiple 3270, 5250, VT220 and SCO ANSI applications
(PRWEB) January 17, 2004
Banner Health, headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, is one of the largest non-church affiliated, not-for-profit healthcare systems in the United States. Encompassing 8 states, employing 24,500, and serving more than 20 communities, the organization's IT system includes over 8,000 terminal devices, most of which are Windows desktops with terminal emulation, that are used to support clients. Banner's operations are managed by a combination of some 30 or more packaged applications, which run on IBM OS/390 mainframes, AS/400, AIX, VMS, SCO UNIX and Microsoft servers.
Based on the job responsibilities of the Banner employee, access to some or many of the applications is typically a part of their daily job. In the past, applications were launched by individual icons on the Windows desktop. Banner found this model required a degree of customization on each desktop that presented fairly significant administrative challenges, given the multi-state locations and sheer number of non-standard desktops. With the one-to-one relationship between the icon and the application, problems occurred if the icon disappeared or was changed. Moreover, with the number of applications at their disposal, users found the icon-based interface confusing and frequently out-of-date.
Seeking to reduce the complexity of access to their applications, the Banner Information Technology department created a. NET PASSPORT enterprise portal that facilitated access to the applications via easy-to-use drop-down menus found on their Intranet. Using a simple ASP. NET program created to look up the PC name in a Microsoft SQL database, each end user is presented with a dynamic list of application platforms that appear as a drop-down list, eliminating the need for the desktop icons. The user chooses the platform which runs the application they need and PASSPORT takes it from there. More importantly for administrators, a new PC can be quickly added and given appropriate application access including VTAM LU and VT Answer-Back information simply by entering information into a table, which is stored and managed via an administrative application written for the HelpDesk and Desktop Support departments. Zephyr's PASSPORT WEB TO HOST software is used for 3270, 5250, VT220 and SCO/ANSI connectivity.
Issues:
Users require access to 30 or more applications running on IBM mainframe, AS/400, AIX and Microsoft servers
Administrators have to manage up to 8,000 host terminals from Phoenix to Fairbanks, presenting installation and deployment challenges
One to one relation between the icon and application creates problems if the icon disappears or requires a change
LU name 'override' required to launch browser sessions
VT Answer-Back required to support built-in metering found in the Cerner Clinical application suite.
Solution:
Created a. NET enterprise portal to facilitate access to 3270, 5250, VT220 and SCO/ANSI applications via drop-down menus
Used PASSPORT WEB TO HOST for browser-based host access; deployed via Microsoft servers
Stored all user and machine information in SQL tables with a VB. NET application written to allow "back end" administration of the data.
Benefits:
Seamless application integration of 3270, 5250, VT220 and SCO/ANSI application access within the corporate Intranet and Extranet, allowing employees access to systems from their home via VPN.
Elimination of the need for Windows desktop icons
Can quickly add a new PC in minutes, granting immediate host access as long as the PC is connected to the Banner Network. All that is required is the name of the PC and what applications are normally accessed from that PC.
Default information is supplied to the PC even if no specific applications are associated with it allowing the user to choose one of the supported platforms for generic access.
Significant progress has been made in standardizing the desktop "image". By including the ASP. NET entrprise portal on all new PCs, any application can be accessed from the corporate main intranet menu. Application specifics are added on the "back end" via Desktop or Help Desk staff using the administration application.
Testing of new releases of PASSPORT can be done on a different server as the server name is part of the data stored in the SQL Tables. Users can then be migrated to the new release by changing the server name in the tables by facility, thereby accomplishing phased rollouts of new PASSPORT versions.
As Banner discovered, Zephyr's PASSPORT WEB TO HOST program is a very flexible terminal emulation suite. By deploying the application from a web server and launching it via their corporate Intranet, Banner has significantly lowered their overall cost of managing host access.
For more information on Banner Health Systems, visit www. bannerhealth. com.
About Zephyr Corporation
Zephyr Development Corporation is committed to delivering high-quality, affordable TN3270, TN5250, VT100/VT220, and SCO ANSI terminal emulation software and host access solutions. Zephyr offers subscription based licensing that substantially reduces the cost of terminal emulation software. Founded in 1985, Zephyr is a member of IBM® PartnerWorld, Microsoft® MSDN, Cisco® EAP, and the IETF. Zephyr headquarters are located in Houston, TX and can be accessed on the web at http://www. zephyrcorp. com (http://www. zephyrcorp. com).
