I'm hoping for some feedback from the developer community concerning using ObjectScript and background JOB processes to provide server based TCP/IP socket communications with other systems.
I have a requirement to develop a HL7 interface for inbound (to the Cache server from an external system) messages and outbound (from the Cache server to an external system). On other platforms, it was necessary to resort to C++ and/or assembly level coding to control the socket level communications on a given port. This process then interacted with the application environment through files, pipes and semaphores. It was not pretty, but it worked well. I've read about the OPEN/READ/USE commands, and the overview for "Using TCP Binding to Connect Client/Server Systems in the documentation. It would appear that Cache is well endowed in this area, and up to the task. What I'm wondering is 1. Is it reasonable to expect that I can develop a reliable, effective and efficient TCP/IP socket communications driver written in ObjectScript and running as a job on the Cache server. 2. Or does it get complicated and cumbersome, requiring system boots to clear up problems with failed connections, timeouts, etc. 3. What kinds of caveats or warnings might be appropriate to consider. For instance, maybe stopping/starting/monitoring these jobs is problematic, or for some reason they create unexpected resource demands, or it's fine with only one fixed client connecting to a socket, but it gets complicated with numerous multiple clients, or perhaps the packet mode works great but not the stream mode. 4. Is anyone aware of a "how to do it" sample that I might glean some direction from. Any help will be appreciated. Skip Hill
