OS/2 Application Brief

''This application brief first appeared in hardcopy and can be ordered through Mechanicsburg. It is being distributed here for those who are not aware of, or do not have access to, the hardcopy version. This is the first of what is planned to be a series of these briefs.''

Making the Difference: OS/2 Launches ARA into the Future
You see them everywhere. Everywhere you eat, that is. From hospitals to schools to vending machines to stadiums, even to Barcelona and the Summer Olympic Games, ARA is serving food.

ARA is a $5 billion corporation and the largest services-management company in the world. Until four years ago, ARA's headquarters was still using card readers and key-to-tape machines for batch processing, a process that meant reports were at least 24 hours old. But with IBM's OS/2, ARA was launched into a new era of technology.

Today ARA is using OS/2 and PS/2s to speed its processing and build its own applications. "Both developers and users are much happier with the new computer environment because OS/2 is so flexible and easy to use," says Scott Hedrick, Director of Management Systems Development.

Getting ARA's operations up to speed meant getting information into the hands of the user. By upgrading the mainframe with Query Management Facility (QMF) and DataBase 2™ (DB2), individuals could talk directly to the host and access data for the first time. Says Jim Gutschow, Director of Technical Services, "As more and more people got excited about this access, ARA installed a token-ring network to help users meet the unique requirements of each line of business."

Simple user access was not enough to meet those requirements. ARA also searched for user control and found it with OS/2 and Database Manager (DBM). Each day, data are extracted from the mainframe and downloaded to file servers and DBMs for each business. These individual DBMs give every business within ARA control of the information they access. For example, since the Campus Dining and Healthcare Nutrition businesses utilize data differently, they can customize their applications and databases to make their information as meaningful as possible. With OS/2 and DBM, information is organized, access is faster and data analysis is improved.

The OS/2 Advantage
OS/2 2.0's multitasking capabilities will mean even more power for the user. By running a combination of DOS, Windows™, mainframe and OS/2 applications simultaneously, users can take advantage of every resource ARA has to offer. "Because 2.0 is so much more stable," says Hedrick, "our policy is that ARA will support Windows applications only running under OS/2."

With the power of OS/2 2.0, Hedrick and Gutschow also plan to introduce multitasking capabilities to remote users. Soon, field managers will be able to dial in to headquarters to communicate with the mainframe or any DBM. They will have immediate access to the same resources available to users at headquarters.

"Overall, we see the growth of OS/2 accelerating," continues Hedrick. "We're building mission-critical, client-server applications that require a platform robust enough to support them. That platform is OS/2."

Database Manager
Database Manager (DBM) makes extensive use of IBM's database technology to provide database consistency, integrity and optimized performance. It includes facilities to create, maintain and back up databases, update information, review existing data, print reports, reorganize tables and generate statistics. DBM functions include:
 * Database Services:as the DBM engine, Database Services handles all database requests and instructions.
 * Query Manager:by providing both a menu-driven interface and a command line interface, the user can access and manipulate the database.
 * Remote Data Services:to aid interfacing, Remote Data Services provides data management functions for remote databases on numerous networks, including IBM Token-Ring, ETHERAND, SDLC and 3174 Peer Communications.
 * Database Tools:these tools are separately installable and provide functions for the user to perform database and DBM configuration tasks.
 * Command Line Interface:in addition to Database Tools and user applications, the command line interface gives the user access to both OS/2 and host databases providing extra user flexibility.