Virtel Web Integration was deployed at Credit Agricole as a PHP server to replace a previous Web setup that couldn't scale-up without a mainframe upgrade.
Credit Agricole customers use standard Web browsers to access their bank accounts for query, transfers, etc.
Several CICS transactions are left opened at all time to serve a PHP server where the HTML application resides.
The PHP server sends HTTP requests in XML format to Virtel.
Virtel:
- Parses the XML flow
- Converts it to one of several possible COMMAREA
- Dynamically determines and calls the appropriate CICS transaction
The CICS transaction sends back a COMMAREA.
Virtel:
- Converts the COMMAREA back to XML, and
- Sends an XML flow as answer to the PHP HTTP request
The use of XML allows keeping the evolution of the PHP application independent from that of the CICS transactions, which would not be possible with COMMAREA exchanges.
