Microsoft Host Integration Server 2004 provides the key enabling technologies that allow customers to integrate their mission-critical host applications, data sources, messaging and security systems with new solutions developed using the Microsoft Windows platform.

One goal of Host Integration Server 2004 is to enable enterprise developers to move towards a services-oriented architecture (SOA) using the .NET Framework. Transaction Integrator (formerly COMTI) allows Windows developers to publish business rules in mainframe CICS and IMS applications as XML Web Services. The new Transaction Integrator (TI) Designer runs within Microsoft Visual Studio® .NET, providing a more efficient developer experience. At the same time, TI has been extended to support AS/400 applications by offering a Report Program Generator (RPG) Import Wizard and distributed program call runtime across a TCP/IP network connection. To directly publish vital data stored in IBM DB2, Host Integration Server 2004 offers a Microsoft Managed Provider for DB2 that is based on an improved Microsoft network client for DB2.

Host Integration Server 2004 includes innovative technologies, such as TI Host-Initiated Processing (HIP) that offers TCP/IP and SNA listeners which allow a Windows Server computer to function as a peer to IBM mainframe and AS/400 computers. For example, CICS programmers can call into Windows COM+ or .NET server components, just as if they were another CICS transaction program, by using familiar programming models such as CICS distributed program link (DPL). HIP allows enterprises to more effectively move portions of their application logic or data onto the more cost-effective Windows Server and SQL Server platforms, while ensuring logical and secure bi-directional application communication.

Finally, Host Integration Server 2004 offers industry-standard technologies allowing the network administrator to move towards pure TCP/IP WANs and datacenters. Transaction Integrator supports the CICS enhanced TCP/IP listener and persistent TCP/IP connections. The DB2 data providers support reliable 2-phase commit distributed transactions over TCP/IP to DB2 running on most popular computing platforms. The new IP-DLC Link Service supports the industry-standard SNA over IP routing so that branch-deployed and centrally-deployed Host Integration Server computers can connect directly to z900 mainframes via high-speed IP networks. No longer do enterprises have to remotely administer branch cluster controllers, utilize expensive data link switching (DLSw) capable routers, or maintain costly front end processors (FEPs). With Host Integration Server 2004, enterprises can continue to consolidate their network infrastructure, while supporting the same level of SNA-compatible applications and services.