cliff@centaure.UUCP (Clifford Dibble) (11/13/89)
Dear NetXperts: I'm taking an "Introduction to LANs" class, and the instructor has suggested the following research topic: given an Ethernet full of Sun workstations and a stand-alone IBM mainframe, how best to connect them for simple applications such as file access and transfer, e-mail, and remote login. We think that hooking the IBM directly to the Ether and cajoling it run Internet protocols (ftp, smtp, Telnet, TCP/IP, ...) is a possible solution. I know that earlier this year IBM announced TCP/IP support. Is this reasonable? Would we be better off buying some sort of gateway? Or perhaps setting up a direct serial link and making do with some simple file-transfer protocol like ZMODEM or Kermit? I'd be grateful for any pointers or advice. Thanks!! Cliff Dibble Irvine, CA. USA. 714-859-1172 P.D.T uunet!centaure!cliff
carrato@mhinfo.UUCP ( tony carrato) (11/14/89)
In article <123@centaure.UUCP> cliff@centaure.UUCP (Clifford Dibble) writes: >Dear NetXperts: > >I'm taking an "Introduction to LANs" class, and the instructor has >suggested the following research topic: given an Ethernet full of Sun >workstations and a stand-alone IBM mainframe, how best to connect them >for simple applications such as file access and transfer, e-mail, and >remote login. > >We think that hooking the IBM directly to the Ether and cajoling it run >Internet protocols (ftp, smtp, Telnet, TCP/IP, ...) is a possible >solution. I know that earlier this year IBM announced TCP/IP support. > >Is this reasonable? Would we be better off buying some sort of >gateway? Or perhaps setting up a direct serial link and >making do with some simple file-transfer protocol like ZMODEM >or Kermit? > >I'd be grateful for any pointers or advice. > >Thanks!! > >Cliff Dibble >Irvine, CA. >USA. >714-859-1172 P.D.T >uunet!centaure!cliff I've done this a couple ways myself. My preferred solution is to use an Ethernet gateway with appropriate s/w on the IBM. For a gateway, Intel makes a unit called a Fastpath that IBM also sells as a 9770. I've gotten in excess of 100 Mbytes/hour throughput through it to a 4381. I've also be unable to max out the gateway with interactive sessions. TSO on the 4381 started page faulting itself to death at about 40 sessions and the gateway just kept humming along. An alternative is one of the many SNA gateways that go through the IBM front end. Sun makes a product called something like Sunlink that goes that route. The disadvantage is that it will be much slower and limited in the number of sessions it can support. Things to look into: ACC is the company we've used for s/w on the mainframe side of the gateway that sits on the Ethernet. The s/w is called Acces/MVS. It supports a channel-attached gateway on the IBM side. An IBM channel has a speed of 3.3 Mbytes/second which beats the heck out of a 19.2 KBPS line into a front end. This assumes you are running MVS on the mainframe. The s/w supports TCP/IP with FTP and TELNET support. LPR support is a bit weak. I haven't tried the mail gateway, though for political rather than technical reasons. If you assume the mainframe is running VM, IBM has equivalent s/w. Their MVS s/w is the VM stuff ported to MVS. Sun offers their Sunlink product that goes through the front end, as I mentioned above. It does 3270 emulation and supports file transfers through the 3270 data stream You also need to look at the public domain package TN3270. It does 3270 emulation over a TCP/IP link. You need that to get through the Intel/ACC gateway as a terminal. If you want more information please fell free to contact me. Tony Carrato Mile-High Information Services, Inc. uunet!mhinfo!carrato
harper@rigel.uucp (David Harper) (11/17/89)
In article <123@centaure.UUCP> cliff@centaure.UUCP (Clifford Dibble) writes: >Dear NetXperts: > >I'm taking an "Introduction to LANs" class, and the instructor has >suggested the following research topic: given an Ethernet full of Sun >workstations and a stand-alone IBM mainframe, how best to connect them >for simple applications such as file access and transfer, e-mail, and >remote login. You might try getting in contact with: Mitek Systems Corporation 2033 Chennault Dr. Carrollton, TX 75006 (214) 490-4090 They have two products that might fit the bill. The first is a unit which attaches to the IBM via the mainframe channel and also connects to the ethernet. The unit (M2000) speaks SNA to the IBM and TCP/IP on the ethernet. The second unit (M2100) is very similar except that it connects to the IBM through a high speed SDLC link which means that the mainframe can be remote from the network. "Disclaimer": I have no connection with the above company other than: 1) I used to work there. 2) I still own stock in the company. 3) I helped design the above products. 4) The products are being used by my current company. 5) I still have a bunch of friends there. 6) I think that about covers everything (big 8-) ). Dave Harper - Convex Computer Corp. E-mail address: 3000 Waterview Pky. Richardson, TX 75081 harper@convex.COM (214) 497-4525 (W) (214) 727-4206 (H)