BREEDIMM@CTRVX1.VANDERBILT.EDU (MARSHALL BREEDING) (10/04/89)
I am looking for information on ways that we can access our IBM mainframe through our campus ethernet network. Specifically, I am interested in software that emulates 3270 type terminals on a PC with an Ethernet controller. We need either Decnet or TCP/IP support. Another desirable feature would be the ability to display the ALA character set used by our NOTIS library automation system. An SNA/DECnet gatway that connects our IBM to the campus wide ethernet.
U0A61@WVNVM.WVNET.EDU ("Bryan, Jerry") (10/05/89)
>I am looking for information on ways that we can access our IBM mainframe >through our campus ethernet network. Specifically, I am interested in >software >that emulates 3270 type terminals on a PC with an Ethernet controller. >We need either Decnet or TCP/IP support. Another desirable feature would >be the ability to display the ALA character set used by our NOTIS library >automation system. An SNA/DECnet gatway that connects our IBM >to the campus wide ethernet. There are several. For example, FTP Software, Wollongong, and NCSA plus Clarkson mods (public domain).
SUSAN@YALEVM.BITNET (Susan Bramhall) (10/05/89)
Your request for tn3270 server was forwarded to me. We are currently putting
such a server out for beta test. We expect to have it available to other
universities by December 1. Here is the info I have been sending out. We
have more sites who want to beta test than we can handle already, so I can't
offer that oportunity.
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The Multiprotocol Gateway (MPG) is derived from a previous
Yale project, the LAN Asynchronous Connection Server
(LANACS) now marketed by IBM. This document provides a
functional description of the original LANACS and the MPG
which we are currently testing.
LANACS runs in a dedicated or server worstation where it
manages asynchronous communications lines and modems for use
by other network stations. In addition to the COM1 and COM2
native adapters, up to 32 lines can be connected to the PC
through 4 IBM Realtime Interface Coprocessor Multiport
(RTIC) cards. Terminal emulators or other software in PCs
communicate to the LANACS through any NETBIOS LAN. The user
LAN workstations can connect to the Server first, acquire a
modem, and then dial out to a remote service. Alternately a
remote user can dial in to the LANACS, respond to a menu
prompt, and get connected to one of serveral LAN attached
PCs providing some communications service. Two LANACS
servers can connect to each other, using the LAN to
concentrate asynch lines.
Two NETBIOS protocols are supported for LANACS connection.
The "EBIOS" protocol is based on the definition of INT 14
(the PC hardware interface to COM1 lines). Programs can use
the EBIOS interface directly by opening the names "COM1" to
"COM4" and using regular DOS file I/O from a higher level
language. This I/O is shipped through NETBIOS to the
LANACS. If the corresponding real asynch line is connected
to a modem, then programming on the end user's PC must know
the "AT" modem commands and use them to dial the phone.
The other NETBIOS interface is called "ACSI" and is oriented
toward an abstract remote service. The LANACS might be
configured with an entry that the "IBMLINK" service is
available through phone number 18003337284. The
communications program on the user PC supplies the name
"IBMLINK" and the LANACS automatically dials the phone and
establishes the connection. ACSI is defined as a complex
set of NETBIOS messages which the communications program
must know.
LANACS provides only modem or line pooling. If the user
wants to communicate to an IBM mainframe, the asynch line
has to be connected to an external protocol converter like a
7171. If the user wants to connect to a VAX, the asynch
lines must run to the VAX or to a LAT box on an Ethernet.
The Yale Multi-protocol Gateway (MPG) adds new function to
the original LANACS design. First, it incorporates
internally the 3270 protocol conversion of a 7171. The 3270
datastream is then sent to an IBM mainframe through the IBM
TCP/IP software for MVS or VM.
Alternately, the MPG supports TCP/IP "telnet" protocol in
either client or server mode. In client mode a terminal
connected to LANACS (from a real asynch line or through one
of the two NETBIOS protocols) can have its traffic directly
forwarded to an ASCII host. This takes all the terminal
emulators that LANACS previously supported and provides them
with direct network access to VAX, HP, or UNIX systems
(including AIX systems running on PS/2, RT, or 370
computers).
When the MPG operates as a telnet server, some remote
terminal emulator comes into the LANACS from a TCP/IP
network. That emulator can then go out of the LANACS
through a real asynch line (to a modem or direct connect to
a host that does not use TCP/IP). The remote user can also
communicate with a LAN worstation using any of the LANACS 1
NETBIOS based protocols. Alternately, the MPG can do 3270
emulation and connect to an IBM mainframe.
There are 9 obvious combinations which may prove useful to a
number of users. In these examples "In" means the side that
first connects to the LANACS and "Out" is the other size of
the connection.
1. In:Modem/Out:NETBIOS - Old LANACS function for dial
access to PC based functions like bulletin boards, data
bases, or XMODEM file transfer. The PC communications
program could be a package or user written in a higher
level language.
2. In:Modem/Out:Telnet - Dial in access to ASCII hosts
like VAX, AIX/370, AIX RT, AIX PS/2, Sun, generic UNIX.
3. In:Modem/Out:3270 - Dial in access for IBM mainframe.
The protocol converter is in the MPG. The remote
station can be a real ASCII terminal or a PC with a
terminal emulator.
4. In:NETBIOS/Out:Modem - Modem pooling for LAN
workstations.
5. In:NETBIOS/Out:Telnet - The LAN workstation runs YTERM
or a commercial product supporting old LANACS. It gets
directly connected to an ASCII host (VAX or UNIX)
through the LAN. No real asynch line is involved, so
high speeds are possible. The LAN workstation program
does not have to know TCP and the ASCII host does not
know NETBIOS.
6. In:NETBIOS/Out:3270 - LAN workstation direct access to
IBM host through the LAN.
7. In:Telnet/Out:Modem - Modem pooling for ASCII hosts,
PS/2 machines running "TELNET" program, even IBM
mainframe "TELNET" command. Allows dial out to remote
locations or information providers. Also allows host
programs (MVS, VM, AIX 370) to be written using the
TCP/IP programmer's interface (SC09-1261 for MVS,
GC09-1206 for VM) and get direct programmed access to
ASCII asynch datastream.
8. In:Telnet/Out:NETBIOS - Turns existing LANACS dial-in
bulletin board into TCP/IP application. Makes PC
application accessable to outside world and ASCII hosts.
9. In:Telnet/Out:3270 - Converts "character mode" telnet
into 3270 protocol for access to IBM hosts.
Other combinations are possible. Valid combinations are
limited mostly by imagination. If there was only one
configuration (say the "7171" configuration with 32 dial in
lines all getting 3270 emulation) then Installation and
Configuration would be a much simpler problem to document.
The flexibility of the MPG makes documentation more
difficult.
It is only fair to add that planning and configuring the
server is a non-trivial exercise. Installation of the
software merges the contents of no less than six diskettes
(3 IBM products, 1 hardware feature diskette, 1 non-IBM
product and the MPG distribution diskette.) A step by step
procedure for creating a typical MPG configuration is
provided in the distribution package.
Please send questions or requests to for a beta test package
to either Howard Gilbert (GILBERT@Yalevm.YCC.Yale.Edu) or
myself (SUSAN@Yalevm.YCC.Yale.Edu). If you prefer the
phone, call either of us at 203-432-6600.SUSAN@YALEVM.BITNET (Susan Bramhall) (10/05/89)
I forgot to mention, and I don't think the info doc says, that the MPG does support ALA character sets as implemented on the ibm316x terminals.
jbvb@VAX.FTP.COM (James Van Bokkelen) (10/06/89)
Not being a mainframe guru, I don't know how the "ALA Chracter Set" is sent in the 3270 data stream. If it is just un-used entries in the EBCDIC code table, you should be able to customize our Ascii-EBCDIC translation table to get what you want. If ALA characters are sent as Extended Data Stream data, we don't handle that yet. James B. VanBokkelen 26 Princess St., Wakefield, MA 01880 FTP Software Inc. voice: (617) 246-0900 fax: (617) 246-0901