john (12/09/82)
TUCC (Triangle Universities Computation Center in North Carolina for those of you receiving net.micro) and NCECS (North Carolina Educational Computing Service) have asked for information from the UCLA Data Processing Department regarding their program for support of microcomputer-mainframe communications. UCLA has apparently (I have not seen any descriptive materials, so all of this is based on conversations with people at TUCC and UCLA) developed communications programs to allow Apple II, IBM PC, and CP/M (8" floppy systems only) microcomputers to function as intelligent terminals to IBM MVS TSO and VM CMS systems. The two parts of the system are: a program that runs on the host, and machine language programs for the supported microcomputers. (I think LSI 11/23's running the RT-111 operating system may also be supported.) Under this system the microcomputers could transfer any kind of file to the host (the full binary spectrum is supported), or receive any kind of file from the host, within the limitations of the microcomputer. Limited error checking, including check sums, is provided. The "standard DOS editors" would be used to prepare the microcomputer files. No version of Easywriter for the IBM PC would be supported. I trust I will be able to say more about this when I receive more information. The Smarterm, Videx, and Sup'R'Term 80-column cards for the Apple II are supported. The CCS 7710A, Apple Communications card, and Hayes MicroModem II are supported. The IBM asynchronous card is supported. If the microcomputer user creates files with embedded control characters, the machine language communication program on the microcomputer will strip these characters, which the host program will then reinsert. My question is, does anyone know anything else about this system? Hewlett-Packard has implemented a similar system for its 3000 series, and at least one of its microcomputers, and there are other such packages available for Prime systems and CP/M microcomputers, but these packages cost a great deal. UCLA says it will sell its system for $400 (!), and grant full reproduction rights on the diskettes, but NO support is provided. TUCC/NCECS may very well look closely at this approach to supporting microcomputer intelligent terminal functions. Does anyone see any advantages to this approach? What are the drawbacks? Those of you who have microcomputers and rely on TUCC/NCECS should be directly concerned with this matter, so I hope you will have some comments. John Hogan NCECS