SNA Server Version 2.11 - New Features

• Microsoft SNA Server for Windows NT, version 2.11

SUMMARY

This article describes the major new features of SNA Server 2.11, as included in the SNA Server 2.11 Enhancements Guide, along with some updated technical information on some of the features.

PowerPC Platform Support

To run on a PowerPC, Windows NT 3.51 is required. However, SNA Server 2.11 is also supported on Windows NT 3.5.

SNA Server 2.11 adds support for the PowerPC architecture. This allows you to run SNA Server on new computers based on the PowerPC processors from IBM, Motorola and others. Combined with the current support for Intel, MIPS- and Alpha-based systems, SNA Server now supports the widest variety and the most scalable set of hardware platforms of all the SNA gateways on the market today.

Support for TN3270 Clients

SNA Server 2.11 includes a TN3270 Service which runs on the same computer as SNA Server and allows any client running a TN3270 emulator, such as a UNIX-based workstation, to connect to the IBM mainframe through SNA Server. This feature allows customers to use TN3270 emulators on their desktops, yet keep the hosts running the native and optimized SNA protocols, saving the cost and the performance penalty of installing and running TCP/IP on the mainframe.

The TN3270 Service supports 10,000 sessions (up to 2000 users running multiple sessions), making this the highest capacity TN3270 gateway on the market. The TN3270 Service allows TN3270 clients to connect to a host through any of the connections supported by SNA Server. It communicates with TN3270 clients via TCP/IP sessions running the TN3270 option of the Telnet protocol and does not require installation of an SNA Server client on the user's workstation. The TN3270 Service gives administrators more control over resources by allowing specific IP addresses to be assigned to LUs. The TN3270 Service supports any third-party TN3270 emulator that uses the DO TERMTYPE option of Telnet, for any client operating system.

ODBC/DRDA Drivers

SNA Server 2.11 includes Open Database Connectivity/Distributed Relational Database Architecture (ODBC/DRDA) drivers for Windows operating system- and Windows NT-based clients, enabling standard desktop applications that support database connectivity via ODBC, such as Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Access, to access IBM host databases without an expensive host- based database gateway. These drivers support connectivity to the following IBM host databases: DB2 for MVS, SQL/DS for VM, and DB2/400 for OS/400. A single-user ODBC/DRDA license is included with SNA Server 2.11. See the enclosed license card for instructions on obtaining additional licensing.

SNA Remote Access Service

Prior versions of SNA Server already support the full SNA client functionality for remote clients dialing into the LAN using the Remote Access Service (RAS) of Windows NT Server. SNA Server version 2.11 adds a feature that allows administrators to create virtual LAN connections between Windows NT systems across an existing SNA network. This is achieved by integrating SNA Server's LU6.2 transport with the RAS architecture, allowing the use of familiar RAS tools to initiate remote network connections across the SNA network and to benefit from the data compression, administration, and security features built into RAS. Customers with large SNA wide-area backbones now can access remote LANs and servers without setting up redundant LAN-to-LAN networks or having to install a dial-up modem in each remote branch office. This feature is particularly useful for network administrators who need to manage remote branch offices connected to the corporation's mainframe or AS/400 only through low-speed synchronous data-link control (SDLC) lines.

The SNA Server Remote Access Service is supported on top of Windows NT 3.5 or 3.51 client machines. This feature is not available from Windows 3.x or WFW clients.

Support for IBM's New Client Access/400 Product

SNA Server 2.11 adds support for IBM's new CA/400 product, which is a Windows-based front-end package to access AS/400 applications and data. The Windows-based client component of SNA Server 2.11 is enhanced to be compatible with the CA/400 router, allowing users to replace the CA/400 router and connect to the AS/400 via an SNA Server. Users benefit from using an IBM-endorsed client package to access the new OS/400 V3R1 operating system for the AS/400, while getting the benefits of the leading SNA gateway to offload communications processing from the AS/400, saving CPU and memory resources on the host. When using Windows for Workgroups or the upcoming Windows 95 operating system, SNA Server allows the Windows- based desktops to run protected-mode LAN protocols only, saving precious MS- DOS operating system-based memory and making the overall Windows environment more stable. Network administrators will benefit from the reduced administration requirements for both the AS/400 and the Windows- based desktops.

EHNAPPC API Support

SNA Server 2.11 adds support for the EHNAPPC application programming interface (API) which is the Windows-based APPC API supported by IBM's PC Support and Client Access/400 (CA/400) products. IBM has presented EHNAPPC API to its independent software vendor (ISV) community as the way to write Windows-based applications that integrate with the AS/400. There are estimated to be more than 60 applications that utilize this API as a way to connect to the AS/400 data and applications. These ISV applications will work unchanged with SNA Server 2.11.

Support for 16-bit SNA Applications on Windows NT

A set of new Dynamic-Link Libraries (DLLs) included with SNA Server version 2.11 maps the 16-bit SNA API to native 32-bit SNA APIs, allowing users to run all the 16-bit Windows-based applications that work with SNA Server in the 32-bit Windows NT environment. This feature brings the Windows NT-based clients to parity with Windows-based clients for running SNA applications.

The 16-bit SNA API's which are now supported on Windows NT running the 32-bit SNA Server client software include APPC, CPIC, LUA and Common Service Verbs. The 16-bit Emulator Interface Specification (EIS) API, used by 16-bit 3270 applications, is not supported on top of the 32-bit SNA Server client software.

Drivers for IBM and Andrew Twinaxial Adapters

New drivers included with SNA Server 2.11 allow SNA Servers to be connected to AS/400s using twinaxial cabling, the native way to connect to an AS/400. These drivers, developed for Microsoft by Andrew Corp., provide a cost- effective option to connect the PC LANs to the AS/400s for the estimated 70 percent of the 300,000 AS/400s installed worldwide that do not yet have LAN adapters. Instead of spending as much as $3,200 for a token ring adapter for the AS/400, a $350 twinaxial adapter can be installed on the SNA Server computer, providing up to 512 host sessions for the LAN clients attached to the SNA Server.

The Andrew Twinax link service supports the Andrew 3xTwin Adapter, and is available for the Intel platform. The IBM Twinax link service supports the IBM 5250 Enhanced Adapter, or compatible, and is available for the Intel platform. (There are register-compatible cards from independent hardware vendors, such as DCI.)

For a full list of and contact information for third-party vendors providing adapters, see the SNA Server Companion Product Catalog, ISVCATAL.DOC, in the \COLLATRL\GENERAL directory on the SNA Server CD-ROM. Updates to this catalog are distributed on the Microsoft TechNet CD-ROM and posted on the MSSNA Compuserve Forum, the latest third party companion guide can be found on Lib #1, called ISVCAT.EXE, which self-extracts to a Word for Windows document.

Drivers for Barr Systems and Bus-Tech Channel Adapters

SNA Server 2.11 includes drivers for Barr Systems and Bus-Tech channel adapters, which allow the SNA Server to be directly connected to an IBM mainframe channel. The direct channel attachment can provide a significant improvement in performance compared to other ways of attaching SNA Servers to the host. An SNA Server running on a multiprocessor Pentium* or RISC system with two LAN and two channel adapters installed can challenge the overall performance and capacity of some of the fastest IBM controllers and front-end processors. The Barr channel link service supports the Barr S/370 Channel adapter, available for the Intel, MIPS, and Alpha AXP platforms. The Bus-Tech channel link service supports the BTI Channel adapter, available for the Intel platform.

Additional SDLC Driver Support

Link services have been added for Attachmate SDLC and Attachmate Advanced SDLC cards for the Intel platform, and for a Barr SDLC card for the MIPS and Alpha AXP platforms.

AFTP Client and Server utilities

SNA Server version 2.11 includes a set of utilities that enable high-speed file transfer between Windows NT-based systems and IBM hosts. APPC File Transfer Protocol (AFTP) is an IBM-developed protocol that duplicates for the SNA environment the function of the popular FTP utility in the TCP/IP environment. IBM now is offering the host component of AFTP at a nominal cost for most of the host operating systems. AFTP allows customers to perform multi-megabyte file transfers between the host and the Windows NT- based system quickly using native SNA protocols, eliminating the need to install the expensive and CPU-intensive TCP/IP stack for the host in order to perform FTP file transfers. The AFTP feature is based on IBM source code that Microsoft recently licensed as part of the APPC Application Suite from IBM.

The AFTP Client and Server programs will be installed automatically during setup of an SNA Server version 2.11 client or server on a computer running Windows NT version 3.5x. SNA Server AFTP Client will work on a Windows NT client or server as a command-line utility, which can be used to create batch jobs. SNA Server AFTP Server is a Windows NT service that will allow AFTP clients to initiate file transfer (for example, from a host computer). AFTP provides generic filename mapping support for consistency between different operating systems' file systems.

For information on AFTP availability for other IBM platforms including host systems and the AS/400, contact IBM directly, and/or contact IBM through IBM's APPC compuserve forum (or "GO APPC" on Compuserve).

Demo Host Facility

This new software feature, included with SNA Server 2.11, allows resellers, trainers, consultants, and customers to evaluate and demonstrate nearly all SNA Server features and capabilities without a live host connection or any special hardware. Previously, resellers had to purchase expensive access time from host service providers in order to train their own personnel on the features of a given SNA gateway product, or had to purchase a separate hardware-based host simulator at a significant cost. The demo host facility included with SNA Server can act both as a mainframe host and an AS/400 host and exercises the core functionality of SNA Server, including 3270 and 5250 sessions with multiple host connections, in an identical fashion to the live host environment.

For detailed information, see the "DEMO SDLC Link Service" section later in this guide.

SNA Monitor

This new monitor, which is similar to the monitor in Remote Access Service, can be used to monitor the status of an SDLC connection. The SNA Server 2.11 Setup program will create an icon for this utility in the Microsoft SNA Server program group. From the SNA Monitor Setting menu, you can specify options such as sound, update interval, and which link service to monitor.

Default APPC LUs

SNA Server 2.11 will create default Local and Remote APPC LUs. During Setup of an SNA Server 2.11, a Local APPC LU will be created on the server node with suggested default values. When you configure a new link service, if the connection is configured as a peer connection, and if a remote APPC LU is not detected, the New APPC Remote LU Properties dialog box will appear with suggested default values when the OK button is chosen. Remember to change the default values if they do not match your needs.

Planning Guide

A new document, called the SNA Server Planning Guide, is provided at no charge with SNA Server version 2.11. This document contains information to help resellers and users implement SNA Server in existing networks such as NetWare, Banyan and TCP/IP environments. Among the topics covered are server sizing recommendations for CPU types, and memory for various usage patterns, preinstallation guidelines, enterprise rollout information, and maintenance and troubleshooting tips collected from current users of SNA Server.

Concurrent Licensing Option

Customers will continue to be able to license SNA Server on a per-client and per-server basis, which allows any client to access any SNA Server on the network. This is the most affordable licensing option when deploying multiple SNA Servers for extra capacity, load balancing and hot backup, because each extra server only costs approximately $409. SNA Server 2.11 adds the option to license SNA Server for concurrent use, which the user can choose at the time of installation. With this option, customers are required to purchase only as many client licenses as there are simultaneous users accessing a given SNA Server. This option is suitable for single- server installations or when only infrequent access to the host resources is required. Licensing is a Windows NT Server-only application located in Control Panel. Licensing allows you to manage licensing for Microsoft server products installed on your networks.

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