22
Sun, Dec
3 New Articles
  1. You are here:  
  2. Home
  3. IT Infrastructure
  4. IT Infrastructure - Other
  5. General
  6. Focus on Network Integration

Focus on Network Integration

Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

Networking was easier 11 years ago, when IBM first introduced the AS/400. The AS/400 was a closed system then, and it was grounded in SNA, not TCP/IP. Clients were hardwired to twinax controllers through thick coaxial cable. Terminals had very little intelligence. We had only a limited number of compatible computers to worry about exchanging data with. It was a limited but stable world.

Things have changed. The new AS/400-centric network is built on a number of different foundations, including the four pillar foundations that we’re covering in this issue’s network integration Focus section: TCP/IP, Microsoft Windows NT, Novell NetWare, and UNIX/Linux.

TCP/IP has been the most significant force in AS/400 networking this decade. Designed to keep our networks working during a nuclear war, TCP/IP has opened the door for e-business. As a side effect, TCP/IP has also opened up the computer world, forcing giants, such as IBM and Microsoft, to standardize and drop their proprietary ways.

But don’t underestimate the power of Microsoft Windows. Many AS/400 shops are maintaining a large base of Windows servers that function as file and print servers, Web servers, database servers, connectivity servers, etc. Even though your main business environment may be an AS/400, chances are very good (approximately 60 out of 100) that you are also running some form of Windows as a primary application or as an office automation environment.

Novell NetWare could easily be termed “the Network Operating System (NOS) that wouldn’t die.” NetWare jumped out to a big lead in the early 1990s only to have been constantly teetering on the verge of extinction without dying. With the strength of NetWare Directory Services (NDS), it hangs in there as a quiet networking partner for groupware, file and print serving, AS/400 gateways, and other tasks. To its credit, Novell keeps on delivering with NetWare, and it’s been a much tougher competitor to eliminate than many people thought possible.

UNIX has been around forever, and Linux’s momentum will make it a fixture in many AS/400 shops. The open source movement and the dedication that Linux users lavish on this solution (which is reminiscent of the devotion Apple users doted on the Macintosh and early Windows proponents doted on Microsoft’s offerings) tell us that Linux will probably play a bigger role in our AS/400 environments in years to come.

These four technologies, along with a possible fifth in Lotus Domino, are the technologies most AS/400 environments struggle with as they create integrated networks. And it is these technologies that we are focusing on this month.

First, Chris Miksanek demonstrates the basics of using the TCP/IP protocol suite to program interprocess communications with your AS/400 in “Not Your Typical TCP/IP Overview.” For the Windows-centric, Shannon O’Donnell discusses how to use the AS/400 Integrated File System to share Windows NT files in an AS/400 environment in his article “QNTC: Opening Windows NT to the AS/400.” Next, Tom Haze and Rod Brusse discuss some unique AS/400-NetWare integration features in “AS/400 and NetWare: Here Today, Enhanced Tomorrow.” Finally, for AS/400-Linux integration, read Barry Kline’s informative article “Fitting Linux into an AS/400 World,” where he discusses how to use TCP/IP, AS/400 NetServer, Java-based terminal emulation products, and open-source databases to make Linux hum in an AS/400 world.

Your AS/400 networking challenges are big, and you need a lot of information to integrate your networks. With this issue’s Focus section, you learn a lot of new techniques that you can put to work today.

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: