Tom Brennan wrote: >To do LU6.2 outside the machine don't you need an OSA card setup as >OSA-E for SNA?
No, that's not a requirement. You already have at least two other options: 1. You can use Enterprise Extender (SNA protocols such as LU 6.2 over UDP). z/OS Communications Server's TCP/IP stacks do not require CHPID type OSE. CHPID type OSD is perfectly fine. Enterprise Extender is a standard, included, no additional charge feature in the base z/OS operating system. Enterprise Extender was first introduced in OS/390 V2R7 in early 1999 and retrofitted via PTF to OS/390 V2R6. Of course EE has been enhanced and refined since then. It's getting near a quarter century of EE availability. And since it's really not possible to secure pre-UDP "classic" SNA transports adequately it's prudent to favor EE for SNA traffic. 2. You can use FICON Channel-to-Channel (CTC) connections via FICON Express ports. For example, FICON CTC is probably how you'd connect CICS Transaction Server on VSEn to CICS Transaction Server on z/OS if VSEn and z/OS are running on separate physical machines. AFAIK VSEn and z/VSE do not support Enterprise Extender, but that's OK since FICON CTC is also available for LU 6.2 and other SNA protocols. You can use Fibre Channel Endpoint Security to encrypt those FICON CTC connections. >Unless I read it wrong, IBM has a statement of direction >that z16 will be the last to support OSA-E. Yes. IBM expects that the IBM z16 will be the last model to include support for CHPID type OSE. But that doesn't mean LU 6.2 is going away. Not at all! It might mean the way LU 6.2 traffic is carried across your network changes a little (if it hasn't already changed), but "What else is new?" Physical networks keep evolving and improving (and sometimes simplifying) even while applications keep working. You don't have to change your applications that use LU 6.2 and other SNA protocols. They keep chugging along with better performance, throughput, and security. Not coincidentally IBM also issued a Statement of Direction that the IBM z16 is likely to be the last model to support 1000BASE-T copper Ethernet ports directly on the machine. Those are the only OSA-Express adapters that still support CHPID type OSE. If you still need physical copper Ethernet ports, no problem: lean on your networking equipment (routers, switches) to provide those ports. Your networking gear won't provide CHPID type OSE, but EE doesn't need OSE. — — — — — Timothy Sipples Senior Architect Digital Assets, Industry Solutions, and Cybersecurity IBM zSystems/LinuxONE, Asia-Pacific [email protected] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
