Binary file transfer , MVS to AIX
ITEM: RTA000075219
Our customer has to transfer huge amounts of binary data (20-70 MB)
from
a MVS host to a RS6K. These transfers are needed several times a day.
Due to the different binary notations of integers and other elements on
both systems, the binary values are translated into EBCDIC on the host,
translated to ASCII during filetransfer and put back from ASCII to bin-
ary on the RS6K. Our goal is to bring down the overall time of the
operation.
Actually we are doing the filetransfer via TR and HCON. TCP/IP would be
an alternative but to expensive since they don't have TCP/IP MVS.
Unfortunatly they have a DEC VAX and Interlink installed on the host.
They get something like 10 times the troughput we get via HCON. We
could
of course install a Decnet product (TSSNET,...) on the RS6K but you can
imagine we would like to avoid this solution.
A better thing would be to have a piece of software that could convert
the host binary data into RS6K binary data directly. This would save us
2 convertions and reduce the amount of data to transmit.
Are you aware of the existence of such a tool ? Any other idea to help
us on this one ?
ANSWER
First of all, is there a problem with HCON doing the transfer?
Just like any 3270 emulator, HCON communicates with a host progam like
IND$FILE for file transfer. The file is packaged into a 3270
datastream, unpacked and the file being recontructed on the host.
It is not pretty but it is simple and it works. The DEC connection could
get 10x the throughput but what is it doing and is it a purpose built
file transfer gateway?
Are there any resource limits on the RISC System/6000?
Is your customer using HCON for terminal emulation as well as the
batch file transfer? You have not mentioned what throughput the customer
requires or is currently getting? If the customer wants better throughput
than HCON, there will be a cost associated with doing it an alternative
way. TCP/IP on the host is an option and there are some figures available
for file transfer throughput. IBM has more option than any other supplier
in this area - T/R, Block MUX Channel, ESCON, (TCP/IP offload).
The other option is to develop two LU6.2
applications (Host and RISC System/6000) to automate the file transfer.
If the customer has some skills in CPI-C programming, this would be
a very good option. LU6.2 can do the ascii/ebcdic conversion and it is
also possible to do some compression of the data for file transfer.
There is enough sample code around to get something going. The only
trick is getting skills on both platforms, coding enough error recovery
routines and customising it for the customer's specific requirements.
If you want speed, do as much as possible of the processing/conversion
on the RISC System/6000, keeping the host code as simple as possible.
There are some commercial LU6.2 file distribution products but the
host component could be more expensive than TCP/IP for MVS.
The product is called XCOM 6.2. It is very sophisticated with a lot
of automation features. The product is made by Spectrum Concepts but
I could not tell you who the EMEA distributor is. You could try looking
in the WTAP database on HONE.
S e a r c h - k e y w o r d s:
FILE TRANSFER XCOM LU6.2
WWQA: ITEM: RTA000075219 ITEM: RTA000075219
Dated: 02/1995 Category: ITSAI6000GE
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