PSF/AIX questions across X.25

ITEM: RTA000099451



Q:                                                                              
I'd like to have following scenario:                                            
               lpr                                                lpd           
MVS --SDLC -- PSF/2--Ethernet---Router--X.25---Router--Ethernet--4312           
      SNA            TCPIP                             TCPIP     IPDS           
                                                                                
Questions:                                                                      
1. Could this Configuration work ?                                              
2. Will the Performance over the x.25 64kb line be enough ?                     
                                                                                
A:                                                                              
I see no reason why your configuration should not work. Regarding the           
line speed, your printer wants a new page every 5 seconds. You can send         
6K of data per second over the line. As long as your pages are not too          
too complex it should work. But if you have complex (DCF-like) pages           
or images, your line speed can be a limitation. (But where is an                
alternative?).                                                                  
                                                                                
Question........:                                                               
The customer is very interested in our solution.                                
An additional requirement is 3270 over TCP/IP.                                  
That's the reason for the new scenario.                                         
                                                                                
MVS --SDLC --RISC/6000--Ethernet---Router--X.25---Router--Eth--4312             
PSF/MVS-SNA- PSF/6000                                      +-- PC               
           SNA-Server/SNA-Client-Access                                         
                                                                                
Is your answer in this scenario true, too?                                      
                                                                                
A:                                                                             
The previous responder forwarded your reopened item to me.                      
                                                                                
I'm not sure if I have sufficient background on your customer's desired         
configuration to give you a complete answer. I've had to make some              
assumptions, which I hope will be clear in this response.                       
                                                                                
PSF/AIX can drive TCP/IP-attached IPDS printers.  I'm not familiar with         
X.25 networks, but as long as you can establish a TCP/IP sockets                
connection (which is what PSF/AIX uses to communicate with the printer)         
across this topology, then I believe you should be able to support the          
printer in this way although this has not been officially tested.               
                                                                                
On the other hand if you intend to drive the 4312 as a PCL printer              
rather than IPDS), then you can set up the 4312 as a remote printer to          
the RS/6000; PSF/AIX will do its work, then requeue the output to the          
AIX spooling subsystem for sending to the printer.  Again, I include the        
caveat that I'm not familiar with X.25 networking, and if the question          
is if you can establish AIX remote print or a sockets connection across         
this network, the question will need to be redirected to the networking         
experts.  The performance caveats from the earlier response still apply.        
                                                                                
I notice that you have PSF/MVS communicating with PSF/AIX using SNA             
and SNA Server/6000.  I make the assumption that you mean to use PSF            
Direct.  If that is the case, PSF/MVS will output IPDS, route it to             
the host receiver application on the PSF/AIX system.  Then, if the              
4312 is running as a TCP/IP-attached IPDS printer, PSF/AIX will                 
pass the IPDS through to the printer using the sockets connection I             
mentioned earlier.  Operator control will stay at JES until the job             
finishes printing on the 4312.  In contrast, if the 4312 is running             
as a PCL printer, PSF/MVS will again pass the IPDS to the host receiver        
on PSF/AIX.  Then PSF/AIX will convert the IPDS to PCL through its              
secondary process and requeue the PCL to the AIX spooling subsystem.            
At that point, PSF/AIX considers the job complete and notifies JES.             
The AIX subsystem will then communicate with the printer using its              
usual set up for remote printers.                                               
                                                                                
I'm not sure where your inclusion of SNA Client Access fits in with             
the printing.  Perhaps that's for your 3270 access, and if so, I'll             
defer to the SNA Client Access experts if you have questions in that            
area.                                                                           
                                                                                
I hope this helps.                                                              
                                                                                
S e a r c h - k e y w o r d s:                                                  
CROSS PSF AIX PSF/6000 PSF/AIX X.25 ETHERNET PRINT MVS direct sna              


WWQA: ITEM: RTA000099451 ITEM: RTA000099451
Dated: 06/1998 Category: XPSF6000
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