White Papers
The following white papers on SNA are available for download from our white papers archive.
Strategies for Preserving Legacy Terminal Devices in Enhanced Networks
Enterprises with legacy SNA networks are rapidly evolving them to reduce costs and provide higher levels of service, and replacing wide area SNA connections with those based on IP. Terminal equipment deployed in these enterprises includes Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs), retail systems such as IBM's 4690, and other customised devices using legacy SNA or TN3270 protocols. For the biggest enterprises, the sheer number of such devices, and the cost of replacing them, is vast and there is therefore a massive incentive to prolong the lifetime of these legacy devices. There is also a need to reduce the dependency on the expensive mainframe systems ('hosts') that control these devices, and offload processing onto cheaper servers. This white paper discusses how these devices can be retained while improving the connectivity to the central systems that control them. (271 KB)
Techniques for Integrating SNA-based Systems into IP Networks
IP is now accepted as the worldwide standard networking protocol. Enterprises with emerging requirements are predominantly meeting them with IP-based networks and applications. At the same time, many large enterprises already have long-standing, reliable, and trusted deployments of SNA-based networks, devices, and applications. While IP and SNA networks can be successfully run side by side, there is immense pressure to integrate these SNA-based systems into the IP network. This white paper discusses the four main techniques for integrating SNA systems into IP: TN3270; data link switch (DLSw); proprietary 'split-stack' solutions; and Enterprise Extender (also known as HPR/IP or IP-DLC). (127 KB)
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