Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!usc!ucla-cs!scw
From: scw@ollie.SEAS.UCLA.EDU
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Re: Seeking info on TCP/IP for IBM m/f
Keywords: TCP/IP, IBM
Message-ID: <29114@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU>
Date: 14 Nov 89 00:23:09 GMT
References: <122@centaure.UUCP> <29590@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu>
Sender: news@CS.UCLA.EDU
Reply-To: scw@ollie.SEAS.UCLA.EDU (Stephen C. Woods)
Organization: UCLA School Of Engineering & Applied Science
Lines: 30

In article <29590@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu> hughes@silver.bacs.indiana.edu (larry hughes) writes:
}>
}>	"... in addition, IBM extended support TCP/IP support from
}>	 its UNIX systems to its mainframes. System 370s can 
}>	 communicate with devices supporting TCP/IP either by
}>	 a direct connection to an Ethernet network, or through 
}>	 the 8232 LAN channel station to a token ring LAN.
}>
}
}Not really "direct"!  IBM's TCP/IP solution calls for an
}industrial-strength AT that's attached to the ethernet,
}and channel attached back to the IBM host.  They call it
}a FEP (front end processor).
}We're running an Intel FEP here...




Hmmmm,  This is like saying that an interlan VAX card is not direct, or that
an 'smart' card is not direct.  Remember a 360/370 channel is much like a
VERY smart unibus (albeit with only 256 slots on it).  Just because there
is some outboard processing doesn't mean that it's not direct.  As an anology
think of a IBM/PC (8086 flavor) attached to a Printronix P-600 printer, there
is more computing_power/smarts in the printer than there is in the computer.
Besides that's not really a FEP, as Series/1 terminal driver (for IXX) now
that's an FEP.  The 9370 CETI device is built into the processor, not attached
to an external channel.
-----
Stephen C. Woods; UCLA SEASNET; 2567 BH;LA CA 90024; (213)-825-8614
UUCP: ...!{ibmsupt,hao!cepu}!ollie}!scw ARPA:scw@{Ollie.,}SEAS.UCLA.EDU