Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!duke!unc!mcnc!ecsvax!pranav From: pranav@ecsvax.UUCP Newsgroups: net.micro.pc Subject: IBM XT/370 and VM/PC details Message-ID: <1388@ecsvax.UUCP> Date: Tue, 18-Oct-83 22:24:54 EDT Article-I.D.: ecsvax.1388 Posted: Tue Oct 18 22:24:54 1983 Date-Received: Sat, 22-Oct-83 02:01:06 EDT Lines: 67 Today IBM announced its PC XT/370 hardware and the corresponding VM/PC software to run a subset of the popular VM system for the IBM main frames, on the IBM PC. The XT/370 is a regular PC XT with additional cards to interpret the 370 instruction set. The XT/370 requires a additional 512KB memory card and a 3277 emulation card. These three cards are a standard feature of the XT/370. One model of the XT/370(588) does not have the fixed disk storage that is needed with the system. The purchase price of the model 588 is $ 8,995 and model 568(with out hard disk) is $ 6,720. The software designed to run VM on the PC XT/370 is called VM/PC. This is designed to work as a System/370 workstation. The VM/PC runs a subset of the VM/370 and VM/CMS commands and functions. VM/PC has many of the standard CP commands such as the IPL,LINK,LOGOFF,QUERY,TERMINAL... etc. The CMS/PC has a large number of the CMS commands implemented, along with the EXEC2 commands programming language. The VM/PC allows you to run in the LOCAL VM mode or you can connect to a host VM system with a connection through a coaxial cable to a IBM 3274. In the remote mode you would be connected through a 3277 model 2 simulation card. You can also connect through a async line with the optional 3101 emulation program. Once you are connected to the host machine amazing things can be done. You can run a program on the host to allow the VM/PC to share minidisks. You would return to local mode then commands like link will search not only the PC mini-disks but will pass on the command to the main frame to check for a link to a REMOTE mini-disk. Then once you have linked to the REMOTE disk then you can access it as one of the standard mini-disks. Once accessed the REMOTE disk can be used in standard commands like COPYFILE to transfer files from the VM/PC to the host and vice-versa. You can also copy down most load modules without any modifications and run them directly on the VM/PC machine. The hardware relocation allows upto 4MB of virtual storage. You can also spool the virtual printer to the host(assuming you are looged on to the host). PC/CP also allows multiple IDs for the VM/PC. This allows sharing of a XT/370 storage between users(only on user can use the PC though). The cost of VM/PC is a One-Time Charge of $ 1,000. I saw the VM/PC working on a upgraded XT. It worked pretty good and i found that many of the VM/CMS commands were implemented so i felt at home. The PC was also hooked up to a main frame VM/370. The file transfer is a snap with this combination and easy to use. The program on the host seemed to fail every so often(not during file transfer though.). XEDIT is also implemented on the VM/PC. This combination makes transition from main frame and vice-versa very painless. If you have any questions, suggestions or questions, feel free to contact me through MAIL at the following address. -Pranav K. Patel- N.C.S.U Computing Center Raleigh, N.C. 27606 919-737-2517 !decvax!duke!mcnc!ecsvax!pranav References: IBM Product Announcement for the IBM Personal Computer XT/370, 5160 Model 588 and 568 IBM Programming Announcement for the IBM VM/PC Lincensed Program Announced. IBM,PC,XT/370,VM/PC ,CMS,EXEC2 are registered trademarks of the International Buisness Machines INC.