TPS^®/ PCA ( Protocol Conversion Application ) is a UNIX^® or Windows^® based software solution that provides connectivity and protocol conversion between SNA ( Systems Network Architecture ) devices and a TCP/IP network. TPS^®/PCA has been used mainly by the banking industry to manage multiple legacy SNA-based devices, such as Automated Teller Machines ( ATMs ) from internal TCP/IP-based networks.

TPS^®/ PCA is used in conjunction with TPS^®/ SNA and TPS^®/ SNA Primary, a highly reliable and diverse communications package, to provide a bridge between SNA and TCP/IP networks.

Third party applications may also utilize TPS^®/ PCA’s simple sockets interface to access data from multiple SNA secondary and primary PU ( Physical Unit ) and LU ( Logical Unit ) connections, including CrossDomain connections. These applications will connect to TPS^®/PCA using sockets, and exchange data with the SNA devices using a simple header format. TPS^®/PCA can also be used to manage dependent LU sessions with CICS host applications utilizing LU type 0 or LU type 2 protocols.

TPS^®/PCA can handle a virtually unlimited number of devices and is limited only by other hardware / software limitations.

Combined with TPS^®/ SNA and TPS^®/ SNA Primary, TPS^®/ PCA can deliver mainframe like SNA functionality to a UNIX^® / Windows^® system.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Bridges SNA and TCP/IP networks through UNIX^® or Windows^® server
• Handles virtually unlimited numbers of devices — up to hardware and system software limitations
• Robust SNA Support – through prerequisite TPS^®/ SNA and TPS^®/ SNA Primary software products:
  
  
  • Supports SDLC, Ethernet^®, Token Ring, and Frame Relay data links
  • UNIX^® server acts as “virtual mainframe” by providing upstream PUs 4 / 5 support to downstream SNA devices
  • Supports Cross Domain environments
  • Interfaces with many other SNA applications
  • Advanced diagnostic tools for problem determination
  
  
• Client and/or server functionality on the TCP/IP side
• Compliant with BSD sockets specification
• Straightforward specification for the exchange of data on the TCP/IP side. Third party applications can interface easily
• Can multiplex traffic from many SNA devices through either single or multiple socket connections
• From TPS^® Systems – with a 25+ year tradition of excellence in providing networking software and support for large global organizations
  

PRODUCT POSITIONING

TPS^®/ PCA is an ideal solution for banking networks with:

• A SNA-based ATM network using LU 0 traffic
• An ongoing requirement for SNA traffic support
• An existing or planned TCP/IP WAN or LAN

TPS^®/ PCA can also be an excellent approach for any organization needing to interconnect SNA networks with TCP/IP networks.

FEATURES

Flexible Multiplexing

PCA can handle a virtually unlimited number of devices and is constrained only by other hardware/software limitations. Since tasks are divided among multiple threads, throughput bottlenecks can be remedied by balancing the multiplexing of downstream SNA devices across multiple TCP/IP sockets.

SNA Support using TPS^®/ SNA and TPS^®/ SNA Primary

PCA supports multiple links to SNA hosts while acting as a downstream SNA device. No mainframe host TCP/IP support is required. While the SNA concepts for connecting to primary versus secondary devices are quite different, the PCA setup for these two connections is uniform. The only unique attribute for TCP/IP traffic is a 6-byte user-defined ID.

SNA-Supported SNA Data Links:

• Synchronous Data Link Control (SDLC)
• Ethernet^®
• Token Ring
• Frame Relay (requires TPS^®/ SoftFRAD™ and supported co-processor card)

SNA-Supported PU Protocols:

• Dependent LU type 0
• PU type 2.0 support (connection to host PU 4/5)
• PU type 2.1 support (connection to host PU 4/5)
• PU types 4/5 upstream host support

PCA-Supported LU Protocols:

• Dependent LU type 0

SNA-Supported SNA APIs

• CPI-C for both C and COBOL languages
• APPC for C language
• Dependent LU API for LU types 0, 2 and 3

Client or Server Versatility

Third party TCP/IP applications interfacing with PCA can establish a socket connection at a predetermined address. PCA can then act either as a client initiating the application connection, or as a server waiting for application connections at the predetermined address.