How to set up Concurrent Connections to Netware and AS/400 servers via Ethernet AS/400 - The Ethernet Connection... ----------------------------------- IBM even surprised it's own personnel on September 28, 1990 when it actually delivered Feature #2625, an Ethernet adapter for the AS/400 priced at $4000. After almost two years of vague promises, IBM was to embrace (I use the term loosely) a network technology other than the vaunted Token Ring. However, AS/400 Ethernet required Version 3 of the OS/400 Operating System which did not begin "formal" shipping until 1991. Early releases were available before that date. There were many cautions, but the word "Beta" was never used. In all fairness, a version received in November was solid. To access an AS/400 via Ethernet requires PC Support Version 3, which in turn requires LAN Support Version 1.2 and either 3COM 3C503 or WD Ethercard+ network cards. The AS/400 Ethernet Adapter offers only an DIX connector; an external transceiver must be obtained. Multiple Protocol Stacks for IPX and LANSupport - NDIS vs. ODI -------------------------------------------------------------- While Gateways and Routers had been the tradition means of connecting IBM protocols such at IBM 3270 and 5250, the growing use of TCP/IP on Ethernet was feeding the not unreasonable idea that a single Ethernet card should be able to more than one protocol. Some PC's in such multiple protocol (MP) environments actually has a separate Ethernet card for each protocol - and expensive and complex solution. Companies such as Hughes began to offer products such as the ProLink which allowed the network card hardware to transparently service several different protocols. The only drawback with the ProLink was it's expense. 3COM's attempt to address the MP issue resulted in the NDIS specification. Novell chose not to support NDIS and developed a totally different specification called ODI. Their premise was that NDIS did not allow dynamic loading and unloading of protocol stacks. 3COM responded by publishing a new NDIS specification, and with the help of IBM and Microsoft persuaded more Ethernet card suppliers to include NDIS drivers as part of the standard driver library. ODI drivers appear to be less available than NDIS. One problem remained for Netware users; the NDIS drivers had nothing for IPX, and the ODI drivers had nothing for LAN Support on Ethernet. 3COM 3+ Open Connection for Netware ----------------------------------- An obscure product to most Novell types, 3+ Open Connection for Netware is designed to allow 3+ Open users to access Novell file servers. It contains 3COM's NDIS driver for IPX which may be used to provide the critical IPX <> NDIS link. I was first alerted to this by Mike Kouri of 3COM on Netwire, to whom I am eternally grateful. Locating this product was no simple matter. As an Integrator, I wished to purchase the product through distribution rather than via a 3COM reseller. Both Merisel and Ingram Micro D has difficulty even identifying the product, let alone being able to deliver. Fortunately Tech Data had stock. The product is packaged in single user, 10 user and unlimited (Server) license packs. Installation ------------ The installation process is totally manual because the supplied installation program abends when it fails (understandably) to find the LAN Manager workstation software. A special IPX.COM file must be created from the .OBJ and .LAN files supplied in the 3+ Open Connection for Netware. This can not be done in SHGEN, but must be performed manually using the Novell utility, NLINK. This NDIS IPX file contains no hardware parameters, but simply "hooks" to the IPXSTUB driver already loaded. Although generation is tricky, it only needs to be done once. 3COM also supplies programs that will allow unloading of IPX in a manner similar to MARK and RELEASE. They are PRENET and NWUNLOAD. The latest xxxNETx workstation shells may be unloaded without external assistance. Configuration ------------- Sample CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files are provided at the end of this article. Their operation is described below. Operation --------- In CONFIG.SYS, the Protocol Manager (PROTMAN.EXE) reads the NDIS configuration file (PROTOCOL.INI), loads the specified hardware driver (ELNKII.DOS for example), a "hook" for IPX (IPXSTUB.DOS) and then the LAN Support drivers (DXMAMOD0.SYS & DXMEMOD0.SYS). While all this occurs in CONFIG.SYS, the actual binding of the protocols takes place by running NETBIND.EXE from AUTOEXEC.BAT. Once the protocols are bound, the special NDIS IPX.COM is loaded, followed by the xxxNETx of your choice. After the usual login procedure, the PCSupport Router, Shared Folders and Workstation programs may be loaded. There is no reason why the IPX and xxxNETx have to be loaded before the PCSupport programs, although that configuration was not extensively tested. Memory Considerations --------------------- As can be imagined, all this takes up quite a bit of memory. The only way to address this situation is to get some EMS, C&T ShadowRAM or memory between 640K and 1Mb that can be mapped as Expanded memory. Several memory managers are available from Quarterdeck, Qualitas, Helix etc.. I evaluated Quarterdeck and Helix and ended up using QEMM/QRAM in over 60 PC's including IBM XT & AT, Compaq Portable, Portable II, Deskpro, Deskpro 286, 286e, SLT, Packard Bell 286, NEC 386SX. The only real problem encountered beside the usual struggle for mappable memory was the refusal of PROTMAN.EXE to be loaded in high RAM. This is apparently due to the practice of parsing parameters by scanning the CONFIG.SYS image. Unless these routines are carefully written, they can be easily confused when they are themselves parameters of LOADHI type device statements. AS/400 PCSupport Login ---------------------- Although the PCSupport/LAN Support drivers and configuration files must be located on the workstation boot device, the test configuration maintains all other PCSupport files on a Novell server. If you prefer to access the AS/400 before login to Netware, all necessary PCSupport files must be locally available. The PCSupport Router (STRTRTR.EXE) has only one parameter, the name of the PCSupport configuration file (CONFIG.PCS). When started, this program requests LAN Support to "open the adapter" and requests a connection with the specified AS/400 System at a specified 12 digit Ethernet address. (This address, the AS/400 Ethernet card ID, may need to be bit-reversed; a simple operation.) On a lighter note, the IBM Token Ring heritage is clearly evident; the Router program still announces itself as Token Ring Router, even though it is Ethernet. The Router will then prompt for a PCSupport Common User ID (CUID) and password. After entry, the Router will establish a connection to the AS/400. If you wish to use PCS Shared Folders, you must run STRTFLDR.EXE at this point. This program has two parameters specifying the number of folders (mapped virtual drives) and files. Many other PCSupport functions are available in Version 3, but the intention of this article is simply to start a 5250 session. This is accomplished with WSF.EXE, which has an optional parameter for a Session Master Profile file. Once loaded, WSF automatically starts the first 5250 session for you and the login screen will appear. The Hot-Key ----------- Press to return to the DOS session on Netware, to go back to the 5250 session. The PCSupport Router and Workstation function use between 50-60K each and may be loaded in High RAM if available. Terminating the AS/400 Session... Once the user has signed off the AS/400, the user must hot-key back to DOS and stop the WSF session by using STOPWSF. This required a parameter specifying the Session number which is simply "1" for a single session. The user will be asked to confirm by pressing or allowed to return using . Next the PCSupport Router must be stopped by using STOPRTR. If shared folders are being used, they should be stopped in a similar manner. Finally, the memory used by all PCSupport programs may be released back to DOS by typing RMVPCS ALL. Conclusion ---------- While 3+ Open Connection for Netware solves the NDIS/IPX problem, the cost per server is $1995. In many situations, this cost is small compared to the benefits accrued, but the issue of support remains vague. 3COM support is targeted at users of 3+ Open rather than Netware. This situation is compounded by the recent announcement by 3COM that it is selling much of it's network software product line (including this one) to Microsoft. Sample CONFIG.SYS & AUTOEXEC.BAT files -------------------------------------- shell=\COMMAND.COM /p /e:512 files=40 buffers=10 device=\QRAM\QRAM.SYS RAM NV device=\QRAM\LOADHI.SYS /H \PCS\EIMPCS.SYS device=\LANMAN\PROTMAN.EXE device=\QRAM\LOADHI.SYS /H \LANMAN\ELNKII.DOS device=\QRAM\LOADHI.SYS /H \LANMAN\IPXSTUB.DOS device=\QRAM\LOADHI.SYS /H \LANMAN\DXMA0MOD.SYS 001 device=\QRAM\LOADHI.SYS /H \LANMAN\DXME0MOD.SYS @echo off prompt $p$g set term=MONO set pctype=IBMAT PATH=C:\DOS;C:\ \LANMAN\NETBIND \QRAM\LOADHI /H \NOVELL\IPX \QRAM\LOADHI /H \NOVELL\NET3 F: LOGIN The content of this article is copyrighted material and is made available courtesy of The Meridian Group, Inc.. Permission is hereby given to distribute this article providing there is no alteration of content.