Table of Contents Information Super Highway

1.3 IBM and the Internet

In this section we will discuss the architectural and product support that IBM provides for the Internet.

1.3.1 The IBM Open Blueprint

In March 1992, IBM announced the Networking Blueprint which is, essentially, a framework for structuring network diversity and complexity with consistency and flexibility. solutions best suited to your needs, irrespective of networking protocols and vendors.

The Open Blueprint is an expansion of the Networking Blueprint and incorporates the entire Networking Blueprint. The lower portion of the Open Blueprint is identical to the Networking Blueprint. The upper portion of the Open Blueprint is an expansion of the applications and application support layers of the Networking Blueprint to show more detail in the application environment. In this section only the networking portion of the Open Blueprint is discussed in greater detail.

What was the reason for the Networking Blueprint?

An organization's networking requirements are driven by the need for specific applications. Often the application requires a specific network protocol because all applications are written for a specific Application Programming Interface (API). Here are some examples:

• Most UNIX or AIX programs were written for TCP/IP transport using the Berkeley sockets API.
• Most SAA programs were written for SNA transport using CPI-C or other APPC interfaces.

All other popular transport protocols protocols such as OSI, DECnet, NetBIOS and IPX provide their own specific APIs.

As a result of this, you have to have multiple separate networks composed of different protocols, hardware components, bandwidth capabilities and network-specific management capabilities. Besides this you need skill in all these different segments.

The goals of the Networking Blueprint are:

• To allow you to buy and create applications without concern for the underlying networking components and services
• To enable the incorporation of multiple network protocols into a single network
• To permit an evolutionary exploitation of high bandwidth technologies and the emerging applications that use them

What the Networking Blueprint is not:

• The Blueprint is not a new architecture; it is a way to structure your systems.
• It is not proprietary, but on the contrary is based on international and industry standards.
• It does not imply totally new systems, but rather is bent on encompassing legacy systems, applications and devices as well as systems conforming to the new computing and communication models.

In order to reduce complexity, the Blueprint is separated into different components which are discussed below. See Figure - IBM Networking Blueprint.


Figure: IBM Networking Blueprint

• Multivendor application support

  The multivendor application support addresses the problem of application portability and interoperability across the widest possible set of hardware and operating system platforms. It is essential that applications be developed independently of the systems they will run on. Therefore a number of APIs are recommended when new applications are to be written. These recommended APIs are:

  • CPI-C (transactional)
  • RPC (client/server as per the OSF/DCE)
  • MQI (Message Queuing Interface)

  Most of these APIs are already available on the following platforms: MVS, VM, OS/2, OS/400 and AIX/6000 as shown in Table - Availability of APIs for IBM Platforms.
  
  
  Table: Availability of APIs for IBM Platforms
  
  

  The APIs are available on many platforms from other vendors as well.

  It is IBM's strategy to offer application enabling systems that allow porting to IBM and non-IBM systems.

• Multiprotocol networking

  The multiprotocol networking component addresses the problem of the multiplicity of networking protocols in most networks. A way of reducing the number of physical networks is a multiprotocol network processor such as the IBM 6611. It routes all the major protocols, including SNA APPN, and uses only standard mechanisms, such as OSPF, to communicate with other routers. In cases when standards do not exist, IBM contributes its technologies to the industry (for example, Data Link Switching (DLSw) was published as IETF RFC 1434).

  The even more important step in this direction is the Multi-Protocol Transport Networking (MPTN) architecture. This technology makes it possible to minimize the number of protocols that must be supported in a network, and more significantly on the desktops and servers, by decoupling the application from the networking layer. MPTN was submitted to X/Open in December 1991. The IBM AnyNet product family fulfills this architecture. MPTN is part of the Common Transport Semantics (CTS) layer in the Blueprint. The CTS works as shown in Figure - Common Transport Semantics.

  CTS architecture offers:

  • No interference when application and transport network protocol match
  • MPTN function compensation and address mappings when applications and transport network do not match
  • Functions delivered by industry standards such as RFC 1001/1002 for NetBIOS over TCP/IP
  
  
  
  Figure: Common Transport Semantics
  
  

  Please see AnyNet for further information and a list of products already available. For an architectural description see MPTN Architecture Tutorial and Product Implementations.

• Subnetworking

  The subnetworking component addresses the rapid evolution of the telecommunication technologies. It identifies and recommends the use of ITU-T, IEEE and similar industry standards, to permit building LANs and WANs that are protocol transparent. The strategic protocols are 802.3, 802.5, X.25, frame relay (RFC 1490) and ATM. IBM's strategy fully acknowledges that tomorrow's networks will mostly be based on the ATM technology, which will allow the integration of audio, video and data and be an essential enabler for the full deployment of multimedia applications. An example of a product in this layer is the IBM 2220 Nways BroadBand Switch.

• Systems management

  The system management component is the necessary glue that makes any network, large or small, operable. Network management applications will be written in such a way that they are portable across, and can interoperate with, a wide variety of IBM and non-IBM management platforms.

  The application portability will be achieved with the deployment of the OSF/DME technology, including common APIs such as XMP. Multivendor interoperability will come from supporting the CMIP, SNMP and SNA/MS network management protocols.

For further information on the IBM Networking Blueprint or IBM Open Blueprint please refer to the IBM publications G511-3096 and G326-0395.

1.3.2 AnyNet

The IBM AnyNet product family is the implementation of the Common Transport Semantics (CTS) in the IBM Networking Blueprint based on the emerging standard of Multiprotocol Transport Networking (MPTN). Please refer to Multiprotocol Networking described earlier in this chapter.

The idea behind AnyNet is to run matching applications which are designed to operate over one specific type of network over other networks. For example, you can run a host SNA printer application over a TCP/IP network. That means you don't have to install an SNA connection to this location beside the existing TCP/IP connection. The advantage of using AnyNet is the reduction of the number of different transport protocols. You can run all your applications over one kind of network if you like.

• Anynet/2 SNA over TCP/IP

  You have access from a TCP/IP workstation to any APPC database, terminal emulation or printer application running on the host, such as CICS, IMS, DB/2, or TSO. The "AnyNet partner" could be another AnyNet/2 station or AnyNet/MVS.
  
  
  Figure: APPC over TCP/IP
  
  

• AnyNet/2 Sockets over SNA

  With this you have access to Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD) Socket applications such as FTP, TELNET and NFS across an SNA network.

• AnyNet/2 Sockets over SNA Gateway

  This gateway enables all native TCP/IP workstations to connect to similar applications in an AnyNet/2 or AnyNet/MVS host across an existing SNA network. It is also possible to install multiple gateways in order to connect two TCP/IP networks across an existing SNA network. See Figure - Multiple Gateways.
  
  
  Figure: Multiple Gateways
  
  

• AnyNet/2 NetBEUI over SNA

  Enables you to run NetBIOS applications such as IBM LAN Server and Lotus Notes over an existing SNA network.

• AnyNet/MVS

  This feature is available with VTAM 4.2 for MVS/ESA.

  For details of Anynet implementations on selected platforms please see Table - AnyNet Availability.

1.3.3 IBM Global Network Services

The IBM Global Network is a business unit made up of Advantis in the USA, IBM Information Network organizations worldwide and wholly owned subsidiaries and joint ventures around the world providing a rich portfolio of value-added networking services.

IBM Global Network solutions are designed to ensure your success in the worldwide electronic marketplace, and feature:

• Network outsourcing
• Network services
• Networked applications
• Support services

You can connect to the IBM Global Network and extend your reach without having to manage the complexity of multi-vendor, multi-enterprise or multi-national network environments. Over 5,000 networking professionals in more than 60 countries design, install, manage and operate the network, saving you the cost of network hardware, software and personnel. For further information please refer to the Advantis web pages starting at http://www.ibm.net/adv/.

1.3.4 Internet Connection Services

The IBM Internet Connection Services, a global service, is accessible in each country and provides full Internet access. The following services are available:

• Access services
  • Direct Internet Access: extend current dial services options to include full TCP/IP node connectivity to the Internet.
  • Secure access: enable the user to maintain the security of their corporate environment, while providing stand-alone access to Internet information resources.
  • Global Access: extend the reach of Internet services through the IBM Global Network and its affiliates and joint ventures worldwide.
  • Gateway Access: allow user participation in the Internet community through gateways located worldwide.
• Application services
  • TCP/IP Protocol Support: TELNET, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), WHOIS, PING and other TCP/IP applications.
  • Network News: user subscriptions and participation in news groups available on the Internet, including discussion groups designed specifically for IBM customers.
  • Navigational Tools: Gopher and World Wide Web (WWW) browsers to assist the user in exploring the information available on the Internet.
  • IBM Mail Exchange: Internet users can exchange mail with the users participating in IBM Mail Exchange with their electronic mail environment including support for multi-purpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) binary files.
  • Information Exchange: extend your electronic trading partner circle to TCP/IP users.
• Support services
  • Customer Support: assist IBM customers with their use of the Internet including access, navigation, setup and usage of other IBM Global Network services with Internet services.
  • Server Support: provide an environment for customer information using Internet server technologies such as FTP, Gopher and WWW.
  • Domain Name Services: perform the function of customer primary and secondary authoritative domain name servers.

1.3.4.1 Implementations

Included in the Bonus Pack of OS/2 Warp Version 3 is the Internet Access Kit which enables the user to connect to the Internet. Via a set of panels, you are requested to provide information needed for identification and registration. The billing is done via your credit card. The Internet Access Kit provides a complete set of Internet applications including WebExplorer, Gopher, Ultimail Lite, FTP etc.

Internet Connection for Windows provides a set of services and functions for the DOS/Windows environment that are similar to those described above for Warp. In particular, WebExplorer Mosaic provides WWW access capability. For more information about the World Wide Web refer to World Wide Web.

The home page for the IBM Internet Connection is: http://www.ibm.net/.

Table of Contents Future