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Mainframe Interfacing

Numerous high volume/high reliability systems still remain on mainframe platforms. Although these systems are generally very rugged, they are often not very flexible. FDCI interfacing has been used for over ten years in the GTE (now Verizon) environment interfacing with these systems.

Click on the lightning bolts in the map below to see details on the interfaces.

FTP/Connect Direct

Using a combination of FTP, Connect:Direct and JCL, the Windows Servers can receive, modify and update tables and information on the mainframe, usually with no coding changes required in the legacy systems.

3270 Emulation

Using a proprietary XML based code package developed by FDCI, programs running on Windows and UNIX servers can simulate the actions of a mainframe program user. This allows the programs to read screens and update them as necessary, hundreds to thousands of times faster than a human or a macro.

LPD emulation

By simulating a Berkeley LPD printer, Windows servers can receive report information from a mainframe at high speed. This information can then be applied to a SQL server database and then used for either 3270 emulation programs, for internal recording or for reports.

Glossary:

3270		A standard IBM mainframe terminal, the 3270 was a basic 80 x 24 character display. 3270 Emulation involves a program simulating the actions of the actual display terminal.
Berkeley LPD		LPD (line printer daemon) is a method for a computer, normally one running UNIX, to transfer information to a printer. This capability is also available on mainframes, allowing files to be sent over a TCP/IP connection to a printer.
Connect:Direct		Originally referred to as "NDM" (Network Data Mover) this is a standard communications package used for transferring data files between mainframes.
Emulation		The word used in software for a process that simulates a particular device.
FTP		File transfer protocol is the dominant internet method for transferring files. SFTP (secure FTP) is a variant which encrypts the data before transfer.
JCL		Job control language. A complex language used with mainframes to control the running of programs.
Screen scraping		The common term for systems that emulate a screen connected to a computer (normally a mainframe) allowing programs to read and write to these virtual screens.
XML		Extensible Markup Language is a language similar to HTML (used for web pages) but designed for creating human readable, yet still precise, data files.