ACF/NCP Version 5 Release 2.1

ACF/NCP V5R2.1, in combination with ACF/VTAM V3R2 with the appropriate PTF or ACF /VT AM V3R2 Enhancements, provides additional capabilities to MVS, VM, and VSE users of the 3745 and 3720.

3.2.3.1 Subarea Connectivity through NCP Token-Ring Interconnection

ACF /NCP V5R2.1 provides support for Type 4-to-Type 4 or Type 4-to-Type 5 node communication over the IBM Token-Ring Network through the NCP Token-Ring Interconnection (NTRI). This support allows NCP-to-NCP communication through a Token-Ring network and NCP-to-VTAM communication for the IBM 9370 Token-Ring Subsystem Controller. ACF/NCP V5R2.l may communicate over the Token-Ring network with:

• . ACF/NCP Version 4 Release 3.1

• ACFjNCP Version 5 Release 2.1

• ACFjVTAM Version 3 Release 1.2 (VM)

• ACFjVTAM Version 3 for VMj9370

• ACF jVT AM Version 3 Release 2 with V3R2 Enhancements (VM and VSE) NTRI will support subarea connections as leased, half duplex lines. These subarea connections will be supported as transmission groups with a single line per transrmSSlOn group. A Token-Ring network may consist of both subarea and boundary connections; however, subarea and boundary connections must communicate with NTRI over separate physical lines (TICs).

NCP Token-Ring Interconnection (NTRI) performance in ACF/NCP V5R2.1 is improved, due to the receive functions being processed in NCP level 3, without going through NCP level 5.

Through a Token-Ring network, VTAM can initiate transfer of a second load module to the controller disk and also initiate transfer of the dump to the host only when the controller runs with an active :"\CP. Loading, dumping, and activating of Type 4 :t\CP nodes must continue to be accomplished via leased SOLC links or channel connections.

3.2.3.2 Extended Subarea Addressing

ACF/NCP V5R2.1, in combination with ACFjVTAM V3R2 with the appropriate PTF, provides extended network addressing by allowing the user subarea address limits between the current limit of 255 and the new maximum of 65,535. This capability. provides important new connectivity which allows customers to operate a single network with greater than 255 subareas.

Full addressing capability is dependent on the network configuration and controller storage limitations. The amount of storage used to expand subarea routing capabilities is based on the number of subareas and the number of explicit routes allowed for each subarea to which the NCP will route, the largest subarea address to which the NCP will route, and the number of transmission groups. The CF3720 and CF3745 configurators available on HONE should be us(!d to assess the extent of this capability.

3.2.3.3 Increased Explicit Route Capability

ACFjNCP V5R2.1, in combination with ACFjVTAM V3R2 with the appropriate PTF, supports up to sixteen (16) explicit routes between subareas, providing additional connectivity and increased availability between pairs of subareas.

Optimal route selection can be aided through use of Network Design and Analysis (NETDA) Version 2. NETDA VI and Routing Table Generator (RTG) do not support the increased explicit route capability of ACF jNCP V5R2.1.

3.2.3.4 Enhanced Session Accounting

ACFjNCP V5R2.1, in combination with NetView Performance Monitor Release 3 with the appropriate PTF, allows the customer to gather session data for cross-network sessions and present it to the NPM host. As with the support previously available only for peripheral node sessions, data collected includes session start and end, number of text and control PIUs, and number of text and control bytes.

With this release, new accounting statistics are available to both session accounting for peripheral nodes and gateway session accounting. These statistics consist of values that break up the total number of PIUs flowing on a session into certain length ranges. The PIU length ranges are specified by the user during NCP generation; new parameters allow the user to vary these ranges during subsequent NCP operation.

3.2.3.5 Multiple SLU Alias Address Assignment

For SNA Network Interconnect (SNI) environments, ACF /NCP V5R2.1 allows secondary logical units (SLUs) to have more than one alias address per network.

With this support, a single application can be the SLU for more than 255 sessions through a single gateway NCP. When the SLU's session limit has been exceeded, a new address will be assigned for it, if it is parallel-session-capable, as is currently done for primary logical units (PLUs).

3.2.3.6 Enhanced Transmission Priority

With this support, class-of-service priority is extended 'beyond the physical unit (PU) to the SDLC lin1e Thus, for multipoint links, except for multipoint subarea links, batch traffic on one PU can be prevented through priority selection from slowing down interactive traffic on another PC on the same link.

3.2.3.7 Call Security Verification

ACF/NCP V5R2.1, in combination with ACF/VTAM V3R2 Enhancements, allows the user to ensure that a switched subarea connection is secure by defming a password in the VT AlVl switched major node. The password is not transmitted outside of VT AM, but rather is used as the basis for an encryption algorithm used by both ends of the switched subarea connection.

3.2.3.8 X.21 Usability Enhancements

ACF/NCP V5R2.1 supports an increased range of values, from 0 to 1632, for the specification of the time interval on the RETR YTO parameter. This offers the X.21 user greater flexibility in coordinating dial retries with the requirements of various network carriers.

ACF/NCP V5R2.1 also supports the Called/Calling-ID function that returns the phone number connected on an X.21 switched link.

3.2.3.9 Enhanced Modem Support

IBM 3745 Integrated Modems and Integrated Digital Service Units: ACF /NCP V5R2.1 supports the error processing, LPDA-2 testing, and NetView error notification capabilities of 3745 integrated modems and data service units. LPDA-2 support is provided in conjunction with NetView Release 3.

Support for the LULLy'Modem: ACF /NCP V5R2.1 provides LPDA-2 support for the channelized LULL Y modem. LPDA-2 support is provided in conjunction with NetView Release 2 (MVS/370 and MVS/XA) with appropriate PTF, or with NetView Release 3.

Support for Multiple Local Modems: Allows LPDA-2 tests to be run on lines with multiple local modems, regardless of whether they are on a non-tailed line, or on either segment of a tailed line. LPDA-2 support is provided in conjunction with ,NetView Release 2 (MVS/370 and MVS/XA) with appropriate PTF, or with

Net View Release 3.

3.2.3.10 LPDA Test Flexibility

ACF/NCP V5R2.1 allows the user to specify whether or not the LPDA test should be perfonned when the total number of transmissions reaches its threshold.

3.2.3.11 Support for the 3745 Hot Standby Enhancement

ACF/NCP V5R2.1 supports the 3745 Model 410 operating in standby mode with the NCP preloaded in the backup CCU. Prior to this capability, the control program had to be loaded into the standby CCU before the backup CCU could take control, in the Twin-Standby mode of operation. The result is a reduction in the time required to get the network up and running in the event of outage of the fIrst CCU.

3.2.3.12 Network Asset Management Support

The vital product data added to the product set ID by ACF /NCP V5R2 and V5R2.1, may be collected by the Network Asset Management facilities of NetView Release 3. The software infonnation contains the date and time of linkedit;

hardware infonnation" includes the machine type, model number, serial number, and manufacturing plant.