Migration Roadmap for LANRES For z/vm Customers - Where to go from here?

Transcription

1 ^ zseries Migration Roadmap for LANRES For z/vm Customers - Where to go from here? April 2001 Author: Glenda Ford z/vm Planning Endicott, NY fordgr@us.ibm.com Tuesday, April 10, 20013:23:35 PM

2 Introduction The IBM z/vm annoncement on October 3, 2000 included a statement of direction that no enhancements to the LANRES elements of VM/ESA and of z/vm are planned beyond the function contained in z/vm V3R1, and that it is IBM s intent to withdraw LANRES from a future release of z/vm. In anticipation of LANRES s eventual withdrawal, this paper is intended to inform customers of various alternatives to the product functions that they currently exploit. LANRES for VM/ESA Functions Note: in the following discussion, the term VM is used in general to refer to both the VM/ESA operating system on S/390 and the z/vm operating system on IBM ^ zseries 900. Disk Serving The disk serving function of LANRES allows Novell NetWare Users to maintain NetWare volumes in VSAM data sets on VM, transparent to the end user and the NetWare server environment. In the past, this provided unique advantages over uses of traditional PC DASD, including, performance, capacity, reliability, availability, and superior backup/restore capabilities. Now, however, the storage environments available in LAN environments have largely closed the gap with the support provided by LANRES. The considerable industry focus on storage solutions will cause these alternatives to continue to mature and improve quickly over the foreseeable future. For example, technologies once only associated with the mainframe storage arena, such as Peer-to-Peer Remote Copy and FlashCopy support are now becoming available in storage solutions supporting the LAN environment. Larger PC server internal disks. In contrast to the early days of LANRES when the largest PC server disks available were 1 GB in size, today s PC disks can each be 18 GB, 36 GB, or even larger and are based on the same high-performance, high-reliability technology (including RAID capability) that is used in mainframe DASD. Storage subsystems such as IBM s Enterprise Storage System (Shark), Modular Storage System (MSS), and Fibre Array Storage Technology (FAStT200 and FAStT500) Solutions. These offerings provide a wide range of alternatives. In particular, the ESS can be attached to S/390 as well as LAN servers and delivers large capacity S/390-class storage to all attached systems. Storage Area Networks, such as IBM s SAN offerings, based on the above storage subsystems. Typically offering fibre connections and a network dedicated to operations in support of the functional and management-related storage requirements of multiple heterogeneous servers, SANs are widely regarded as the technology on which most future storage solutions will be based. Network Attached Storage (NAS) servers or filers, such as IBM s ^ brand xseries 150. These special-purpose, dedicated file server-based solutions are often characterized by low acquisition cost, ease of installation, high reliability and low cost of ownership. While the most prevalent file serving protocols supported are Server Message Block - SMB, also sometimes called CIFS (Common Internet File System) and Network File System (NFS), several NASs also support NetWare-based file serving. Sometimes viewed as an alternative to SANs, NAS may also operate in conjunction with a SAN, with the NAS providing the file serving interface and the SAN being the actual storage repository for the files being served. Alternatives to the LANRES disk serving function that are available now and fit with a Netware-based file serving environment include the following: 1

3 All the solutions described above apply to the NetWare environment on which LANRES depends. If a LANRES customer is willing to consider using other file serving protocols (on either VM or another platform), then other alternatives to LANRES disk serving exist, such as file servers supporting NFS. These alternatives when deployed in a VM environment have the potential advantage of storing the files in a format that is accessible both by VM host programs and workstations that support the corresponding file system client. VM supports NFS clients and servers. An SMB server option is Samba, which is an open source software package (not provided or serviced by IBM) that runs on most UNIX platforms, as well as on VM, LINUX (including Linux for S/390) and OS/390. Samba provides file and print sharing from Microsoft Windows, DOS and OS/2 desktops through the SMB protocol. When a Unix file system is shared with a Windows Desktop, the file system appears as a disk with a new drive letter. In general with these file serving alternatives, appropriate client protocol support on network client systems means that no intermediate LAN server is needed for access to VM. However, intermediate gateways may sometimes be used to bridge between different protocols. Data Distribution The LANRES data distribution function works with Novell NetWare files and directories and all the file systems supported on VM, minidisks, Shared File System and the Byte File System through commands issued on VM. This function is mainly used to perform file transfers between a Novell NetWare server and the VM host system. The file transfer is often initiated by a REXX program. In addition to file transfers, the distribution function also allows Novell NetWare commands such as copy, rename, and execute to be issued from the VM environment. TCP/IP-based FTP (File Transfer Protocol) offers the primary alternative means of performing file transfers between the VM host and the NetWare server. FTP is the de facto open standard protocol for transferring files in a heterogeneous distributed environment. It can be used to transfer files to or from the VM Byte File System the Shared File System, and minidisk files. The FTP client support in TCP/IP on VM can be used to perform host-initiated transfers. In this case, an FTP daemon (server) must be running on the Novell NetWare server. Alternatively, an FTP server on VM can be used, respond to requests from FTP clients on the NetWare server. The FTP client can be invoked in several different ways. One is to invoke the FTP client from a REXX program or a CMS pipeline. As an alternative to FTP, a Telnet client can be used on VM (or on another system) to connect to a Telnet daemon on the Novell NetWare server in order to issue commands such as copy, rename, and delete. The Telnet client can also be invoked from a REXX program, although interactions with it must be manual. Finally, another alternative to LANRES data distribution is to re-think whether there is a genuine need to continue to copy the files in question at all. In some cases, it may actually be more efficient and simpler to rely on using NFS to provide access to a single copy of the files to both the LAN environment and the VM system. As a variation on this, one of the distributed file protocols described above could be used to accomplish the file copy operation. For example, a Byte File System file could be made available via the VM NFS file server so that it could be mapped as, say, an h: drive on a Windows server. Operations could then be performed on the Windows server to copy the file from the h: drive to one that is local to the server. Viable use of distributed file serving in lieu of LANRES data distribution depends on many factors, including pattern of access to the data, performance requirements and the characteristics of the network between the systems (e.g. WAN versus LAN). LAN-to-Host Printing The LANRES LAN-to-Host printing function can be used to print directly from a workstation on the LAN to a VM attached high volume printer or to other network printers that are defined to VM. A primary alternative for this function is the Remote Spooling Communications Subsystem (RSCS) product which allows print requests from network clients to be directed to both VM and RSCS defined printers, using TCP/IP-based print protocols such as LPR/LPD (Line Printer Requester/Daemon) host attached printers, SNA attached printers and PSF/VM printing. 2

4 RSCS LPD support can be configured to define a set of print daemons to which any suitable local or remote client can direct print requests. A Line Printer Requester (LPR) must be installed on the client that issues the print command. Line Printer Daemon do not support translation from other print formats to AFPDS, but RSCS LPD does support receiving print jobs that are defined for PSF/VM processing. Another package that could be used to replace the LANRES LAN-to-Host print serving function is Samba. As explained above, Samba is an open source offering providing file and print sharing from Windows, DOS and OS/2 desktops. Samba gives the user the ability to print on VM printers from LAN clients. In combination with RSCS, Samba can print to any VM defined printer. For additional information refer to the TCP/IP Solutions for VM/ESA (IBM Publication number: SG ). Host-to-LAN Printing The LANRES Host-to-LAN printing function allows VM users to print to LAN attached printers. RSCS provides a strong alternative to this print function. It can receive print output from local or remote users and direct the output to any TCP/IP-connected printer or print server in the network, or via PSF for VM (Print Services Facility) to IPDS printers. Target LAN printers or print servers must support TCP/IP-based communication and one of LPR/LPD, direct sockets, or TN3270E protocols. (Note: Local or VTAM -controlled coax connected printers are also supported). RSCS LPR support allows printing of PCL or Postscript format files but requires a Line Printer Daemon (LPD) within either the printer itself or a print server it is connected to. RSCS TN3270E support requires a TN3270E capable emulator be active. LAN Administration The LANRES LAN Administration function can be used to automate LAN administration through REXX programs on VM. There is no completely equivalent function offered by other programs. However, the LAN Administration function was most useful in the NetWare 3 environment in which NetWare s native administrative support was quite primitive. The improved administration in NetWare 4 and NetWare 5, which allow NetWare server administration from any workstation through a Graphical User Interface (using NWAdmin or ConsoleOne), the value of this LANRES function is considerably diminished. Summary As the explanation above shows, there are migration paths available for each of today s LANRES functions. The following chart summarizes the primary available replacement options. Disk Serving Data Distribution Lan-to-Host Printing Host-to-Lan Printing Lan Administration Large internal PC disks NetWare server-attached storage subsystems (e.g. ESS/Shark) Storage Area Networks Network Attached Storage (NAS) boxes, such as xseries 150 Other distributed file server protocols (e.g. NFS) FTP Telnet to NetWare server, then issue NetWare commands Convert to shared file design rather than file copy-based design LPR/LPD Samba LPR/LPD Native Netware GUI-based admin tools (e.g. NWAdmin, Console One) 3

5 Independent Software Vendor Products Besides offerings from IBM, products from Independent Software Vendors offer similar functions to LANRES. The following is a list of vendor offerings that may be able to assist you in replacing your LANRES installation. Note that this is only a sampling; there may be other products and other vendors that could also be of assistance. For information about additional products please refer to the Global Solutions Directory cited below and specify your specific needs using VM as the Operating System. LinkCom Xpress and Host2Net products from i-data Rumba Mainframe Edition product from Rumba For additional VM Vendor products please search the Global Solutions Directory NOTE: IBM does not make any representations or endorsement of any of the products or services listed here that are provided by non-ibm sources. IBM has made no effort to independently verify the products or services. Users of this information are responsible for checking with the non-ibm source to confirm the specific implementation of their system. In any event, IBM shall not incur any liability by listing the information below. References IBM Storage Solutions NFS - How to use NFS IBM publication: SC TCP/IP Level 3A0 User s Guide OS/390 LANRES Migration white paper www-1.ibm.com/server/eserver/zseries/library/whit epapers/gm html Printing ibm.com/s390/vm/printing RSCS ibm.com/s390/vm/related/rscs Samba Education samba.anu.edu.au/samba/ IBM publication (Redbook): SG S/390 File and Print Serving VM Online Library vm.ibm.com/library/ VSE Migration White Paper s390.ibm.com/ftp/vse/docs/lanres-migr.pdf 4

6 Copyright IBM Corporation 2001 IBM Corporation Integrated Marketing Communications, Server Group Route 100 Somers, NY Produced in the United States of America All Rights Reserved References in this publication to IBM products or services do not imply that IBM intends to make them available in every country in which IBM operates. Consult your local IBM business contact for information on the products, features, and services available in your area. Enterprise Storage System, IBM, IBM logo, OS/2, OS/390, S/390, VM/ESA, VTAM, xseries, zseries and z/vm are trademarks or registered trademarks of IBM Corporation in the United States, other countries or both. Java and all Java-based trademarks are trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States, other countries, or both. Linux is a registered trademarks of Linus Torvalds. Tivoli is a registered trademark of Tivoli Systems Inc.in the United States, other countries or both. UNIX is a registered trademark in the United States and other countries, licensed exclusively through The Open Group. Windows NT is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Other trademarks and registered trademarks are the properties of their respective companies. IBM hardware products are manufactured from new parts, or new and used parts. Regardless, our warranty terms apply. Photographs shown are of engineering prototypes. Changes may be incorporated in production models. This equipment is subject to all applicable FCC rules and will comply with them upon delivery. Information concerning non-ibm products was obtained from the suppliers of those products. Questions concerning those products should be directed to those suppliers. All customer examples described are presented as illustrations of how those customers have used IBM products and the results they may have achieved. Actual environmental costs and performance characteristics may vary by customer. GF22-XXXX-00