HP3000/HP 3000 FAQ

Last Updated: Thursday, February 01, 2007 02:38 PM

Terminal (or PC) to HP3000 host access

4.7. Terminal (or PC) to HP3000 host access

4.7.1. NS/VT access

CB

HP3000's with LanLink software (or any MPE/iX 5.0 or later system) include the incoming VT(virtual terminal) protocol server. This allows telnet-like connectivity, though the protocol (VT) is just different enough from telnet that to VT to an HP 3000, you'll need special software. [MPE/V systems also require an optional lan card; MPE/iX systems all include lan cards standard]

To VT into an HP 3000, you use:

1) From another HP 3000 (equipped with NS/3000) the :DSLINE command

2) From a PC or Mac equipped with a lan card/connection to the same network as the 3000;
   -A TCP/IP stack on the PC/Mac
   -A terminal emulator package that includes VT (virtual terminal) capability; WRQ's Reflection, Unison/Tymlabs' Business Session, Minisoft's MS92, or HP's AdvancedLink

3) From an HP9000; use the vt3k program

4) From other Unix systems; pick up a copy of the freeware "freevt3k" program from http://www.anime.net/freevt3k/ (there is also a FAQ on freevt3k there)

Some important notes/warnings about inbound NS/VT access to your HP 3000. Incoming connections come in on tcp port 1537 or 1570 (depending on the type/revision of accessing client. Be sure to restrict these ports in your firewall/router if your 3000 can be accessed from the Internet. When you bring up network services on your 3000, the vtserver comes up by default (you may not even be aware that you're presenting a ":" login prompt to anyone on your network).

4.7.2. Telnet

Telnet on the HP3000

[MPE/iX systems]

Telnet server on MPE 5.5 with PP3 is fully functional and works well (although there is a cpu hit, especially compared to DTC connections). Recent releases of MPE/iX support telnet "built into" the inetd job, and even support the new line-mode telnet protocol enhancement.

CB

For details on how to enable Telnet on your HP3000, see http://www.docs.hp.com/en/32650-90897/ch03.html?btnPrev=%AB%A0prev

Note that the telnet access card is an optional piece of hardware (it costs $$$), and if you plan on using it you must also plan on using Openview DTC manager to configure the DTC (you can't configure it using host-based configuration aka NMMGR).

For the technically minded, the problems with this solution are that, unlike host-based solutions, people telnet'ing in must telnet to a different IP address (NOT the IP address of the host computer, but the IP address of the DTC). This is not usually a big issue, as most people specify hosts by name (rather than address) but it can lead to confusion if you implement OTHER host-based services on the 3000 (like FTP or SMTP-email or Gopher...). There are also limits to the number of concurrent sessions each card can handle, and overflows (when you exceed the max# of connections for one card) must be handled by other cards (with other IP addresses).

Another possibility is the contributed NQTELNET program written by Eric Schubert of Notre Dame. NQTELNET is a host-based telnet server which will handle basic terminal operations (but not block-mode apps).

Description/info below provided by Eric Schubert (author):

"Free software, no warranty: user assumes all responsibility."

VERSION.:  94.9.6  (Works on MPE/iX 4.0)

FEATURES:
(1) Obtains Telnet Client Terminal type using sub-negotiations and switches
into VT100 emulation mode automatically if termtype is not "hpterm".
(2) Server negotiates client for non-echo (*Line*) mode after login,
(3) Client can negotiate echo mode or non-echo mode anytime (allowed),
(4) Menu controlled login (does not default to MPE access),
(5) User login Limit bouncer (1 to 100 users config)
(6) *Unattended* Terminal Time-out (config to any value on server),
(7) Virtual Session "login" using NS3000 (optional),
(8) Server activity/trace log prints to $stdlist.

GENERAL LIMITATIONS:
() General:  This server uses an MPE Message file interface between the
server and user application program.  This results in some problems with
user programs that open LDEV numbers directly or check whether the input is
an interactive pair.  Maximum I/O record length to 256 bytes, the default
size of the message files.  However, source is provided for the user to make
changes for their particular needs. The author is not responsible for code
modifications.  LOOPBACK must be enabled.

Tested software that works with either VT100 or HPTERM telnet clients
without user program modification (the stuff we telnet out of our HP3000)
using the NS/3000 logon option:
----
 QUAD
 TRANSACT character mode screen
 Many MPE commands work (the CI thinks it is in batch mode!) except LDEV
specific ones, such as "DSLINE".
 ...I'm sure many more...
----

SPECIFIC LIMITATIONS:
(1) Terminal emulation of VT100 clients is limited to absolute cursor
positioning, character screen control (home, clear, next page, etc.) and
text highlights (blinking, inverse, etc.)

(2) Some Telnet clients mis-behave when echo is turned off.  NQTELNET allows
the user to enable echo mode anytime using ctrl-a.

(4) Uses a standard AFS login format, such as:
  Login: xxxxxxxx         (max 8 chars)
  Password: xxxxxxxx      (optional, max 8 chars)

The "xxxxxxxx" identifier must be equated to an HP LOGON within the server job/session. HP logons are never used to enter host server.

(7) Virtual Sessions are only created under NS/3000 "DSLINE" command. Otherwise, inbound connections use processes under one common logon.

Any enhancements/comments welcome, send Email: eric.j.schubert.1@nd.edu

NQTELNET is a contributed (free) package and available via anonymous ftp from opus.admin.utc.edu.

CB

The light at the end of the tunnel is that HP has announced that all customers on support will receive a *free* (aka 'bundled') telnet server which will run entirely on the HP3000 (software only) and will be made available at some point after the 5.0 PUSH release.

LH

The TELNET/iX product consists of two parts, a client, which provides outbound functionality, and a server, which provides inbound. The name was changed from Host-based Telnet to TELNET/iX because people thought that "host-based Telnet" was a product to provide host management and configuration of the DTC TAC (which is functionality that TELNET/iX does not provide). TELNET/iX will be implemented entirely in software on the HP3000; neither a DTC nor a PC (OVDTCMGR) are needed. TELNET/iX is a part of the Well Behaved in a UNIX Environment Solution Team.

CLIENT:

The TELNET/iX Client provides outbound functionality from an HP3000 to a server host that supports the TELNET protocol. There is no additional NMMGR configuration. Also, a new manual, "HP TELNET/iX Client User's Guide" (Customer Order Number 36957-90152), has been written.

SERVER:

The TELNET/iX Server will provide inbound functionality from any TELNET client to an HP3000, similar to the DTC TAC functionality. The DTC TAC product will continue to be offered for customers with a lot of TELNET traffic as the DTC TAC solution offloads the host CPU.

CB

An important note about telnet; telnet is a generic networking protocol used to communicate between a user and a remote host. It does NOT define terminal emulation sequences. In fact, though any telnet client can connect to any host supporting inbound telnet, if you try to run applications on the remote host that don't support the terminal type you're using (or that which the telnet client you're using emulates) you're out of luck. This is especially an issue to HP3000 sites. Most applications on 3000s today (especially V/Plus) require that the user running them be on an HP terminal (or that their emulator program do a REAL good job of emulating a HP terminal). However, most free (or commonly available) telnet clients out there DON'T do HP terminal emulation. In fact, most do only generic ANSI/ASCII displays or emulate DEC's VT100 or VT2xx family of terminals. V/Plus apps won't like a VT100 terminal, so if your users trying to log in need to run your fancy HP apps, better either make sure they have a telnet client that emulates HP terminals, or that all the applications they CAN run are compatible with whatever they're using.

Now, for OUTBOUND telnet;

Right from your 3000, you can run the contributed (by Dave Elward of Taurus Software) telnet client program and initiate a telnet connection to any remote host with no special hardware or software. It requires LanLink software on the 3000, which you already have if you have any kind of networking software (NS/3000 or FTP); if you don't, you'll be getting it free with the 5.0 PULL release so not to worry. Dave's telnet client can be run from the MPE prompt and allows you to open a connection (using the telnet protocol) to a remote system, log in to that system, and execute commands as if you were logged in locally. (just like the :DSLINE/:REMOTE commands from NS.)

Dave's telnet program is free and is available via anonymous ftp from opus.admin.utc.edu or ftp.3kassociates.com. Dave's telnet client is a native mode application and will run one MPE/iX 4.0 or beyond (maybe some older MPE versions as well?)

Also coming with the 5.0 PUSH release (or sometime shortly after?) will be a host-resident telnet client, so you have your choice.

Also, if you're using OpenView DTC Manager and your DTC datecodes are recent (>=3118?) then any serially connected terminal user can be allowed (if the port is switchable) to telnet to a remote host (any reachable host that supports inbound telnet).

[MPE/V systems]

Inbound telnet (host based!) as well as a MPE/V based telnet client are available from The Wollongong Group; WIN/TCP for MPE/V. The package includes a telnet server (host based) and client, ftp server and client, and an HPDesk to SMTP gateway.