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Linux Software

AS400 Client Access Clone for Linux? 24

Posted by Cliff from the searching-for-that-last-piece dept.
KingM asks: "I have for the past few months searched the web for a "Client Access" (terminal type interface to AS400) type application which was either natively created or ported in Linux. I work for an insurance company and we are willing to move a total of 16 workstations to a Linux based solution to lower costs and enhance stability and security. However, thusfar the only thing keeping us from doing this is the Client Access application which interfaces with an AS400 server at a remote location. Does anybody know how I could switch this system over to Linux?"
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AS400 Client Access Clone for Linux? More

AS400 Client Access Clone for Linux?

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  • HOB (Score:2)

    by ka9dgx ( 72702 )
    I don't know anything about AS/400, but I assume that you need something like a 3270 emulator or the like... HOB [www.hob.de] in Germany has software emulators for a lot of that type of thing (as well as WinFrame and Terminal Server clients) that are built on Java. It's not open source freeware, but it will get you over the hump.

    Their agent in the US is Hobsoft [hobsoft.com], and should be able to help get you set up.

    We've been using their JWT program to do Citrix Winframe on web browsers.

    --Mike--

    • AS/400 uses 5250 emulation, and there is a package called tn5250 [freshmeat.net] that works for me on the AS/400 at work. I've not seen any type of GUI interface for the 400 on linux, and I've not heard a peep from IBM on anything on that front.
    • Hey, there's a google group:
      http://directory.google.com/Top/Computers/Softwa re /Operating_Systems/Linux/Hardware_Support/AS400/

      viola.

  • Depends... (Score:2, Informative)

    by Usquebaugh ( 230216 )
    You can use a standard telnet to connect, although it loses a lot of the 5250 functionality.

    There is an open source 5250 telnet client [sourceforge.net]

    X3270 [geocities.com] is a telnet client for mainframes but some people use it for AS/400 [clear.net.nz]

    Try some of the java telnet packages. Search on www.google.com for +java +telnet +5250.

    As a last resort Wine [winehq.com] might be able to run your current software, but I doubt it.

    Of course, it would be cool to port the AS/400 apps to Linux :-)
  • OS/400 provides an integrated 5250 to HTML converter. There is some information provided at: Redbooks [ibm.com]. This utility has some security issues for internet usage, but works well on an internal network. Once enabled, it converts any 5250 program to HTML on the fly, complete with a row of Function key buttons.

    Other than that, the AS/400 functions as an FTP server, and uses 5250 terminal emulation. The previous links to the tn5250 application should work fine.

  • This is redundant, but I would like to know too.

    I have worked for a firm of stock-brokers with an AS400; using Rhumba on NT for terminal access and Front Office Automation (which is accessed though a web browser) to make transactions. I thought at the time, all they need is a terminal app for Linux, and they could use Linux instead. It would save them loads... the only other apps I used were Excel to work out sale to realise figures on a rights issue, and Word for letters to clients, nothing StarOffice couldn't handle.

  • Spent a week or two looking at this a while back, while setting up some unixy things at my old job, a 400 shop.

    As has been mentioned, if all you need is green screen access to applications then there are a couple of terminal packages that speak the appropriate tounges.

    If you require desktop printing functionality (attaching an OUTQ and WTR to your workstation printer) I think you're out of luck, though I'm not sure why. Protocol seems fairly simple. I'f I'd needed it badly enough I might have tried to hack something in. But I much preferred the chain printer up the hall for my 400 needs.

    FSIOP/IPCS/ Integrated Netfinity Server's just an NT box on a card, with a disk subsystem like other NT's dream of. Speaks SMB just like the Proliant next door. No worries there.

    The integrated file server sure looks like the same thing, but it's not. Not sure if it's an authentication issue, of if CA is speaking another protocol to the big black box and just patching the results into the SMB browser (network neighborhood). But without Client Access you aren't looking at those files. Probably not a problem as I understand we were one of very few shops still making extensive use of the feature.

    Can't tell you about ODBC interoperability at all. Too hairy even to look at.

    HTH

    • If you require desktop printing functionality (attaching an OUTQ and WTR to your workstation printer) I think you're out of luck, though I'm not sure why. Protocol seems fairly simple. I'f I'd needed it badly enough I might have tried to hack something in. But I much preferred the chain printer up the hall for my 400 needs.

      In addition to the 5250 client, tn5250 includes a utility to attach to the AS/400 as a printer and convert the datastream to ASCII. You can then pipe the output to any program you desire (quite probably lpr)

      -Nathan

    • Printing is quite easy to fiddle.
      Run an lpd on your local box. Then....

      Create a remote outq on the 400 pointing to it, using host transform to get nicely formatted prints for whatever printer is attached to your linux box (the lpd uses straight ASCII so is transparent to the data stream in practice).

      Create a dummy device despription of the same name as the outq, set it not to vary on at IPL, change the user ID or workstation description to point to your dummy device and the 400 will print to quite happily....

      The IFS is a different issue. Basically you are running SMB services on the 400. If you have an ID on the box and a Windows login of the same name and password it's all quite painless. You can convert text, CSV etc files from native format as you copy them via stream files, then pick them up from your share. I used this to migrate a 500 user site from client access downloads (a resource hog at the best of times) to IFS quite painlessly.

      YMMV

  • tn5250 [sourceforge.net] is what you need. It's been a couple years since I've used it, and back then it was functional, but a little quirky. I assume it is no worse now, and probably much better. At that time, at least, there were a several developers who were very active on the mailing list, often providing bug fixes the same day.

    It provides only 5250 terminal emulation, but not all the other stuff (file xfer, etc) that Client Access does.

    They have a mailing list archive here [midrange.com]. I suggest you browse through it to get an idea of how suitable it is for your needs. Of course, since its open source, you can always just download it and try it out. :)

    (I've seen some suggestions to use 3270 emulators. While an AS/400 will grudgingly talk to a 3270, you loose a lot of the functionality that you are accustomed to from a 5250. Not a solution I reccommend)
  • Isn't the fly in the ointment SNA?

    Depending on how the AS/400 is configured, its possible all terminal access is via LU 6.2, which means that the 5250 emulation won't do you any good. To use more *nix terms, its possible there is no TCP/IP to the AS/400.

    Along those lines, is there a DLC/SNA network stack for Linux?
  • Lots of people have mentioned terminal emulators, which is definately a start.

    However, there are several problems:

    1) The AS/400 might not have TCP. Thus, you might not be able to telnet to it *EVEN WITH THE PROPER TERMINAL EMULATOR*! Talk to your AS/400 administrator about this and see if you can get TCP set up on the AS/400. Of course, make sure you have a good firewall before you do that.

    2) PRINTING. Many shops use Client Access to allow a local workstation printer to be attached to the AS/400. There is no solution for this problem that I know of, although maybe an AS/400 can print to an LPD server (once again, use a firewall!). Talk to your AS/400 admin and ask if people use this feature right now. People will be rightfully pissed if they can't print.

    3) No IBM support. I don't know if this will be a problem or not for your environment.
  • Yes, Linux to AS/400 is totally doable.

    Make sure the AS/400 is running TCP/IP, which means a recent OS version...

    tn5250 is great, and will probably meet your needs, including printer support. There is an X version, and the console works great also.
    Mochasoft's is ok, for closed source software.
    Don't expect Client Access quality stuff (but then again, it's close in most ways).

    Be sure and remember AS/400 is EBCDIC, so files transfered often need to be translated back and forth to ASCII. You can make the AS/400 talk FTP, Telnet, HTTP and more... so moving data back and forth is fairly easy. I used FTP a lot, automated jobs and so on.

    I network admined for a few years in a mixed shop and never had problems with Linux AS/400 stuff, it was always possible to find a solution.

    IBM is actually a good resource at this point: They really want to make everything Linux friendly.

  • A good source of information for AS400 / iSeries can be found at http://www.midrange.com [midrange.com] ... it hosts a number of mailing list, has a FAQ, a number of resources, etc.

    Of note on that site is the LINUX400 mailing list ... this is about running Linux on and around the As400. The subject includes 5250 emmulators.

    MIDRANGE.COM also hosts the LINUX5250 mailing list, which is the discussion forum for the open source TN5250 project.

    mr

  • Client Access is a bundle of software, some of which will be easy to replace, and some won't.

    5250 terminal emulation tops the list, and is the easiest to work around. Over TCP/IP, it's just a TN5250 emulator. The latest versions include SSL. Mocha or a Linux specific TN5250 ought to work fine.

    There's a data transfer function that I personally find useless, (FTP works better for me) but some folks might be use to or otherwise prefer. The CA data transfer does have the occasionaly useful feature of creating Excel files. FTP host commands on the AS400 are a bit different than on Unix, mostly due to the different file systems. These are well documented in the extensive on-line docs. FTP will automagically convert from Ascii / Ebcidic, unless you tell it not too. I believe you can customize the conversion too.

    Client Access includes ODBC and OLE DB drivers. Losing these could hurt. Databases are what the AS400 is all about. There's an open source JDBC driver, and you could always install DB2 on Linux for interconnectivity. Costs money of course. If you're spending money, and your heart is set on ODBC on Linux, there are 3ed party vendors out there who might be able to help you.

    Printing: Some versions of Client Access allow printing from the AS400 to a PC's printer. Workarounds for this would involve LDP, as other posters have mentioned.

    Client Access includes remote execution functions as well. (As400 to client and Client to AS400). Useful for batch processing, but you may never miss this.

    Client Access includes file sharing. In current OS/400 releases this is via SMB. NFS is also supported. Earlier versions used propritary protocols, which Linux likely could never use.
    SMB and NFS should work from Linux.

    The biggest loss from not having Client Access on the Linux is Operations Navigator. ON is an AS400 System Operator / System Administrator / System Programmer tool for controlling and monitoring the system. There are many functions that are easier or more powerful from ON than from the AS400 green screen command line. And many others that work as well if not better from the command line.

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