Communications Server for Data Center Deployment

Communications Server for Data Center Deployment

Communications Server for Data Center Deployment

This community is for those connecting their legacy SNA application distributed platforms to the Z platform and centralizing expertise in the data centers.

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Future OSE elimination and how CSDCD can assist in migration

  • 1.  Future OSE elimination and how CSDCD can assist in migration

    Posted Wed May 26, 2021 11:40 AM
    On May 4, 2021, the IBM Z hardware announced the latest z15 releases to come. See this announcement as a reference:

    https://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/cgi-bin/ssialias?subtype=ca&infotype=an&supplier=897&letternum=ENUS121-029

    Included in that announcement was the following statement of direction:

    Future OSE elimination: Many IBM Z clients continue to rely on SNA applications for mission-critical workloads, and IBM has no current plans to discontinue support of the SNA protocol, including the SNA APIs. However, IBM Z support for the Systems Network Architecture (SNA) protocol being transported natively out of the server using OSA Express 1000BASE-T adapters configured as channel type "OSE" will be eliminated in a future hardware system family. Client applications that rely on the SNA protocol and utilize OSE networking channels as the transport (as opposed to FICON® CTC) must either modernize to utilize TCP/IP or the networking configuration of the operating system image must be updated to make use of some form of SNA over IP technology, where possible, such as z/OS Enterprise Extender. Across the computer industry, support for the native SNA protocol, LLC2, on distributed platforms is now being withdrawn, such that native SNA connectivity to the mainframe will eventually be rendered largely useless. As these accommodations may take a significant amount of time to implement, IBM Z is providing notice of these plans and is encouraging clients to begin or accelerate their SNA modernization efforts now in order to ensure they do not experience a business interruption in the future.

    Note that SNA, nor any SNA APIs, are being eliminated or deprecated. Only the hardware adapter support for certain System z operating systems, not including Linux.

    The Communications Server for Data Center Deployment server will continue to provide LLC2 support. The CSDCD can assist in migration for this OSE elimination. Using a Comm. Server on Linux (especially Linux on IBM Z),  LLC2 nodes can connect to VTAM or z/OS Comm. Server over Enterprise Extender.  The Comm. Server can be configured as an APPN Network Node that provides SNA routing between LLC2, or 802.3, nodes and Enterprise Extender nodes. This can be called "Enterprise Extender gateway" function in CSDCD. It allows downstream, or upstream, LLC2 or 802.3 SNA over Ethernet nodes to connect to upstream, or downstream, Enterprise Extender nodes by using APPN Network Node routing. 

    Please note that Enterprise Extender is a supported protocol on VTAM or z/OS Comm. Server and there is no charge to configure and use it. If LLC2 or 802.3 protocol will be required in the future, migrating to downstream nodes to support Enterprise Extender is the most cost effective method. However, if that is not possible, the CSDCD can be used a a gateway solution, but it will include additional costs.

    Jeff L Smith

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    Jeff Smith
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