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Conference bulova::decw_jan-89_to_nov-90

Title:	DECWINDOWS 26-JAN-89 to 29-NOV-90
Notice:	See 1639.0 for VMS V5.3 kit; 2043.0 for 5.4 IFT kit
Moderator:	STAR::VATNE

Created:	Mon Oct 30 1989
Last Modified:	Mon Dec 31 1990
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	3726
Total number of notes:	19516

2159.0. "VMS V5.3/DECW TCP/IP??" by HOTAIR::BOYLES (Albuquerque Onsite Presales Support) Mon Jan 29 1990 15:57

    I've got a question concerning the TCP/IP transport for VMS DECWindows.
    
    (1st correct me if I'm wrong)
    Now as I understand it... with VMS V5.3 you get DECWindows V2.0 which
    supports TCP/IP for the transport if you have the VMS/Ultrix Connection
    software (v1.2).  Now as I understand it you can use the TCP/IP
    transport without a Connection license, if you get the media kit.
    
    (My question)
    I also understand that the "hooks" are there for other TCP/IP vendors
    to utilize so that their products will also work with VMS/DECWindows.
      1.  Is this true?
      2.  If so... where are these "hooks" documented so that other TCP/IP
          vendors can "plug their product in"?
      3.  Do any of these 3rd party vendors currently have working versions
          with VMS/DECWindows?
    
    Any help would be appreciated.
    
    Regards,
    
    Gary Boyles

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
2159.1		DECWIN::FISHER	Burns Fisher 381-1466, ZKO3-4/W23	`Mon Jan 29 1990 18:35`	12
	Right about TCP support via UCX. I don't know about the UCX license. Regarding "hooks": What we have done is to officially document the transport interface to allow anyone to write a new transport image. Other vendors can use this documentation to write their own transport, including other TCP vendors like Wollongang and Fusion. Since they were the main reason we did the transport interface, I suppose you could call it a hook. On the other hand, we did not do anything specific to other TCP vendors. Burns
2159.2	Some more TCP/IP answers	STAR::VATNE	Peter Vatne, VMS Development	`Mon Jan 29 1990 19:30`	21
	Your understandings are correct... DECwindows in VMS V5.3 supports TCP/IP with the VMS/Ultrix Connection, and you do not need a UCX license to use it with DECwindows. Therefore, customers need only order the media kit. (They of course can't use the other UCX features like FTP or NFS unless they do purchase a UCX license.) To answer your questions: 1. Yes, there are hooks so that third party TCP/IP vendors can write their own transport interface. Actually, anyone can write their own, provided they know BLISS, but I expect only the vendors will bother. 2. The hooks are all documented in the new VMS DECwindows Transport Manual, available with VMS V5.3. There is also an example transport in DECW$EXAMPLES:XPORT_EXAMPLE.B32 (plus a few other support files). 3. Quite a few of the third party TCP/IP vendors for VMS were field test sites. I don't know if they've announced availability yet. You probably should call them yourself if no one else has. Peter
2159.3		CVG::PETTENGILL	mulp	`Mon Jan 29 1990 23:59`	15
	A word of caution: If you don't have the UCX license, then you'll have a hard time starting the application on the `other' machine in order to make use of the TCP/IP transport, unless they both have DECnet or are part of a VAXcluster. DECwindows does not specify any method for starting an application remotely. Therefore, where TCP/IP is involved, the application is started in one of the following ways: 1. TELNET to client machine and run application 2. rlogin to client machine and run application 3. run application using rsh 4. BATCH I use the latter within a VAXcluster, and TCP/IP works fine.
2159.4	Thanks!	HOTAIR::BOYLES	Albuquerque Onsite Presales Support	`Tue Jan 30 1990 14:27`	8
	Thanks for the help (.ALL). .3 makes a good point. Regards, Gary B
2159.5		INTGRA::grb	George Brother	`Tue Jan 30 1990 20:39`	5
	re: .2.2 Just out of curiosity, why do they have to know BLISS. /george
2159.6	Why BLISS...	STAR::VATNE	Peter Vatne, VMS Development	`Tue Jan 30 1990 22:31`	10
	Implementors of transport interfaces should know BLISS, because that's the language the example transport is written in. I suppose one could write a transport interface in another language, but since no one has ever tried a language other than BLISS, I don't know if there are any major stumbling blocks. At a minimum, the transport interface has to be able to run in exec mode, and be able to manipulate queues. We didn't create examples in other languages because they would have been expensive to produce, and all the major third-party TCP/IP vendors we asked said that BLISS was okay with them.
2159.7	WIN /TCP V5.1 as an aletrnative TCP/IP transport	NEBR::HARRISON	Knee High By The 4th of July	`Fri Feb 16 1990 16:12`	39
	From the V5.1 release notes for WIN/TCP for VMS (shipping this week) New Features o DECwindows Transport Support for the DECwindows transport has been included. This allows users to use DECwindows over the WIN/TCP product. Users must have VMS 5.3. Information gathered from Mike Schwieterman, The Wollongong Group Tel (415)-962-7208 If you or your customers have a maintainence agreement for WIN/TCP, this 5.1 release is available by calling their Product Support Department at (415)-962-7140. According to Mike, Digital's interface to Wollongong is Bruce Alcock which ELF points to at Common Name: BRUCE ALCOCK Search Surname: ALCOCK Search Given Name: BRUCE, BRUCE G DTN: 223-2500 Intrnl Mail Addr: PKO3-2/J12 Location: PKO Node: SPGOPS Username: ALCOCK Org Unit: SOFTWARE SERVICES -Bob