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Software Communications¶

ND 10374 COSMOS Basic Module¶

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FEATURES¶

The services offered by the COSMOS Basic Module provide the end user with necessary tools to share various resources in a network. Line printers and databases are examples of resources that can be shared in a COSMOS network. By distribution of applications and workload, you will avoid having one computer with a heavy workload, and others with little or nothing to do. Less utilized remote computers can ease a computer with a heavy workload by handling various tasks and provide the central computer with the results.

Terminal access to remote system. By using the CONNECT-TO program, you can connect your terminal to another system and use that system as if you were physically connected to it. Your terminal will still work in the same way; terminal type, terminal mode, escape character, etc. will not change, even if default values for these are different on the remote system.

Centralized control. The system supervisor may use this CONNECT-TO program from anywhere in the network, and provide the users with the services necessary to achieve optimal use of each system in the network. Examples given: @ Stop Terminal, @ Abort Print etc. This reduces the need for trained personnel to monitor the different computers/systems in the network.

SCRIPT facility. The user may log on to the remote computer, start any subsystem/program at this computer, and return to the local computer in transparent operations. A local program sees to this. You may start it as an ordinary program, either from SINTRAN III or from User Environment. The different SCRIPT programs may be available to all users or to one specifically.

Remote File Access. This subsystem of the COSMOS Basic Module allows you to access files on remote systems by using such commands in SINTRAN as CREATE-FILE, DELETE-FILE and RENAME-FILE. System name and access information has to precede the file name. The default value of the access information is your local username and password. If this does not allow access, floppy user will be the next choice. The access facility is used by the SINTRAN III Backup System. This allows save/restore operations across the network. The different editors supported by Norsk Data, e.g. NOTIS-WP and PED, also use Remote File Access to provide the users with an easy way of distributing files/information. You may read a file from any remote system into NOTIS-WP, edit it, and write/store the file again to the local subsystem, the same remote system or any other remote system.

INTRODUCTION¶

COSMOS is Norsk Data's communications environment. It provides communication and application services to augment the user services provided by SINTRAN III.

The different end-user tools common to all COSMOS installations reside in the COSMOS Basic Module. These are:

Remote Terminal Access
Remote File Access
File Transfer and
COSMOS Spooling

These services may be used both in Local Area Networks and across Wide Area Networks. Communication both through Packet Switched Networks based on the X.25 specifications and through Circuit Switched Networks based on the X.21 standard is supported by Norsk Data. The Local Area Network may be an Ethernet or a point-to-point (computer link) solution. For more information concerning the possibilities of using different media under COSMOS, see datasheets:

ND 10573 COSMOS X.25 Option
ND 10403 COSMOS X.21 Option
ND 10580 COSMOS Ethernet Option

Different libraries to be used in user-written programs are available in a separate product. For more information about this, see datasheet ND 10609 COSMOS Programmer's Library.

    ┌──────────────┐
    │              │
    │              │
    └──────────────┘
        │
        │
        │
┌──────────────┐
│ Different    │
│ networks     │
│ (X.25, X.21, │
│ Ethernet, etc.) ├────────────┐
│ - The same   │                   │
│ user         │──────────────────│
│ functions    │                   │
│              │                   │
└──────────────┘                   │
                                   │

[Photo: Technical diagrams and illustrations representing network components]

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Product Description¶

As mentioned in the Introduction, the COSMOS Basic Module consists of 4 different modules. These are:

Remote Terminal Access
File Transfer
Remote File Access
COSMOS Spooling

All modules are divided in two. The Remote Terminal Access consists of:

A local module that packs and unpacks terminal characters and sends/receives these to/from the COSMOS network.
A ‘Software Interface’ called Terminal Access Device (TAD) at the remote site, that transforms the packets holding terminal characters to/from the SINTRAN III Time-sharing Service.

Let us assume that your local system is called MAIN. Commands available in the CONNECT-TO subsystem are:

MAIN@CONNECT-TO

You will now enter the CONNECT-TO subsystem. The remote computer’s name may be given on the same line as the command. You will thus automatically be connected to the remote computer.

Commands¶

Command	Description
C-T:HELP	Lists commands.
HELP
LIST-SYSTEMS	Information about the computer system or all systems in the network specified.
CONNECT-TO	Connects you to the system specified
LIST-LOCAL-CHARACTER	Gets the local character which you have to use to return to your local computer
LIST-TIMEOUT-VALUES	You will be disconnected if you do not touch your keyboard for that period of time. (Default is 1 minute if you are not logged in, 30 minutes if you are logged in)
EXIT	Returns you to SINTRAN
SERVICE-PROGRAM	Enters CT-SERV program. There you may initialize SCRIPT programs and change the local character.

File Transfer¶

The File Transfer Subsystem transfers files between computers in the network. The Transfer-File Command will, as opposed to the Transfer Command, transport the file to the destination without affecting the byte pointer. Files may be transferred in a compressed manner. By using this option the dataflow will be from one fourth to one half of the original file. The file will be decompressed before written to the disk. The File Transfer subsystem also provides submission of batch jobs to any system/computer in the network.

Remote Spooling¶

The system Supervisor makes a list of printer names and associates, each one with a real printer that may be local or remote. The printer may reside in a Local Area Network or at any site in a COSMOS Network. The Remote Spooling service is used by NOTIS-WP. You follow the same procedure whether the printer is local or remote: just push the «write» key, and you will be asked for the name of the device. You then give the logical printer name, and COSMOS will handle the routing to this printer automatically.

Default Remote System¶

It is possible, both in SINTRAN and in the File Transfer Subsystem, to have default remote systems. Each user may create a default remote system to obtain an easy syntax when there is much «traffic» between two computers. The command SET-DEFAULT-REMOTE-SYSTEM has three parameters; remote system name, remote user name and password. (Four parameters if project password is implemented). When a remote system is defined as default, one must enter a period (.) before the file name to be accessed/ transferred to/from this system. NOTIS-WP will also use this facility when it is initialized in SINTRAN.

Automatic routing¶

The COSMOS system will automatically route your request to the destination computer. You just have to specify the logical name of the computer you want to interchange information with. Whether you use a Local Area Network or a Wide Area Network (X.25, X.21) COSMOS will automatically handle the routing.

Operator’s tools¶

The system supervisor is provided with excellent tools to stop/start links, define the names of remote computers and the route to these, etc.

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File Transfer Module¶

The File Transfer Module consists of:

A background program run by the user (FILE-TRANSFER).
An RT program, the Server, in each system which handles requests from FILE-TRANSFER.

Commands Available in the FILE-TRANSFER Sub-system¶

MAIN@TRANSFER-FILE (<to>,<from>)
F-T :HELP: Lists commands.

TRANSFER <To>,<From>: Copies according to number of bytes in the file.

TRANSFER-FILE <To>,<From>: Copies according to number of pages in the file.

APPEND-REMOTE-BATCH <Batch system and user name>, <Input file>, <Output file>: To submit a remote batch job.

SET-DEFAULT-REMOTE-SYSTEM: Provides for an easy use of File Transfer.

GET-DEFAULT-REMOTE-SYSTEM: Lists the default remote system for F-T.

LIST-NAMES <System name>: Lists systems that can be accessed from the system specified.

EXIT: Returns you to SINTRAN.

Remote File Access Package¶

The Remote File Access package consists of two separate parts, which can run independently on a system in a COSMOS Network.

File User Part: An extension of the File System, which enables the system to route remote file accesses to the appropriate remote computers.
File Server Part: A background program, which enables the system to receive requests from remote computers and perform file accesses on the local File System on behalf of the remote users.

Small systems, which only access files on remote systems, can be equipped with the File User part only. Some systems may only support the File Server part, while others may have the complete Remote File Access package.

The COSMOS SPOOLING handler transfers files across a COSMOS network, to a spooling file in any computer in the network. This module comprises a local RT-program and an RT-program server which is the same server as that used in FILE-TRANSFER. Waiting time is reduced to a minimum, due to the fact that files are written on a local spooling queue before transmission to the remote computers. Your terminal will immediately be released for other tasks.

Requirements¶

ND 10373 IS-XMSG is included in the ND 10374 COSMOS Basic Module.
SINTRAN III version I or later, generated with TADs and the appropriate number of local HDLC-DMA or Megalinks.

Documentation¶

Document	Number
COSMOS User Guide	ND-60.163
COSMOS Operator Guide	ND-30.025

Document	Number
COSMOS Programmer Guide	ND-60.164
COSMOS X.25 Option Operator Guide	ND-30.034
COSMOS X.21 Option Operator Guide	ND-30.033
SINTRAN III Reference Manual	ND-60.128
SINTRAN III System Supervisor	ND-30.003