Probably the most significant of IBM’s get DEC announcements yesterday are the new ACF/VTAM releases that give users of dissimilar machines peer-to-peer communications over SNA without the need for host applications. The new ACF/VTAM V3.1.2 enables customers using distributed processors, such as an IBM 9370, 43XX and 3090 running VTAM and VM/SP or DOS/VSE, to communicate with another 370 over dial-up and multi-point leased lines, reducing the need for dedicated lines between systems. And ACF/VTAM V3.2.0 adds integrated or native support for the X25 communications adaptor used with a 9370 or 4361, so that for the first time, SNA-to-SNA links across an X25 network should be fairly painless. Peer-to-peer SNA communications are now supported under MVS, MVS/XA, VM/SP and DOS/VSE, so that System/36, Series/1, and IBM Personals, as well as alien systems, can inter-communicate within SNA. Dynamic table loading and path definition functions make it simpler to change the network. ACF/VTAM support for 9370 Token Rings now embraces DOS/VSE. The Advanced Program-to-Program Communications LU 6.2 protocol – now specified as part of IBM’s Systems Application Architecture – now supports all 370-type operating systems so that APPC applications on a 370 can communicate over SNA with APPC applications running on System/36, Series/1, System/88, the RT Personal, Personalikes and other alien machines. The Series/1 EDX now supports APPC.
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