Dumb Terminals and Terminal Emulators

Dumb Terminals and Terminal Emulators

In the early days of computing, mainframe users accessed their systems using a dumb terminal. Dumb terminals are input/output devices with no processing capability and only enough memory to decipher particular control codes. Dumb terminals were most commonly found in large organizations with the need to process immense numbers of data transactions, such as financial institutions. For organizations like these, the processing power of the mainframe was necessary in order to successfully accomplish basic daily operations.

With the advent of PC's, users needed a way to interact with their organization's mainframe from their desktops. Terminal emulators were developed to fill this need. Using terminal emulation software installed on the PC means that only one machine is needed to access the mainframe. Terminal emulators not only eliminate the need for a dumb terminal, they also provide additional features that serve to extend capabilities and increase productivity.

Dumb terminals use a standard set of codes to communicate with the host system. These codes, also known as escape sequences, are responsible for performing basic screen display functions such as changing colors and moving the cursor. In the days when the use of dumb terminals was common, different terminal manufacturers used different sets of standard codes. The most common terminal types are 3270, 5250, VT, and SCO ANSI terminals. Many large organizations use more than one terminal type. In most cases, one terminal emulator can be used to access a combination of terminal types, eliminating the need for multiple dumb terminals.

Most modern day terminal emulators use a graphical interface that is similar to the user's existing PC applications. This makes using a terminal emulator more user friendly than a dumb terminal, and decreases the learning curve associated with host access - especially for new users. In large organizations where employee turnover is a concern, this reduction in training time can have a significant impact on the company's bottom line.

Unlike dumb terminals, PC's are capable of processing data. When combined with a terminal emulator, this ability allows PC users to perform tasks that simply weren't possible with dumb terminals alone. For example, with a terminal emulator, users can print host data to local and network printers or to files on their PC. Data being sent to and from the host can also be processed automatically.

Scripting can be used in conjunction with the terminal emulator to automate routine tasks. More advanced terminal emulators like Zephyr's PASSPORT provide the ability to assign these scripts, typically referred to as macros, to a key on the keyboard, a keypad button, toolbar button or the mouse. One example of a time-saving macro is a script that can be configured to automatically run when the host session is established and dynamically enter the user's logon details.

Contemporary terminal emulators may also include SSL or SSH security to encrypt transactions between the PC and the mainframe. Server authentication and encryption provides secure data access across TCP/IP networks.  With the security of SSL or SSH, terminal emulation sessions are protected from eavesdropping, tampering, or message forgery over TCP/IP.  This feature can be critical for those organizations that use remote access across the Internet to retrieve sensitive data on corporate mainframes.

Although mainframe technology is decades old, it is still in use in countless organizations today. These organizations now use terminal emulators instead of dumb terminals to access these systems. BMC Software recently conducted a survey of 1,100 IT managers whose organizations use mainframes. 95% of the respondents indicated that the mainframe still plays a critical role in their IT infrastructure, and will continue to do so.

PASSPORT Features

PASSPORT supports display and printing emulation sessions. Up to 26 sessions can be active at one time on one workstation. New sessions can be easily created, opened and saved. A layout of multiple sessions can be saved as a desktop icon. When this icon is activated, multiple emulator sessions are started at one time. A menu security feature allows an administrator to decide what features are allowed and which are not.

Highlights:

• Provides access to IBM mainframe, AS/400 and UNIX host applications
• TN3270, TN3270E, TN5250, TN5250E, VT420, VT100, SCO ANSI and Wyse 60 terminal emulation
• Standalone FTP client and integrated FTP file transfer within terminal emulation session
• Certified for Windows Vista
• Supports Windows XP and 2000
• Advanced SSL security available for each host session
• Advanced SSH security available for each UNIX host session
• Secure FTP file transfer using SSL and SSH security
• IND$FILE file transfer to IBM mainframe
• Deploy PASSPORT with ease using MSI, SMS or other software distribution tools
• Publish from Citrix Presentation Server
• Supports Citrix Password Manager
• HLLAPI available to reuse existing screen scraping applications
• Attachmate-compatible EXTRA! Objects API to reuse existing EXTRA! screen scraping applications
• VB Script to record, edit and run productivity enhancing macros
• Host printing supported through the TN3270E or TN5250E client
• Pass-through printing available for VT or SCO ANSI client
• Ability to open multiple host sessions, uniquely configure each session
• Customizable keyboard layout, mouse buttons, keypads, toolbars, hotspots, colors, fonts, cursor and more

Why PASSPORT?

As one of the market's very first IP-based connectivity solutions, the mature, feature-rich package is an ideal replacement for older desktop-based emulators, including Attachmate® EXTRA!®, IBM Personal Communications, NetManage® Rumba® and WRQ® Reflection®. With its competitive pricing and licensing options, you can save 50% to 75% on the amount of money you would normally spend for host access.

Zephyr's 20+ years of experience in developing host access solutions results in products with unparallelled stability. All of the cumulative knowledge on issues ranging from handling the host data stream, session establishment and management, legacy data structure and more are evident in Zephyr's next generation products. If your organization seeks top-notch host access solutions for Microsoft Windows, Zephyr and its PASSPORT family of products and services is the company and product of choice.

Replacing Dumb Terminals and Terminal Emulators with PASSPORT

More than any other solution, PASSPORT PC TO HOST is the number one choice organizations turn to when they seek to replace older versions of their Attachmate EXTRA!®, IBM Personal Communications® and other terminal emulation programs. Our free macro conversion services (available for subscription licenses with 500 or more licensed units), ability to reuse existing HLLAPI and other screen-scraping API applications written for Attachmate and IBM, and our architecturally standard design, makes it easy for evaluators to select PASSPORT as the single product to replace one or many dumb terminals or terminal emulators.