PASSPORT PC TO HOST (Desktop-Based Terminal Emulation)
IBM 3270
Today, IBM 3270 emulation is used to access IBM zSeries and System Z mainframes. When IBM mainframes were first introduced, IBM3270 terminals were used to communicate with the mainframe.
These "dumb" terminals were simple machines that consisted of nothing more than a keyboard, monitor, network interface and buffer memory that were not capable of actually processing data.
As the use of desktop PC's became more commonplace, organizations began replacing these terminals with IBM 3270 emulation software installed on PC's.
Download PASSPORT for IBM 3270 Emulation Now
Because of their reliability, IBM mainframes are still used to house mission critical business data in many large organizations. To securely and reliably access this data, organizations use IBM 3270 terminal emulation software.
Over the past few decades, IBM 3270 emulation software has matured far beyond the simple control code processing of dumb terminals. Modern-day terminal emulators provide a user-friendly interface, printing capabilities, file transfer options, graphics support, data encryption, and macro scripting options.
IBM 3270 emulation software can be deployed in a number of different ways. Deployment options include desktop-based installation, automated deployment using tools such as SMS, web-browser based access, and deployment using server-based solutions such as Citrix or terminal services.
With desktop-based deployment, the terminal emulator is installed on each individual PC that requires mainframe access. Automated deployment tools like SMS can be used to deploy common configurations to multiple desktops at one time.
Organizations that prefer an approach that provides centralized administration may opt to install the terminal emulation software on a web server so that users can download the 3270 emulator and access the mainframe using their web browser. Alternatively, they can deploy the software using Citrix or terminal services. This approach has several benefits. Instead of having to install the emulator on every PC within the organization, administrators can install the emulator on one server, publish it, and deploy it to all of their users within hours instead of weeks or months. With the emulation running on a server such as Citrix server, all product upgrades can be quickly installed and available to users. In addition, administrators have more control over how the emulation is deployed to their users in terms of the session configuration, keyboard layouts, customized colors, macros and other features.
Citrix also provides a password manager solution that allows users to access all of their applications, including IBM 3270 applications, using a single sign on. Employees that use PC's and host systems may be required to have anywhere from 5 to 30 passwords to log into the various computer systems they need to access in order to perform their jobs. In addition, these passwords may expire every 30 days. Managing these passwords is a time intensive task and is a productivity loss for these users as well as help desk support personnel. Assigning a single user ID and password to an employee can provide access not only to multiple IBM 3270 mainframe applications, but can also provide access to a web portal, web applications, client/server applications, desktop applications, VPN applications and others.
Many healthcare providers and financial institutions use IBM mainframes to store sensitive data. Legislation such as HIPAA regulations and the Gramm Leach Bliley Act (GLBA) dictates how this type of data must be stored and accessed. Secure sockets layer (SSL) and transport layer security (TLS) can be used in tandem with IBM 3270 emulation software to provide secure and compliant access to restricted data.
PASSPORT Features
PASSPORT supports 3270 display and 3270E host printing. 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 3270 emulator sessions are started at one time. A menu security feature allows an administrator to decide what features are allowed and which are not.
PASSPORT also provides IBM 3287 LU 1 and LU3 host printer emulation. The TN3270E printer session provides many configuration options including the font, number of rows and columns on the page, printer margins, transparent printing, printer initialization and closing character strings, modification of host code page translation tables, as well as many other features.
Why PASSPORT?
As one of the market's very first IP-based connectivity solutions, the mature, feature-rich package is an ideal alternative to other desktop-based emulators, includingAttachmate® EXTRA!® or Reflection® or NetManage® Rumba®.
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.
Quicktrial or Download Options
There are two ways to evaluate the PASSPORT software: either download a copy of the IBM 3270 software or do a Quicktrial of the PASSPORT WEB TO HOST® application. With Quicktrial, there is no server installation, you simply download the client from our web server. This is a fast and easy way to look at the PASSPORT WEB TO HOST® software. For those that want to install the PASSPORT WEB TO HOST® software on their own web server, you can download the full working copy of the software and complete a full evaluation.
These "dumb" terminals were simple machines that consisted of nothing more than a keyboard, monitor, network interface and buffer memory that were not capable of actually processing data. IBM 3270. Today, IBM 3270 emulation is used to access IBM zSeries and System Z mainframes. When IBM mainframes were first introduced, IBM3270 terminals were used to communicate with the mainframe.