Entire Connection allows you to use your PC as a window to your data processing environment. Using Entire Connection, you can communicate with one or more host systems from your PC. The host system can be a mainframe (IBM, BS2000), VMS and/or UNIX. Various widely-used communication mechanisms are supported, allowing the use of Entire Connection in almost any heterogeneous configuration.
However, Entire Connection turns your PC into more than a conventional "terminal emulator". The multi-session capability of Entire Connection allows you to run any number of independent host sessions concurrently, where each session occupies one window on your PC screen. This parallel access capability, together with the possibility to cut and paste text using the Windows Clipboard, makes your PC a powerful tool for managing your information processing tasks.
Additionally, Entire Connection allows data exchange operations with Natural (Software AG's 4th generation application language).
The following topics are covered below:
You can use Entire Connection to establish a communication link between your PC and any number of host computers. Once these connections are established, you can do the following:
Use the PC as host terminal complete with full-screen editing capabilities and immediate access to all host applications.
Route host printouts to network printers. Dedicated host printers are no longer required.
Transfer data between the PC and any connected host running Natural. Entire Connection handles any exchange of information between the PC and the host, making manual transcription of data unnecessary. In addition, an error detection capability ensures the integrity of data being transmitted. If errors are detected in the course of a data transfer, the information is retransmitted automatically.
Use Entire Connection to gain access to the greater processing power of the appropriate host environment. Data stored on your PC can be uploaded to the host for processing and downloaded to the PC to be stored.
Perform cross-session cut and paste for fast and easy data transfer between heterogeneous operating environments.
Entire Connection offers a number of special features that enhance its basic functionality of enabling multiple parallel sessions with multiple hosts. The major features are listed below:
Full integration in the Windows environment.
Independence of third-party software (direct gateway support).
Secure host connection with SSL/TLS for the communication with sessions of type TN3270(E) and BS2000 (including data transfer with Entire Connection).
Secure host connection with SSH for the communication with sessions of type Telnet VTxxx.
Powerful scripting (procedure) language to automate tasks on the host and PC.
Extended data conversion facilities.
Easy LAN installation and administration.
Migration of user-specific definitions from one version to the next.
Powerful and user-friendly tools to administer a multi-user installation.
Unattended workstation support.
API to access terminal emulation functions from within a user program.
Keyboard redefinition capability, including assigning a single key to invoke a procedure file.
Selectable fonts for screen display.
3270/9750 keypad window.
Automated creation of procedure files (learn mode).
Command line recall capability.
With Entire Connection, you can download data from the host into a PC application. You can then process your data using a wide variety of PC spreadsheet, editor, graphic, and data management packages.
The table below indicates the file formats supported by Entire Connection along with some of the PC packages that use these file formats:
| Extension | File Formats |
|---|---|
| *.dbf | dBase III |
| *.dif | Data Interchange Format - used by many popular software packages (e.g. Rbase) |
| *.prn | Basic |
| *. wks, *.wk1, *.wkl | Lotus |
| *.ncc | IBM or IBM compatible, COBOL |
| *.ncd | ASCII |
| *.enc | Encryption |
| *.bin | Binary |
| *.xls, *.xlsx | Excel (to download data to Excel format or to upload Excel data, Excel must be installed on the PC; the extension depends on the installed Excel version) |
| *.htm, *.html | HTML (this is a specific HTML format that can also be opened with Excel) |
| *.xml | XML |
Data transfer can be accomplished efficiently because Entire Connection handles conversion automatically as the data is being transferred. This means that data from any of the supported formats can be uploaded directly to the host.
You can benefit in many ways from using Entire Connection. The main advantages are:
One terminal emulation in a heterogeneous host environment saves cost and reduces training needs.
One terminal emulation product for different host systems is a unique feature.
Direct gateway support saves the cost of third-party communication software, simplifies installation and frees system resources.
A good multi-host terminal emulation that is well integrated in the Windows world makes downsizing (rightsizing) easier.