2.1.10 Telnet TN3270 Enhancements (tn3270e)

NOTE: This charter is a snapshot of the 42nd IETF Meeting in Chicago, Illinois. It may now be out-of-date. Last Modified: 23-Jul-98

Chair(s):

Ed Bailey <elbailey@us.ibm.com>
Michael Boe <mboe@cisco.com>

Applications Area Director(s):

Keith Moore <moore@cs.utk.edu>
Patrik Faltstrom <paf@swip.net>

Applications Area Advisor:

Keith Moore <moore@cs.utk.edu>

Technical Advisor(s):

Robert Moskowitz <rgm@icsa.net>

Mailing Lists:

General Discussion:tn3270e@list.nih.gov
To Subscribe: listserv@list.nih.gov
In Body: sub tn3270e <first_name> <last_name
Archive: listserv@list.nih.gov

Description of Working Group:

Present specifications for access to 3270 and 5250 based applications over TCP/IP require improvement to become more commercially viable. Security, Service Location, Response Time, and Session Balancing are improvement examples.

The WG will drive to update and extend the standards specifications proposed in rfc1647 and rfc1205 so that they fully support 3270 and 5250 style access to host (S/390 and AS/400) applications respectively in today's environments.

Consideration will be given to work already in progress on protocols for accessing 3270 and 5250 based applications over TCP/IP.

Three protocol documents will be produced.

Deliverables

1. A revised version of rfc1647 (tn3270e) including clarifications of the protocol, and security considerations. The revised rfc1647 will be submitted to the IESG for advancement of the tn3270e protocol to draft standard status. Currently it is a proposed standard.

2. A new standards track document defining options for the tn3270e protocol. Such options are: IPDS printing, response time monitoring, error reporting, session balancing, service location, and security.

3. A new standards track document defining enhancements to the tn5250 protocol. This new protocol will be called tn5250e. This is not Display Station Passthrubut printing, LU assignment, service location, and security.

Goals and Milestones:

Apr 97

  

Discuss scope of initial tn5250ec enhancements at IETF session.

Apr 97

  

Goal 2 tn3270e new options Propose a list of initial enhancements on listsrv for review.

Apr 97

  

Goal 1 revised tn3270e (rfc1647) Conduct interoperability testing.

Apr 97

  

Discuss scope of initial tn3270e enhancements at IETF session.

Apr 97

  

Propose a list of initial TN5250e enhancements on listsrv for review.

May 97

  

Goal 1 revised tn3270e (rfc1647) Publish Internet-Draft and issue Working Group Last Call.

Jun 97

  

Goal 1 revised tn3270e (rfc1647) Incorporate any revisions and publish Internet-Draft.

Jun 97

  

Goal 1 revised tn3270e (rfc1647) Submit to IESG for consideration for Proposed Standard.

Aug 97

  

Goal 3 tn5250e Resolve issues with initial enhancements using the listsrv.

Aug 97

  

Goal 2 tn3270e new options Resolve issues with initial enhancements using the listsrv.

Sep 97

  

Goal 2 tn3270e new options Issue initial draft of new proposed rfc to listsrv for review.

Sep 97

  

Goal 3 tn5250e Issue initial draft of new proposed rfc to listsrv for review.

Nov 97

  

Goal 3 tn5250e Incorporate comments and publish proposed rfc for implementation.

Nov 97

  

Goal 2 tn3270e new options Incorporate comments and publish proposed rfc for implementation.

Apr 98

  

Goal 2 tn3270e new options Conduct initial interoperability testing.

Apr 98

  

Goal 3 tn5250e Conduct initial interoperability testing.

Jun 98

  

Goal 2 tn3270e new options Gather operational experience from implementers.

Jun 98

  

Goal 3 tn5250e Gather operational experience from implementers.

Aug 98

  

Goal 3 tn5250e Publish Internet-Draft and issue Working Group Last Call.

Aug 98

  

Goal 2 tn3270e new options Publish Internet-Draft and issue Working Group Last Call.

Oct 98

  

Goal 3 tn5250e Submit to IESG for consideration for Proposed Standard.

Oct 98

  

Goal 2 tn3270e new options Submit to IESG for consideration for Proposed Standard.

Oct 98

  

Goal 3 tn5250e Incorporate any revisions and publish Internet-Draft.

Oct 98

  

Goal 2 tn3270e new options Incorporate any revisions and publish Internet-Draft.

Internet-Drafts:

Request For Comments:

RFC

Status

Title

RFC1576

 

TN3270 Current Practices

RFC1646

 

TN3270 Extensions for LUname and Printer Selection

RFC2355

DS

TN3270 Enhancements

Current Meeting Report

Minutes of the TN3270 WG Meeting at IETF/Chicago

Reported by Michael Boe, Co-Chair

Status of the protocol I-D specs:

- TN3270E: Completed IESG and promoted to Draft Standard (RFC2355).
- TN5250E: Update of I-D to replace RFC1205 (TN5250) available
(draft-ietf-tn5250e-02.txt). Moving TN5250E to standards track was discussed. Two
problems were mentioned: one is that there's currently just one implementation of
the server. Another is that RFC1205 should be declared historical.
- Interoperability: TN3270E/TN5250E Interoperabilty Event (TIE) held in June for
bothTN3270 & TN5250. Next full TIE to be held in the spring 1999. Possible
TN5250E only event in late fall 1998?

Additional Enhancements specs:

*** Security:

New Draft to be published, reflecting additional discussion of some specific issues on
the mailing list.

*** Management:

Response-time MIB and Operational MIB: Both drafts have have completed WG last-
call and are now in IESG.

*** Service Location:

Some history here for srvloc. srvloc-II has come out since the initial implementation.
Also, Sun is thinking about a SRVLOC interop event this fall (stay tuned). WG
members are undecided whether SRVLOC should be pushed as a preferential way to
locate service.

To be further discussed on the mailing list.

*** Functional Extensions:

I-D draft has been discussed on mailing list and will be published after Chicago meeting.
Specifications include FMH support, CD/BID, byte-doubling-suppression.

Presentations:
* Secure Telnet Access:

Presentation by Hans Erik (GC Computer) on implementation experience encrypted
pipe (DES symmetric key to gen an RC4 key). Protocol working since middle of April.
Distinguishing features:

- forces server-side policy to be "always encrypt."
- uses a shared DES key (making protocol)

Conclusion: Inappropriate for widespread deployment as is, but useful as first step
where cleartext had been used before.

- Locating Telnet Service:

Presentation by Kathuri Kasthurirangan(IBM), pointed out that lack of support for any
particular attribute is not vital. In particular, load-balancing attribute need not be present.
Novell, IBM have two different interoperating implementations of the SRVLOC.

- Miscellaneous/API:

An implementation experience was presented to the work group: object-API (open-host
interface objects or OHIO) to replace HLLAPI. Discussion was on standardization?
Attachmate and IBM will submit the spec to the mailing list. Burke Ryder (Attachmate)
and Tom Brawn (IBM) were answered initial questions on the API/object-model.

Slides

None received.

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