Host Access Solutions: Terminal Emulation Software and Host Integration

SCO ANSI Terminal Emulation Featured in PASSPORT

SCO ANSI terminal emulation is featured in both the Zephyr PASSPORT PC TO HOST (desktop-based) and PASSPORT WEB TO HOST (browser-based) terminal emulation suites and can be used to provide access to applications running on UNIX-based servers. PASSPORT FTP is included for fast, reliable file transfer.

SCO ANSI

Santa Cruz Operation (SCO) was founded in 1979 as a supplier of UNIX based operating systems for Intel microprocessors. Originally launched in Santa Cruz, California, SCO is now known as the SCO Group (www.sco.com) and is based in Lindon, Utah. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) (www.ansi.org) was founded in 1918 and is a non-profit organization that coordinates voluntary standardization in the United States.

The ANSI standard that describes a full set of computer terminal commands is known as the ANSI X3.64-1979 standard. ANSI also standardizes computer character set code pages that describe which computer hexadecimal values correspond to text characters that are displayed on a computer screen. SCO ANSI supports computer terminal commands that form a superset of the ANSI X3.64-1979 standard.

Benefits

Primary benefits of using PASSPORT for SCO ANSI terminal emulation are:

• Emulator Consolidation
• Savings

In addition to SCO ANSI terminal emulation, PASSPORT can also be used to access UNIX applications designed for VT100, VT220, VT420, Wyse 60 and other UNIX terminals. TN3270 and TN5250 terminal emulation is also supported. In our experience, most customers that require SCO ANSI terminal emulation also need other terminal emulators.

Zephyr's subscription licensing can help lower the cost of host access where organizations require multi-host terminal emulation suites (requires a 100 unit minimum license). Further savings can be realized with the centrally-deployed PASSPORT WEB TO HOST (also requires a 100 unit minimum license).

SCO ANSI Features and Security Options

PASSPORT can be configured for either SCO ANSI 7-bit or 8-bit terminal emulation. Screen sizes can be either 80 columns by 25 rows, or 132 columns by 25 rows. A scroll back buffer is provided that can hold up to 2,000 lines of screen information. This feature provides an easy method to review previous terminal emulation screens.

The SCO ANSI keyboard layout is a superset of VT-220. Special ANSI keys include function keys F1 through F12, and these same function keys used in conjunction with the Ctrl key, Shift key, and Ctrl + Shift keys.

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), the de facto Internet security standard originally developed by Netscape, is supported as a security option. SSL security provides encryption to prevent eavesdropping and tampering with your SCO ANSI terminal emulation session. In order to use the PASSPORT SSL feature you must either connect to a host system that supports the SSL protocol, or connect through a proxy server or hardware protocol converter that supports SSL.

Screen Scraping the SCO ANSI Terminal Emulation Session

PASSPORT is commonly used to provide client-side host integration and there are three programmatic interfaces that can be used to scrape data from the host screen found in the SCO ANSI session:

• Object Interface

• Macro Interface

• HLLAPI

The PASSPORT Object Interface is recommended for developing new host integration applications and includes a hierarchy of objects including: System, Sessions, Session, Screen, Area and OIA. PASSPORT also provides a macro scripting language that can be used to automate common tasks.

HLLAPI, the High Level Language Application Programming Interface established by IBM in the mid 1980s, is recommended for use when PASSPORT replaces an existing terminal emulator, such as Attachmate EXTRA!® or IBM Personal Communications®) and there is a need to migrate an existing HLLAPI application.