z/OS Communications Server

Features
System Requirements

Mainframe network security for on demand transactions

z/OS® Communications Server provides a high-performance foundation for building and deploying networking applications. Providing mainframe network security, z/OS Communication server enables SNA and TCP/IP applications running on z/OS to interact with partner applications and users on the same or different systems. This high availability enterprise transaction and data server provides common applications such as File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Telnet and remote execution of applications.

z/OS Communications Server provides a secure platform for developing and sharing mainframe workloads in a TCP/IP environment. Built for optimum productivity, z/OS Communications server is designed for:

IPv6 enablement—enabling IPv6, the successor to aging IPv4 technology, to handle the demands of internet usage with 128-bit addressing.
High speed connectivity to the enterprise—supporting high-bandwidth and high-speed networking technologies.
High availability—using z/OS Parallel Sysplex® technology to enable high availability application support.
Network security—protecting sensitive data and the operation of the TCP/IP stack on z/OS.
Network management—collecting network topology, status and performance information.

IPv6 enablement

Increased scalability—with 128-addressing capability.
Simplified configuration – need blurb
Support for renumbering — need blurb
Application compatibility —with older IPv4 technology

High speed connectivity to the enterprise

Using Gigabit Ethernet with OSA Express QDIO for TCP/IP.
Providing high-speed communication between logical partitions (LPARs) using Hipersockets.
Connecting workstations over TCP/IP networks using TN3270 Server to access z/OS and enterprise SNA applications
Allowing SNA Enterprise applications to communicate reliably over an IP network using the Enterprise Extender, SNA HPR and UDP transport layer protocols.
Utilizing APPN Extended Border Node (EBN), a replacement for 3745/NCP based SNA Network Interconnect (SNI)

High availability

APPN High Performance Routing (HPR) — provides end-to-end session continuity by supporting non-disruptive path switch around failed network components.
SNA Generic Resources function— provides workload balancing for multi-instance applications within a parallel Sysplex for maximizing availability and efficiency of application data sharing.
Multi-node Persistent Sessions— provides session recovery for SNA applications.
Dynamic VIPA (Virtual IP Address) — provides TCP/IP application availability across z/OS systems in a Sysplex, allowing participating TCP/IP stacks on z/OS to provide TCP/IP outage backup and recovery for each other.
Sysplex Distributor— provides intelligent load balancing for TCP/IP application servers in a Sysplex with a single system image for client applications connecting to these servers.

Network Security

IPSEC/VPN functions— enable the secure transfer of data over a network using encryption, authentication, and data integrity standards.
Intrusion Detection Services (IDS) —evaluates the stack for attacks that would undermine the operation’s integrity. IDS policy defines what actions to take (e.g., logging) at event occurrence.
TLS/SSL enablement for key applications— ensures data is protected as it is flowing across the FTP and TN3270 network(s).

Network Management

VTAM —supports the traditional Common Management Information Protocol (CMIP) network management protocol for managing SNA network topology with additional management interfaces for performance monitoring.
TCP/IP—supports the SNMPv3 protocol.
Communications Server— supports standard SNMP applications, as well as IETF standard TCP/IP protocol MIBs.

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