Subject: AIW Newsletter

From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 13 May 93 17:19:55 EDT

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* AIW  Newsletter            Vol. 1, No. 1                  5/14/93   *
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  Contents
  --------
  Minutes From AIW 1
  Notes From AIW 1 Now Available
  Mailing Lists Available Next Week
  June Platform Developers Conference (including AIW) Update

* Minutes, APPN Implementers' Workshop 1

Day 1: 4/14/93

Rick McGee, Director of NS Architecture, began the meeting by stating the
objective for the AIWs as facilitating fully interoperable, high-quality
APPN products from a variety of vendors.  He stated an intent to provide
a draft specification of Dependent LU Requester prior to the next AIW in
June and a draft specification for APPN/High Performance Routing in 3rd
quarter 1993.

Ken Smith, Manager of Systems Software for Canada Mortgage and Housing
Corporation, is a long time user of APPN and a participant in the VTAM
4.1 QPP (beta test) program.  He spoke about the evolution of their
network, the improvements VTAM 4.1 makes in the network, the problems
they have had, their future plans, and some suggestions for the
assembled vendors to consider.

There were a series of talks intended to provide general education on
APPN End Node and Network Node architecture.  Marcia Peters introduced
the concepts; Neal Scheunemann discussed LEN and EN configuration
examples; and Dave Bryant provided a technical overview of the APPN
architecture.  Mike Allen discussed the APPN network management
infrastructure and applications using SNA/MS and a framework for
integrating the SNA/MS, CMIP, and SNMP agents and managers.  John Wilder
discussed a prototype for an APPN accounting and topology agent and
manager that uses CMIP formats on SNA sessions.  Tim Comstock briefly
discussed conformance and interoperability testing and Burt Gearhart from
Applied Computer Technology discussed and demonstrated the capabilities
of their testing product.  Marcia Peters discussed the need for a common
set of APPN functions implemented by all products, the set of APPN base
functions, its evolution, and some NN options.  And, finally, a panel o f
APPN architects and implementers answered questions.

There was also a brief discussion about IBM's decision not to invite
the press.  It was based on feedback at the first Platform Developers'
Conference and a concern that participants might not be as open with
one another if the press were in attendance.  There was general agreement
that the press should not attend these workshops.

There was also a suggestion that an APPN "user" conference would be
valuable.  IBM would be willing to consider working with other vendors to
pull together a conference for network administrators, but we are not
able to do it ourselves at this time.

Day 2: 4/15/93

With caveats about forecasting, David Kelsey presented a synthesis of
information from a number of sources to help attendees understand the
market opportunity for APPN.

John Pickens, 3Com Corp., discussed their experiences porting NN code to
their platform.  Dinah Mann discussed implementation options for vendors
interested in EN and/or NN.  A question about the Technology Package and
its applicability to LEN and EN implementations will be answered at the
June workshop.

Kim Murray outlined some of the Market Enablement efforts and solicited
names of marketing contacts so that implementing vendors might work
together to market APPN products.

Over lunch, there were several "mini-BOFs" that met to discuss particular
topics.  There was a lunch meeting that agreed to form the first AIW
Special Interest Group to work on enhancements to Data Link Switching.
That SIG will meet at the June AIW.  Another group met with Jane Munn
to discuss  the Technology Package and a third group met with Dinah
Mann to discuss the OEM NN offering.

Ray Bird began the afternoon sessions with an architecture overview of
APPN/HPR.  More information will be provided at the June AIW.  Jon Fjeld
gave a brief look at the 6611 SNA strategy followed by a presentation by
Dave Strube explaining the 6611 (and OEM Offering) function and
structure.  Dave also stated that portable portions of APPN/HPR will be
included in the next release of the OEM Offering (target 2H93).

Jim Fletcher outlined the additional VTAM features that provide support
for very large networks.  Ed Tremblay discussed the requirements
for and the functions of the SSCP-dependent LU support--Dependent LU
Requester (now abbreviated DLUR) and Dependent LU Server (DLUS).  There
will be a DLUR SIG at the June AIW.

Finally, Jane Munn and then John Walker wrapped things up.  The Internet
and CompuServe communications mechanisms have been put in place.  The
June AIW will be held in RTP, NC on June 21-24.

There is a rather terse (i.e., useful as a reminder, not stand-alone) set
of notes that captures the essence of questions and answers during the
workshop.  See below for further information.

Lee Rafalow

* Notes From AIW 1 Now Available

  The notes that Bill Siddall and Candy Elder took during the AIW
  (especially the questions from the floor and the answers from the
  speakers) are now available by anonymous FTP to
  ibmstandards.cary.ibm.com to get the file aiw/conference/aiw1.notes

* Mailing Lists Available Next Week

  Files containing the names, companies, and E-mail addresses of the
  aiw-general, aiw-sig-dlsw, and aiw-sig-dlur mailing lists will be
  made available on 5/20; if you do not wish to have your name
  included, please send a note to [email-masked] within the next
  week.

  The files will be available by anonymous FTP to
  ibmstandards.cary.ibm.com and will be called
            aiw/general/general.mailing-list
            aiw/sig/dlsw/dlsw.mailing-list
            aiw/sig/dlur/dlur.mailing-list

* June Platform Developers Conference (including AIW) Update

  The preliminary agenda is nearly ready for mailing, and when it is,
  a copy will also be made available for FTP.  The conference will
  span 3 1/2 days on June 21-24.  The mornings will be made up of
  general sessions, and in the afternoons there will be one general
  track and one or two AIW tracks.

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  * Back issues of the newsletter will be available by anonymous    *
  * FTP to ibmstandards.cary.ibm.com to get the file                *
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