Approaches to enabling an installed base of mixed data terminal equipment to access a data base management system designed to work with a specific terminal are discussed. The approach taken by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory is described. Background information on the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), its organization and a description of the Administrative Data Base Management System is included

Iverson, R. W.

English

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DATA COMMUNICATION
BETWEEN DATA TERMINAL EQUIPMENT AND THE JPL ADMINISTRATIVE
DATA BASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
BY
ROBERT W. IVERSON
INTRODUCTION
Scope
This paper discusses approaches to enabling an installed base of
mixed data terminal equipment to access a data base management
system designed to work with a specific terminal. The approach
taken by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and our experiences to
date are described.
Background information on the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL),
its organization and a description of our Administrative Data
Base Management System is included.
Background
The data base management system need of JPL is unique amoung the
NASA Centers. JPL is an operating division of the California
Institute of Technology (Caltech). Caltech/JPL performs research,
development and other related activies under contract with NASA
using facilities provided by the government. The Caltech/JPL
contract requires NASA standard administrative and financial
reporting. However, the design and operation of the internal JPL
management and administrative support systems are the responsibi-
lity of Caltech.
JPL is organized as a matrix, Projects and tasks are formed and
funded within the Program offices as required and approved by
NASA. The work is performed by the Technical Divisions in
accordance with the requirements and guidelines established by
the Program and Project offices. Financial, Procurement,
Personnel and other administrative support is provided by the the
Administrative Divisions.
Some large Planetary research and development projects currently
being managed by JPL include the VOYAGER, GALILEO and IRAS
Projects.
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COMPUTING AND INFORMATION SERVICES
THE CISSP
In 1983, the Computing and Information Services System Project
(CISSP) was formed with the primary objective of developing and
adopting up-to-date computing ,networking, and information
services technology to meet the future data processing and data
management requirements of JPL. The CISSP is comprised of two
parts:
Development of a computer-communications network called the
Technical and Administrative Computer Communications Network
(TACCN).
The upgrade of JPL's Management and Administrative Support
Systems, (MASS) the systems and data which support the
management and administration of the laboratory.
The use of the TACCN to provide user access to the MASS is the
subject of this paper.
THE MASS
The previous administrative support systems at JPL have been
developed ad-hoc and uncoupled. Our Resource management,
Procurement, Inventory, Cost accounting, Payroll and similar
systems have operated in a stand-alone, batch, labor intensive
environement.
In 1982, plans for an integrated, interactive Management and
Administrative Support System (MASS) were developed and
implementation of this system was started in 1983 with the
establishment of the CISS Project and the procurement of a
generalized data base management system. A IBM 3083 Computer was
procured early in 1984 to host this system.
The overall implementation precept for the MASS is to procure
commercially available applications software wherever possable.
One of the foundations of this precept is the use of a commercial
generalized data base management system. The Integrated Database
Management System (IDMS) by the Cullinet Corporation was selected
as this foundation. The selection of IDMS dictates a set of
applications which can be purchsed to perform MASS functions.
The commercial availability of applications compatable with the
Cullinet IDMS determines the order in which the JPL systems will
be implemented. A characterization of the target applications of
MASS when all elements have been completed is shown in figure i.
82
FIGURE 1
83
TACCN
The TACCN is being developed concurently in support of the MASS.
The major elements of the TACCN are shown in figure 2. These
include:
* The IBM 3083 Computing System which hosts the MASS software.
* The Institutional Local Area Network (ILAN) which provides
reliable high speed data communications between terminals,
from terminal to computer and computer to computer.
* File and print servers on the network.
* Electronic message store and forward services.
* Office Automation services
* Science and Engineering computing services.
* Flight Project Support Services
THE DATA COMMUNICATION ENVIRONMENT
THE ILAN
The ILAN will provide the primary data communications functions
for the laboratory. The ILAN uses Broadband technology and is
based on hardware and software purchased from the Ungerman-Bass
Company. It will provide on line data communications for over
i000 users. Additionally, dial communications facilities will be
provided via a Northern Telecomm Digital Telephone central office
provided by Pacific Telephone Co.
There are currently over 1500 Data Terminal Equipment (DTE) units
at JPL. There are over 100 separate models or types of DTE which
must be served by the ILAN and the MASS. The major users of the
MASS (The Program and Project Office, The Administrative
Divisions and the Technical Division Management) use Micro
computer workstations (IBM PC/XT), Word Processors (WANG),
Executive desk sets (Northern Telecomm Display Phone), and
Portable hardcopy terminals such as the TI Silent 700's.
84
FIGURE 2
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i ',', ....... ,'',i, ..... '].ii']'i" ................... 'i'i'[']]]] ..... "" '"" ' ' '
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iiii.i " iii iii . . I IIIIIIII"IIIU6ERS"""" '.'.'.'.'.'.'.' • • "... ' ....... i
FIGtP.E 2- ELEF-1ENFSOF ]tiE IECI-.I'-,IICP,L _ AEt.41NISTRAI-IN_ _ ,a¢'.[3 CE]'4"I..I_OAllONS NET_
(T,'_CN)
85
THE MASS/TERMINAL INTERFACE
Ideally, all terminals connected to the MASS/IDMS/IBM 3083 would
be IBM 3278 terminals (or their equivalent), each operating at
9600 bps allowing the transmittal and receipt of a complete CRT
screen in one second. However, because JPL's inventory of
terminals includes only about 30 IBM 3278 terminals it is
nessesary to find ways to either adapt the non-compatable
terminals to the MASS communication environment or to adapt the
MASS environment to over i00 different types of terminals. The
later option would violate the fundimental precept of a
commercial generalized database management system and
applications.
Effective use of the large inventory of DTE will require one or
more of the following work-arounds:
* Install IBM 3278 emulator hardware or software in the
Micro-computer based terminals and connect them to a IBM
327x controller via coax cables.
* Install IBM 327X controller emulation in the Micro-computer
terminals to allow direct host connection via the ILAN.
* Replace 327X controlers with protocol converters to
allow asynchronous devices to operate in the MASS/IBM
327X/SDLC environment.
Possible configurations of these options are shown in figure 3.
The first two options are attractive for IBM PC's or their
clones. We plan to use emulators where possible. The
availability of commercial emulation packages for other micro-
computers is uncertain at this time.
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FIGURE 3
i i i i i u i
_DI'4S
]PJI'-I31183
1Bt'4PC
FIGURE 3- /_IjII:TRI"_ATI_VlE_ OF I:_I:_O_vE)I.NGA IBM 327X/SNA ENVBq_DNI"Bx[[
87
Two protocol translators purchased from the Renex Corporation
have been installed at JPL for evaluation. The Renex Translator
display system interfaces with the IBM communications processor
in exactly the same manner as an IBM 327X control unit. The host
thinks that the Translator is a 327X and communicates with it in
the same manner. Asynchronous terminals connect to the
Translator which has control over the data and cursor positioning
at the terminal.
According to the Renex Corporation, almost any asynchronous ASCII
terminal which can operate in the full duplex, character mode and
which has an addressable cursor can be supported by the
translator. It optionaly supports Keyboard Send/Receive (KSR)
printers such as the TI silent 700's for both line by line and
full screen applications. However, invoking some 3278 functions
such as screen refresh on a KSR will cause all 24 lines to be
printed (at 300 baud this may take a while). There is a set of
PROM's which are available for installation in the translator
which supports most commonly used terminals.
The JPL experience to date with the protocol translator approach
has been mixed. The protocol translation function appears to
work as advertised except for some KSR terminals. The desired
MASS environment should allow for data file upload and download
and this capability is not available for many terminal types.
CONCLUSION
The objective of the Computing and Information Services System
Project is to provide up-to-date computing, networking and
Information services technology at JPL. This includes an
integrated, interactive Management and Administrative Support
System utilizing commercially available data base management and
applications software compatable with the IBM System Network
Architecture (SNA). Our capital investment in a large inventory
of non-SNA terminals requires some temporary work-arounds which
include use of protocol translators. The use of a error free
data communications system (the ILAN) and 327X emulators in or
near the micro-computer based equipment will provide a longer
term solutions while allowing flexibility in the replacement of
the older equipment as it becomes obsolete.
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Data communication between data terminal equipment and the JPL administrative data base management system

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