Hi
I had some progress on this area and I had improved a little bit some documents on the OS2World Wiki about the relationship between
OS/2 and the mainframe. I was not able to went deep enough, since I don't have a mainframe, but I was able to understand a few things.
1) There was a PCI card
(also some older ISA) called
P/390 that used to be "a mainframe in a card" that you plugged into a PC so you can do development and testing for mainframe applications. That P/390 card was supported under OS/2, so you installed it on your OS/2 machine, and install a software called "
P/390 Tools" so you can manage some functions of the mainframe card from OS/2.
I still need to know (at least in theory, since I don't think I will ever get that card):
- a) Which are the drivers required for that card and how it was configured on OS/2 (config.sys).
- b) Which is the latest version and latest fixpack of "P/390 Tools" for OS/2.
2) On full mainframes servers, OS/2 used to came bundle with a PC or Thinkpad. OS/2 worked as a console to do some basic functions of the mainframe (like IPL - turn on/off). There was a software called "
Support Element" for OS/2 that allowed you to manage the mainframe.
I still need to find out:
- a) Which is the latest version of "Support Element" for OS/2 and latest fixpack (if applies). I have pictures of version 1.6.1.
- b) I still do not know exactly how the OS/2 PC was physically connected to the mainframe (serial? parallel? ethernet? PCMCIA card?) It may vary according to the model, but I still not sure about that.
- c) I would like to have a list of Mainframe models that was supported (or that worked) with OS/2's Support Element. I have a
short list of what I was able to find on the wiki.
- d) Was "Support Element" replaced by "Open Systems Adapter/Support Facility (OSA/SF)" (Java 1.6) ?
3) I don't understand yet the Arca Noae's "S/390 Backup Facility". It says it make it easy to backup and restore an IBM Multiprise 3000 mainframe (with Support Element). I'm guessing is an ArcaOS-OS/2 software that interacts in someway with the Multiprise 3000 to do that. But there are no screenshots, manuals or videos to get a better idea.
So, that are the little things I was able to uncover about the relationship of OS/2 with IBM's Mainframe. It is not much, but I always appreciate more information and corrections if you think I'm understanding some wrong.
Regards